Ajay left the job.
Shobha was doing overtime every day with Motilal. She cleverly collected ten times more money by overtime. Shobha's father was happy with a sudden increase in income. However, he emphasized that now Motilal should marry Shobha.
Time flies... Three years passed.
Even after the marriage, Shobha used to come to the office every day. She knew everything in the office. There was no point to sit idle at home.
Now there was a strange change in her life.
She used to work in an office for more time than regular; she stopped to get any salary or overtime. Just at the place of Steno, everyone used to say "Madam Seth".
Now she was working at the office and handling the house of the Boss with a teen-age child. Now she was working exactly double for the boss.
Earlier, her labour was worth getting money, however, now her work is called 'duty'. Suddenly the value of her labor turns to zero. In India, women can earn money, however, she does not allow them to keep or spend money at their desire. Therefore, she has been given a sari, which does not have a pocket.
She used to ask for money from her father at home, now she has to ask for money from her husband. However, papa immediately offers money. He never asked about it.
However, now the husband asks a hundred questions. Later on, she has to settle the account with her husband too.
There was no freedom for Shobha. If she tries to discuss this topic with anyone people laugh at her with a remark why do you need money? Now you are the wife of a millionaire. Shobha knows, 'Yes, such a mistress who cannot even purchase a slipper on her own.'
On the first Diwali, (The biggest Indian festival in winter) she came to her mother's home.
She often asks herself, who made this practice all over the world, that a girl has to go to her husband's home leaving her parents, after the marriage?
She was crying with her mother until late at night. Mother allowed her to cry.
Mother reveals life's secret, "Look, a woman is a multi-dimensional person. She is a friend, a girlfriend, a mother, a daughter-in-law, and a mistress. Learn to manage it. Do not feel it's a burden.
The power of the woman is different. Try to recognize your strengths.
Marriage, for women, means stability, family, and responsibility.
For men, marriage means only sex. So make it your strength. Slowly you will learn it. Then the husband will come into your control.
Shobha asked, "Mother, both of us work in the same office. Still, when he comes home, he sits in front of the TV. Do nothing.
However, I have to stand up in the kitchen again, until eleven o'clock at night. After cleaning the kitchen, when I go to bed, the husband asks for services as a wife. What to do I am broken! "
Mother laughs at her "Dear, do you think that in this world you are the only woman who has got such a husband?
Every husband in this world is like this. You must have seen Husband watching TV, actually surfing channels restlessly.
You may feel that he is doing nothing. And if you tell him some domestic work, then he suddenly bursts out in anger.
Shobha said loudly, "Yes Mother, exactly."
"Listen, we ladies can clean or cut vegetables while watching TV. We expect the husband should do the same thing while watching TV he should help with domestic work, However, he actually cannot.
Nature has not made males for multiple works at a time. He literally cannot work while watching TV.
Let me explain. This has been happening for thousands of years. Since the Stone Age, Men have been hunting all day in the forest, under the sun, and in the rain.
Under any conditions. In any season. Sometimes successful, sometimes wounded, sometimes unsuccessful, sometimes nothing for many days...
After returning home (cave) in the evening, he would give hunt and food in the female's hand and then sit in front of the fire outside the cave, quietly.
However, mind it, he was not silent within himself.
Thoughts were gushing in his mind. Ideas, strategies, planning for tomorrow, future thoughts…
He was collecting energy, for tomorrow.
Now TV has taken the place of that fire. If he is surfing channels fast, means he is more restless. Do not disturb him for half an hour.
If you disturb him while surfing, he will break you up in bed.
Due to stress a man may smoke, or drink as if he is having sex. His energy dismissed makes him tired and allows him to sleep peacefully.
Deeper sleep guarantees more energy, less sleep more disturbances.
Nature has given the responsibility of carrying the human race, to males than females. Because of this, he will always think about sex. Nothing is wrong with it.
If a man has intercourse with one thousand women then one thousand children can be born. However, a woman can produce a maximum of sixteen children.
That is why a woman's libido gets limitations as soon as she becomes a mother.
After becoming a mother, a woman's sex needs get emancipated, now she starts a fight with her husband by not cooperating with him while having sex.
Did you know when a woman becomes fleshly lustful? Not at the age of sixteen...
After the age of forty!
Kids now have grown up, they are independent, not mama-oriented.
All in-laws get older or might be dead. Her name is on a property, sizable bank balance.
Now the need for a husband is finished.
A man should never keep the sole name of his wife on a property, always should be a joint name and bank account. If any woman got property in her sole name, she may treat her husband as a beggar.
In the past, there were joint families and women's names not recognized on properties. Therefore, she had endured the oppression, being dependent on food and shelter. " Shobha was listening with great attention. Mom continued...
"Listen, man can concentrate on one thing at a time. If he got a phone call while watching TV.
