FREE FROM THE PIGEON-HOLE

“Yes, you must be a housewife”, exclaimed Rekha’s father with an air of finality. Rekha, the young energetic and spirited IAS aspirant couldn't digest these words that came from her father, who was a hard-core male-chauvinist. He believed most women were born to get married, bear children and end their lives with nothing more than that. This redundant thinking of her father was deeply resented by Rekha who was for most part of her life, a rebel who didn’t want to be like the majority of Indian women who enter the bandwagon of becoming a housewife. 

For long, she heard stories of women being submissive housewives who bore a quarter dozen odd children, cooked, cleaned, drudged and in today’s modern scenario found a little time to watch tear-jerker serials based on domestic melodrama. The pervasive familiarity of “saas-bahu” megaserials and cooking programmes directed only at home-makers enraged Rekha who was burning with an indefatigable desire to break this capricious monotony and familiarity of being a housewife.

Her elder sister, Sheela, was all too happy with the prospect of becoming a housewife but Rekha wanted to defy it. It was a social stereotype being imposed on women. Rekha often mused, “Why should a woman always end up being a stay-home partner?” Most women are pigeonholed into being one. TV programmes that interviewed women who said, “I’m just a housewife”, stirred her pent up emotions and intensified her desire to break the stereotype and the all too convenient familiarity of branding a woman as a mere housewife.

But to defy this obnoxious familiarity, Rekha needed tonnes of courage, smartness and competitive edge too. She pondered on how to appear for the UPSC exams and started buying books that would help her clear the exam. Her dreams to become an IAS officer kept her glued to her books and when the day of the exam arrived, Rekha scampered her way to the exam hall herself trudging along in crowded buses while her parents were not really keen on seeing her in any job. During the exam, she was quite flummoxed as the question paper appeared quite unexpected. She didn't have friends too, to update her on the latest developments. She rued about not having revised with the help of friends. But when she came out, she was satisfied over the fact that she might land in some odd government job that would prevent her marriage for a long time to come.

Days passed, Rekha engaged herself as a tuition teacher and as a freelance writer. She never stayed idle at home. Alliances came but she turned them down citing reasons to continue her studies. But her father  discouraged her. “Rekha, you are just an average student. Even if you get a job , it won't pay you much. You are getting good matches from software engineers and doctors. Why don't you get married and settle down?” These words exasperated Rekha, “Pa , yes, I may be an average student but I won't give up my efforts to get a job”. 

“Huh, what’s the use, your UPSC exam results have come. Just see what you’ve got” her father chipped in with sheer disgust for Rekha’s ambitions. Rekha fluttered with excitement and anxiety and browsed the internet for her results. To her utter dismay she got one of the last ranks. Her shoulders drooped and a frown crept into her cheerful face. Her mother too seconded her father and spoke at length about the number of good matches she declined.``You are just an average girl and it's better you opt for the life of a housewife. It would be peaceful and hassle-free for you”. Another gruelling familiarity promoted by our regressive society is that only brilliant students should opt for  exams like UPSC, GATE and the likes. Rekha began an endless argument with her mother, “How can you say that Mom, You should be supporting me in my mission to become a working woman.””How can I? retorted her mother and ranted, “You are not a state-topper or national champion in anything”. “Don't you know our neighbour’s daughter married a software engineer in the U.S. She’s happily settled in the U.S. She was such a failure in studies but now she’s living the life of a queen.” Rekha shot back, “How can you be so sure Ma. God knows what she’s going through to be that man’s wife. Why don't you understand, I just can marry now. I want a job and I want to experience an independent life”.

Rekha ruminated over these horrid familiarities all night. She wept and prayed to God to strengthen her and finally slept with a hundred thoughts about finding a job. The next morning, a serendipitous idea flashed in her mind. A few days ago, Rekha’s professor in college suggested the job of a junior lecturer in Biotechnology in the same college where Rekha had studied but she didn't take it seriously at that time. She felt glad that this suggestion came to her mind now when she needed it the most. Boundless joy overflowed from Rekha’s heart. She approached her professor once again and as advised, applied for the job. She was selected immediately for the innovative projects she had done in the field of Biotechnology. The principal of the college commended her for the breakthrough projects that she had done in the field of her choice. She was appointed as a junior lecturer with a high salary and soon accomplished her ambition of becoming a working woman who emerged free from the pigeonhole of being a stay-home partner. She struggled further and repeated her attempts to compete in UPSC exams  and finally fulfilled her dream to be an IAS officer thus proving to her parents that perseverance and a never-say-die attitude can make even an average student achieve her dreams.