Nothing Changes For Us!

As I stepped out of the school bus I got roasted under the scorching sun. It was damn hot and I was panting heavily as I almost ran to reach home. I was cursing my school authorities for asking all 12th standard to come to school for practicals. It was not normal for students to attend school during Corona times.

As I hurried I saw a wrist watch lying on the ground. As in I avoid picking unknown belongings but it was a strange watch and so couldn't control myself from holding it in my hands. It was an extraordinary one with many hands on the dials and few lights blinking. I looked upside down and even around the area for it's owner. Accidentaly I pushed a button at the bottom and Splash. . . !!!!!!

I felt I was in deep water with huge waves making me topsy turvy. I could feel my heart thumping in my head. Suddenly my feet touched the ground and I took a deep sigh. To my shock I was in front of our ancestral house in village. My eyes widened as I saw my great grandmother churning butter milk. "Oh God!I must be dreaming. "I pinched myself.

"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here in my courtyard?"badi amma asked staring at my short skirt.

"Badi Amma I'm Chinki, your grand daughter. Amit's daughter. "I introduced myself.

"What Amit's daughter?"she burst into laughter. "This girl has gone mad?"she fell on the ground laughing badly.

"Look he is Amit. My grandson. And you're saying you are his daughter. "she held a two year old infant in her hand. "Ohh. . papa. "tears welled up in my eyes.

"Badi Amma I'm not lying. See this. . . see my mobile. . . I have got pictures of Dadi, Papa. . . "I took my mobile and showed her pictures of dadi(her daughter in law), her own photograph on the walls of puja ghar. We both were stunned as we were unable to understand the situation.

She gave me buttermilk and parathas to eat and was curious to know about the world which she never had seen. Even I was thrilled to tell her about the things which she had never heard about before.

"Badi Amma, you know last year have been so tough for us. It's pandemic that has created a stand still in the world. People are losing their beloveds. You would never understand the situation. "I grieved.

"No, I know what losing our loved ones means. I delivered twelve kids out of which only three survived. It was some unknown fever we all were not aware of. Not only me but everyone in the village lost their family members. You see I know the pain. "she said.

"Oh God!But you wouldn't know what lockdown is all about. Sitting inside the house , not able to move out, faces covered with masks. . . people not able to meet their family. It's such a pitiful situation. "I sighed.

"This is not a new thing for us bitiya (daughter). We females have been living in lockdown since our birth. We are never allowed to step out of our houses. You saw the world outside when I got married at the age of eleven. And then again spent my further life inside four walls. You were saying about masks. . . even we have been masked. See our veils. . it always covered our faces. We never took a free breath without this veil . And you know even without a pandemic we rarely got a chance to meet our parents.

So this is nothing new for us. Even after half a century things haven't changed. I guess things never change for women. We all have to face the same fate no matter in which century we are living in. "she laughed trying her best to hide her tears.

And I stood stunned and speechless.