All these platinum day of love ads that come in magazines remind
me of Sita; of her ring of love. She was colleague. Sita somehow did not seem
to fit into the corporate office and the crowd that surrounded her. She came to
office dressed in silk sarees and jewellery that reflected her
ancient royal family. However, her sweet nature did not have even a small trace
of either corporate stiffness or royal arrogance. She was sweet and friendly,
often finding time to chat with everyone on the floor. She knew almost everyone
in the office, their families and even their pets! At times, the more
sophisticated ones around us made fun of her friendly nature.
She was quite friendly with me. One day she came to my cubicle for
a casual chat. We were discussing that one topic of perennial interest to
Malayali women - gold jewellery. She had a wonderful collection and always gave
us tips on buying jewellery. For some reason, I noticed the chain that she was
wearing and casually remarked that it did not resemble the traditional 'thali'
or mangalsuthr. Then she told me, "I don't consider that important anymore
and I don't wear one. I have reached a stage in life where I have to stop doing
things to please people. I do not consider marriage the most important thing in
my life right now. I have realised the futility of such symbolic stuff. After
an early marriage and bringing up children and all that, I've had my share
playing the home maker. Now, my career, my independence, and the work that I do
are all as important to me as my family."
And then she showed me something wonderful. A ring - a heart set
in gold. "Look at this. I made this ring few years back. I melted down two
separate rings - one gifted by my grandmother and other by my mother. I melted
those down and made this one. I wear this all the time, in memory of the two
most remarkable women who have made me what I am today. Wearing this gives me
strength. As a woman, this means a lot to me. They have helped me grow. They
have helped me to think, to dream, and to be independent. Wearing this means a
lot to me."
To say I was moved by her words would be an understatement. I
thought it was beautiful. It is a wonderful thing, this sense of a whole line
of women, who have borne you, fed you, brought you up, and empowered you.
