The Woman Who Changed My Life – My Mother

My mother was an only child and a naturally talented singer. In those days, however, singing was not considered a respectable profession for women. Because of this social mindset, her talent remained mostly hidden in her early years.

She was married into a large and well-established family in Gujarat. Everything around her was new and unfamiliar—no friends, no relatives, and a completely different environment. Yet, with her calm nature and ever-smiling personality, she gradually blended into the family and local community.

Years passed and we became a happy family of three children. Despite managing all her household responsibilities, my mother never let go of her love for music. After completing her daily chores, she began participating in local singing competitions. She was not highly educated, but she possessed great wisdom, humility, and grace in public life.

Due to financial limitations, she never had formal training in music—no classes and no guru. Her only teachers were her own dedication, keen observation, and constant practice. Slowly but surely, she started winning awards in local competitions.

Later, because of my bank transfer, we shifted to Mumbai after my father’s retirement. In Mumbai, my mother found more opportunities to pursue her passion. She travelled from Virar to places like Vanita Samaj, Khar, Thakurdwar, and other venues to participate in competitions organized by the Pathare Prabhu community and local cultural groups. Sometimes my wife and I accompanied her on these journeys.

For her, singing was more than a hobby—it was her medicine and her eternal joy.

Over the years, she won several trophies and awards. Some of these were presented by renowned personalities such as Padmaja Fenani‑Joglekar, Avadhoot Gupte, Srinivas Khale and Faiyaz at Vanita Samaj, Dadar. She often secured first prize in categories like Hindi old film songs, Marathi Natya Geet, and Bhakti Geet.

Then one day, she was diagnosed with a serious illness. Naturally, the entire family was deeply disturbed. But my mother remained calm and fearless. With remarkable courage, she continued her journey for eight years with grace and dignity—something that many people struggle to do even for a few months during illness.

She was treated with homeopathic medicines by Praful Vijayakar during those years, from 2013 to 2020.

Later, we moved to Vile Parle, which made it easier for her to travel to musical events. She became a member of a local senior citizens’ club where many talented people participated in cultural activities. Even during the difficult period of the COVID pandemic, she won first prize in an online singing competition organized by the Parle Cultural Centre among hundreds of participants.

She also sang in many community programs. At times she may have faced partial decisions or neglect despite her melodious voice, but she never allowed such things to disturb her spirit.

To celebrate her incredible journey, we—her children—organized a special celebration for her 75th birthday. We recorded a collection of her favorite songs at my Virar residence and released a CD titled “Aai Chi Gani”. Professional musicians joined us for the recording, making it a lifetime memory for our family. Some of these songs are also available on YouTube on my channel, “Rajesh Ke Bhule Bisre Geet.”

Through her life, my mother—and my father as well—taught us the greatest lesson:

to keep moving forward in every situation and to enjoy the journey of life without regrets.  One thing what made my life learned from my parents is

ईमानदारी बहुत महंगी चीज़ होती है जो हर किसी िे बस िी बात नहीं, which I carried over my whole life till now and earned lot of appreciation & applaused in my banking career of 40 years.