WHEN UMBILICAL CORD TIES THE KNOT

“God can’t be present everywhere, so He made mother”, this quote rightly signifies the importance of mother in one’s life and the one who doesn’t have her, can truly understand the real value of a mother. Today, I am going to share a story of me with my mother which has left a deep mark in my heart. I am thankful to SGSH publication for giving me a platform to share my story through which I can honour my mother. It’s the time of 2021 when I was around 20 years old. I was a NEET aspirant and was doing self study at my home only. Everything was going smooth until Diwali arrived. I asked my father to decorate our house with lights, but he rejected my plea straight on my face. My father is a very ego centric and self obsessed kind of person who only thinks that his opinion is right and never consider others sentiments. For this I have been suffering since childhood because he always keeps the girls around him in very much restriction about clothing, outing, speaking and everything. May be many Indian girls like me have to face this patriarchal dominance in their home. So now I don’t feel hesitate to share this openly because ultimately I strongly feel “those who becomes submissive will be suppressed more”. So, coming back to the story, when he rejected my wish to decorate our house, it didn’t bother him at all and he went on to do something else. That’s why I called one of the lightmen who are professionals in decorating. Next day, it was diwali morning. I was alone in the house because maa and papa went to attend their regular yoga session. I heard the calling bell ringing. I went outside to see and there was that lightman who came with all the essential stuffs. He told me that he got some more new bookings, so he came here early to finish it off. I let him inside and he was just about to start when I heard the horn of our car. It was my father. I got shocked to see him because I didn’t tell him that I had booked a person for this. But what happened after this was even more shocking. He thrashed the gate and walked straight in. He came near us and slapped the lightman. He froze there. We couldn’t process what was happening. But my father didn’t stop at one go, he kept slapping the lightman untill his spectacles splattered into the floor. I was feeling helpless but still I had to do something. So I went to stop him. But he pushed me away saying that we were having fun behind his back. He blamed me that I had called my boyfriend in the empty house and was doing everything I desire. He also thanked God that he felt a bit sick and decided to come back home mid way else he could not get to see what was going on. Before I could explain anything, he brought a bamboo stick to beat him further. The ground was removed beneath my feet and unable to think anything, I just said “May no one gets a father like you!’ Then he did what hardly any father would do. He kicked me on my chest, and punched me on my forehead so hard that blood started flowing then and there. Yes you heard it right! In a country where daughters are considered Lakshmi, he did that to me. I still have the photos and videos of my injury which I recorded at that time. Then I understood that it’s not in my hands anymore to stop him, so I called my mother and asked her to return home immediately. She ran and came back within a few minutes as the yoga camp was not very far away from our house. She got statued seeing my face smeared with blood. Also she couldn’t recognise the guy behind me. Then I described her the entire story right from how I booked him to what my father had done to both of us. He even showed the rice lights in his bag and the card of his store to make them believe about why he really came for. My mother devastated in tears and asked my father, “Have you seen what you have done? You do with family members but that was not enough? Now you raised your hands on an outsider too? Also look at her, what you have done to her face.” My mother turned towards the lightman and with folded hands apologized. She said, “I know what happened here is unforgivable and I don’t have any right to ask for your forgiveness but I just want to say I am sorry, we are sorry on his behalf.” Then she paid him and let him go. After that I told my mother that I can’t share the same roof with him anymore. He attacked on my dignity. He kicked me and how am I supposed to see his face everyday after this. I told her that I need to shift to Guwahati (I am from Assam). I will settle there, I was doing self study, I will continue my studies from there only and will join a test series too. I can’t make anyone believe that how much my mother has got opposition for this by my father, by my other relatives. My father directly blamed her that I got slipped out of their hands because of the freedom my mother gave me. He told my mother not to send me outside else I will lose my character and will roam around with boys only day and night. He started arguing with my mother every now and then and our house became a fish market where only shouting and chaos existed.But I was adamant to leave the house because his presence near me started to suffocate me from inside. And my mother noticed my pain. So she never left my side. Relatives used to call her and taunt about my upbringing, she used to cry in corner but never thought to give up on me. She had immense faith in me that her teachings and morals which she have put in me will never go wrong. She is a working woman, professor of Education. So financially, she never had to seek support from anyone. There were nights when we couldn’t even sleep but after a lot of fights, she decided to take me to Guwahati at her own risk. She never travelled out of the town alone but for me, she did it for the first time. A women can fight with whole world but fighting with her own husband takes a lot of mental toll. Still she took me to the PG where I would be staying. She settled my room and at the time of leaving, we hugged each other and cried a lot. But that day, she once again gave birth to me. She gifted me the second life where I could breath freely, where I wouldn’t be reminded everyday that I am a girl and I have restrictions, where I will not be punished for the basic wishes a human being can have. Without her, I would have to rot in that invisible prison only where the coat of hypocrisy masked the true colours of existence. Many days passed like this and I never went back home. I used to talk to maa over phone everyday. But one day he called me. Yes it was my father. I talked to him for the first time that day after I left. He said, “your mother is very sick. She is suffering from fever for many days but from last night, the temperature has risen too much. If possible come here.” As soon as I heard this, I couldn’t think of anything and rushed to board the bus. I reached home and entered her room. She was lying on her bed. She was burning from inside due to high temperature of fever but still seeing me, her first words were, “You have come safely no? Have you got any problem on the way? And have you eaten anything?” I was speechless at that moment. A person who was suffering to that extent where she couldn’t even open her eyes fully, was still thinking about me and my well being. In that situation also, her concern was my safety and whether I have eaten anything or not. How can a person be that much selfless. That day I got to know what ‘mamta’ truly is. Only a mother can reach that level of selflessness. A mother throughout her life keep taking bullets just to protect her child from the dangers. She then with proper medicine and better treatment got recovered very quickly because why not? After all she is a superhero. Every mother of our society is a superhero in herself. Infact I would say that mothers of animals are no less that superheroes as well. If we observe our nature carefully, we will see many instances where may be a bird is collecting food throughout the day just to return to her nest in the evening and feed her babies. I feel glad to share the story of my mother’s bravery because she deserves to be heard. This is an incident of my life which will stay with me forever and trust me, there was no exaggeration at all. My heart cries to say that this is not a new thing, many girls like us face such kind of problems which make us wish atleast once in our life that if we could be a boy. That’s why I mustered the courage and raised my voice to bring light into this even if though it’s my family matter. Lastly, I would like to say that everything happens for a reason. It’s rightly said that ‘every dark cloud has a silver lining’, and life has taught me to fight untill that silver lining gets brightened. So I have found the positive side in this too. If this wouldn’t have happened, I would not get to know about the fighting spirit and resilience power of my mother and how she can go against the world for me. This episode of my life has skyrocketed my respect for her. And also the way she enquired about me, even after being extremely sick, taught me about love and compassion. Every event in my life regarding her has taught me to become a better human being. Winning and losing matters but more than that, I hope I could convey my feelings to the readers through my story.