[This short story love is selected for Love’2012 Story Writing Competition]
Love Short Story – It happened… finally..
Photo credit: Ladyheart from morguefile.com
…And Ananya changed the topic again, as always. Rahul felt that there was something wrong this time. Since the day Ananya returned from her vacation, she constantly looked a bit disturbed. Rahul decided to figure out for himself what the problem could be, for he knew that she would never reveal this secret. He tried not to poke her anymore and trouble her. After all, she was….
“Hey! Ananya always escapes from giving us her b’day treat. This is not fair. Moreover, u like your birthday so much, u must be celebrating it by treating your friends.. right Rahul?..say something yaar..” Rahul knew Ananya was not discussing her b’day this time as she used to do always. He could sense the sadness in her eyes so made an excuse about his TIME class and asked Ananya to drop him.
Ananya has an elder sister and two sisters younger to her. Rahul knew there is some problem in her family but could only guess as to what it might be as he thought talking about it with Ananya might hurt her. Ananya had a happy-go-lucky nature. She spread smiles wherever she went knowingly or unknowingly, she was always cheerful, thoughtful, helping others but she never talked about her problems with anyone. She always diverted the topic when it came to her problems. Rahul wanted to help her in anypossible way that he could. He wanted her to be the happiest as she could be for she deserved no less…
Ananya called up Rahul and asked him to meet her at the Quarters H café. After listening to what she had to say, he didn’t know how to react but as always he had to support her and agree to her decision. Somewhere inside Rahul was worried that he had guessed her problem. Ananya left but he was still standing there hoping that he was wrong this once.
Ananya was good at debates and winning this one was very important for her as she was representing her school and more importantly was she was finally getting a platform to voice something which she always wanted to tell one and all. Finally the D-day came. Rahul was a bit apprehensive about her for he knew that however strong she portrayed herself to be, she is emotionally very weak deep within and that he had to stand by her side.
…I have got this golden opportunity to stand before you and speak for the topic ‘female foeticide must be made legal’. Strange that a female is supporting it but yes, India for centuries past, has never welcomed the birth of daughter. Indian culture either treats woman as a goddess or an object, pretentiously as goddess but actually as an object. Even the blessings to a mother from elders are for sons, never for daughters. Here we have culture that never prized the birth of daughter so people saw female foeticide as an alternative. I agree with this concept and strongly support it. I know the people standing against it will say that it disturbs the sex ratio n all. Not that I ignore it, but speaking from a girl’s point of view,“What is the use of breathing in this world, when you are not required, when you family needs a son and not a daughter. However modern the society becomes, the mindset of people will be the same. However hard girls try to prove themselves, the preference for a son will not change….and she broke down..
Rahul got to know what happened on this birthday of hers. He was equally heartbroken but didn’t know what to tell her. This topic came up again in her family and that too on her birthday. Rahul could now link it all up. However strong she wants to be, this thing makes her hollow. When she also wants to live life completely like others, she feels a burden on her to do all the good she can for her parents. Rahul had no clue what to do next. It occurred to him instantly and he did that. He went backstage where Ananya was trying to calm down, hiding her tears. Rahul pulled her and asked her for a favor….to spend her rest of the life with him so that he can never let breeze of sadness even touch her…He promised for never letting her beautiful smile to fade away from her face…she smiled at him and that nod took Rahul to seventh heaven.
…It happened… finally… They were married and Ananya never discussed about her family concerns ever again…
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