Why did you let me die?????

Devika Menon · May 6, 2009

Mumbai , 26th July 2005: A beautiful morning, I love coming here near this temple. There are so many of my children who wait here for me. Affectionately they call me ‘Gaumatha’. They love me.

They come with offerings. They milk me. They seem to consider my milk the most divine. Its a lovely feel . Yes sometimes I go through a lot of pain. Especially when the demand is more. My body feels tired. But then I think about my children. They need my milk . They need me. I feel so blessed when I see the children grow with my milk. I have watched as infants grow into young men drinking my milk. A sense of fulfillment envelops me. My heart always swells in pride. A mothers pride!!

Never a day do they miss me. These pundits ask them to feed me to ward off any mishaps in life. Sometimes I do find it difficult to eat it. But when I think that this would save my sons and daughters from disasters then I quietly consume it.

I am so blessed to be loved. Yes they all love me.

What is this suddenly?? A cloud burst !………….The water is rising. People are running helter skelter. Everyone running around to save the lives of others. People are looking afraid. But I’m not. I don’t have to worry. Im so sure of my children. They would come to rescue me. The water has reached my legs. I look around to see. I see my children. Ashok, Venkat, Lalitha, Sukumar all of them… running around desperately trying to save their loved one... Perhaps they cant see me. I moo. They run in the other direction looking for someone else perhaps.

The water has reached my stomach….Everyone around me run in trepidation. The equanimous look on my face is the belief that my children will come , I’m sure….. They have loved me. Haven’t they? I look around as people frenetically try to save others……..

The water has now reached up to my neck. I see the Rao’s family running towards me. I knew it . I was so confident of this .This Rao’s family is where I was taken for some pooja last week. Rao was sick and it was essential that I, be present for the pooja. Madhavi , his wife would begin her day by milking me.
They look around. I moo trying to help them locate me. They look at me… and run… towards me…..and …..past me. I’m shocked. They run past me.. Why??
Perhaps they didn’t see me. I moo very loud, trying to call them. They turn around look at me and run further ahead….Fear begins to grip me. I vehemently brush it aside. Faith takes over fear. I have faith in my children. Just then I see the Rao’s coming back with their Mother. They look towards me , I prepare to be saved when they merely walk past rapidly tightly holding their mother’s hand. Tears form in my eyes.

I am afraid to be drowned, No not by the water of this flood but the tears… the tears that are a sign of betrayal… the tears that showed that I was never loved ..but used…I thought I was loved .. I was so wanted…. All my life I provided milk to them ..let them use me for their own reasons. The kids grew into young adults on my milk.. Aren’t all kids indebted to mothers milk?? Am I not the substitute to mothers milk ? In that case am I not the mother or tantamount to her? Would a child not come forth to save their mother ? Was I merely used? I need you today. The water is rising. I can’t moo any more. Im scared. I feel betrayed. I wrongly had faith in you, my children. Now there is hardly a few seconds left.
Help me… Someone… one of the many kids who grew on me….
Somebody…..save me. Please don’t let me die !

The next morning , the carcasses all over…One of them was Gaumatha! While all those heavily indebted to her milk sleep peacefully in their home.

Love,
Devika

Padmini · May 6, 2009

dear devi mole,
what to say? you have clearly brought out the selfishness of the human beings by your beautiful narration.
dear mole, we have to digest certain bitter truth. they will even betray their own mother though she gives her blood as milk and nourishes them. When this is the truth, how can they hear the cries of a poor creature begging for its life. here in this world all good things would be taken for granted. Once their goal is achieved, they will not have the time to stand and look at the ladder they climbed. So no expectations which may cause disappointment or misery.Am I correct mole.
I cannot write more as tears stand as an obstacle to see the letters.
with love
pad

Mindian · May 6, 2009

That was so... so sad devs....i feel so bad for these dumb animals..well, it is an established fact that human beings are the most selfish of all creatures ..
but this post did bring back some memories....as a kid i remember a scene where a buffalo fell into a ditch near our house and OMG how the poor thing struggled..it took the whole day to rescue the poor animal and i was crying my heart out all the while.....

Arunarc · May 6, 2009

My Dear dear Dadiamma
When i read the title, for a second thought who has written this see your name I was like what happened to my dadi.............
But reading the post felt very sad for the gaumatha, it is indeed so sad such things happening around. People use her for themself but when it is time to save her for what she has given them just left her off. What selfish people can be.
Yaar how can you write such sad incidents, it is so difficult to read such things, so touching and emotional articles. I know you are very sensitive person, and 100% sure when our eye are moist you might have cried out your heart.

Devika Menon · May 6, 2009

Dear Mom,

Yes this is true .Human beings are very selfish. They utilise someone for their own selfish reasons only to later discard them as some disposable diaper. Its a sad trait.

But one must really that true punya can only be achieved whenyou respect others for what they have done for you and honour it always. Only then can one truly progress in life. Otherwise no matter what you achieve in life if that respect is missing you are one big zero!

Thankyou for you very first comment Mom. Means a lot to me!

Love,
Devika

Padmini said: ↑

dear devi mole,
what to say? you have clearly brought out the selfishness of the human beings by your beautiful narration.
dear mole, we have to digest certain bitter truth. they will even betray their own mother though she gives her blood as milk and nourishes them. When this is the truth, how can they hear the cries of a poor creature begging for its life. here in this world all good things would be taken for granted. Once their goal is achieved, they will not have the time to stand and look at the ladder they climbed. So no expectations which may cause disappointment or misery.Am I correct mole.
I cannot write more as tears stand as an obstacle to see the letters.
with love
pad
Click to expand...

meenakshirajan · May 6, 2009

Dear Devika,
oh, how sad it is! I really feel pity for Gauthama. But indeed it is human's nature. Such a touching issue.
Meenakshi

revathis · May 7, 2009

Dear Devika,

It's indeed very sad that We 'Humans' considered the intelligent lot among animals do such things. The one cited by you is one such thing and come to think abt the whole lot of other 'atrocities' done on animals in the name of religion, science and what not.

Revathi

sharadha · May 7, 2009

Dear Chechi,

post. As a normal human being we are mothers only for our children but a gaumatha is a mother for the universe. In this present world a person abandons his mother after standing on his own legs and the gaumatha is just an animal. Gaumatha doesnt deserve this for her selfless attitude but on the other side its good she left this world instead of staying amidst this selfish people.

Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.

Love,
Aniyathi

Padmasrinivas · May 7, 2009

Dear Devs, ma belle,

You have brought out the trait that is uppermost in most people... I, me, myself, maybe they spare a little thought for Mine, too.

Typical, isn't it, to milk someone (dry?) and leave them hapless... helpless...

Very moving post, my heart is too full to try to write any more right now...

LnBBHs,

Padma

Kamla · May 7, 2009

Dear Devikarani,

Looks like you have decided to shake all of us ILites out of our slumbering conscience and laid back attitudes.

Your posts are a wake up call to act on so many many injustices that is plaguing our earth.

I want to get out there and do something..something about Baalika, about our animals, about color and class discriminations and oh so much more....

You keep this up gal, your posts surely are motivating and provoking.

I will feel terrible today when I touch that drop of milk!

L, Kamla

BTW, any wonder that you are back in FP of the month, thanks Kamalji?!!