Middle Class

“Mama, is cabbage very costly?”

“It’s not, what made you ask dear?”

“Then why don’t we make any at home? We don’t make any side dishes”

Preeti was dumbstruck hearing little Jhanvi’s question. What seemed like an innocent question from her daughter was a mere reflection for her. The family was struggling to meet the ends like most middle-class families and she realized she couldn’t even give her child a proper meal.

“We don’t make chicken either. We make it only when Tanu and Arju come to stay with us. And you call me into the kitchen and tells me not to eat the fried chicken, it’s for them. You promise me that I can eat whatever is left, but then they don’t leave anything behind because you tell them I m full and I already had chicken the last night.”

“I’m so sorry dear, but you know they are our guests and isn’t it our duty to make sure that they are comfortable when they come to our place? You know we can’t afford it every weekend”

“Mmm.. It is.. When will we have a lot of money? A lot of money that I can buy anything that I want from this supermarket? The cream biscuits and ice creams and chicken and anything I like.”

“We’ll be.. One day.. You’ll be the topper of your class, you’ll have a really good job and you will start earning money, a lot of money. For now, we’ll take the cabbage and I’ll make side dishes with it tomorrow”

Preeti cried quietly in the kitchen that night. She started cursing herself for not being able to support the family. She and her husband both belonged to really well off families. But they couldn’t offer a similar lifestyle to their only child. The income was so meager that it did not last more than 20 days. When the household necessities start piling up, Preeti is often left with no choice, but to mortgage her only gold bangle. This had, in fact, become a routine now. Every month end, she would mortgage something and as soon as the income flows, she’ll bring it back.

It was sometimes Jhanvi who went to the small mortgage bank near their house and brought the money for the mortgage. She knew her family was poor. That was why when the teacher announced in school that day that they are planning a trip to the water theme park, she lied to her friends that she had already been there with her family and she didn't like it much, so she wouldn’t be joining this trip.

Last time, when the excursion was planned she was so excited and added her name to the list that the teacher had floated, without asking her parents. It was month-end, and Preeti didn’t have much left with her, but she could see the excitement in Jhanvi’s eyes and couldn’t refuse. Jhanvi had seen Preeti changing and going to the mortgage bank that day. The next day morning, Preeti placed a small envelope in her bag and asked her to carefully hand it over to the teacher as soon as she reached the classroom.

Next day, she noticed that her mother was not wearing her bangle. She thought mama was bored of that bangle and kept it aside as she does with her set of glass bangles. The trip went well. When the next month’s salary was received, Preeti sent Jhanvi to the banker to bring back the mortgaged bangle, with all instructions elaborately written on a piece of paper.

She felt bad for the sacrifice her mother had to make for her trip. She knew she can’t bring that money back, but she decided she’ll study really hard and like mom said, she’ll have a really good job where she’ll make a lot of money and buy all the things that she and her mama wanted.

Jhanvi, had by then also started making a list of the things she wanted to do when she was rich. That continues to be her motivation.

She knew she would definitely make it, just that she couldn’t wait. Her dreams kept her going! After all, little girls with dreams become women with vision.