Malathi, a loving flower....

Malathi, a loving flower....

I was born seven years after my sister, as the youngest in our family. I am not sure what my parents thought when they named her Malathi. Her name means a flower and it turned out to be so apt.
Among the very few memories I have of my childhood, I remember Malathi always being there to take care of me and protect me. There is nothing similar between me and her. She is sweet and softspoken, and me tomboyish and outspoken. I am an extrovert, raring to go and she homely, quiet and simple. Yes, we are poles apart but the one common chord between us is the love in our hearts by which are eternally entwined.
She is the one who has always understood my quaint ways of thinking, encouraged me and been with me in all my endeavours. She has always been the first one to support me when at times, I got into trouble with my impulsive nature. Many times I would be at crossroads in many of relationships due to my outspokenness. She always ended up cajoling me to think differently. Verily somehow or the other whatever she said always made sense. I never questioned her sensibilities for she always seemed right.
Her strength of character came to my rescue many times. My most vivid thoughts are of the state of my mind after the results of the tenth standard preliminary examination. Maths was never my favorite and much to the annoyance of my father I had got pass marks in maths in my prelims . I was quivering with fright not at reaction of my father but of the outcomes in the board examinations which were barely a month away. However Malathi coolly took it upon herself to make me relax and taught me maths everyday. The outcomes were phenomenal. I not only passed in maths but got more than 130 marks out of 150 which would have seemed impossible to anyone who had seen my performance in the prelims. Subsequently, I discussed with her about leaving science and maths and joining Arts in the eleventh and she promptly encouraged my decision. This gave me the confidence to speak to our father and I happily joined Arts.
As for Malathi she was a whizz in maths and mostly scored centums in the subject. She always made herself helpful in the house and even taught other weak students in our colony. Her patience helped even our neighbour's son who normally failed in exams to start passing exams. She has been known for such turnarounds.
Once I was a teenager and after I joined college our relationship acquired different dimensions. We were more like friends and confidantes always there for each other.
She got a job in the Dena bank soon after her graduation and was posted at Manmad, near Nashik. I used to keep waiting for weekends when she would be back and we would go for a walk to the Tapti river or go for a movie or giggle around at our jokes.
I was in the twelfth standard when she went to meet her would be husband for marriage. She was clearly smitten by him. She came back with stories of her would be husband and for the first time, I felt the pangs of distress to share her affection. Her departure after marriage with my brother-in-law almost shattered me but it was she who ultimately wrote letters to me, talked to me and made me get back to normal. My brother-in-law deserves equal marks for treating me with love, humouring me at times and ensuring that I didn't feel insecure. Slowly, they both became my strongest pillars of support.
Malathi, of course is the quintessential daughter, sister, daughter-in-law, mother and wife anyone would wish to have. She was a working mom who never neglected her home managing her office work and home perfectly. At work she was the most sought after employee in Dena Bank due to her clock like precision at work and her calm demeanor. The branch Managers would depend on her to accomplish the most difficult tasks. Among the many anecdotes she has shared, I remember her telling me about a ledger book which she tallied. This ledger book lay untallied for years and was considered to be task which was almost impossible to be accomplished but she had sat down patiently for days and months and finally tallied it to the branch Manager's and everyone else's surprise. Stories about senior citizens coming to the bank to see her smile and pleasant behavior were common.
At home too her devoted care for her paralyzed mother-in-law, subsequently her ailing father-in-law and her differently abled brother-in-law
are something unparalleled. Most people including me wonder how she silently managed all that.
My mother also found repose in her quiet strengths and loved being with her. For me she is like a Gibraltar rock, solid and steady, no wonder I chose to go to her place for my son's delivery when she and my brother-in-law mothered me like their child. My son, Vishnuchittan was named by her and has a special place in her life. She certainly has the special quality of befriending everyone form a child to adult. Her conversational skills can put everyone at ease.
She is sixty today and our close knit family with our nonagenarian father had gathered to have a simple and homely celebration. Over satvik food and affable conversations, endearing songs and funny jokes we rediscovered solace and joy. As we departed our ways at the airport, my mind was in flashback, reminiscent of every single moment we had shared in our life.
Christina Rossetti has said, " For there is no friend like a sister in calm or stormy weather; to cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands."
Thank you Malathi, with a sister like you, I know this is true....