Social Short Story – Breaking Away
Photo credit: savanne from morguefile.com
The village is alive with activity today. Jostling crowds have gathered from nearby villages and more people are still pouring in. The commoners of the village are attired in their cleanest clothes while the important ones like the Head Priest, the landlords, the Thakurs have donned starched, white dhoti- kurtas and saffron turbans for they are going to be the first ones to be pulling the ropes of the ‘rath’ in which the Deity sits.
The ‘rath yatra’ procession is just about to begin. Standing in the corner, with her two children who give her the strength and reason to carry on with her life, Rajeshwari wears a smug, bemused smile. She knows she shall be called upon to accompany her husband, Zamindar Saheb, for pulling along the ‘rath’- an honour which only she receives, as against her two contemporaries, the Zamindar’s other wives. Rajeshwari feels that this is her moment to shine after so long or at least be in the limelight after two years of being ignored for the second and third wives. Her husband often left her alone in the village and went to one of the other villages where his other wives resided. He spent more time there than he did with Rajeshwari which often made her feel insignificant and not of any interest.
They would have to join to commoners in the procession and wait for their turn, she remembered as somebody brushed past her. But why was she feeling so triumphant in this situation? Was she really happy to settle for such petty joys? However, what other choice did she have. It was not uncommon for Zamindars to keep many wives and even ill treat and humiliate them. She knew many others who had met with the same fate or even worse.
But then had she not always been different? Had she not always insisted, as a young girl, that her brother took turns drawing water from the well. Was she not often scolded for voicing her opinions, for roughing up boys who tried to get the better of her. Had she not been the only one who had dared to go to the district school for higher studies? Where had the fire gone? Did societal pressured pin her down? Was the want of a secure life for her children a factor in accepting what came her way? Or were they mere crutches on which she levied the burden of her cowardice and indecisiveness? Was she afraid to face a future that was unknown to her? Or did her present not give her enough reason to take a chance on it?
As she stood contemplating, she sighted a local village girl who, though slightly older, sometimes used to come play with her daughter. The girl had got married to a nearby village landlord’s son just a few months back.
Standing there, Rajeshwari could clearly see her bruised cheek and hear the insults her husband was hurling at her. No, she did not look for the same life for her daughter and the only way to avoid it was to take a firm decision now to step out of her current state and set that example for her.
Suddenly she heard ‘Devi Maa ki jai’ chants all around. It brought her back to reality- both literally and metaphorically.
She gathered her children and made her way out. She heard her name being called out in the background, fading away as she moved on. She moved on without hesitation, moved on with calmness and clarity that hadn’t existed before, moved on knowing that she would handle what came next and not have regrets for she knew this was the right decision.
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