I would see people around her looking at her in awe, hanging on to her every word. But when I saw her, I also saw a person who had no choice but to always be on her guard and put up a tough facade, considering what she was dealing with daily. I would always wonder what it must be for her to be always under scrutiny, her time was not hers but belonged to everyone else. She met people every day and everyone who met her, wanted something from her. How did she deal with all that? I soon realised that I too was one of those people. I decided then that I would never go to her with any frivolous issues and instead meet her only when I needed to discuss urgent matters, not just to say ‘hello’. But what I also saw was a soft, compassionate woman. I used to see how impeccably dressed she was. She had a motherly warmth about her. When she smiled, she meant it and when she laughed, her face lit up. My kids accompanied me once when they were very little; I had taken them to Parliament House and asked for an appointment to meet Ma’am. She was kind enough to meet us immediately and that was a big deal for us. She was so happy to meet them. My kids had no clue who they were meeting. I told them I was taking them to meet my boss and Parliament was my workplace. So, my little one went and sat next to her and she took him on her lap, asking questions. That day I saw the mother in her. Another day I and my husband were in Delhi and I had an appointment to meet Ma’am in the evening. We decided to go to Khan Market for lunch. As we were entering the place, a car pulled up and Rahul and Ma’am got off, without any fanfare – just the two of them. They were going to the same place we were and invited us to join them. We were thrilled to meet them so informally, over a meal. That day we spoke about everything but politics. We had a wonderful time. It was like sitting with friends and family. Of course, my husband had his fan moment and we had to click a picture together before leaving. There have been many moments like these that gave me a glimpse of Mrs Sonia Gandhi – the woman and the mother. Her vulnerabilities made her human, though people see her only as the High Command. But she is a complete woman and a wonderful human being. (This article was first published in National Herald on Sunday)
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