Decades ago when AIDS was still feared as a disease that could be transmitted through mere body contact, Lady Diana shook the hands of an AIDS patient with no gloves on. That act of hers challenged the stigma, shook the world and Lady Diana went down in history as a woman who went on to defeat odds. She taught us that compassion has no bounds.
25 hours away from turning 24, young air-hostess Neerja Bhanot was shielding three American children when she was shot through the head by one of the terrorists who hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 on the 5th September 1986. Neerja’s sacrifice remains as one gruesome event that was notable in history – she taught us to put others before ourselves in the face of danger.
And of course, there are women whom history has no space for.
She used to wake up at 4am everyday to make curry puffs – they were to die for. Her quiet afternoons were broken by the sounds of the sewing machine whirring – it calms me. She makes the best mutton briyani and if I ever wanted a peaceful sleep, I’d choose her lap. When Aatha cranks up her volume, I bleed through my ears but when she firmly raises her finger, I stay silent out of fear and love.
My first teacher – she taught me how to paint on Easter eggs, she taught me how to read by buying me my first novels. She was indeed a master of all trades, but then again I’d never trust Attai with her cooking.
Feisty and headstrong, she could be rather challenging but she ensures that she plays a role in my life everyday. Amma may be small, but her heart is the biggest I’ve seen – constantly giving and going out of her way, even for a foe.
I pray that I become at least half of these women who’ve inspired me. I pray that I bring up a woman who encompasses them all in full someday. Happy International Women’s Day – keep the heels high and standards higher, ladies.
File Photo : Pinterest.
