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“The Award for
Outstanding Entrepreneur goes to Ms. Rachna Singh!”
The beautiful lady
walked to the stage, exquisite in a starched cotton sari, her short curls
framing a face that exuded poise and confidence as she stood onstage, her palms
folded together in an endearing namaste. The applause was
thunderous as the audience gave her a standing ovation.
Rachna gazed at the
sea of faces. Her husband, Samar and his mother were right in front, eyes
aglow with pride as they clapped loudly. She could hardly take in the moment,
dreamlike as it seemed.
The head of the
Awards Committee held out the spectacular Award to her which she accepted with
both hands. He handed over an envelope to her as the Master of Ceremonies read
out her impressive biodata which brought a gasp to people’s lips.
As the applause died
away, Rachna looked at Samar, her heart in her eyes. He blew a kiss at her as he
sat down.
“Where do I begin?”
Her soft voice rippled across the packed auditorium. “I need to tell you the
story of a young girl.”
********
“Rachna, are you
ready? The boy and his family are already here. Hurry up, will you?”
Rachna winced at the
tone of authority even though she was used to it. Her parents had been
domineering all their lives. Her two older sisters had succumbed meekly,
leaving her no choice. She could not remember one occasion when they had all
sat down as a family, laughing or joking with one another. Life had been like a
police camp – all orders and no banter.
The only person their
father was afraid of was his wife. The woman who had sailed into his life like
a battleship and continued to behave like one ever after. Hence, the girls had
grown up, cowering in corners, trying not to rock the boat in any way.
Academically, they were all good, but no teacher remembered them after they
left school and college.
Rachna’s sisters had
got married to boys well vetted by their parents – boys from affluent
backgrounds. It was Rachna’s turn to tie the knot. Even though she was keen to study
further, she dared not voice her opinion because she knew that her request would
be turned down.
Samar and his mother
gazed curiously at the pretty young girl who sat next to her imposing mother,
her large eyes fearful as the conversation went on about her. Samar’s father
had passed away some years ago and it was his uncle and aunt who had come along
with them.
As Rachna sat,
shrouded in silence, Samar was puzzled. Why was she so hesitant to speak, and
why did she constantly look at her mother for approval? His heart went out to
her, and he knew that he would accept her as his spouse, mainly because he
wanted to see her beautiful but lack-lustre eyes light up. He sensed that there
was much beneath her veneer, much that she was hiding from the world. Rachna’s
mother made a remark and guffawed, and he saw the girl wince, eyes lowered.
The wedding was a
grand one with friends and family members participating in full gusto. The
ceremonies were conducted with precision. Each time Samar saw Rachna, his heart
rejoiced for she seemed to grow more beautiful. There was a glow about her and
when she looked at him, her eyes seemed to sparkle a tiny bit.
A week later, Rachna
was cutting vegetables in the kitchen when Kokila, her mother-in-law who was a doctor,
called out to her. She was at home because it was a public holiday. On other
days, she would go to her clinic and come back only in time for lunch.
“Yes, Ma?” Rachna
came rushing in as she was prone to do when her mother summoned her.
“Slow down, child!
There is no tearing hurry, you know?” Kokila smiled at her.
“Sorry, Ma, I was
cutting vegetables…!”
“I know. That’s what
I wanted to talk to you about. Cutting vegetables is very well. However, what
are you going to do with yourself?”
The girl looked at
her, startled. However, she had been trained not to speak unless required.
“Rachna, don’t you want
to go into the world and prove your mettle? I know that you were a good
student.” Rachna nodded, wondering where this was leading. The older lady
continued, “I want to you study further and land your dream job. Samar told me
that you were keen to do your MBA. So, that is what you will do.”
Rachna was
tongue-tied, but her eyes shone. A whole new world seemed to be beckoning. The
next moment, her face fell.
“Ma, how can I leave
home and go out? What about the household chores and the cooking. My mother
gave me strict instructions on everything before I left home.”
“Your mother may have
given you strict instructions, but now your home is here, with us. Samar is our
son. We know what is on his mind. He does not want you to be tied down at home.
You need to soar, my girl. You are more educated than many others… let’s put
that education to use.” She smiled at the younger girl.
The first day of her
MBA was an eye-opener to Rachna. There were so many young people, especially
girls, who had fire in their bellies. Some were married, others were on a
scholarship, still others were working part time to pay for their education. As
she slowly got into the demanding routine, she realized that it was like
climbing a mountain. Once she got the hang of it, she enjoyed herself as she
had never done before. Her inhibitions disappeared and she found herself
conversing with her mentors and her peers with ease.
Her parents were not
happy with the change they saw in their daughter. Gone was the meek little girl
whom they had married off! Rachna’s sisters were extremely proud of their
little sister who had had the courage to make something of herself.
Rachna’s mother came
over one day. She was talking to Kokila when Rachna walked in after a long day.
“Ma, so good to see
you!” she smiled, moving towards her to hug her.
Her mother gave her a
cursory hug, and then remarked, “Is this any time to come home, Rachna? Don’t
you have any housework to do?”
Rachna froze for a
moment and looked at Kokila. She had forgotten how caustic her mother could be.
Kokila smiled at her and held her hand out. Holding Rachna’s hand, she turned
to the other lady.
“Meenakshi, you have
given us a gem. Rachna is so talented and hard working. She has a few months to
go before she gets her MBA degree. After that, the sky is the limit. We are
extremely proud of her.”
Rachna’s eyes filled
with tears at the understanding words. She stood up and faced her mother.
“Ma, I am happy in
myself, in what I am doing. It is all thanks to Ma here and to Samar, who gave
me the right impetus to blossom.” Her mother’s face darkened, as she retorted, “All
very well! A girl’s first duty is to her home after marriage, and not to go
traipsing around after degrees. I don’t know what your father will say to all
this.”
Kokila was about to
jump to Rachna’s defence, when the girl put a gentle hand on her arm. Her eyes
had turned stormy and she knew that the time to speak had come.
“Ma, I have never
disobeyed you or Baba in any way. All my life, I meekly followed all that you said,
even getting married at a time when I would have preferred to study further.”
She looked at Kokila with a smile, her eyes aglow with love.
“I think that was the
best decision that you and Baba made for me in life. Today, I am no longer the
timid girl that I was when I left home. Samar and Ma took me in and treated me
like their own. I owe them so much and I thank you for having got me Samar in
my life.”
Her mother was
thunderstruck. Never had she heard Rachna speak in such forthright manner. Her
eyes snapped in anger as she looked at this new avatar of her daughter.
“I am not sure I like
the way you’re speaking to me, Rachna! How dare you…?”
Kokila cut in gently.
“Meenakshi, there is a time when our children grow beyond us. They have their
own decisions, and we need to respect them, don’t we?” She turned to Rachna. “Go
and freshen up, child. I have made your favorite samosas for you.”
Rachna smiled at her as she made her way to her room.
**********
Rachna stopped
speaking. Arms outstretched, she gazed at Samar and Kokila, as she said softly,
“Thank you for giving me the freedom to fly!”
1500 words
"This post is a part of Her Journey Blog Hop hosted by Sukaina Majeed and Manali Desai."
