Ajji (granny) was sitting on an old wooden cot, looking through her window as we arrived with two tripods and a camera. Her inquisitive eyes gazing on us, as we stopped in front of the entrance of her home. We had come for a video shoot and were to feature her grand daughter (Shamitha*)to know how she felt about learning kannada through the Nali Kali (joyful learning) method.
As my camera crew was preparing for the shoot, I stepped into the house to meet ajji. She was a bit surprised to see me and I said 'namaskara' (hello). She did not respond and instead looked at her daughter-in-law and Shamitha. Shamitha went close to granny and said "they have come here to shoot in our home." Her eyes grew wider and I sat next to her and said "you remind me of my granny." She smiled and we started talking for a bit. She was partially deaf and I leaned over her shoulders and spoke. I called out to the crew and said, "ajji should also be featured along with Shamitha's parents."
Holding my hand, she moved slowly and took careful steps to enter the sprawling front yard where the camera was being set up. The front yard was big and half of the space was filled with drying areca nuts. Surrounded by lush green trees, plants of different sizes and beautiful flowers, it was the ideal location for our shoot. Ajji's home was almost as old as her (89) and since the day she got married, she has been living in the same house.
During the shoot, ajji was made to sit in the middle, flanked by her son on the right and her daughter-in-law to the left. She was calm and composed and listened to us and I did not see any sign of tiredness or irritability.
After taking our shots for twenty minutes, I took back ajji inside and said "come with me, I will take you home." She laughed and said, "at this age, I cannot travel." I held her hands and said "I am very happy to meet you." She smiled and said "come home again." With a heavy heart I said goodbye and climbed up a small path that led us to our car.
My brief meeting with ajji will remain with me forever. Her warmth, her smile and her very existence was inspiring. There are few emotions which cannot be expressed in words. One has to experience it to cherish it for life!
*- name changed to protect identity.
As my camera crew was preparing for the shoot, I stepped into the house to meet ajji. She was a bit surprised to see me and I said 'namaskara' (hello). She did not respond and instead looked at her daughter-in-law and Shamitha. Shamitha went close to granny and said "they have come here to shoot in our home." Her eyes grew wider and I sat next to her and said "you remind me of my granny." She smiled and we started talking for a bit. She was partially deaf and I leaned over her shoulders and spoke. I called out to the crew and said, "ajji should also be featured along with Shamitha's parents."
Holding my hand, she moved slowly and took careful steps to enter the sprawling front yard where the camera was being set up. The front yard was big and half of the space was filled with drying areca nuts. Surrounded by lush green trees, plants of different sizes and beautiful flowers, it was the ideal location for our shoot. Ajji's home was almost as old as her (89) and since the day she got married, she has been living in the same house.
During the shoot, ajji was made to sit in the middle, flanked by her son on the right and her daughter-in-law to the left. She was calm and composed and listened to us and I did not see any sign of tiredness or irritability.
My brief meeting with ajji will remain with me forever. Her warmth, her smile and her very existence was inspiring. There are few emotions which cannot be expressed in words. One has to experience it to cherish it for life!
*- name changed to protect identity.
