Family

 

Sudha was going back home from college. It was wintertime and though it was not very late, it was getting dark. The street was not well lit as some streetlights were not working. She increased her walking pace as she felt someone was following her. She looked from the corner of her eyes, without turning her head, stealthily. It was the young guy who lived in the fourth house from her house in the same street. He always used to trouble her and tease her. Today as he found her alone, he was going out of his limits of decency.

Sudha was eldest of two daughters to her parents. Her father was a government employee and they lived in a decent locality. Sudha was good looking. She was also well behaved and dignified and many parents of eligible bachelors wanted her as daughter in-law. Both her parents and she wanted to concentrate on studies and career, and they were not in a rush to get her married. Men around her had become a pain and made her life miserable. As she was thinking while walking, the young man, his name was Raghu, came quite close and started talking in an objectionable language.

Suddenly Raghu backed off and when Sudha turned back, she saw that her cousin, Raghav was coming towards her. He was the son of her father’s younger brother, who was two years elder to her. He quickly joined her and started talking to her. Sudha’s father and his brother were not in good terms and would not see eye to eye. Everyone in the locality knew this. Raghu did not expect Raghav to come to rescue of Sudha. He continued to misbehave with her, when Raghav caught hold of him and started hitting him. After a while Raghu could not withstand the blows and begged Raghav to leave him. Raghav warned him saying,” Remember that Sudha has a brother who will not spare men like you if they dare to come any where near her. We may have differences in our families. But they are our internal matter. If the dignity and decency of my sisters is at stake, then I am there to protect them. Be careful! ” With that warning he let go of Raghu and took Sudha home. Family is valued utmost in any culture and region. Instinctively women in the family are protected by the men. Any day blood relation comes first and foremost.