SHE - A TRUE STORY

A rainy afternoon and I got stuck in the pool of water which has been gifted to each Calcatians. Oops should I say Kolattans. It was quite some time and I had nothing to do. Almost two decades passed since I was in the area of Kalighat. I was working on a project, which required opinion collection from various segment of people. A huge segment has been selected to carry on the study. The study was divided into varied scales ranging from the top shots to the ones who dwell in the Dharavi’s of Kolkata. After the rain stopped I once again went in search for the house, where I had to go and speak to the lady. The moment I entered the lane I felt something was not right. People were looking at me with a question in their eyes…. As if to say “Oh God who is she? What is she doing here? “ Let me be honest even I was getting a little edgy almost cursing the man who have assigned me the project. One could possibly here the thoughts running in my mind and no wonder I had a grumpy face. I tried to keep aside these thoughts and finally collected myself to ask in a very Bengali way “Hello Dada can you please help me out with the address please?” He stared at me and gave me a feeling that it was a crime. Anyway he was a savior and I got the exact location. There was no electric bell, so I knocked. SHE opened the door and let me in. What I gathered is that, she was staying with her husband who was bed ridden. SHE was young and smiled at me. I said “Could you please help me out with some water? I was very surprised since I was not expecting this. She asked me politely “Would you drink the water that we drink? I could not but had to say “Well what is wrong with the water and why would I not drink it? She again smiled and said” Didi nobody generally does since I belong to the class what you, the educated lot call Line er meyechele.” For a moment I was absolutely quite and my heart became numb. I somehow convinced her that there is nothing wrong in drinking water when someone is thirsty. I completed the interview session and asked her” Can I ask you something?” She again smiled, and that I could make out, a little sarcastic and she said” What do you want to know, I have told you everything.”

“That is ok, but can you tell me why have you adopted this profession?” I knew the reason but could not help something like this which has no relevance with the reason I was there. She did not answer, but now laughed aloud and then told me, “ Didi nobody wants to be sold out every day. However, I had no other option. MY parents got me married off and my husband met an accident and now he can’t move the lower segment of the body” She completed and then I realized I could have avoided the topic. However to my surprised, Roshni was her name, (which does not sound a Bengali name though) said with a glaring eye and asked “Is that going to be included in the work that you are doing? “Oh no dear, which was just a general query” I said, “Please do not worry” Suddenly I had an idea. I said “Please allow me to bring some lunch so that we can have? Anyway am stuck till the rain stops” Though she denied I could feel that she was at awe with the proposal that I placed. So it was not so difficult to crack the ice. Luckily I could manage the number of a good restaurant and I ordered the food. She made some tea and I sipped it, though I don’t like tea much. She said to make myself comfortable and excuse her since her husband needed her attention. I sat and wondered why is it that the woman had to yield almost all the time. Right from the days of Ramayan where Sita in the “Treta Yug” had to bear the negligence from her husband and Draupadi was about to be undressed in front of all other present in the court of Dritarashtra in the Dapar Yug. WHY is SHE being attacked over and over again in all the ages? SHE is not a property that can be used and thrown out. SHE is the one who becomes the carrier of a new life. It is she who gives the baby, then why……… It is quite a paradox that men do not have any consideration and uses her. I could not actually come to any conclusion……………… but only wished that it should end up. However how to take the lust out of man? WE do not have any answer. Is love and lust are the two sides of a same coin? I remembered the poem by the poet Sugato Gangopadhyay “ tomar thot aamar thot chulo jodio ei prothombar noi chumbon to ageo bohubar... eibar thothe mileche ashroi jemon shob bhoyer golpe doitto danob rakkosh r khoi tile tile shukhoi rajkumari ontomile rajputrer joy tobuo khub bhitore badhahin lorai chole shumbo nishumbher prothom bole, phool ti chire khabo ditio bole, hath pate shekh ashole tumi dirgho shalmoli shobar matha chariye torbor tomar thoth amar thoth chulo r ja kichu okinchitkor “ This is the true picture which is being practiced for ages and possibly will. However how can we stop this? Hunger of Roshni would not be subsided by logic; all she needed was money to run along and to buy the medicine for her husband. Why do only woman, who is there to be ripped apart to have their inhuman pleasure. Roshni cannot possibly come out of this situation, since she knows nothing that can give her a job and a descent way of leading her life. Can she be free from the shackle?