When I look back at my Gandhi Bhawan memories, she is the fondest of them all. :) The most beautiful of them all. My Nansu. I used to call her Asmi. So, hereinafter, I will refer to her as Asmi only. :)
Born to Rejeena, a street prostitute, Asmi had two elder siblings, a brother and a sister. She was brought to Gandhi Bhawan when she was just 20 days old. I don't remember much of the details of her story now. Rejeena, her mother, wasn't very fond of Asmi, and because of her lack of care towards the child, the case of newborn being ill-treated by her family hit the news headlines, and soon thereafter Gandhi Bhawan adopted the whole family, and brought Asmi home.
Everyone remembers the 20 odd days old Asmi as a rat in one's palm. Nobody believed that she would survive. The experienced mothers themselves didn't even want to touch her-- the baby was so sensitive.
At that time, Ponnamma, a blind woman who was managing her own old mother and two girls paralyzed beneath the waist, came forward and took initiative in taking care of Asmi.
Anyways, my story with Asmi begins from the day I entered Gandhi Bhawan ( when she was just 6 and a half months old). Day 1 when I saw her, she was asleep in her bed, right next to Ponnamma's mum. And, I being a person who loves active kids, didn't have much of an impression of that baby in me. I didn't even notice the presence of that baby. She was in my own building. Her room being the one below mine.
The day after I asked Revathy to stay away from me, I was not much in a mood to do my usual work of meeting and getting to know the inmates. I took a break and was returning to my room when accidentally my eyes caught the presence of a princess downstairs...
The seven month old baby just jumped onto my arms when I called her... without any inhibition... with a gentle smile... I still have that scene in mind, as fresh as it was ever...
My Asmi's world was that room, with ponnamma, Biji, Sandhya and Ponnamma's mother, and the daily visitors to Gandhi Bhawan who used to visit her, just to know about the survival story of a baby whose mother disliked her... Of course, later on, I got to know that Ponnamma was given specific instructions not to let Asmi go out anywhere, so that when the visitors come, they don't miss out on her ( like an animal in zoo!).
That day, the day I *noticed* her, I asked for Ponnamma's permission to let me take her out of that room...
I went back to that room in the evening and took Asmi out for the rounds of Gandhi Bhawan. :) The Mothers there were all astounded at the sight. One of them came upto me and said, "When you came here, I didn't notice any baby... When did this happen?? How long have you been here??" (HAHAHA) To which I replied, "Everything happened so fast... Didn't get time, to notify you..." . Anyways, after 2 seconds of delivering shock, I told her that she is Rejeena's daughter, who is being taken care of by Ponnamma.
Let me tell you one thing. That Mother wasn't the only one with that doubt. Nobody knew who the baby was. And everybody connected her with me. :) And I had to keep repeating the fact that she was Rejeena's daughter. To which I was again treated with surprise. Very less people knew that the baby had survived. And a much less number knew that she was still in Gandhi Bhawan with Ponnamma.
She used to easily fall asleep to my humming of Omanathinkal kidaavo... Nalla komala thaamara poovo... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzvCNrbLZ9A
And used to love listening to aayiram kannumaayi and Kannaam thumbi poraamo with a zeal. :) She used to smile a lot after she started going out. Apprehensions started setting in her. She started becoming a bit more stubborn, that was cute...
Anyways, steadily, people there actually started calling me Asmi's mother. And I was happy to know that. But my growing closeness with Asmi wasn't welcomed happily by Rejeena. She started visiting Asmi more and more. I am still not sure, whether I was supposed to be happy about it or not. Anyways, my reaction was neutral. And in my mind, Asmi's mother was Ponnamma.
The thought of leaving Asmi pierced my heart. I miss her so much. I love her so very much. This baby girl, led me... She encouraged me all the more to definitely have a daughter as a part of my life... My princess...
Memories of the days when she used to fall asleep on my lap or on my mattress... Time simply used to flow out of my hands while I used to just look at her tiny hands, her expressions... She was so cute!
And yes, of course, like any other baby, she used to pee on my lap, and attend other calls of nature too. But she was never a nuisance. She used to love tea... :P And Parle G. :) And like me, she used to love attention too... :P
She truly was my princess... :)
The day I was to leave Gandhi Bhawan, 15th July 2010, I remember taking her for the last time in my lap. She was ready to go out with me. But with a kiss on her cheeks, I handed her back to Ponnamma and started dragging my suitcase, leaving the area. When I turned back, there was an apprehensive expression on my baby's face, and her hands were held out...
The latest I got to know about her when I called Gandhi Bhawan was that, by the time Ramzan arrived, the community people came, and took back Rejeena and her whole family including Asmi with them to take care of them personally.
Ente ormayil poothu ninnoru manja mandaarame...
Ennil ninnum parannakannoru jeeva chaitanyame...
