When we came to Bombay (now Mumbai) from Sambalpur (a small city in Odisha) in the summer of 1995, I was excited to the core. Till now I had only heard about this wonderful city in movies and coming from a small town, I came across something new every day. There were the tall buildings and cars which left me in awe. 

Along with all this, the cosmopolitan city also brought me in touch with people from the length and the breadth of the country. One such person was Padma aunty who hailed from Tamil Nadu.

Belonging to the eastern part of the country and having not been exposed to people from the southern states earlier, I had little idea about them. For most of us, they were ‘Madrasi’,  which is how my father used to jokingly address his friend and Padma aunty’s husband Col. CS Shankar. 

Thanks to her, I was introduced to a Tamil cuisine beyond idlis and dosas

With time, as the friendship between Shankar uncle and my father grew, both the families (she had two daughters – Shruti and Varisha) also got along pretty well. We would often have impromptu dinner together and Padma aunty would treat us to many of her Tamilian delicacies. Thanks to her, I was introduced to a Tamil cuisine beyond idlis and dosas. “Hum curd rice nahin khayenge” (I will not have curd rice), my father always teased her, and aunty would ensure to make some Paranthas and Aloo bhujiya for him. 

During those days, I was prone a lot to cough and cold. Seeing my condition for some time, once she gave my mother an ayurvedic powder. To my surprise, it worked, and my cough was cured. From then on, Padma aunty became the provider of ‘Sanjeevani booti’ for everyone in our house. Be it cough, bad throat or fever, she seemed to have an ayurvedic medicine for all of them. Once, when I had got measles and malaria, she comforted my mother, apart from suggesting some home remedies. And it was not just for me, she would really go out of the way to care for people. 

But she had her unique ideas as well. She would never stop me from having ice cream even if I had a cold. The refrigerator in her house would always have ice-cream slabs of different flavors. Her view was that ice-cream doesn’t harm the cold and I just used to love her for this ideology. I often used this to convince my mother. 

As I went to college, our interaction and meeting reduced. But whenever, I came home, I would definitely make it a point to meet her. She would pack homemade namkeens and sweets for me to take to the hostel. This ritual continued even post my college days and I rarely remember coming from her house without a box full of delicacies. 

On one such visit to Mumbai, I recall driving my mother, Padma aunty and Varisha (aunty’s younger daughter) to Chembur for some shopping. I had newly learnt driving and the Mumbai traffic made me nervous. The car would often stop with a jerk as I was unable to manage a smooth shift of gears. During all this, in my impatience, I would quarrel with my mother, but Padma aunty not only stayed calm throughout but also encouraged me. 

“Don’t worry, it is good. I will take it out and serve. Let them laugh.”

I have seen her take my side on many such discussions. One of the last conversations that I recollect having with her was post my marriage when aunty had come to our house for dinner. I had made Khowa (Mawa) and unfortunately it had turned out very hard. As a result, it was pretty difficult to scoop it out of the vessel and slice it. Everyone in the house was having a laugh at my expense, but aunty had said, “Don’t worry, it is good. I will take it out and serve. Let them laugh.”

Post this, I recall meeting her only once and by this time she wasn’t keeping too well despite being just in her 50s. Her memory was deteriorating day by day. Though we both spoke, I am not sure if she recognized me. How I wished for one of her ayurvedic medicines to bring her memory back that day.

“Koi baat nahin ji. Arre nahin aaye to kya hua”

After couple of years, I was informed that she was bed-ridden. Shankar uncle and aunty had shifted to Coimbatore. Being close-by in Bengaluru, few months back, I had rung up uncle to tell that I would come to meet aunty. 

Unfortunately, I never made that trip and as the news of her passing away came last week, there was a flurry of emotions in front of my eyes. Not having met her for one last time at Coimbatore is a regret that I will carry to my grave. I am sure aunty would have just said with a smile, “Koi baat nahin ji. Arre nahin aaye to kya hua (Don’t worry if you couldn’t come)”. 

What response can I give to that? As usual, I would have just looked towards her with a sheepish smile. Now that she starts her journey up in the heavens, the kids there would have a gala time with ice creams and what not. 

As far as I am concerned, her fond memories will forever remain with me just like sweetness in ice-creams.