Jyoti had already sent Pritam to a relatives place early morning. She knew what would follow once her parents-in-law stepped in. Her tidy apartment lacked happiness since she had wanted to join back to work. Every day Rajeev and she would fight over the same topic. At last irritated Rajeev called his parents in to knock her some sense.
His mother rolled her eyes in anger while Rajeev explained the matter.
“Do you realize how awful a mother you are? Let the baby stay with us. We can’t tolerate this kind of negligence. We will raise our grandson. Then you can do whatever you like to do with your life.” Shouted Jyoti’s mother-in-law.
It was not unnatural of her to make such cruel comment. What surprised Jyoti was her husband’s reaction. He was convinced that Jyoti was unfit as a mother.
“Yes Jyoti, I think my mother is absolutely right. Pritam is just one year old and you want to go back to your work. What kind of mother are you?”
“I won’t go out. I want to work from home so that I can take care of Pritam.” said Jyoti softly.
“Funny work. Isn’t it? Work from home over the internet! Do you think we are fools? If such work were available no one would ever go to office”, said the dominating mother-in-law.
“ Ask your son maa. Nowadays many people especially women do work from home.”
“ I am not as uneducated as you think I am Jyoti. I too had a decent job in a bank. But I sacrificed my career for my boy.”
Her father-in-law opened his mouth after a long pause.
” Look Jyoti, you have no experience of how internet is being misused nowadays. These works from home are all scam. They trap women for illegal activities.”
“Papaji it’s a data entry work. I will get salary at the end of the month. I want to be independent. What is Wong with that papaji?”. Jyoti broke down.
Rajeev shouted at her,” How much will they pay? Don’t I earn enough to fulfill all your wishes? Women are supposed to raise kids. Don’t act as if you are a victim. You are getting everything you want. What more do you want?”
After hours of heart piercing lectures Jyoti was left alone in their apartment with her baby boy. All her pleadings wasted, she felt futile inside. Rajeev went to a three days office tour and her in laws went to their own home. She breathed with a sigh of relief. As she watched the setting sun from the fifteenth floor she remembered a day. It was the last day of her school life. Three friends looked out of the window of the top floor of school building and admired the setting sun. One of them had said,” We won’t set down like this. Will we?” She remembers clearly what she had said.” Never ever. We worked hard all through our life. We will define our own identity.”
She opened her email account and checked if any of her job applications has got a response. No. No responses yet. Even if she gets a positive response it is not possible to fight with Rajeev.
Jyoti was stuck between her own existence and playing the role of a good wife. She is expected to buy peace at the cost of her individual identity.As of motherhood she has no doubt how dear her baby is to her. She wants to bring him up well. She will imbibe in him values that worked smoothly with the fast changing modern world.
But if she herself remains mentally unhealthy how will she raise her child in a healthy way?
If Pritam sees his mother being dominated at every step by his father, how will he learn to respect women?
“He will never learn to respect women if he stays here. A man who does not respect women is a failure in every aspect. As a mother I will fail if Pritam grows up to be like his father”, thought Jyoti.
She thought about it and started typing an email. Next day she got phone calls and emails from her old friends. She had a talk with them and arranged to leave the house. Arif was at Mumbai then. He arranged for a crèche so that Pritam can be safe while her mother worked. Moupiya helped her to take gold loan and rent a cheap all women’s apartment. The following day She walked in for an interview and got selected as a BPO executive. That was a night shift job. Sayani had contacts and had requested for a change in shift. They agreed to change her shift within two months.
“This job is needed because I am in a hurry. When I settle down a bit I will look for another good job”, said Jyoti thanking her friends in a group chat.
Rajeev came back and saw her happy. He felt relieved thinking Jyoti had given in. It was not long before he realized that he was wrong.
One day when he came home from the office he found an empty home and a letter on the round tinted glass table supported by a huge mahogany stand.
Dear Raj,
I am leaving you. And I am taking pritam with me. I hope this is not unexpected for you. If it is, then you have not known me. I am Jyoti. The same girl whom you fell in love with at college. Do You remember what you had said when I asked you why you love me? “Because you are special. You have a fire inside you.” REMEMBER?
Now I did not know that you expected that fire to extinguish with the holy fire of our marriage ceremony. You wanted Jyoti to die and your wife to live. That is not possible dear. This is Jyoti. I remind you again, this is the same girl you once claimed to love.
I don’t wish to make things bitter. I will send you my address once I settle down properly. You can come to meet our son. But we will never again live together as a family.
Your ex doormat,
Jyoti
She kissed her son as they drove away for a new life. Deep down inside her heart she hopes someday Rajeev will realize his mistake. She smiled at how an Indian woman softens at the very thought of her husband coming back to her like old days. She will wait for the day if needed forever.
–END–
