Worthless Women

"What can an unsuccessful mother make of her children? Your constant presence around them will make them weak like you. Leave them alone, you worthless woman; sitting around in the house all day", all my life, I heard my husband taunt me this way.

I never got to peep in my children's schoolbooks, check if they were studying or not, doing their homework well or not. I never got a chance to decide which tuition or hobby classes my children would go to. I never got to plan a weekend for my kids, or their birthday parties. Their father did it all. Year after year, I felt distant from my own children. Our communication lessened, and my kids grew more independent, which I was happy to see though.

"What can a useless wife make of her children? You are no good for my talented, well-educated, rich son, how will you be good enough to raise his kids?" all my life, I heard my mother-in-law taunt me this way. She shouted at me in front of my children, at which initially they used to laugh. But later as they grew up, they got used to it and quietly chose to ignore it.

I never had a heart-to-heart talk with my daughters. We were never given that chance. I never knew how my children's life was when they stayed at their hostels, enjoyed their college lives, and finally as they graduated. They only spoke to their father, providing him with all the information. Whenever I asked how they were doing, my husband promptly replied in a rude tone, 'How will it make a difference to you! Mind your own work!' and cut the conversation.

I was an obedient daughter all my life, I got married as per my father's wish. I was a dutiful wife all my life, never did I disobey my husband. I was a sincere daughter-in-law all my life, never did I disrespect my mother-in-law or reply to her. But as my life passed by, I have become no more than a prop in this house, having no significance in anyone's life as a human being. Honestly, I don't even cry about it anymore. Food, clothing, shelter, and oxygen are all I have, and I am living my life peacefully with just these. I know my girls will get married someday soon and I will just be informed about it, without having much say in their or their spouses' lives.

Life continued for a few more months, and my younger daughter Ritu graduated and got herself a nice job in a big city. My elder daughter, Rani, a year older than Ritu had already moved to the same place a year ago and had set up a small, rented apartment for herself. "Ritu can come and stay with me, Papa", she assured my husband. Ritu was excited about her new life, and I watched her pack all her stuff as she was about to leave this house kind of forever, just like Rani did. In the last entire year, Rani had not come back even once here. "Go my girls, make a strong place for yourself in this beautiful world; the world which I never got to see. The world that doesn't even know I exist. I shower you both with all my best wishes and blessings", I blessed my daughters silently in my mind.

The day Ritu was about to leave, Rani had come to accompany her back to the city. Ritu loaded all her luggage in the taxi and also brought some extra baggage outside, which Rani quickly placed in the back of the cab.

"What is this?", my husband and mother-in-law asked. I was standing in the corner with my head bent down, as clueless as ever, waiting for Rani or Ritu to reply.

"Ritu stepped ahead, "These are Mummy's bags. She is going with us forever".

All of us were stunned. My husband stared at me as if I were the culprit here. He shouted at Ritu, "What do you mean?".

"What do you think Papa, Dadi; that we love you and respect you both? We never had the courage to say anything to you in all these years due to the beatings that we got from you as little kids. All our lives we have seen both of you mistreat our mother as if she was your slave. We never even got to talk to her freely because of your terror. But we have been a persistent witness to your cruelty and inhumane treatment of our mom. You thought we didn't understand all this, but all this while our hearts were burning with rage upon seeing our mother suffer. We sisters had sworn a long time ago that the day we had our own jobs, we would take mummy out of this hell. All the time you have been taunting her, asking her where will she go if you throw her out. Now you have the answer; she will go with her daughters. She will live in her house. She will do as she wishes. She will break her shackles and breathe free now and you dare stop us! I will report your years of abuse to the police", Ritu had turned red and sounded infuriated. Rani was right beside her nodding at every point Ritu made. The girls pulled me aside and made me sit in the cab. I was shocked to say or do anything at all, yet I tried to resist them, indicating that this was not right. Leaving my age-old home this way was not the solution.

Just then my mother-in-law shrieked, "See what she has taught your daughters. They have turned into rouge, arrogant, ill-mannered girls just because of this inferior worthless woman. This is what I always warned you against".

This was the last straw. I began to cry, which I had been holding back for quite some time now.

Rani and Ritu together stepped forward and replied to their nasty patriarchal father and Dadi. "You find us girls arrogant, and ill-mannered; trust me, that might be because of 'your' blood running through our veins. Enjoy your ego and the empty house… forever. We are not coming back".

I held the girls' hands and sat in the cab. As the taxi moved ahead, I did not even bother to turn my head around to see the house which had been my prison for the last 25 years, and to see the two jailers staring at us in astonishment.

New hopes of a better future with my self-made, capable daughters were all I had on my mind!

{{Dedicated to all the 'Worthless' women in the society. It is time to self-realize your worth}}