Beti Kabhi Beta Nahi Ban Sakti

Niraj and Priya were twins. Often people would ask them who their favorite child was. They would say ”Humare liye toh dono bachhe do aankhon ki tarah hai, na koi kisise kam na koi kisise jyada.”

Yet whenever the children fought, Priya was asked to apologize. Priya would ask why she should be the one to first apologize. Her dad would say ”Tum jyada samazdar ho beta. Waise bhi sorry kehne se tumhara mean kam nahi hoga balki badhega.”

Life went on this way. Priya always respected her family and loved her brother. Niraj and Priya became successful in their respective careers. One day Priya met Rahul, a handsome young man, at a business conference. With the blessings of their family, they got married soon after their first meeting. Within a year she delivered a baby boy and named him Aditya. He was the apple of everyone's eyes. Niraj did not have a child yet. His wife was unable to conceive due to a blockage in her fallopian tube. For Niraj, Priya’s son meant the world. When Aditya was 2 years old, Rahul got promoted as a Regional Manager and was required to travel to Europe for 6 months. Since Priya was already settled in her career, she decided to stay with her parents for a while.

As Priya was used to a certain way of life, she began to have arguments with her family and brother about small things. One day she had a fight Niraj about an irrelevant issue. But the fight got aggravated and both said mean things to each other. Priya was upset so she told Niraj to stay away from her son. Then a cold war started between the two. After 3 days from the fight, Priya’s mother told her to resolve the fight.

She said ”Itni si baat ka issue mat banao. Niraj does not have a child and he loves Aditya. You are a good girl so you apologize. He is a boy uska ego hurt ho jayega.”

Priya looked at her mother with tears in her eyes and said ”You always said that we are equals then why do you always ask me to apologize? There is always a reason for you to ask me to bend down. I have never said that I am superior to Niraj but my situation is vulnerable right now. My husband is not here. Isn't it your responsibility to stand by me in such a situation? You always said that I am also like a son to you. Par kya sach me aapne muje bete ki tarah treat kiya? Mere sorry bolne se Niraj bhaiya ka ego toh sambhal jayega par mere swabhiman ke baare me kaun sochega? Log thik kehte hai ek beti kabhi beta nahi ban sakti.”

Priya’s mother had no answer. Nothing she could say would make Priya feel better. Niraj’s wife overheard the conversation and asked Niraj to apologize. For the first time, Niraj apologized.

But did this answer Priya’s question. In a world where women are standing shoulder to shoulder with men, are they treated as equals at home? Before we fight for feminism with outsiders, should we not confront the men in our families? Will daughters be equal to sons in the real sense? Jab bete aur beti me farak nahi hoga tab hum sahi maybe me barabaar honge. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.