He will reduce the volume of the TV and then only he can respond to phone calls. While a woman can talk on the phone while watching TV. She can cut vegetables at the same time and if a crow is sitting in the window, she will blow it away.
Yes, a woman does not get a salary for her services. However, add your name to the property, take a car loan by your name, and make jewellery.
If you calculate salary... Suppose, fifty thousand rupees then get ornaments of rupees one lakh in a year. Just change the way of calculation ".
Shobha declared that she is planning for a child. Mother asked if she was ready to sacrifice five years of her life.
Shobha asked, "For what?"
Mother said, "From the time you get pregnant, till delivery and afterwards the child is dependent on the mother till it goes to primary school.
Five years will shoot at jet speed with the child's care.
And ultimately you will achieve nothing…" Mother saw somewhere far away in the dark, took a deep breath, and lost in herself.
Shobha was listening quietly… and someone lights up serial firecrackers. The fireworks of the firecrackers were bursting with cracks and cracks.
A huge grey thick smoke balloon spread in the atmosphere. Mother wiped her eyes with Saree pallu. However, Shobha doubt that the mother was weeping under the guise of smoke.
In between Mom fetches chakli and karanji (special Indian regional sweets made at the festival of light called Diwali.) and places it in front of Shobha.
Shobha understood that their mother was going to open many secret stories of her life today. Shobha saw colourful designs on the black sky by pyrotechnics. Exquisite… Extremely Amazing
... Shobha remembered childhood when she used to play with fireworks with friends. In her childhood Diwali, it used to be very cold. However, now it was quite warm.
Mother sat near the window. A small old bed was just below the window. It is used for sitting and emergency beds for guests.
Shobha knew that whenever her mother was lost in retro, she chose a sit in the window and observe "the square piece of the sky" for hours.
Before marriage, every girl's sky is eternal.
However, after the marriage, her sky shrinks to just a square piece.
After the marriage, the girl loses her own life. Shobha's mother, Devika, was married thirty years ago and moved to a ten-by-ten room. Since then, she turned into a machine like a Robot.
Devika was a very promising girl in school. Devika's father spells no bounds when a municipal teacher from Mumbai asks him about his interest in Devika.
The unfortunate father was not aware that..his daughter spent her childhood days in a big seven-room mansion-like house. The village of a hundred houses was her playground.
That girl, Devika was supposed to be imprisoned in Mumbai, for a lifetime.
Only this jail's name was 'the room'!
The jailer was called 'Husband'.
All my friends were fascinated by thoughts about the Mumbai visit. They plan to visit Mumbai with Devika to watch movies in the theatre, have delicious food at the hotel, will see high-rise buildings and roam around in the garden. Have fun at the seashore...
However, in Mumbai friends saw; Small rooms, dark narrow lanes .. small toilets.
Villagers were habitual to get fresh under the open sky.
In Mumbai Chawl it has common toilets with knocking at the door and people standing in queue for their turn ... it was a lot of trouble.
.. All disappointed friends returned. However, Devika was helpless she did not have any choice. She has to adjust himself.
She stayed lonely in the room throughout the day. It was difficult to pass the time; sometimes she read or just lay on the bed. Or keep gazing at the square piece of the sky, for hours and hours together. A cute talkative girl forced into life prison, reluctant to speak with anyone.
A man called husband, routine defined. He comes late in the evening. He orders for tea and gets fresh up.
Then set out for a stroll around with a friend, until late. If Devika tries to say something, he responds nothing.
He used to sleep immediately after dinner. With whom should Devika talk? In the beginning, it was difficult for her to get adjusted.
Then gradually she understood that her husband is a schoolteacher! He must be speaking throughout the day.
So his 'words quota' might be exhausted. Therefore, he might not be able to speak at home.
A man, on average, speaks seventeen hundred words throughout the day. A woman speaks sixty to seventy thousand words.
This is one of the reasons some women have great difficulty communicating with their husbands. 'He' does not speak much.
After the news of conceiving, Devika's husband laughs sincerely. After the birth of a girl child Shobha, his laughter vanished in thin air.
He believed a girl child is a burden. One day she goes to another home. Perhaps the same thinking is there in many Indian homes.
Shobha came closer to her mother and asked, "Mother you were telling something." Devika replied, "Yes, as soon as you get pregnant your husband will turn to your foe.
Things will be normal for about four months then the mess will start".
"How?" Shobha asked a question about a child's innocence.
Devika took a deep breath and said, "Husband does not care what is in your womb. He just wants a woman ... in the bed. After the fourth month, mating stops completely. Then, in the fifth month, he will be successful in controlling his libido.
However, in the sixth, the seventh months he will go crazy.
Due to the responsibility of you and the fetus to be born, he will not visit any prostitute.
