The Cotton

Raghuram was about to leave the house that evening to meet his friends at the place where they used to sit together. Hailing from a traditionally grounded background, everything pertaining to progressive thinking had turned into a taboo for him. His wife was very devoted to Lord Krishna and spent most of her time in the pooja room reading stories of Mahabharatha. She was a typical traditional woman one could find in a conservative family. She loved her son Santhosh very much. Devaki's decision to spend time in poojas and chanting verses of God itself was a getaway from the spiting words of regressive thinking of her husband. As a matter of fact, she disguised herself as overtly religious and secluded herself in the room of deities, incense sticks, and dhoop. Along with the tradition, the regressive ideas about women and their structured lifestyle continued for years. Devaki, her mother-in-law, and her nieces were not allowed to cook during menstruation. Raghuram was so engulfed in his so-called 'culture' or principles that he restrained himself from looking at the countenance of women during menstruation. Santhosh secured good ranks in his higher studies and spent his life as a well-reputed engineer in the field of information technology in Chennai. After a few years, he decided to hold hands with Abitha, who was working alongside him till that date. Abitha's household echoed progressive thoughts in places adjacent to her house. She never believed in superstitions and was always against those culturally regressive thoughts, rituals, and rites. Santhosh's decision to marry Abitha created havoc among the members of his family. Devaki somehow tried her level best to marry her son off to the girl he loved most, and it was granted on one fine day. Abitha stepped into the threshold of Raghuram's house and felt strange rituals and rites being conducted every time. Even though she hesitated to stay at that weird mansion for a while, she made up her mind to put up with the inmates of the house for Santhosh.

With his umbrella, Raghuram was about to leave the house when something intrigued his mind in the corner of the house. There was a huge swing in the corner hung from above, swaying between the two pillars. Near the swing, there was a small scaffold, and there was a sanitary napkin pack on it. Abitha had just left the place for an important call and had kept the napkin packet on the scaffold. Raghuram noticed the sanitary napkin packet and shouted at his wife, who had no idea about what had happened in that house. She just turned around from the pooja room and asked what had made him so furious that he shouted like a thunderbolt. Raghuram said, "What the hell did I just see? Who kept this abominable thing here? Can't you hide this object of impurities from my view?" Abitha did not see it coming and stood shocked at Raghuram's remarks about the sanitary pad. Abitha replied, "What's wrong with that? It is just cotton! See?" She took one pad, removed the cover, took the cotton from the pad, and showed him. Her act infuriated Raghuram, and since he could not yell at the new bride, he threw his umbrella in the corner and left the place. At eight at night, Raghuram's entry was unusual. He entered the house completely drenched and humiliated his daughter-in-law with his stare. He immersed his body into the holy pond in the vicinity and returned home. Abitha found herself in a deep pit of horror. She detested staying at that house and decided to leave the place as early as possible. One Friday, Raghuram and his wife took Abitha to the native temple. She was asked to sit in the back seat, and the stare of accusation still persisted in Raghuram's eyes. On the way, in a car, the small tree in the corner fell on the road by the time the car came near it. Raghuram did not expect the sudden fall of the tree, and it made him go berserk and drove the car to the side where there was a pit. He could not control the steering, and the sudden anxiety made him push the clutch for long instead of the brake, and the car hit the other tree. Devaki and Abitha tumbled and jumped from their seats, yet they escaped with minor injuries, or one could say no injuries to mention. Raghuram's head hit the corner of the car glass, and the blood oozed out continuously. No one was there in the middle of the road, and he was almost in a state of unconsciousness. Abitha comprehended the scene, took Raghuram away from the driver's seat, and made him lay under the tree. Devaki could not help him but bawled her eyes out. Abitha opened the bag she had brought with her, took a few things away, tore a few things apart that included her end of the pallu, tied his head tightly to cease the flow of blood. She eventually made a call to an ambulance on time, and Raghuram was sent to the hospital. While he was slowly gaining his consciousness, the medic of that clinic inquired about the incident and appreciated Abitha for her valor. The nurse asked Abitha if she had a first aid kit inside the car, to which the answer was no. The nurse, puzzled at the materials on the plate which Abitha used to tie Raghuram's head, asked, "Then these?" pointing at them. "This cotton piece?" asked the nurse. "Ha ha, this one? I took it from the sanitary pad I had kept inside the bag. I always carry a pad or two everywhere." "It is just a piece of cotton, right?" On listening to the conversation, Raghuram's mind returned to its complete state of consciousness, the realization of his perspective. The stare lost its way from his eyes forever.