I stood still on the railings of the bridge, dark clouds of emotions covering the last semblance of rationality I possessed.
The strong winds which blew my hair, seemed to rush inside my wracked mind, it’s sinister hissing voice urging me to jump into the swirling angry river below, and attain the final BLISS called DEATH….an end to all those countless days of physical and mental abuse, meted out to me by the man who had taken the solemn oath to take care of me “till death do us apart”. What could the poor man do, when his entire family goaded him and applauded in silence, when his hand left its impression on my cheeks or his sandals on my back
I am the only child of a lower middle- class parents. My father, who doted on me, spent the major portion of his meager income on my convent education, stretching beyond his means. I was a very sensitive child, and right from the start I poured my heart and soul in every little detail that my teachers taught me. I soon became a pet of most of the teachers, but my talent lay in the Queens language. As I grew older, my skills in this language strengthened, often fetching me laurels in various competitions.
My inadequate but secure world crashed into pieces, when my father suddenly died of stroke. I was in my 2nd year college pursuing English. With the only bread earner gone, my mother was left with no choice but to marry me off to the first offer of matrimony, the 12th failed son of a distant acquaintance, who agreed to do so with the minimum of dowry. But alas did she know that this “minimum dowry” would start to haunt her daughter for each of her waking hour.
The physical pain which they inflicted upon me was eclipsed by the shameful thought that being an educated woman, I was helpless to retaliate, as I had no money to support me. Day in and day out he tortured me while the others watched, but I wore a mask of happiness on the few occasions my mother visited me.
Tonight, after finishing all the work my family expected me to perform; I took out my favourite book of poems and sat down to read it. Reading always helped me to calm and soothe the constant pain and humiliation I felt. Suddenly my husband barged into the room in a foul temper and snatching the book from my hand, tore it up to pieces, uttering oaths and kicking me all the while.
Something in me snapped. Pushing away my husband with all the strength I could muster, I stormed out of the house, determined to put an end to this pitiable existence.
Heart thumping, fists clenched, I shut my eyes tight, and just as I was about to take the deep plunge, when, with a soft flutter, a dainty creature landed on my right shoulder.
The creature, with its rhythmic caress seemed to urge me to open my eyes and behold it. The thumping of my heart eased a bit as I turned my head and stood transfixed by the sheer beauty which greeted me.
An enchanting butterfly, with its wings so exotically coloured, that whenever it moved them rhythmically, all the hues of a rainbow seemed to dazzle and glitter. Mother Earth must have been in her most generous mood while selecting colors for this exquisite creature.
The sheer brilliance of its beauty slowly dispelled the dark sinister clouds clogging my mind, replacing it with feelings of such hope and peace, the existence of which I was totally ignorant of till now.
With a soft smile hovering on my lips, I whispered, “Dear butterfly, as you have emerged from an ugly caterpillar, breaking free of the cocoon, to take on this enchanting form and be a part of this beautiful world, I too shall break free of the shackles of torture, and transform myself into a respectable human being. I shall complete my education and making use of my dormant talent,- I shall wield the pen and thereby dazzle the world with the beauty and the brilliance of my writing.”
With these words I stepped down and retracted my steps towards my real home, as the butterfly flew higher and higher, as high as its dainty but strong wings would take it.
The strong winds which blew my hair, seemed to rush inside my wracked mind, it’s sinister hissing voice urging me to jump into the swirling angry river below, and attain the final BLISS called DEATH….an end to all those countless days of physical and mental abuse, meted out to me by the man who had taken the solemn oath to take care of me “till death do us apart”. What could the poor man do, when his entire family goaded him and applauded in silence, when his hand left its impression on my cheeks or his sandals on my back
I am the only child of a lower middle- class parents. My father, who doted on me, spent the major portion of his meager income on my convent education, stretching beyond his means. I was a very sensitive child, and right from the start I poured my heart and soul in every little detail that my teachers taught me. I soon became a pet of most of the teachers, but my talent lay in the Queens language. As I grew older, my skills in this language strengthened, often fetching me laurels in various competitions.
My inadequate but secure world crashed into pieces, when my father suddenly died of stroke. I was in my 2nd year college pursuing English. With the only bread earner gone, my mother was left with no choice but to marry me off to the first offer of matrimony, the 12th failed son of a distant acquaintance, who agreed to do so with the minimum of dowry. But alas did she know that this “minimum dowry” would start to haunt her daughter for each of her waking hour.
The physical pain which they inflicted upon me was eclipsed by the shameful thought that being an educated woman, I was helpless to retaliate, as I had no money to support me. Day in and day out he tortured me while the others watched, but I wore a mask of happiness on the few occasions my mother visited me.
Tonight, after finishing all the work my family expected me to perform; I took out my favourite book of poems and sat down to read it. Reading always helped me to calm and soothe the constant pain and humiliation I felt. Suddenly my husband barged into the room in a foul temper and snatching the book from my hand, tore it up to pieces, uttering oaths and kicking me all the while.
Something in me snapped. Pushing away my husband with all the strength I could muster, I stormed out of the house, determined to put an end to this pitiable existence.
Heart thumping, fists clenched, I shut my eyes tight, and just as I was about to take the deep plunge, when, with a soft flutter, a dainty creature landed on my right shoulder.
The creature, with its rhythmic caress seemed to urge me to open my eyes and behold it. The thumping of my heart eased a bit as I turned my head and stood transfixed by the sheer beauty which greeted me.
An enchanting butterfly, with its wings so exotically coloured, that whenever it moved them rhythmically, all the hues of a rainbow seemed to dazzle and glitter. Mother Earth must have been in her most generous mood while selecting colors for this exquisite creature.
The sheer brilliance of its beauty slowly dispelled the dark sinister clouds clogging my mind, replacing it with feelings of such hope and peace, the existence of which I was totally ignorant of till now.
With a soft smile hovering on my lips, I whispered, “Dear butterfly, as you have emerged from an ugly caterpillar, breaking free of the cocoon, to take on this enchanting form and be a part of this beautiful world, I too shall break free of the shackles of torture, and transform myself into a respectable human being. I shall complete my education and making use of my dormant talent,- I shall wield the pen and thereby dazzle the world with the beauty and the brilliance of my writing.”
With these words I stepped down and retracted my steps towards my real home, as the butterfly flew higher and higher, as high as its dainty but strong wings would take it.
1 comment:
osadharon !!!!!
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