Essay: Ruhi by Farah Naaz

In this heart-warming essay, Farah Naaz shares the beautiful bond between a child and a mother, explaining how, mothers need to be looked beyond their roles of being mothers.

“Aap log apna bartan nahin laye hain? Did you not get your utensils to eat?” The white-clad Madarssa kids scurried back in a file as soon as they heard this. To my young mind- It looked like ants scurrying away to find food- albeit white ones. I felt the sting of shame on my frock-covered body as they left without food. Maybe they did say something but I don’t remember. They had offered prayers for us and a big pot had, cooked food for them. Now we were left with a huge cauldron of food and no appetite. I wished that my mother had better sense than to offend these people. I was split between the thought of sharing my utensils with them and consoling my white-faced mother. In the end, the food was carried to the Madarssa by the guards of the bungalow. I was five and my mother was twenty-seven years of age.