Make it a point to care for your two points

Her name's Nisha although we have always known her as 'Minty ki mummy' or 'Missy Dogra' (as she introduced herself).

This little Punjabi lady lived in the ground floor of our building in Kalyan. She was short and curvy in a very punjabi way. She had loooooong lustrous hair which she hennaed and kept in a long plait that reached almost to her knees. Her little daughter(Minty) had a birth defect that caused water to accumulate in her brain and a son who was always screamed at to wear his 'panties' before leaving home.

I have never seen a more cheerful woman. Hers was always an open-door policy. You could walk in at any time of day and be greeted with hot and sweet cups of cardamom tea, biscuits and besan ke ladoos. Even the watchmen would spend their afternoons there to get away from the scorching sun. She offered them the same hospitality that she would offer any of her guests.

Minty was a special little one... really sharp and perfectly normal except that her head tilted a bit to the right because of a pump implanted in her neck a little after her birth. Her younger brother was a terror but everyone forgave him because his mom was such a dear.

Nisha used to knit, sow and paint. I learnt how to use a crochet needle from her. She had a funny accent and loved using English words. She said 'Pine-geons' for pigeons, 'Missy' for missus and called everyone 'Bhaiya', 'Bhabhi' or 'Beta' depending on age. She was always impeccably dressed even at home. A nicely tailored and bright-coloured salwar kameez, dark red lipstick, strong perfume (she loved men's fragrances) and high heel sandals. She would ask us to tag along for shopping trips and buy us sugarcane juice or lassi for 'tandurusti'. Every trip she bought spools and spools of threads and colourful buttons and cloth. She stitched frocks for the little ones who lived next door coz their parents weren't too well off. She did charity in such a way that no one felt offended being offered help. It was heartfelt and genuine... never condescending.

Now this little punjabi lady has been detected with breast cancer. She had her doubts since years but kept putting off a check-up for too long. She has had one breast removed. My mom visited her yesterday and says that she has become half in size and lost all her hair. She was dressed in an old housecoat and wore no make-up. This was the first time my mum her seen her this way and she was very distressed. But even then Nisha's good humour hasn't diminished. She has knitted several colourful caps to wear and is on her way to recovery. I hope she gets back to her old self soon.

This world needs its Minty ki mummys. They shouldn't be broken thus.

Get yourselves checked now girls.