Gangubai passed away on September 8, 1977, at the age of 85. For Vikas, the stories of his grandmother are inspiring. “My mother was bindass. She spoke her mind. She never spared anyone who was wrong,” says Babita, navigating down memory lane. For Babita, an orphan, her mother gave her much beyond her needs. Gangubai believed in community living. So every child in the lane got new clothes for major festivals. She shared all that she had, says the daughter. Did her mother ever send clients her way? “Never. Never. Never. I was her daughter. She loved me a lot,” says Babita. Gangubai loved and lived a luxurious life. “She always drank Rani chaap whiskey. She played matka (a form of gambling), went to the horse races and had many domestic helps. She had a white Ambassador car and looked after 25 street dogs. She would feed grains to pigeons and sparrows and jaggery-masur dal to stray cows. Every Thursday, there would be a line of beggars queuing up outside our bungalow. She would give them money and food,” recalls Babita.