Dear Grandma,

My paternal grandmother has always been there for me through good and bad times. I call my dearest grandmother Ayie, which means mother in a language called Marathi. I gave her that name without the influence of anybody.

My parents told me that I started calling her that on my own from the time I started to speak my first few words of life. My cousins, too, now call her Ayie following after me. As her grandchildren all stay overseas in Vancouver, Canada, only my brother and I are here to keep her company. Even when they come down from overseas, she would still show me more concern relatively. Nothing can take her eyes and heart off me.

Ayie has always cared for me and till now, showing me a lot of concern when I am sick. She would always pray for me not only when it comes to sickness but also when I am sitting for my examinations or even when participating for field events. She has always wanted the best for me. Even when I am naughty or have little tiffs with my brother, she would come in our way to actually stop and scold us. In my perspective, I love it when Ayie scolds me, as then, I feel the love and concern she has for me. She scolds me because that is her way of teaching me what is right and wrong as she cares for me and wants me to walk the right path.

Ayie’s heart melts as fast as ice placed in scorching hot sun, and within minutes, she would give me advice or get up and go to the kitchen to extract for me her famous fruit juice. Her fruit juice is pure and freshly squeezed from fruits. Yummy! My favourite! I am blessed to have such a wonderful grandmother like her in my life. In her happiness, lies my happiness. I love her truly and I am grateful to her for whatever she has done for me. Ayie would go through the extra mile for me. Even if things were out of the way; she would go all out to get it for me. I did not take part in this competition for the handsome prize to Tokyo, but from the bottom of my heart, I want to tell the world how grateful I am to my grandmother and how much I love her. She is like a second mother to me. I usually go to her house to visit her at least four times a week.

If I were to win this competition, I would take her to Tokyo along with me and have a great time there sharing many more wonderful memories together.