Dhimant Thakkar: After her mother Mumtaz Begum -- an excellent cook -- died, she had a maid to do the cooking. But in the last two years she did not like her maid's cooking. She ate very little. I used to bring her a tiffin from my home on the way to the office. Sometimes she came home for dinner.

Camy Sanghvi: She had her own room in our house. She stayed with us for the last six months of her life. She never knew even how to boil water.

Amee Shah: For breakfast she had bread and malai (cream). She loved fresh malai. When she came home for lunch she ate Roti, Dal and vegetables. When her mother was alive, she ate lots of non-veg food. After her mother's death she stopped eating non-veg regularly. In the last few years she ate non-veg rarely. She loved Chinese food and the only places we went out with her was to China Garden (a wellknown Mumbai restaurant) and the Willingdon Club (a Mumbai club) .

All the maids (one of whom is in the picture) came during the day, did their work and left. She stayed alone.

Words: A Ganesh Nadar
Photograph: Jewella C Miranda

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