Will you accompany me to the Akaltara Asylum .....! A heartrending experience
It`s a bright sunny day, at about noon I left my house to catch up on my daily chores. Only a short distance away from my home, I spotted a disturbed woman roaming around. She was short haired, balding at the center, with blistered bare feet and numerous wounds on the body. She was barely dressed in a short green piece of fabric and was fearlessly roaming around as people around watched her with awe. I found this strange. I felt like helping her, but carried on with my rather urgent work and decided to check on her, on my way back. After hurriedly taking care of my work, I came back looking for her at Satyam Chowk (road name). I saw her near Big Bazaar. I then quickly proceeded to a nearby shoe shop and asked for a pair of slip-on slippers, but they did not seem to have any. I then, pointed to this lady and asked the shopkeeper if he had a suitable pair for her. He immediately showed a slipper for her but i could not decide, " whether to get them, what if she did not wear them ? I will only buy them if she agrees to wear them. Let me check the woman before buying them." I told to shopkeeper to wait a minute and walked up to the woman a little apprehensive not knowing how she might react to me. I crossed the road and softly asked her " listen ! I will let you purchase a slipper, will you wear it ? " She did not respond, but continued to hurriedly sort a pile stones, and made me wonder, if she would hit me with one. I again asked her, " I will get you a pair of slippers, will you wear them? " - she nonchalantly retorted, " yes" !
I took her to the shopkeeper for the measurement and she immediately started expressing her choice. " I only wear the Lakhani brand ... how much will you charge for it.... 30 or 40 rupees ? " I tried to cajole her to buy the only pair shopkeeper had, saying, " see ! this has Lakhani written on it and, it will serve you in this heat." She agreed to me. The kind shopkeeper charged me only the half the price of his own accord. After this, I asked the woman, " will you wear clothes if i buy for you ? " She agrees, and so i left my vehicle near the shoe shop and walked over to buy a comfortable light dress 'nightie' for her. Meanwhile, Anamika ( the nameless woman) now started telling me all sorts of tales and repeatedly addressed me as "Sangeeta". Well, we reached a garment shop and looking at her plight condition, I asked her to wait out side on the stairs of the shop. I asked to the Lady shopkeeper to show me an in-expensive nightie for Anamika. She checked with me,-" Do you know her, Is she your relative ? " I said, " no, I saw her on Satyam Chowk and I could not bear to see her like this". The shopkeeper frowned her nose and asked her employee to show the cheapest one. The employee said, " the cheapest one costs 330 rupees". We left the shop because i did not have the necessary cash. The only option I had that I lived close by, I can give her one of my used dress. So we proceeded towards the house. along the way, Anamika kept collecting trash and putting it in the drain, while telling me her life-story.
" Sangeeta! I was only 12 when I was married to a 30 year old man. I lost my daughter who was the same age when I got married. You know how in-laws treat if you give birth to a baby girl.... I then asked ( she mentioned a name which I have forgotten ) - you fast and pray to the Devi (Goddess Durga) - ask her to give us a son ...tell Hanumanji (God) to give us a son. Do you know Sangeeta ! I gave my kidney to my sister`s daughter (showing me her belly) - I got 12 stitches here ( I saw a major surgery in her belly) ... this area is filled with plastic.... ha ha ha ...plastic. Do you know there is a mental asylum in Akaltara, would you like to go there ? Ha ... ha.... ha !!! Sangeeta ! My daughter passed away she was the same age as when I got married......There was an offering of food when my man died - you were the one who offered the kheer (sweet rice pudding) to me ...... ha.....ha...ha !!! " I looked at the expressions of the passerby and scolded her, " keep your cloth properly". She immediately listened to me and bowed down to touch my feet ( An Indian tradition to show respect).
She then fished out a blue pajama from some corner of the street and showed it to me saying " I have a pajama too". I smilingly asked her " how will you wear it ? It has not drawstring to tie ! " She aggressively stood in front of me and confidently started knotting her pajama some how. Then she continued to clean-up the road side and said to me " Sangeeta ! " I smiled and told her " Do you know, my elder sister`s name is Sangeeta ?" She just ignored my statement and continued with her life-story, then said " serving mad people is a good deed and god will give you virtue for this, that`s why you are helping me, Isn`t it ? ....ha....ha..ha !!! " Same things ....again and again.
