One Step To Change

I was walking along the street back home, engrossed in my exam paper. "Ugh! How did I lose five whole mark? I am so silly!" I kicked angrily at the dirt and started walking quickly, oblivious to my surroundings. My house was still annoyingly far and it goes to say that I wasn't in a good mood. 

I reached home and was about to rant to my mother about my bad day- my silly errors in exam, my fight with my friend, and my torn notebook. My life felt terrible ! But I noticed my mother in a fight of her own. She was arguing with the house-help. She left no stone unturned in asking her why she would be absent for a whole week. 

My mother was usually a rational, careerist woman who didn't involve herself in the petty politics of the house help business and treated our wonderful helper, Savita didi with kindness. I was astonished to see her quite livid. 

"Mom! Calm down! What's going on?" I threw my bag down on the chair, forgetting my worries. "Just look, she says she'll be absent for a whole week, the one week in which I have the seminar in Hyderabad!" It was irking, no doubt, but surely Savita didi had a good reason. I turned to her. 

"Madam, you know my daughter's getting married. Of course I can't come! I have loads of work." 

My daughter's getting married. These word hit my head like I had hit a wall. I knew her daughter since several years, and she was as close to me as the friend I had angrily stomped away from school that day.

"Your daughter?" My head felt like it was spinning. "But she is fifteen years old!"

"Exactly! She's too grown up. I was married at 12. We need to finish this business fast!"

My mom and I shared horror struck glances. My friend, Rita, was getting married when she was a year younger than me. That made me so sick to my stomach that tears came into my eyes. 

"But you can't do this! Her life will be ruined. She needs to study so she can be independent and happy, like my mother here!"

"What are you saying, dear? Your family and my family? Her father too wants to get rid of her. I have two sons, I need to educate them, how can I do that with a burden in my house?"

With that, she started her day's work and I felt like someone had stabbed my heart with a wooden stake. I was worried about my five marks, and a girl younger than me was being shipped away to someone else's house as her precious and beautiful life was considered a burden?

I wrung my hands, pacing feverishly. "We need to stop this wedding. It's illegal and terrible. Oh my God, I can't believe our modern India still has atrocities like this right in front of us!

My mom looked saddened. "There's no point explaining to her. Illiterate people are obstinate and never open their minds to the right things."

"We need to sit down and talk with her first."

But my mother was right. No matter what I said, Savita didi never believed women were capable of anything other than housework and even said that if the wedding was stopped or if Rita disagreed, she would be terribly beaten up by her father and other relatives. 

"But you want her to be happy, right! So does her father! She's a bright student Savita, try to understand. She will surely win a scholarship so you won't have to pay for her education. She can study and earn money, just like your sons can!"

"You don't understand, madam. In our family, we don't have the culture of letting girls study till after 10th grade. We'll be ostracized by our whole community and will never be able to show our face in society." 

I exasperatedly started crying. I couldn't see my friend's life and childhood being snatched from under her nose. 

 I began searching for NGOs and counselors to change their mindset. My parents showed full support and we agreed that we would have no choice but to go to the police if we were unsuccessful. 

I learnt that we couldn't approach the NGOs unless we had a case filed and I had almost lost hope. I forgot everything, my school work, exam marks and even my no longer best friend in my quest to save Rita. 

I was staring at my bedroom ceiling a week later, a deep frown on my face when I heard my phone calling. 

"Hello?"

"Done being angry with me?" 

"Shreya." I took a deep breath. "Look, I don't know what I was thinking, but I have a huge problem here. I'm sorry for everything that happened."

"What happened?" 

"My house-help's daughter's getting married at 15. We are absolutely unable to convince them."

"Oh my god." The horror was as clear as glass in her voice. "You know, something very similar was going to happen to my house-help's daughter some months ago. But someone from another house she worked at showed her the terrors of child marriage." 

I sat up. "How?" 

"Well, it all started............"

Two days passed. I came back from school famished. I greeted Savita didi when I heard someone talking on the phone in hindi. It was my mom. 

