The Momma Clan

Malti let the morning rays touch her body. She could smell the aroma of the balm that she rubbed on her feet and head last night. The slow churning of the fan was breaking the silence of the morning birds chirping outside as if they were having a cold war with the fan. The curtains blended with the idea of kissing the balcony now and then as the smooth breeze tried to break inside the house.

Somewhere, a fresh whiff of elaichi invaded Malti’s senses once again; the whiff was going steady with the breeze that won the battle against the curtain. The dew drops rolled down from the potted rose plant on Malti’s balcony. Malti could feel the drop touch her wrinkled skin as she moved towards the window. The sun’s rays were now moving down to her feet from her face as if the sun was scanning her body.

The anklets made white noise as Payal, Malti’s neighbour, pressed open the building gate. Along with her, Priya’s bangles tinkled up and down in a symphony with the anklets. And Malti just smiled. The whiff of elaichi was now fading. Malti heard the tea being poured into a cup. And then the soft noise of the newspaper being shuffled to and fro caught her attention. She understood that Mr. Sharma had started reading the newspaper.

Gaurav and Chetan chuckled as they ran down the stairs and when they heard the beep beep of the school bus, their footsteps made a thumping sound, louder than before. Malti thought it must be 8 a.m. Soon, Vinod Babu moved into society. The empty utensil was now filled with liquid; the noise of milk getting filled in an empty utensil brought joy to Malti’s face. She could then hear the crate of the eggs swirl in a cycle’s backseat. And a shuffle of the bread packet now and then.

The sweet aroma of attar (perfume) danced in her corridor as Ahmed Miya made his way out of the house to catch the group of his friends for a yoga session. Just a little away from the building compound, Malti heard the laughter as the yoga session started with zest and vigour. The splatter of the pigeons near a small garden added a smile to Malti’s dark and wrinkled face. She could sense the pigeons were nibbling away the food grains with happiness and ease.

Malti now turned her attention to her kitchen. She prepared tea for herself. While the tea boiled, she turned on her washing machine, and the gushing sound of the water made her realise it was time to add the washing powder and her clothes into the machine. As the machine churned, Malti knew the laundry would be done in another 30 minutes.

The wind chime in her living room was still. Suddenly a slight push of the wind helped the chime achieve its full potential. It bounced happily while hugging Malti who was standing just a few steps away from the wind chime. After her breakfast, Malti dressed up to leave. The blind school at the corner of her her home, awaited her presence.

Malti has been blind since birth. She appreciated things in life, well those things that aren’t things but a way of life. She had food on her plate, a roof over her head, and, most importantly, she was aware of the life around her. The things that we often forget to see with our eyes, forget to hear them or just brush past them because it doesn’t matter.

Have you heard or felt life-like Malti, ever before? Simple joys that often go missed or not appreciated. If you have all that Malti has got, then you’re better off in life than many other people. And of course, you have got your eyes, still are you blind?

Appreciate little things so that you can value the bigger achievements of your life. Embrace the Malti inside you. See and hear beyond your senses to appreciate completely.

-Durriya Sakarwala