We reached home after a short walk, I asked her to sit outside in the shade. Restless with thirst, she asked, " Please give me some water... I am very thirsty ." I gave her a bottle of water and an old nightie which she ignored. So I put it on her myself. She then bowed down to me, touched my feet and blessed me," you may have a son like Sankar ." I was stumped ! (Sankar means, half woman and half man person). " What do you mean by Sankar like? " She explained " Sankar (originally, 'Shankar' not sankar) is my father`s name ( and then got lost in her memories and started smiling). I interrupted her and clearly told her, " I do not differentiate between boy or girl . " She became pensive after listening to my comment - like she had never heard something like this before. Just then my daughter stepped out and she looked at her and said, " she is your daughter, Isn`t it ? You must become like your mother. " Anyways, I said to her, " there is a temple of Sai Bada close to here. Meet me there in the evening. You will surely get food there." She innocently smiled at me and I was surprised to see her immaculate teeth. she had told me on the way that she was a beauty, and to me that explained her confidence in her self.
Thus ended my chance meeting with Anamika. Her words....laughter ... and her craziness ...still flashed in front of my eyes. Anamika..... a forthright woman, accepting her madness and knowing fully well that the world is selfish and help others for their own interests and well-beings. I don`t know if she willingly gave her kidney to her sister`s daughter or was she cheated. But I want to tell you a truth, and the truth is.... I liked her. The only thing I do not like in her is .... accepting her defeat by the world and cursing her fate. While leaving she expectantly looked and said, " Punnu and Puniya are in Calcutta ...can you dropped me there? " Ahhh....!! I ignored her as I could not support her needs. It has been eight hours since Anamika left but her words are still haunting me. Sadhguru ( an enlightened saint and teacher of life) aptly says -" these people need our help with love, respect and care, but not pity at all. " Anamika thought I helped her to be blessed, but the truth is that right from my childhood I could never bear to see someone walking bare foot in the scorching heat. Today is the first time I acted on it. Anamika doesn`t know, how she helped me relieve myself of this pricking pain which I have now suffered for many years. Thank you Anamika ! Today I am feeling that my life is going in right direction. May goddess Durga bless you !
Anamika may most likely forget me, but I will always remember this experience of mine and will continue to share it all along for the rest of my life, so that we may be able to help anyone in need without the slightest of hesitation. I have never seen a mad person abort a girl child, cause a dowry death or rape someone. These mad people only harm their own selves and not anyone of their own. I don`t know how true she was, but I can understand this, that though she had childlike bright eyes, laughed and spoke openly, she was duped and thus lost her balance. Which is natural to happen.
The reason for me to illustrate the incidents of her bowing down was to elaborate and explain that everyone understands words of love and respect. Though we talked about many other things, but they seem irrelevant to the current context. What will the single person Sangya Agrawal ( Sangeeta according to Anamika) be able to achieve ? Only if all the benevolent folks decide to do something then something could be achieved. The important thing is what we can do for these people, big or small.... is not a big issue. If you have not thought about this till now, please give some time today and look at this matter in a positive way for the sake of Anamika and many more like her.
Thank you !
I took her to the shopkeeper for the measurement and she immediately started expressing her choice. " I only wear the Lakhani brand ... how much will you charge for it.... 30 or 40 rupees ? " I tried to cajole her to buy the only pair shopkeeper had, saying, " see ! this has Lakhani written on it and, it will serve you in this heat." She agreed to me. The kind shopkeeper charged me only the half the price of his own accord. After this, I asked the woman, " will you wear clothes if i buy for you ? " She agrees, and so i left my vehicle near the shoe shop and walked over to buy a comfortable light dress 'nightie' for her. Meanwhile, Anamika ( the nameless woman) now started telling me all sorts of tales and repeatedly addressed me as "Sangeeta". Well, we reached a garment shop and looking at her plight condition, I asked her to wait out side on the stairs of the shop. I asked to the Lady shopkeeper to show me an in-expensive nightie for Anamika. She checked with me,-" Do you know her, Is she your relative ? " I said, " no, I saw her on Satyam Chowk and I could not bear to see her like this". The shopkeeper frowned her nose and asked her employee to show the cheapest one. The employee said, " the cheapest one costs 330 rupees". We left the shop because i did not have the necessary cash. The only option I had that I lived close by, I can give her one of my used dress. So we proceeded towards the house. along the way, Anamika kept collecting trash and putting it in the drain, while telling me her life-story.
