Rainbow

The present story is my first attempt in anthology series, the theme colour of life in my story presents the varied aspects of many women, who are unsung heroes and their emotions are not fictional it's that we don't pay heed to them.

Mamta and Madhur were expecting a baby after ages, they have been married for 10 years but they could not start the family. Initially, Madhur was not stable in his job, it some years for his struggles to end and find his dream job, once that was done, Mamta had lost interest in being a mother. She was working too, their economic condition was not so strong, they had to meet ends not to for themselves but also Madhurs family, his old parents were dependent on him, in such condition Mamta was reluctant to conceive. But as fate has it, Mamta became pregnant, Madhur was at cloud nine, but Mamta did not want to give birth, she was aware of the situation outside, rapes, harassment, violence against kids whether male or female was on rampant, she Was scared for her baby's future. She even thought of getting aborted without informing anyone, but she always stopped herself when she thought of Madhur, he was very much excited about his child. She had to succumb to the situation, and give birth. Madhuri brought the baby, wrapped in pink soft turkey towel, she was reluctant to take the baby at first, but the moment the baby was in her hands, everything changed, she never it was such a beautiful feeling, holding a life which was so fragile, full of hopes, dreams, aspirations and more importantly the amalgam of love....

Krithika was a 7-year-old girl, smart, intelligent and sharp, she excelled in her academics and was good at debates played badminton well. She was the darling of her school. She was happy to come to school, she wished, she could stay here itself, because back home the situation was different, no one cared for her, there was a different approach when it came to her elder brother and her. She did not understand why her parents never allowed her to go out, she had to work with her mother in the kitchen, while her brother and father performed Poojas and rituals every morning and evening back home. She never saw her mother speak against her father, she could not understand her home at all. it was different from the school. She felt lonely and aloof, at school everyone loved her. Her only solace, back home was her doll.....

Lalitha's books contained pictures of Rahul, which she immediately hid the moment she came home. She knew her mother well, she would be punished again, but her heart was always longing for Rahul.. Rahul, her classmate, provided her all the attention any teenager at that age would aspire for. Lalitha was inferior about her body and her looks, she was always criticised for her plumpness and plain looks by her parents, was it her fault? She always used to wonder, it was only Rahul who was kind to her, he never looked at her body but her heart. Do her parents even know, she was Math genius and was wonderful at paintings, her emotions were portrayed in her paintings from her childhood, but nobody cared for them. She always wondered if she was that plain, why would her maternal uncle kissed her often, and touched her hear and there, even though, there was discomfort, but some how it liberated her from the pain which was inflicted by her parents. ..

Sreeja was smart, shrewd and cunning, though she got the business empire from her father, but she developed it four folds. Since childhood, she never cared for anyone, all she wanted was success and it has to come to her by hook or crook. She saw her father under dire situations humiliation and distress always reigned her family, as father was never that smart enough to run the business, the house always buzzed with abuses hurled by money lenders looking lecherously at her and her mother. She took an oath, that to live in this world, she had to be cruel and outwit every man, because all they see in a female was her meat. She learnt everything about business, since 18, she stopped studying and was with her father, understanding the nunances of the business. Today she stands proud, she has everything at her beck and call, she was called the iron lady of Indian Business. She knew her father was proud and was offering his support from wherever he was...

Sarada was married off to a farmer, it all happened so quick that Sarada could not make out what was happening to her, here she came home from school that she was selected in a prestigious college, there she was forced to sit in a family meeting, next moment her wedding was arranged, house was filled with relatives, mom never bothered to even ask her, if she even liked the groom, Vasu spoke to her once or twice, she knew he was uneducated. Her life was coming to a halt, what she wanted to become and what had happened. Parents were happy, she was married off, rid of her burden, but what about her dreams? She was taken away to her in laws house and her head reeled, it was like a zoo, with many people, her days went away learning people, household chores and politics, but her toughest challenge was Basically, she dreaded him the most, he was very rough with her. Now she was left with two choices, one to end this wedding and run away to the college or to work her marriage....

Sailaja was standing in the balcony, sipping her green tea and looking at her small garden, inflate she spent most of the time there, her two daughters married now were living their lives, her husband ignoring her as usual, her wedding was never a happy one, she diverted all her energies towards her daughters, she wanted them to be independent in all aspects, she fought all the societal norms and made daughters capable. She did not know what do of the free time she had now, all her life she dedicated to her children, but now this loneliness was killing her, she felt like running away from this wretched life. Was this all she got from her life, nobody being responsivw to her, she lost contacts with her friends, she never had any social life, now if she visited them, that would be odd too, her siblings were busy too in their lives, whom to go and for how many days, she could not understand how to while this time, she started writing her emotions. slowly she penned down her emotions in poetry and stories, jotting down life experiences, now she is famous writer Sailaja Devi. Her life now found its meaning..

Ratna slowly opened her eyes, she was taken aback by the surroundings, the room looked very unfamiliar to her. She was about to say something when she saw an old man coming towards her and holding her hand gently, speaking to her. She could not make out anything, she could hear him utter her name and ask about her condition. She could not understand, who these people are. The room looked familiar, the old man looked familiar too, but she could not recognize him immediately. A young man in his 30s along with a woman of 25, entered the room with the doctor. The doctor checked upon her, took the old man aside. The man and the woman, both looked at her devotedly, came near her and called her "Amma". Ratna was shocked, she looked at them in a confused state and told them that they were wrong. She was newly married to Prabhakar and yesterday only they shifted to a new house, she further asked them who were they and who was that old man, who called her by her name Ratna..