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nandita A Singh

Abstract

4.8  

nandita A Singh

Abstract

When Two Worlds Meet

When Two Worlds Meet

5 mins
282


The place that I stay is in the middle of two different world. On the right, some 3 blocks away, we have luxurious apartments with people looking pricey. All clean, poised, kids studying in international schools, multi talented. They all walk like they are all doing ballet on the road. You know head high, straight back, legs straight with toes pointed. I watch them usually when am having my evening snacks whenever I go to chat shop. This world is so different. The people, the way they dress up, the way they talk and communicate. The whole body language.

Now on the left side, the world is totally opposite . This part of the place has government school, the people who reside here are lower middle class to upper middle class families. Go deeper into the town, you can see cattles, cow, sheep, goats, and some having poultry too. They still live like they are in a village.

So you get the world am talking about right two totally different, opposite kinds. I can see so much contrast in the people here. I talk to most of them in the apartment as well as the other people from the other side of this locality. The women and men and children have such different personality. I met two ladies whim I know personally. I don't wish to disclose their names.

I met a the lady 2days back from the apartment and she looked quiet sad, so I asked her if I could be of any help, and she said she was unhappy with her life. I get it. Working 12hrs a day , taking care of kids, no "me time" and then husband doesn't give time. Weekends are mostly spent doing shopping for groceries or dinner at a restaurant as in family get together . Other than that.. life is just boring and monotonous. Well yes, we always face it. I too complain about the same Sometimes.

On the other hand I met this lady from this part of the town who has 4cows. I usually feed these cows whenever they are on their morning and evening walks. Today she shared her dilemma with me. She is 60year old lady, has 4sons and 2 daughters. She got her daughters married off when they were 17 years old. Her Boys married the girls they loved a love marriage. She says nobody takes care of her now. She is on her own, her husband died very young and she has been the pillar to her children and earned her lively hood by selling milk and educating them and Getting all of them married was the biggest responsibility and she feels she has done her job has a parent. Now each one of her children have their own houses. Working in MNC. But none acknowledge her. They visit only during festivals. They give her some amount and they are on their own. This lady says she earns just 10,000rs a month and has to feed herself and her cows. One of her cow has stopped giving milk and she doesn't want to sell it to slaughter house because she loves her cows too much. She doesn't want to abandon them. The other cow is pregnant and she needs to give medical facilities and to her a veterinarian is not that easy. Govt doesn't do much she says. She just walked away after narrating her story to me saying it's all fate and karma. My cows will be here as long as am alive, I don't know what will happen to them when am dead.

I felt a strange pinch in my heart. I just came across two women from two different worlds. One who is still struggling to survive even after having children who are well off. Yet she chose to stay here, with her cows. On the other hand I have this woman who complained to me about not having enough "me" time and says it's just a boring, monotonous life.

What can I say.? I just don't know.

I know that some woman from the apartment don't like me talking to people from this part of the town because they think they have no class and standard and some avoid talking to me and inviting my kid to their house or birthday parties just because I let my daughter play with the street kids.

So now, why this judgement. Am just talking to everyone, be it high class society people or low income group people. My daughter plays with them she shares her toys with them, so what's wrong in it. ? I don't care about what others think, but this is bothering my daughter because they kids of the apartment tease her for being friendly with underprivileged kids.

I tried reasoning with my daughter but she is just too young to understand about how the world functions.

We talk about a lot of things, open NGOs and charity groups for underprivileged. But reality is so different from what some portray behind the close doors of kitty parties. Am no longer associated with such organization because I feel its not in me to have two faces.

Being a woman and when you want your kids to be compassionate and empathetic to others, teach them the values and equality and not to judge people on the basis of caste, Creed, religion. Can we really teach our kids when we ourselves have been distinguishing and doing things we are not supposed to?


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