Rakhi

Rakhi, the name conjures up the thought of the day, the sacred thread that girls tie on their brother's wrist. The festival of Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan. Rakhi the girl was born at the festival of Raksha Bandhan, so her parents named her Rakhi. As a girl, Rakhi was very enterprising and ambitious. But her fortunes did not support her ambitious plans. At a very young age, her father died. Her father was the only one who supported her wild dreams and ambition. Also, he was the sole bread earner. So with the passing away of her father, her dreams were buried. Her mother and her granny were inimical to her dreams of independent and progressive life. Barely, Rakhi had completed her matriculation, her marriage was fixed with a man who was double her age. This man was a widower and his wife had died due to the cause of domestic violence. The police have not found any evidence that had let him off after issuing a mild warning. Even knowing all these drawbacks of the groom, Rakhi's guardians were in a deadly hurry to tie the marital knot. As he was having wealth and he had doled out cash goodies to Rakhi's mother and grandmother in order to get himself married to Rakhi. The marriage initially was neither a happy one and nor overtly sad. Because Rakhi was made to feel comfortable so she could settle down in the new environs. But after a year her husband was beginning to show his true colors. He had started returning home after having a generous indulgence of alcohol. He started behaving rudely with Rakhi and then became physically violent. Rakhi had to take protective action to save herself. Sometimes she had to hit back in self-defense. This way continued for some months. But Rakhi was getting fed up and wanted to run away. She didn't have to wait too long. Her husband died one day while returning home being run over by a bus. He had been totally drunk and couldn't control himself and had come on the track of the bus. Fortunately, the traffic department had doled out a compensation package for Rakhi as she had lost a breadwinner. They even offered her a job in the traffic control office. As Rakhi had no in-laws so she had the freedom to accept the offer. Then began a phase in her life of peace and progress. The job at the traffic control department was good and challenging and the pay was equally good. But Rakhi knew that she could not stay holed up at one spot forever. Because that would be sure death for progress. At the traffic office, Rakhi got friendly with a man. This man was a small-time business person and had many interesting ideas. He could influence people with his sweet talk. Rakhi was drawn towards this man easily. As she was simple and easily believed anyone, she put her trust in this man. This man gave Rakhi a new business idea from which Rakhi could generate lots of money in the time to come. He influenced Rakhi to take a loan on her Provided Fund account. He took this money from her and opened a partnership with equal share proportions. With the money, he stocked up his shop. For few months he gave Rakhi her share of profits and incentivized Rakhi to spend time at their shop in the evening hours after her office time was over. But then one fine day the man absconded with all the stock leaving the shop empty at the custody of Rakhi. Initially, it was a huge shock for Rakhi as she had no idea how to handle this peculiar situation. Without any capital and without any stock, Rakhi was now completely on her own and staring at a huge loss. She is a job holder, couldn't take over another job or business as per the terms of her present employment. Till now she had been doing the business with herself as a shadow entity whereas the show was being managed by her partner.

A crude and difficult lesson was learned by Rakhi. Slowly she repaid her loan and again stocked up her shop with the capital accumulated over time. In the evening hours, she began to devote time to the shop. All throughout her life, she remained a dutiful and obedient learner. Rakhi learned that an eatery rarely failed because people needed good food to fill themselves when hungry. So she thought of converting her existing store into a fast food takeaway store. For this, she needed good cooking hands with valuable experience. She initially brought in her mother and her grandmother. Both the ladies had now learned to trust and respect Rakhi for her abilities and achievements. In a few months, her food takeaway store started doing roaring business in the evening hours. Due to her performance, many Banks were willing to give her a loan on easy terms for expanding her business. Now Rakhi made the biggest leap in her life. She resigned from her secure cozy job and plunged headlong in her food business. 

With her accumulated money she took another outlet, a bigger one on a conspicuous position on the main thoroughfare. There were a lot of office buildings in and around with many workers. So there was ample scope for the sale of food. The competition was low due to the few numbers of food outlets. 

But side by side was many challenges. The outlet which was recently started had a huge fire accident. Only a little stuff could be saved. There was a huge loss to Rakhi. Even the insurance company rejected the claim due to some technical issues. All of a sudden Rakhi had come down to zero. In between, her grandmother died of old age, so one of her experienced hands was gone. 

Literally, now, Rakhi was on the streets. 

But Rakhi was a quintessential Indian woman whose motto was never said die. 

She again started from scratch. Starting small she started with a ' phuchka' stall, a local delicacy, and a young women's favorite evening snack item. Within a few years again she could start her food stall. Now she took proper care about fire insurance etc. She converted it into an eatery. In a few years, she started a counter as a bar. The license she got easily because she being a woman and taking advantage of the government policy towards woman entrepreneurs. The business generated from the bar was huge and her outlet was the most happening hangout for the youth. Now it became a hot joint for budding actors and established celebrities. 

But Rakhi remained a never say die person always motivated and finding newer avenues for growth. Due to her thoughtfulness and magnanimity, she had given work to so many young girls especially those who came from very humble backgrounds. Even single mothers and women from broken homes, Rakhi was the to-go person for help and support. Now she had fortified her business in so many ways that no accident could touch her. Only perhaps there remained one vacuum in her life was that of not being able to give birth to her own biological child.