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My Place

My Place

7 mins
8.2K


Sushila was nearing towards her 24th birthday. A bubbly and charming girl, the more excited, she was to celebrate it, the worse the situation was getting for her parents. In one side, she was planning how would she dress herself, celebrate that day with her friends. While on the other side, her parents were counting the number of months that they had left to get her married. She was feeling so sorry for her parents who had lost their sleep because of her. As she was growing older, people nearby to her house had started talking about her delayed marriage.

Sushila was the only daughter of her parents, had completed the basic education till high school, well known about all the house hold work in her locality, having respect towards her elders and lots of love towards the youngsters. She had all the qualities that a good housewife should have. Her father was earning enough to manage his house, didn’t have enough capacity to fulfil all the financial expectation expected by the groom who were coming for her from the established family. Which parents do not want to give their daughter married to a suitable boy, but for that they should be enough sound economically, even though their daughter did have any enough qualities to prove herself a good wife.

After a year, Sushila’s uncle brought a groom’s proposal for her to her father. The guy was almost ten years elder than Sushila and his first wife was expired. He had a good business in the town and didn’t have anyone to take care of him. He was all alone. Though, initially, Sushila’s father was not agreed for this proposal, but later he accepted, as the guy didn’t have any demand. Marriage got over within ten days and she had to come with her husband, Ajaya to the town.

Sushila was getting up early in the morning, was preparing good breakfasts for Ajaya, and also packing lunch box for him, as he was starting for his work around 9 O’clock in the morning and coming back to home around 9 O’clock in the night. Besides this, Sushila was staying the complete day in the house, cleaning the house, doing gardening, knitting, gossiping with neighbour women and passing her time happily. Ajaya used to take her outside for dinner over the weekends, give her good dresses and fulfil all of her wishes. Sushila used to visit her parents once in every week with Ajaya. Everyone was happy by seeing her in a happy life.

One day, when Sushila had visited her parents, heard her mother’s cry from the door of her house. When she entered inside, she found that her father had died in a heart stroke. After her father’s expiry, her mother became alone in her house. But Sushila had to leave her, as Ajaya was alone in his house. After coming back, she was not able to concentrate in her work and always thinking about her mother. By seeing her in a sorrowful mind, one day Ajaya suggested her to bring her mother to their house to stay with them for rest of her life. Anyway, Sushila’s mother did not have anyone for whom she would stay in the village. If she starts staying with Sushila, then both of them would be happy. Sushila became very happy and brought her without any delay. Sushila’s mother came with all of her money and jewellery.

Life became as usual. First few months, Sushila’s mother started enjoying her life with Sushila’s daily work, time with her neighbours and doing puja. But, after six months, gradually she started feeling bored. She was playing with the kids of Sushila’s neighbour. One day, she told her “I have become bored by playing with other’s kids. I want to play with your kids. You have completed two years of your marriage. Now, you can plan for a baby”. Though Sushila took it very lightly at first, but later she also started liking it and planned for a baby.

Six months passed by, but she didn’t conceive. Then mother started keeping herself many fasts for Sushila, doing lots of Puja’s, consulting with many Maulabi’s, giving many kinds of jadi, butti and tavij to her, expecting that this may help her to get conceive. But, there was no result. Days were passing by, but Sushila was not able to remember when the last time, she was having food. Now, she needs only one thing in her life…a baby.

One day, Ajaya got surprised by seeing the bundles of notes in the vegetable baskets, those he had given Sushila the previous day night. He asked her “Sushila, why have you kept this money here in the vegetable basket?” Then Sushila replied back “Oh, these kids have become very naughty now a days…I had kept inside the almirah, they were playing nearby, someone might have brought and kept it here….not someone, that chhotu has become very naughty and I am sure that he must have kept it here.” Ajaya asked “Whose kids….why are you allowing outsiders kid to our home…”. Then she replied back “Our kids only…you forgot that we have four kids. You are becoming so busy in your work, forgetting that we have four kids.” Ajaya was able to understand clearly the mental condition of Sushila and without telling her anything, he just kept quiet. He decided to take off for few days and would stay with Sushila, so that she might get the real picture and come back from her mental trauma. But, there was no improvement in her condition Day by day, she was becoming more ill.

One day, when Ajaya was sitting outside verandah of his house, the younger brother of his friend, Vineet came and started sharing his topic of worry with Ajaya. Vineet was in love with a girl and that girl is pregnant now, before the marriage. So, both of them has decided to abort that child and for what Vineet had come to Ajaya, so that he can suggest a good doctor for this.

At first, Ajaya got worried with this problem, then after thinking for while, he told Vineet not to abort the child, instead he wanted to get it born and to give him as soon as the child got born. Vineet accepted it happily and left from the place. After few months, as decided before, Vineet gave the new born child to Ajaya.

Ajaya became very happy after having the kid and arrived near Sushila, running fast towards home. Sushila was sleeping during that time. He kept the kid near to her and left. Came back after few minutes and saw that Sushila was still sleeping. He called up Sushila in a loud voice and made her to get up from her sleep. He told “Sushila, how long you will sleep…see, our fifth kid, is with you now. Get up and take her to your lap”. By seeing the baby beside her Sushila asked “when was this kid born?” Ajay replied that just one hour before. Sushila took the baby to her lap very affectionately and hold closely with her chest. She started kissing the baby. By seeing both the baby and mother happy, Ajaya left from that place to bring sweets to distribute among all the neighbours for this good news.

After one hour, when he came back, he found Sushila was full of blood. In one hand, she was carrying a knife, cutting her chest and with the support of another hand holding the baby in her lap. By seeing her in this condition, Ajaya asked her “What have you done and why…? Sushila said “I am trying to get milk…milk is not coming out from my breast…then what will this baby drink…?” By saying so, she lost her last breath by keeping the finger full of blood in the mouth of the baby.

It is always said that the life of a girl is secured in the shade of her father before marriage, in the shade of her husband after marriage and in the shade of her children during the old age and if that is not in the life of a girl, then as per the society, that girl is not secured. She always has to stay under the support of someone. How much educated she is, how much challenges she can manage in her life…it does not matter for the society. She will never be respected in the eye of the society. Motherhood is the icon of a womanhood or else she is said to be a valueless object and that time the only one question arises "Where is my Place?"


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