In the seventh month, husbands start quarrels, turn violent. In the ninth month, he will calm down. Until then he understands the importance of the safety of mother and child.
Anyway, in the ninth month, your condition will be very miserable. Eager waiting is supposed to be at the end. However, meanwhile, some husbands try from the backside without caring for anything. "
Devika looked far away somewhere in the dark, her face was filled with painful sadness. She held her breath tightly. She pressed her lips tightly. As if she was hiding something with a heavy heart.
Shobha was restless at the mother's gesture. As women, both wanted to share grief among themselves. However, the invisible obstacle of a relationship called mother and daughter creates hesitation.
A scream came out from her mother's tight lips, covered her face with pallu, and started crying badly. Shobha leans forward and hugs her mother. Now Shobha was the mother and Devika was her child.
Both started sobbing loudly. Then Devika came out of grief. Both calm down.
Shobha realized that this might be the story of every woman. Devika got up. She had blown her nose and clear tears. Asked Shobha, "Would you like to have some tea?" Shobha replied, "Let's make a strong tea together"
Again, both became friends. Suddenly the distance between age, and relation vaporized. Sniffing the aroma of tea, Papa said, "Hey ladies, give me also a cup of tea".
By giving tea to Papa, both again came to the window and sat again.
Mother asked the formal question, "How is your husband's practice? How is your son's study?"
Suddenly Shobha remembered something. Bouncing herself she murmured to herself, "Oh, I forgot something ...". She pulled out a bag, which was under the bed.
She handed over some new and some old sarees (Indian women wear) to Mother. She also added a new shirt and towel for the father and some "showpieces".
Mother said, "My child, I understood e clothes. I did not understand these "showpieces"? "
Shobha said," Mother, my husband brings some new things to our flat, so what to do with these old things? Therefore...".
Papa listens to the dialogue. He entered, "So you thought, parents' house is a garbage store. Throw the garbage here and you will be happy with the thought that you have given 'something' to your parents. The husband will be happy to see the garbage removed... " Shobha was surprised at him.
Mother tries to handle the situation, "Look Shobha, now you stop giving us gifts! We have a small room. Your showpiece will look beautiful in your Flat only. "
Papa got furious, "Go and donate it to any old age home. Then one day sent us to at old age home. "
She put things back in the bag and tried to decorate words to release the serious atmosphere, "Papa, it's a wrong perception that a daughter-in-law or a son or a daughter is a villain who sends old person at old age home.
Older also have some bad qualities that many times they have to be sent forcefully to the old age home.
With the new generation, they could not adjust. They irritate, fight, and keep on tickling fights. They try to have a dictatorship at home. They do not understand that time is changed. They believe, not a single person than himself is perfect.
An elderly person in our neighbourhood had been sent to an old age home because he found unwanted pictures of 'playboy' and 'women' under his bed. He behaved horribly; with a four-year-old niece. Tell me ... ".
Papa said, "Maybe you are right. An old age home is a great place. Yes, I should have kept you in the hostel when you were studying in the fifth standard.
However, we were not selfish.
Beyond everything, there is a sense of responsibility ". Shobha understood that the father took her joke seriously. He started vibrating with a gush of emotions.
Shobha took out the Kashmiri shawl from the bag and kept it on the father's right shoulder.
The fragrance of new cloth has fascinated the father. Her eyes smiled, as the shawl's warmth was very sweet. He went to sleep.
Shobha kept a pink scarf in her mother's hand. Mother's eyes were shining. To use these expensive clothes for her was like a dream for life.
Shobha gives some money to her mother. Mother was uncomfortable with money. Shobha quote, "If it was your son, wouldn't you accept it?" Devika hesitates a little. However, accepted it and went into the kitchen.
She came with a brass box and kept money carefully in it. Then she went back to the kitchen with a box. Shobha was waiting for her mother. However, even after a long pause, she did not come back.
Therefore, Shobha peeps in the kitchen. Her father was trying to snatch the money from her mother.
Shobha asked, "What are you doing Papa?" Father burst out in anger, "I do not want son-in-law's money, we do not want to get insulted by you either. There is no need to make us realize our poverty.
I know you are rich, do not show your wealth to us. Why did you come to us putting gold ornaments? Why did you do this, to show that I was unable to purchase jewellery for your mother? Get out of this house".
The mother was trying to shut him up and was trying to snatch money from him.
"Do not feel bad about this, it's just like this ..." The mother tried to patch up the scene.
However, Shobha moved in her heart, father's arrow-like words pierced her brain. She went to bed and cried a lot.
She got up at five o'clock and found her mother completely fresh!
Yesterday's burning night did not leave ashes mark on her face. With great affection she awakened Shobha and said smiling, "Come on, my child get up, new Diwali has brought new life to us ...".