The Definiton - I

I remember the first time I saw her. That off- white Khadi saree with black border, big black bindi and the big neck piece with wooden beads. She looked graceful in her early 50s.

'Hello bete, I am Rewa Mathur and I just moved in next door.' She was the first one to greet me standing on the other side of the threshold.
'Oh! Hello aunty, please come in' I had smiled and welcomed her inside like a good neighbor.

Not just the neighborhood, but she was new to the town as well being the new appointed principal of the local Government Girl's College; and because she lived all alone, evening tea at my place had become a tradition for her. I had liked her as an individual since the very first day.
She was creative, intellectual and everything you expect from a college principal. Except, she was very soft spoken.

Why was I thinking about her today, because I had run into Mrs. Gaba- the gossip queen of our colony in the grocery store today. She has this style of saying things, that even if you are the most careless person on the planet, they somehow get scribbled on the mind, like writing on the sand, which gets washed away with the very next tide, but stays there unless the tide comes.

My train of thoughts came to a halt when I heard my name being called faintly somewhere in the background. It was Amit, he had returned from the office and was chanting 'Neha, Neha, Neha' in a loop. I know this loop won't pause unless I hand him over his cup of tea.

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Part 2 coming soon.