Today nearly three decades later as Nayaki muses on how she is going to find that perfect match for her daughters,she is worried.As a concerned mother, her priority will be to search and find the best for her girls.Over the years,she has performed her duties as a wife ,a daughter- in -law and a mother to the best of her ability.The past now seems to have been so much easier when she now looks towards the future .
With advancing age as insecurity grips her,she is shrouded by a fear of the uncertain.A mother wishes to see her girls settled in life.Or is it the maternal instinct that seems to suggest that a family makes a woman complete ? The career woman in her thinks otherwise and questions a mother's resolve to thrust family responsibilities on a young woman,who , though , has imbibed the qualities of passion to serve, also has in her , the spark to achieve, the zeal to excel and the vision to realise a dream .It is certain that a mother is going to be tested now onwards....
Will Nayaki compromise and will she be very rigid in sticking to her expectations as the mother of a girl? Will she place pre conditions before she finalises the match ? Will her girl choose her own life partner ? This and many more questions pop up in her wavering mind. So she makes a list of her expectations as the mother of an eligible girl,knowing pretty well that all her expectations will not be fulfilled .Also as a mother of a professionally qualified girl ,what she will definitely expect and also pray is that her daughter is wedded into an affectionate and caring family which will treat her as their own daughter and be supportive all along..
As a young girl,when Nayaki grew up under the protection and warmth of grandparents,uncles,aunts and parents,at that time, she never realised the importance of the role played by her mother as a dutiful daughter- in -law.As far as Nayaki was concerned,Vijaya was just another member who also took care of some of Nayaki's needs.While she groomed her daughter to be an independent individual,it was also firmly thrust into the young mind that respect and obedience to elders comes above everything else.
Nayaki's admiration for her mother now,has since increased manifold because she never questioned any close family member, who was involved in little Nayaki's daily activities and in her upbringing.When one uncle chose to take her out for a ride daily , bought dresses for her, Vijaya never came in their midst .Another uncle took care of Nayaki's academics and Vijaya never interfered .Grandma Kannamani ensured that Nayaki was never on an empty stomach and Vijaya never questioned her mother-in-law.So that is how Vijaya was .....a selfless woman who trusted not just her husband but all the members of her family and treated her in-laws as her own parents...a trait that is so rare to come by nowadays.
It was the month of April 1986. Subbu had received the transfer orders to Chennai a couple of days back.Prior to receiving the orders ,Subbu had spoken to a few friends in Chennai regarding the school admission for Ambi Thambi in Class IX.He was also assured of admission in a reputed school. Ambi was studying in Don Bosco Park Circus when Subbu received the posting orders to Chennai.Don Bosco Calcutta followed the ICSE curriculum. Subbu was particular on admission in an ICSE school in Chennai for his son.
It was nearly a year now since Nayaki had completed her graduation and she was jobless.She helped Vijaya with the household chores and learnt basics of simple daily cooking. Having completed her graduation ,she had appeared for some competitive exams.The results were awaited.Fresh out of college and because she did not wish to be idle she had started taking home tuitions too for Classes I to VIII.
Annapurna alias Anu,Amit alias Cheeku,Manisha alias Munni,Sonu and Babloo...I forget the good names of the last two now....were Nayaki's first students. Anu ,Cheeku and Munni were siblings. Anu the eldest was in Class VI, Cheeku the second was in Class IV,Munni was in Class I, Sonu and Bablu the cute Sindhi brothers were in UKG and LKG respectively when they first began training under Nayaki's tutelage that was to last for just one year.
Match making had taken a back seat and Subbu was busy calling in the packers and movers .The family was getting ready to leave Kolkata for good....
