Mishti woman

Yeah. I call her that. She was a sweet( mishti..in Bengali) woman who lived in our building years ago. A working woman, she had two sons and an elderly woman to look after the younger one. The two women looked poles apart. The one, calm and dignified..the other real uncouth, hair in a mess and spoke funny Hindi.

What I found amazing about the mishti woman, was that she always smiled. That super sweet mesmerising smile that could floor anyone. She sang at functions in her melodious voice accompanied by her harmonium. She was always in a sari and sleeveless blouse.

If you looked closely at her, you would notice that she was almost bald.. She had literally no hair..except thinning hair going down the sides of her head. Perhaps she suffered from thyroid. She never spoke of it. She wore no wig, didn't crib..never weaved any hair back. 
Serene and secure, she focused instead on her strengths.
Her smile. Her voice. Her accomplishments.

She left our place long ago..but her smile remains with me.
The strong, mishti woman..