In memory of Saryu Maasi & Jyoti Maasi (I miss you so much)
Two sisters of my mother, yet mothers in their own right,
One taught me to fold life with order, to sweep with morning light.
Saryu Maasi — a song of calm, of kindness in each stride,
Taken too soon, yet in my soul, her gentle hands still guide.
And then was Jyoti Maasi, laughter's echo and love’s embrace,
A mirror to my mother, a home in every place.
With snacks in tins, and masalas sourced with care,
She stitched my broken pieces with her prayers and flair.
She smiled through pain, and typed each heartfelt line,
Even when the screen flickered, her love always did shine.
From birthday wishes to shared grief’s softest sigh,
She mothered us across oceans, with no need to try.
And yesterday, she left — as quietly as a breeze,
Leaving behind memories that bring me to my knees.
I watched her stillness on a screen, not by her side,
Unable to hold her hand, as the world turned tide.
All of Ma’s siblings now walk beyond our skies,
While Nani sits with tearless eyes.
How does one bear such loss, so deep and wide,
Watching each child leave, yet having to find strength to breathe?
Yet in this pain, a circle quietly begins again,
As I hold my niece, who babbles through joy and rain.
She looks at me the way I once looked at them —
A Maasi’s love, tender, fierce, her forever gem.
So I whisper to the stars where my Maasis now sleep,
That their legacy flows in the promises I keep.
To mother, to love, to laugh despite the ache —
To be the Maasi now, for the next bond I make.
