Mothering Ramu

Urmila worked as a household help in many rich peoples’ houses. She had a son called Ramu. Mrs. Thakur would sometimes give old clothes and food to Urmila for her family. Urmila had gone out to work at some body’s house, on a cold winter evening. She was expecting her second child. She went into labour, her husband was sent for and she was quickly hospitalized. Things did not go smoothly; she was kept in the emergency for six days.

But, what about Ramu? When his mother did not come back at night, this innocent six year old cried himself to sleep. The following day Mrs. Thakur waited for Urmila to come and do her household chores. When she did not turn up, she decided to check on her, in her little hut that was a couple of minutes drive away. She found Ramu there, cold, hungry and scared to death. She brought him home; fed and clothed him. She mothered him for six days, till his father came looking for him. He said, “Mrs. Thakur, I thought our neighbours would look after him, there was no way that I could have left Urmila’s side. Thank you so much Madam”.

Forty years later, Mrs. Thakur was wheeled into a privately run hospital, with a heart attack. Dr. Mohan was the cardiac surgeon who attended upon her and gave her a new lease of life. There was a huge bill to be paid. When Mr. Thakur went to pay it, he was astonished to know that the bill had been waived off, at the discretion of Dr. Mohan. A small note written across the bill said, “Paid in full by six days of mothering, including hot milk and food to a hungry and neglected child.”

Dr. Ramesh Mohan, alias ‘Ramu’ had not forgotten! Love and Care is seldom forgotten. But do not give love and care in expectation for returns, give it anyway!