“Ramlath thha” – that’s how we call her. A woman with a “wonder woman” charm and austerity. She is over fifty ,but young and boisterous, her hands decked with mehendi, perfumed with” athar” , bangles doggling against each other and too much gold from the gulf which her uncle s- aunties-cousins-brothers had sent for no reason. She was married at 14and was progressive enough to get her daughter married at 16. She has two sons who were sent to Oman and Saudi just to get them married. After the marriage I saw the “gulf” sons running a cool bar may be to chill their life …………….

…..Anu Areekkal.