Your son is sleeping beneath chilly plants, don't ask his wage for today

Last evening, My neighbor called me saying my mom got held her hand in washing machine and she is fine. I suddenly rushed to home and there was not much to worry about, she was fine.

Today morning, I sat next to her to explain how a washing machine works? then I took her to machine and gave a demo explaining all the functions. There was so much of curiosity in her eyes! She asked me so many question which were so simple, and I was yet happy to answer her.

I still remember, there was time when me and my mom used to go harvest cotton on a summer day. She was paid 12 Rupees a day and I was paid 8 Rupees. We never considered the burning sun and skin scratches due to dried cotton thrones. While we work she used to talk to me continuously, she used to tell me about Gandhiji and Indian freedom moment. She always told me to be good at mathematics and get selected in a entrance exam for a residential school. By then, I was young and some land owners did not considered me as daily labour by then also mom took me along her. While she was working I collected woods and cow dung cakes to make domestic fuel for winter.

I still remember that day when my mom slapped me. It was a hot day and we were working, we were harvesting chillies. The chilly plants were taller than me when I bent down. In middle of work I slept beneath the chilly plants and nobody noticed me until for some time. Then the land owner saw me and shouted, 'Lalithamma, nim hudga holdaga makkonthana avn kooli kelak barbyada' (Lalithamma, your son slept beneath chilly plants and you do not ask his wage for today) My mom came and slapped me, she was worrid that I didnt even paid for half day.

We used to work for 6 days a week and mom earned 72 Rupees + around 40 Rupees mine. Every week she used to send me to the weekly market, that used to gather near by my village. I always carried a bag and 50 Rupees in my pocket. walk alone on a mud road. When I reached market, I kept wandering through out all the shops. Mom narrated me the list of things to get and I noted down on a paper. Meanwhile, I never felt to have a chocolate of 50 paisa, because I knew 50 paisa is lot more for mom. also she suggested me to not to have tea in shop, she told me she will make tea for me when I get back home. I used to return to home by evening. She used to check if I bought everything and calculate the money I spent. Then she used to make tea for me, we sat together and sip it and get out. I was not supposed to stay at home after lunch or dinner, as there was no space for me to sit. We lived in a smallest room, may be 20fx15f smaller. by night we used my grandpa's house for sleeping.

Fortunately, now time has changed. And today I get her everything she want. She never asks me anything but I know what she want. She never dreamt of using a washing machine in her life. She struggled all though her life as a labor. And today she is proud of me and I am happy that she is proud and happy. Every morning she waits until I get up and brings me tea, after that she prepares breakfast for me. When I go home she asks me 10 times if she can serve food for me and I say yes by 11th time. On weekends I take her to malls and big bazar. I feel so proud and satisfied when she sits on my bike and holds my shoulder. In malls I explain her everything, I explain her how these malls makes profit? I explain her what does Software Company do? I explain her what is recession? I explain her what is central government and state government? how do our government works? I use all simplest examples to make her understood.

When I was in school, she wrote me a postcard every week and 35 rupees of money order every month. I regret that I didn't preserve those letter. By then I never thought of making her happy, I was in my own world in school. I was sitting in classroom with 40 of my classmates and she was working hard in sun to arrange 35 Rupees to send me next month.

Today, if I am sitting in a Air Conditioned room with a computer. It's all because she worked hard under sun all the day for 12 Rupees.

After we discuss something, she never forgets to add a line 'If your father was alive, he would have felt so happy' and i say 'who knows?'

Still I remember those 35 Rupees she used to send me, no matter I am paid 75,000 Rupees a month.

I love you mom.