AN UNHEARD LULLABY IN THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

It’s the time for eight month Raja to toy with his bear, cat and elephant at home. But raja is now sleeping in the cradle under the shade of a small tree in the Tholkappiar campus of the University Of Madras. He has been experiencing this status since his mother Kavitha got her job under the contract scheme in the University campus. Raja sleeps, plays, eats here with his mother.

Kavitha reaches the University by eight and starts watering grass, removing waste and the dead leaves out of sight. In the midst she rocks her raja in to sleep with her lullabies. At noon they both will fill their belly from the University canteen. Then for a leisure time after lunch they both will initiate a game. After four with a second round of cleaning and watering she leaves the university to her home near to the old secretariat building. Thus her day finishes in the university

Kavitha hails from the district Vellore with his husband who has a horse employed in the Marina beaches. She being the second wife of her husband used to have fights with the previous one on daily chores. Her husband hates her toiling for earning, but kavitha finds her soul alive while at work. She agrees that she sometimes beats her man out of anger. “But it’s an act of defense”, says Kavitha

Kavitha had her schooling up to third standard but she knows a little to read English. She believes it as a blessing of the erstwhile job she had near the high court. When she earns 2000 rupees a month she is satisfied that she will have her kid surrounding all the time. She has three other girl children and often they come to see their mother and “then it would be a playground for all”, she smiles.

After this contract work, she will have to move for another job. She fears for her eight month Raja. She is in search of a job which would keep her son with her. But the fate will play the card which can never always satisfy her maternal feeling.