Short Story of an Indian Woman – The Battle of Pursuits
Photo credit: presto44 from morguefile.com
“Where is the world which I want to see?”, Snigdha exclaimed. After thinking for two hours, she went back to her desk and started searching for something. She opened the drawer and found many bits of paper. Some were complete trash because they were just simple receipts. But out of those receipts, Snigdha kept one very safely back into the drawer. The rest were thrown in the dustbin.
She went inside the kitchen and took out some slices of bread from the oven and applied jam over those slices. Then she stood near by a window to look at the people’s happy faces. The street was very crowdy due to the Sunday market. It was a very noisy day and vendors were shouting out to attract people towards their shop. Snigdha had her breakfast and went downstairs to buy some vegetables. She called out Anjali, one of her close friends but Anjali looked at her suspiciously and ignored her. Snigdha wanted to talk to her but Anjali did not give any heed. Rather, she started commenting on Snigdha’s character. Anjali started gathering people’s attention by pointing out Snigdha and exclaimed, “Look at this ill woman. She could not even take care of her husband. She left her husband for her passion. Her husband gave her everything which she asked for but……..”
“But… what? Go ahead. Why did you stop? Anjali, you were my best friend. At least you should have understood me. It was not easy for me leave Arun. I loved him as well.”
People started talking about Snigdha, some were whispering, some were shouting that Snigdha was wrong. Rather, everyone started judging her without knowing her pain. Snigdha went to a vegetable vendor to get some vegetables. Still people were commenting that she was shameless and had no respect. The vegetable vendor looked at her with curiosity and asked, ‘Ma’am , Aren’t you afraid of the outraging crowd which is standing against you? After looking at the crowd’s rage I am afraid to sell vegetables to you. What if they stop coming to me?”
“Bhaiya ji! What if I die due to hunger… Would you be still concerned? Why should I be punished for not doing anything wrong? I have always been a passionate architect. I wanted to pursue it further. So, I had to choose between Arun and Architecture.”
Then someone from behind started hinting the vendor to not sell vegetables to her. Snigdha could understand everything and asked the vendor to give her the vegetables but the vendor refused. Snigdha busted in rage and said, ” I have the right to decide about my life. People cannot deny that a woman should be independent. I have the right to buy vegetables to remain alive. I just four slices of bread since morning but you and your society have decided to not feed me. Isn’t that injustice?”
“Bhaiya ji, give me the vegetables. I am definitely not answerable to people who are not even enough responsible to know the true story of mine. Take this money and give me what I want. I have had enough.”
Snigdha just gave a five hundred rupees note to the vendor and just picked up vegetables and hurriedly ran upstairs without noticing anyone. She opened the door and went up to her desk and opened the drawer and took out that special receipt which described the menu and the decoration charges of venue and the name of the customer was Snigdha and the date mentioned was very special because it was Arun’s birthday. After looking at the receipt, she started crying bitterly because Arun was not with her and she could not even afford to wish him on his special day.
She opened her almirah and looked at her degree certificate and exclaimed that she was still unaware about the reason which Arun gave for leaving her, two months ago. She earned the degree certificate for being an architect not just to sit back at home. Was that enough to hurt his male ego?
Snigdha controlled her tears and went back to her desk and started working on her new architectural designs which she had to submit to the GENFOX Company after a month.
–END–
