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It was not too long ago …the debate for Gender Equality, Women Empowerment, Women Safety, Human Trafficking, Child Labour was in it's full bloom over cups of coffee and snacks at popular coffee lounges. Amidst all this there was this Woman, Mithila, who was getting ready for office and the phone rang the Contact Name said ” Maid Savitri”. She dreaded this call, but still reluctantly picked the call, as she had no other option.

A weary voice on the other end said ”Sorry mam I can’t come today am running high fever ” She pleaded, ”Can you please come for a few hours? as I have no place to leave Ridhima and I have an important meeting” Smart answer from the other side came as ”but mam what if my disease is of infectious nature?”

How can a mother fight such a logic, she gave up and said ”ok fine but please don’t ditch me tomorrow” She picked up her 2-year-old daughter, in her arms and walked out of the door.

Sheepishly she rang the neigbours doorbell. Salma tai opened the door with a smile and said ”Hi Mithila, did your bai ditch you today also? it is the 3rd day is everything alright with her?”

With a faint smile she said, ”I have an important meeting Tai, I promise I will be back by 4”.

She started walking towards her car and absent mindedly looking at the screensaver, which had her little angel’s pic in a cute swimsuit.

As she switched on the ignition, in a flash came back memories of the one year of married life that she spent with her husband. Her marriage did not last, as her husband took to alcohol and she became a victim of domestic violence. The day her daughter was born, the environment became more hostile and finally she decided to part ways with her husband.

She reached office, went to the rest room splashed some cold water on her face and was ready to face the day. It was a meeting with the board of directors and she happened to be the Chief Architect. The Architect flew to action, the mother had to rest for a while. The last time she checked her watch it was 10. 30 am and now its 4.30 pm. Without any break or pause, it went on for flat 6hours.

She immediately picked up the phone and dialled Salma Tai. As usual she said ”am happy to be with your doll the whole day, I have two sons and I cherish the time I get with your daughter. ”She knew it is going to be a big bad day, she added in a soft voice ”Sorry tai I will be late today also, I will chuck off this lady I tell you” Salma Tai said ” just relax do your work, she is safe with me.“With a sigh of relief, she kept the phone and got engrossed with several design concepts.

Slowly the lights went dim in the office. One by one all the employees bid good night and left.

She kept gazing at the ceiling for a while, she can't stop! she can't quit ! she cant rest! she has to give the best of best to Ridhima! She is all that she has.

The clock said it was midnight, she finally called it a day and walked towards the parking. The car blinkers welcomed her after a tiring day. The radio played ” hamaari adhoori kahani ”

She drove away slowly, as her eyes were burning due to lack of sleep. She reached halfway and stopped at a signal. A small toddler of Ridhima’s age was playing with a broken toy on the foot path. Around 2 blocks a away a girl in her late thirties was standing wearing a shining red crop top, with a black short skirt and very loud makeup. She was one of ” those girls” about whom, we have unending debates over cups of coffee or for a few shameless men on a horny night, she is the lender of the last resort. She was attractive,with a nice shapely body and the makeup by all means was trying to hide her real age. Just like Mithila, the girl kept looking at the toddler every now and then. A car came and stopped by, she went down on the car window and revealed as much flesh as she could.

The deal was fixed in seconds and just at the nick of time, a stray dog came from nowhere and started pulling the toy away from the toddler. Both at the sight of the four – legged stranger and the agony of giving away her only toy the little one started screaming like hell. The ”girl” was about to board the car but suddenly she slammed the door behind and said ”deal cancel” A hefty dark guy sitting at the back seat of the car flung the door open and said ”come now, you slut,I will give you thousand extra” She shook her head heavily and said ”please let go off me” Mithila looked at her watch it was 15 mins past midnight.

She flung open the door and went near the car. In a loud angry voice she said “let her go !!”The man gave the ugliest smile possible through his tobacco stained dirty filthy mouth and said ” why dont you join us instead ?”

She asked in a stern voice ”do I call the police ?”

He said ”call your police or father whoever I dont care ”. In the split of the moment the girl took out a knife and pointed it at the man. The driver pressed the panick button and said ” sahab lets go” and finally the miscreants drove away By that time the four legged dog had started pulling the toddler along with the toy as the little one refused to let go of her toy. The 2 women rushed to her rescue, Mithila took the toddler in her lap and she felt just like Ridhima.

By this time the “girl” shooed away the dog and stooped on the footpath out of physical and mental exhaustion. Mithila looked at her and said ” come with me I wish to speak to you, am very late I cant wait anymore ”

Happily with her toddler in her arms, she took the front seat beside Mithila.

Moments later she started sobbing and wiping her tears on the sleeves of her shiny dress, the makeup had worn out and the weary, tired and sad face of a mother smudged in Kajal and mascara was staring at Mithila.

In a low voice she asked” why do you do this? ”

“Cant you do something else?, not this..”

She said I have the same story as every girl has in this line ”nobody becomes a whore by choice, it is what the big bad world drags them into ”.

Suddenly there was a spine chilling calm in her voice laden with anguish and pain

She smiled and said ”thank you for saving me tonight ” and then absent mindedly kept looking outside the window and said “how about tomorrow and day after ?”

Mithila said ” you know what,am very tired, we will talk tomorrow about this ”

They almost reached home suddenly Mithila offered her phone to the ” girl ” and said ” if you wish you can call someone who might be waiting for you. First time the girl laughed with her heart out ” nobody waits for a whore to come back home at night ” and then like a philosopher added ” only may be the morning sun and this little one who is as pure as the sun rays, does wait for me ”

Mithila hurriedly took the lift and gave a soft knock at Salma Tai’s door. Half asleep- half awake, she opened the door and looked at the girl and her daughter with open eyes like an owl and blurted out ”who the hell is she and who is this kid? ” Mithila used her presence of mind and she said ”This is my colleague Rohini ( a half baked name that came to her mind)” She added,we are just back from a fancy dress party that's why she and her kid is dressed up like this and faked a smile. Salma tai took it with a pinch of salt and said “let me get your doll for you “. Both “women” and both “mothers” heaved a sigh of relief. With their toddlers in their arms, they entered home.

Mithila gave both of them, washed clothes and luckily it was the perfect size for both mother and daughter.

After putting both the kids on bed Muthila started thinking where to start. Finally she broke the silence and asked the girl “dont mind me asking this how much do you make in a month?”

She said ” it depends” there is nothing fixed ” then it was her turn to ask questions she said ” where is the man of the house ” Mithila laughed half- heartedly and said ”I am the man in this house and the woman too, I am a divorcee”

The ” girl “was taken aback and said ” you manage everything alone and you own a house and a car too ?”

Mihtila smiled and asked “what is your name, my name is Mithila. She said, “Rohini”.

Ok Rohini so tell me what do you want to do next. Rohini said “nothing wait here till its morning and then go back to my world.”

Mithila drew the curtains switched off the lights and called it a day.

Next day morning, she woke up and got the shock of her life, Ridhima was not by her side. She walked out of her room checked kitchen, washroom and everywhere else and was almost at the verge of getting panicked. Suddenly she heard giggles coming from the balcony. She went there and found Rohini was watering the plants and the babies giggled as they played with mud. Overwhelmed with emotions tears rolled down her cheeks she gently held Rohini’ s hand in hers and said ” You can stay here and take care of both the babies, my bai has ditched me ” Both women burst out into giggles, it’s a girly thing you see.