'Alike but not quite' OR 'Migrants at two ends of the pole'

This is one incident that will remain in memory for long.
During my graduation days, I was on the lookout to enroll for a computer course, in my hometown, Pune. Walking up to the reception area of the institute, I met a lady with whom I made my inquiries.
After filling up the form, etc she asked me if I was from Tamil Nadu (after noticing my surname).
"Yes", I answered.
"Can you speak Tamil?", she asked.
"I can speak, but not too well. I can speak Marathi better."
She said, "My mother tongue is Marathi, but I would mostly speak Tamil".

In the conversation that ensued thus, I found out that, though Marathi, she was from the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu.

The smile that followed was spontaneous as we paused and reflected on the peculiar condition that both of us had in common.

The Marathas (specifically, Shivaji's father, Shahaji) were given three districts of Tamil Nadu by the then Mughal empire.
She was part of the same legacy; Marathi - but, in a way, more Tamil than myself.