" Sangeeta! I was only 12 when I was married to a 30 year old man. I lost my daughter who was the same age when I got married. You know how in-laws treat if you give birth to a baby girl.... I then asked ( she mentioned a name which I have forgotten ) - you fast and pray to the Devi (Goddess Durga) - ask her to give us a son ...tell Hanumanji (God) to give us a son. Do you know Sangeeta ! I gave my kidney to my sister`s daughter (showing me her belly) - I got 12 stitches here ( I saw a major surgery in her belly) ... this area is filled with plastic.... ha ha ha ...plastic. Do you know there is a mental asylum in Akaltara, would you like to go there ? Ha ... ha.... ha !!! Sangeeta ! My daughter passed away she was the same age as when I got married......There was an offering of food when my man died - you were the one who offered the kheer (sweet rice pudding) to me ...... ha.....ha...ha !!! " I looked at the expressions of the passerby and scolded her, " keep your cloth properly". She immediately listened to me and bowed down to touch my feet ( An Indian tradition to show respect).
She then fished out a blue pajama from some corner of the street and showed it to me saying " I have a pajama too". I smilingly asked her " how will you wear it ? It has not drawstring to tie ! " She aggressively stood in front of me and confidently started knotting her pajama some how. Then she continued to clean-up the road side and said to me " Sangeeta ! " I smiled and told her " Do you know, my elder sister`s name is Sangeeta ?" She just ignored my statement and continued with her life-story, then said " serving mad people is a good deed and god will give you virtue for this, that`s why you are helping me, Isn`t it ? ....ha....ha..ha !!! " Same things ....again and again.
We reached home after a short walk, I asked her to sit outside in the shade. Restless with thirst, she asked, " Please give me some water... I am very thirsty ." I gave her a bottle of water and an old nightie which she ignored. So I put it on her myself. She then bowed down to me, touched my feet and blessed me," you may have a son like Sankar ." I was stumped ! (Sankar means, half woman and half man person). " What do you mean by Sankar like? " She explained " Sankar (originally, 'Shankar' not sankar) is my father`s name ( and then got lost in her memories and started smiling). I interrupted her and clearly told her, " I do not differentiate between boy or girl . " She became pensive after listening to my comment - like she had never heard something like this before. Just then my daughter stepped out and she looked at her and said, " she is your daughter, Isn`t it ? You must become like your mother. " Anyways, I said to her, " there is a temple of Sai Bada close to here. Meet me there in the evening. You will surely get food there." She innocently smiled at me and I was surprised to see her immaculate teeth. she had told me on the way that she was a beauty, and to me that explained her confidence in her self.
Thus ended my chance meeting with Anamika. Her words....laughter ... and her craziness ...still flashed in front of my eyes. Anamika..... a forthright woman, accepting her madness and knowing fully well that the world is selfish and help others for their own interests and well-beings. I don`t know if she willingly gave her kidney to her sister`s daughter or was she cheated. But I want to tell you a truth, and the truth is.... I liked her. The only thing I do not like in her is .... accepting her defeat by the world and cursing her fate. While leaving she expectantly looked and said, " Punnu and Puniya are in Calcutta ...can you dropped me there? " Ahhh....!! I ignored her as I could not support her needs. It has been eight hours since Anamika left but her words are still haunting me. Sadhguru ( an enlightened saint and teacher of life) aptly says -" these people need our help with love, respect and care, but not pity at all. " Anamika thought I helped her to be blessed, but the truth is that right from my childhood I could never bear to see someone walking bare foot in the scorching heat. Today is the first time I acted on it. Anamika doesn`t know, how she helped me relieve myself of this pricking pain which I have now suffered for many years. Thank you Anamika ! Today I am feeling that my life is going in right direction. May goddess Durga bless you !
Anamika may most likely forget me, but I will always remember this experience of mine and will continue to share it all along for the rest of my life, so that we may be able to help anyone in need without the slightest of hesitation. I have never seen a mad person abort a girl child, cause a dowry death or rape someone. These mad people only harm their own selves and not anyone of their own. I don`t know how true she was, but I can understand this, that though she had childlike bright eyes, laughed and spoke openly, she was duped and thus lost her balance. Which is natural to happen.
The reason for me to illustrate the incidents of her bowing down was to elaborate and explain that everyone understands words of love and respect. Though we talked about many other things, but they seem irrelevant to the current context. What will the single person Sangya Agrawal ( Sangeeta according to Anamika) be able to achieve ? Only if all the benevolent folks decide to do something then something could be achieved. The important thing is what we can do for these people, big or small.... is not a big issue. If you have not thought about this till now, please give some time today and look at this matter in a positive way for the sake of Anamika and many more like her.
Thank you !
realy hearttcng......
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