The Maid's Mind

In Kolkata's olden quarters, under the wrought-iron balconies and dissipating colonial grace, lived Shanta, one of the maidservants of the Chowdhury grand household. Each morning she would sweep the marble floors, sing lullabies to the children of the master, and see to her duties with care that matched that of any family member. The children referred to her as "Shonto Ma," and the mistress treated her like a sister.

To outsiders, Shanta was a part of the family—she laughed in family photos, served at festivals, and even gave advice to younger daughters. Yet every evening, when the gaslights flickered on and the house quieted, Shanta would sit by the servant’s window, staring at the faint orange glow on the horizon.

One night, the youngest child inquired, "Why don't you smile at night, Shonto Ma?

Shanta spoke quietly, "Because my heart sleeps in a mud house across the river, where my mother waits and my own children dream without me."

The following morning, she returned to folding clothes, singing Rabindranath Tagore's verses. But her eyes—her eyes always seemed to be gazing somewhere over Chowdhury Bungalow.

Moral:

Serve with sincerity, but never lose the memory of where your heart truly belongs.

Inspiration:

Live like a maidservant in a rich man’s house. She takes care of the house, calls the master’s children her own, but her mind is on her village home. - Ramakrishna Paramhansa