4) Social Activist

She was the joke in the office and her antics never ceased to amuse.

Hema was as feminine as anyone can get: pedicure feet and hands manicured, eyebrows shaped, glistening nail polish, carmine lips, rouged cheeks and Christian Dior perfumes. She was no less than an actress when preening before the mirror. Nothing less than designer wear and or ragged jeans would do; shirts barely concealed the fullness of her breasts and left a lot skin as it wrapped the tummy.

We at the office found her Demi Moore voice amusing; that nasal American twang in a voice seemed to have caught a perpetual cold. She was pretty as a doll and male colleagues ogled and flirted at the first opportunity.

This was in the office of JWT, Chennai and she wrapped a shawl for a measure of conservativeness on the roads, reserving the daring clothes at the office or parties where it would take a saint not to get excited. An ultimate femme fatale and no man crossed her path without pausing for a second glance.

The December of 2004 was the worst in Chennai history; a tsunami raged and washed away more than 200 people and leaving its havoc everywhere. The city was genuinely shocked coming as it did after a mild earthquake. The slum dwellers near the coastline were mainly affected and ran helter-skelter preferring the safety of the footpaths than their thatched huts on the shoreline.

NGOs swung into action; collecting old clothes and blankets and good Samaritans provided food to the afflicted while political leaders sand their condolence tune on the telly.

I don’t know what hit Hema but she was right in the centre of it all. She took upon herself to gather people and offered her services to the Ramakrishna Mission; who largely operated in Nagercoil, the hardest hit town. More than 7000 people were washed away as entire colonies were dragged into the sea and human plight, a horror unimaginable.

Hema served as a volunteer and she soon became the main core support group for the women and children. First, these people needed care and attention and a hope that things would get better; hard to convey to a family that had lost a member and losing their entire home to the sea. The fisherman community was the worst hit as they had lost all their anchored boats and had to start afresh.

Ramakrishna Mission built micro light boats; sturdier to the roughness of the sea than the wooden ones. The aid and rehabilitation funds were a little slow in coming. Hema stayed with a particular family for three months and did her best: teaching their kids, eating their meals, sleeping on that hard surface.

When she left, there were a lot of heartfelt thanks and tears on both sides as she promised them of regular visits.

Back at our office, we were just as amazed. “How did a beauty pageant girl suddenly become a Mother Teresa?”

She said simply,” I was feeling too stuffy and needed a change to the countryside and went along with my cousin. Initially I just wanted to contribute my best but when I saw their suffering at such close encounters, I had to stay. I felt happy in their midst and learnt what courage in persecution is”.

From that day we knew we had a new, improved, and stronger Hema and this time she had the respect of the entire office.

Now we talk about the Nagercoil tales than her silly clothes.