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A CAGED BIRD – THE PLIGHT OF A YOUNG EDUCATED BRIDE

A CAGED BIRD – THE PLIGHT OF A YOUNG EDUCATED BRIDE

 

TAG : DICRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN THE WORLD OVER

 

She was meeting Dhanya after a lapse of three months. Dhanya was coming all the way from Bangalore with her husband to the college to appear for her viva. Snigdha’s viva was already over and luckily got herself employed in a government firm not far away from college. Before proceeding to Kerala, Dhanya had informed her about her coming to the college to appear for viva and on hearing the news of Dhanya’s arrival, she was deeply delighted. From the very day they got separated, both were badly missing each other.

 

Dhanya was very cute and pretty, calm and quiet and the girl always tried to keep aloof from other girls of the hostel and college. While in the hostel Dhanya always preferred to be alone in her room reading something or scribbling something or pondering over something about which only Dhanya herself was quite aware of.

 

Why Dhanya couldn’t consider Snigdha quite unfriendly, unlike others, was a puzzle, still a puzzle, about which Dhanya herself was at a loss to find out.

 

During leisure times, she would make it a point to visit Dhanya whiling away time alone in her room, would find Dhanya immersed in her thoughts, looking pensive.

 

“Hai Dhanya, how are you?â€- she would go near her and pat her on her back. Dhanya, forgetting all the unnecessary thoughts, would give her a beaming smile and would point towards a chair and would request her to be seated.

“What about study and all�- Snigdha would inquire her with a charming smile.

“Going on Snigdhaâ€- Dhanya would return her  smile.

Dhanya would sit in a padmasana (sitting in a cross-legged position) position on her bed.

“And what about you�- Dhanya never forgot to grill her with a glint of mischief and curiosity in her eyes.

 

Spending time with Dhanya was a pleasure to her. On those occasions Dhanya would bare her thoughts to her, her unnecessary fears about her health, whether she was suffering from any kind of diseases which she dreaded, such unnecessary thoughts haunting her. Whenever Dhanya began to narrate her imaginary fears about her health, Snigdha would get angry and would admonish her.

 

“For heaven’s sake, Dhanya you are absolutely fit. This is a kind of hypochondriasis and nothing else. Whenever you happen to read about a disease, in a newspaper or a periodical, you get scared and worry whether you are also a victim to that disease. Dhanya, please try to mingle with everybody and make friends with them and don’t keep moody and aloof always in your cocoon. Mind you, if you go on harping on such and such diseases, I will stop coming to you.â€- she would warn her with a smiling face.

 

She always wanted to see Dhanya in a happy mood and hence force her out of the room, walk down the path just in front of the college and in the mean time, she would inquire about Dhanya’s childhood days. On both sides of the path there were flower trees bearing various kinds of innumerable flowers giving the ambience a romantic look. Dhanya told her about her childhood days, separated from the parents in her early days and her study in a Navodaya School for years, a brief period with parents and younger brother, again returning to the hostel and later during higher studies also spending days away from parents, and it was quite natural that she felt a distance from her parents, a kind of suppressed anger towards them for not showering love and affection when she badly needed. Keeping away from even the class-mates and room-mates led her to live in a make-believe world of unnecessary fears about health and such other things.

 

On almost all days, she would persuade Dhanya to give her a company to her to the temple, just outside the campus premises and soon Dhanya also found very much delighted in going to the temple to have Darshan (glimpse) even in the absence of her friend.

 

As promised over phone, both of them met in the town, they locked in a warm hug oblivious of the happenings around them.

 

With tears welling-up in their eyes, they moved along without uttering anything for a few minutes.

 

She wiped out her tears.

 

“You look smarter and healthier Dhanya. What is the secret behind it�- with disarming smile Snigdha looked askance.

Dhanya felt a bit shy.

 

“Nowadays I am not eating for myself only. A guest is…â€

 

Dhanya burst out laughing. She couldn’t complete her words.

Snigdha was somewhat taken aback.

 

“Pretty soon! Really wonderful and my whole-hearted congratulationsâ€- Snigdha couldn’t believe it first. Dhanya was still shy.

 

“I am not going to spare you today. I need a sumptuous lunch, that also at…â€

 

On hearing her Dhanya couldn’t control her laughter.

 

“But Snigdha, I have not told one thing even to my parents. But now I am going to lay bare my sorrow and unhappiness to you. Because you know me best more than anybody. From the very outset , I was the top in all classes. Here also the things will not be different. I am sure. But to no avail. Almost one month after marriage and merry go-round in Garden city, yes the so-called honeymoon, he and his parents have begun to appear before me in their true colours. They don’t want me to be employed in any institution. They have no qualms in breaking the assurance they had given before fixing the marriage. They have found me a suitable place in the kitchen. Prepare rice, chappathis and curries about which I didn’t have much idea. Letters from my parents are censored before handing it over to me. Mother-in-law demands more gold and money. She even does not like me talking to my husband and he has not the guts to cross the line drawn by her. No outings. No purchases. But the life must go on.â€

“Who is to blame for all these?â€- Dhanya was asking.

 

“Yourselfâ€- Snigdha didn’t take a split-second to respond. She was shivering with rage.