Now and then, we hear of seniors rediscovering the charms of the classroom. Such stories always excite us. Here’s one more: Vasantha Subramaniam, 76, goes to the Sanskrit Education Society in R.A Puram to master the ancient language.
Vasantha – fondly called Vasantha amma by those around her – is an entrepreneur running a women’s hostel.
“I was 17 when I got married. I had just finished high school and life after marriage was chaotic. I became a mother of three — two girls, one boy. Once they grew up, I had enough time for myself. I then got a bachelor of commerce degree through a open university programme,” she says proudly.
A resident of T. Nagar, Vasantha amma likes to read, devouring any written material in English, Sanskrit or Tamil that comes to her. According to her, reading keeps one informed, intrigued and busy.
Around a decade ago, she began to learn Sanskrit.
After her husband passed away, Vasantha amma had to perform the rituals by reading scripts written in Sanskrit.
“If I read it wrong, I was doing the whole thing wrong. So, I decided to learn the language and there is nothing more interesting than learning a new language,” she says.
There was a time when she used to run three women’s hostels with the help of her husband.
“I wanted to do something on my own and I told my husband that I wanted to start my own business and he supported my decision,” says Vasantha amma.
Later, when her husband passed away she closed two hostels and decided to have only one.
After her husband’s demise, she decided to live alone.
“I have nothing to worry about. Whatever money I get from the hostel is enough to live a comfortable life. My children initially disagreed. They wanted me to be with them but I resent the idea of having to adjust to the younger generation in a different city. I’ll rather stay here where I have lived all my life and be independent and alive,” she says with a grin.