"I know, it's awful isn't it. The girl was just nineteen. Her life got ruined. Her parents are distraught!"

Savita didi frowned. "What is she saying?"

"My mom's friend knew a girl who was getting married at sixteen. They thought the family was good but they used to hit her for dowry. Eventually she had to run away. But even her own parents didn't support her and she couldn't get a job as she was uneducated. She committed suicide. Her parents got so depressed, they are in a mental hospital."

Worry flickered across Savita didi's face. I held my breath, but one second later she said, "That doesn't happen every time. The girl should have been more adjusting. She needs to listen to her in-laws seeing as that's her home now. "

I wanted to scream at the terrible narrow-mindedness but I kept quiet and my mom came out. 

"Hi. When did you come?"

"Just now." I replied. My mom winked at me and I muttered, "Be with me when she comes."

Shreya called two minutes later. "I'm coming with her." 

I changed my clothes and washed my face. I was getting desperate, and I was determined to show Savita didi what was wrong. 

The bell rang. Standing in front of me were Shreya, and another woman. A woman in a simple sari and a warm smile greeted me. I greeted her back and awkwardly smiled at Shreya, meeting her for the first time since our fight. 

The woman introduced herself as Veena, Shreya's house-help. Savita didi was confused. "Who is this?"

"This is Veena. She was in a similar situation as you, with your daughter. But she fought out of it and her daughter is happier than ever now. " 

She scoffed. "When will you stop, madam? I'm not changing my decision. I'm doing her a favour by marrying her off."

"Just listen to her, Savita. It might help you." my mom said gently. 

She shrugged and sat down. "I'm going to be busy after a while. So please make it quick." she said curtly. 

"Sister, I was just like you a few years ago. I have a son, and I thought I would sacrifice my daughter's education for him. My husband had arranged a marriage for her when she was fourteen. Everything was fixed and although my daughter pleaded with me to change my mind, I wouldn't listen. 

But then, something happened that changed my perspective of women forever. I saw a television interview at one of my employer's houses, which was about a girl called Ritu. She contacted her villages' Child Marriage Prohibition Board when she was supposed to get married at age 17. She was keen in studies and her parents were counseled. Her marriage was stopped. She is from a poor family like us and she fought for her rights.

Do you know that the changes of mothers dying during childbirth is very high if you're under 20 years of age. Chances of depression and suffering violence is very high for child brides. The girl Ritu was so studious that she won a scholarship to a government college. She is now a professor there and earns 20000 per month! 

Sister, even her parents and those who opposed her education are now very proud of her. The world is very proud of her. I convinced my husband to pull my daughter out of the marriage after that. I've never seen her happier in my life. She too has won a scholarship to a college now and her stipend is currently 3000 per month. So Sister, girls are not a burden. Given the right chance, they can do everything boys can. After all, it's the girl who gives birth to a child, be it boy or girl. Girls are vital in our world and without giving them equal rights, we are ruining our world."

There was a long silence. Savita didi looked overwhelmed. She stared at Veena, her eyes wide. 

"Girls can do everything boys can do?"

"Yes, everything. Women have become prime ministers, presidents, have gone to space, have climbed mountains and much more. If you want to see your daughter happy, please do not marry her off."

"Wow." Savita didi's eyes were moist. Her voice cracked as she said, "I never thought a girl could be successful. Now I realize if we don't give chances to them, how will they show the world how talented they are?" 

We smiled. Tears came into my eyes. 

"The wedding is off. I will convince my husband. Thank you so much for opening my eyes and preventing my daughter from getting her life ruined. " 

She left after a while, and so did Veena and Shreya. I was overcome with emotion and cried tears of joy with my mom.

This remains my greatest achievement. We often try to bring huge changes in society without thinking of the social evils happening right in front of us. One small step to prevent one evil can lead to a change in society. I felt like I was soaring among the clouds, my head held high as I realized I had made someone's life better.