Vindicated

It was a lazy weekend afternoon. Shikha hurriedly entered the market to buy vegetables for the coming week. Today was her son Samar’s fifth birthday. She was eager to cook his favorite meal of poori bhaji and kheer for him.

As she reached out for the potatoes, she heard the word ‘slxx’ being called out. Her body shook with anger and embarrassment as she turned to look. Devika. That was her name. Devika took pride in calling others names and belittling them. That was her way of showing what a ‘moral’ woman she was and getting some publicity for herself.

She calmed herself and walked away careful not to create a scene. She knew she could handle the woman, but was worried that this would spoil Samar’s birthday celebrations. As she hastened homeward, she could hear Devika calling her names. She turned a deaf ear to it. Soon she could hear other women too entered the fracas. Now they were abusing her dead parents, family members and even her son!

She loved her son more than her own life. The accusations became unbearable. Like a cauldron of hot oil that could no more hold onto its boundaries, she spewed her anger back on the women…

“Yes, I am a slxx…” she screamed. “I sell myself to fend for my son! It is a job like any other. Much respectable than women who eat off their fathers, husbands and sons! I provide!”

A ghostly silence spread through the market. It seemed that time too had stopped to listen to the cry of a woman who was wronged. “Samar is my life. His father died because we had no money to treat his cancer. Samar is the reason I live. I would have given up long ago, if it had not been my angel! I decided I will do all I can to given him a comfortable life. With no skill or education, I decided to sell my body. And who comes to me? It is your so -called respected fathers, sons, brothers and husbands…. They pay me for my services. And you call me a whore? I sell my body but not my soul. I am far better than you respectable women, who show they are faithful but sin inwardly by fantasizing about other men. Who is a sinner then…. I who sell my body or you who sell your soul????”

She was sobbing uncontrollably… suddenly she felt tiny hands holding hers and leading her towards their home. Through her teary eyes, she saw her angel! He had come to take his maai home. For him, his maai was a goddess! Nothing less!

Shikha felt absolved! She was vindicated…..Justice was done!