I met the God mother in the hostel. She's an old lady, too old to walk without support, too old to climb stairs, too old to be doing work in the hostel, but as young as a baby in her heart. Truly, old-age is the second childhood.

I don't know her name, but people like her don't need common man name's, hence i refer to her as God mother, or Amma! Almost 80, she's got arthritis, her knees are perpetually swollen, she's been shifted to girl's hostel due to ongoing repair work at the boy's hostel, her son is being treated for cancer, or perhaps he's in God's home(no one knows for sure), she has no other family, she's lonely, yet she smiles.

The first time I saw her, she was sitting on a plastic hair outside the dining-cum-TV room. I smiled as i passed her and went on with my chores. When i got back to the hostel from college, a good 5 hours later, she was still sitting there. That's when my heart went out to her and i waved a 'hi' at her. Her eyes lit up, and she got into an animated conversation with me.

She spoke fabulous english owing to her catholic background. She asked me my name and how I was coping I the hostel. Thus began a bond, a bond of understanding, a bond unspoken about until today. Since then she'd ask me about my studies, and whether I ate food. She's drop in small details about herself, about her son and about the boys hostel. She'd meet me in the washroom during exam days and wish me luck, and tell me softly to not tell the warden about her using our loo as thats where she can hot water to take a bath with. I kept my word of secrecy.

This one time when my dad had come to give me some stuff, amma saw my dad wating on the road, dressed in his uniform. She hugged me and blessed me before I could meet my dad. She was watching our exchange. When I bid goodbye to dad and started up the stairs, amma caught my hand and asked, 'you dad is a bade saheb na, bless him also'. I was touched. Simple words that hit you in the heart, beneath the flesh and the bones.

This other time amma had a bad cold and fever. I gave her a paracetamol, and my roomate gave me vicks and she was grateful like no other gratefulness I've seen before. My roomate even took her to a private hospital for her knee review while i helped both of them get a cab so that the warden won't see them both. And slowly she became a permanent fixture in my daily routine. The same 'hi' in the morning when i leave for articleship, the same question 'beta breakfast kiya?', the same answer, 'haan amma, aur apne?' , and then the trademark 'God bless!' And my day surely would begin well, unless ofcourse I don't bump into the warden.

And in the evening when I happen to come late, she'd hug me and tell me to take rest as I've been out the whole day. Today while I was on my way back fron work, I met another amma who told me that old amma's (god mother) bed had been sent to the furniture depot by mistake. Mistake? My foot!- I'm sure it was intentional on you-know-whos part. Anyways, so the other amma told me to accomodate god mother in my room since one of my roomie was on leave. I agred to do so, but realized that it would be wierd to have her sleep in our room mainly because she sleeps early, and also cause my roomie who was away would mind the amma sleeping on her bed if she comes to know about it. I and swee2(my 2nd roomie) decided to talk to the warden about this issue.

The warden agreed to let her sleep in one of the vacant rooms. When we told amma about the same she smiled and conveyed thanks through her eyes. I went on with my usual business and at about 11 pm I and swee2 decided to check where amma was sleeping. We asked the warden and came to know that no room had been opened for her. Poor amma was sleeping in on the floor with just a thin bedsheet under her and a quilt to keep her warm. Tears came into my eyes, and anger surged. Anger at the warden, and anger at myself for not checking whether the warden kept her promise.

Then what, the warden told us that the authorities disapproved of opening up a room and with that the warden closed her door and we were left with two choices. One to go to sleep and pretend that amma was comfortable and second to wake her up and offer her a bed. The former would leave us gilt ridden so I and swee2 opted for the latter.

We noticed amma stirring and unable to fall asleep. We dragged the folding metal bed from our room as well as the matress and helped amma get up from the floor which was a very difficult task considering her knee pain. We laid the bed for her and she hugged both of us tight and wished us a good night and the usual blessing, but with moist eyes. I pitied her condition, yet felt happy for doing my bit, and without turning back(for i knew the tears wouldn't stop) I walked back to my room where i let the tears flow, the tears of mixed emotions.

The next day I was off to work and was on my way to home(jamnagar). On my return I would miss the wrinkled face, the smile and the blessings that made my day! But I made a promise to myself to visit her and let her know that there are people who care for her, and she isn't alone.