Slice of life: My husband’s dedication to serve the society inspired me

Chennai

Srimathi Santhanam (71), Homemaker

My husband V Santhanam is someone who is always ready to serve the society. While he was at it 24*7, I decided to focus on our home. Since the last 50 years, I never expected any kind of help from my husband – I took care of all the needs at home and raised our three sons; they are now in good positions, one a doctor, another a banker and the last one working for a corporate company in Dubai. In 2003, I witnessed the most shocking incident of my life when my husband was attacked by a group of people right in front of our house. I suspect the attack was against all the good deed he did for the society. We lived in Chrompet back then. Following this incident, we vacated our house and stayed with our daughter in T Nagar to ensure my husband was given good medical treatment. After four months, our life returned to normal but the incident continues to haunt me till date. Though I was scared from within for my husband, I never restricted him from doing what he loves – serving the society. But I have always made sure that he is in a safe place round-the-clock. When he sensed my fears, he made it a point to inform me about his whereabouts. Gradually, I was inspired by his works and joined him. In a day, many would come home seeking help from my husband. I used to serve them food and note down all their grievances in his absence. I have prepared food for a large number of people and organised health camps too. The only time I stood against his wishes was when he expressed a desire to enter politics. Throughout this journey, I knew one thing that serving the society kept my husband happy. I wanted to see him happy in that way.

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