narcissus

Sweta is so frustrated.The last time when I called her she was feeling so low said Kriti to her friend Sheryl.What is the matter?asked Sheryl .I think it has got to be something with her mom in law who has recently come to stay with them.Oh so the same old tiff between the women of the household he he,said Sheryl.No Sheryl I don't think it is as simple as that.As far as I know Swetas mom- in -law is not at all co operative,loving nor shares any positive vibes with any one let alone Sweta.She is always cribbing and grumbling about everything and anything.Never have I heard a positive word from her mouth .She is educated,held a job for quite some time,is a pensioner etc.but when you speak to her you will be left confused whether you are talking to an illetrate person.Most of the time she looks at only the negative side of everything and most of the time she is concerned about herself,her comfort her wellbeing etc only .Sweta sees that Sheryl is in a very deep thought about something.She calls out her name and Sheryl gives out one word narsisst.Sweta asks what do you mean with this.Sheryl(psychology student) explains that narcism is a trait that makes people think about only themselves.Their world revolves entirely around themselves.It is self self everywhere.And unfortunately narcism runs in families I suppose. Swetas husband is her only son and her daughter is older to him and is very busy with her own life.May be she too prefers to stay away from narcists for the obvious reason.This was the conversation both friends had for a long time without any solution in sight.They let it go for sometime.                 

If we go into the details about how Sweta was wooed by her husband into marriage with him,it clearly indicates how well the trap was prepared into which Sweta unknowingly fell. She was praised ,presented gifts,even many poems about her were written by her would be husband .So what else any girl wants? She very happily agreed to the proposal and was on cloud nine.Her dreams came crashing down after about a month of marriage. Her husband was very possesive,suspicious and sometimes very nasty too.Her fairy tale turned into a nightmare very quickly.Meanwhile she was pregnant and had to continue in the marriage lest she would do injustice to her unborn .She was a silent sufferer and now her mother in law too adds to her woes.On learning about the nightmare through which Sweta was going through Sheryl and Kriti decide to meet Sweta and help her out with few tips that might help her to deal at least with her mom-in- law in a befitting manner.Sheryl chalks out the list of points that she would pass on Which when followed may help her deal with her narsicist mom- in -law in a much better way thereby creating better conditions at home.The first tip given by Sheryl to Sweta was not to gossip about anyone when talking to her mother in law.This gossip would become a tool to her to exploit the situation and mould it as per her convenience.The next tip was to keep any conversation positive and to the point.Unneccesary discussions would again become a matter of convenience to her mother in law who might change the whole context as per her narsicistic intentSheryl adviced Sweta to never talk bad about any of her own relatives,never criticise her husband nor spend long hours with her mom in law without any reason.As Sweta started following these tips her mother-in-law had no other option but to some what fall in line with these changes.She had plenty of time on hand with no work to do,she was getting bored.Sweta identified an old ladies club that had members who were highly qualified and dignified.She enrolled her mom in law into that Club and it worked wonders.Her mom in law realised to some extent that she had to forgo her narsicistic ego and think differently.Slowly her attitude seemed to change and she definitely became a better person if not the best much to the relief of Sweta,Sheryl and Kriti.

They were happy with some presence of mind they could bring little bit of change in some ones attitude.As the saying goes better late than never .So this was something incredible they achieved.