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- Story Listed as: True Life For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Culture / Heritage / Lifestyles
- Published: 06/26/2015
The Nightmare
Born 1967, F, from Haryana, IndiaTHE NIGHTMARE
Dressed in beautiful red like any Indian bride would, Deepa walked quietly beside Rahul. All of a sudden in a span of just one night she felt herself to have grown up from that bubbly talkative young girl to a woman who will now have to shoulder a lot of responsibilities. Her mind was swirling in the uncertain as to what should be expected of her new home and new family. One way the mind worked was maybe they are good people and life will have all the love and belongingness Deepa had ever imagined. The other way the mind would wonder whether she would be able to adjust with them or will they be able to give the same kind of life style she was used to at home? And then the thoughts about Rahul came racing to her – they had been engaged for quite some months now before the wedding but there hadn't been a word between them. Was he so unconcerned towards her? Had he been forced to marry her? Did he like someone else and this was just a compromise wedding? Etc. etc. Among this flurry of questions came Rahul's voice softly – Are you ok? Can I help you in any way? No sooner had these soft words entered Deepa's ears, her mind stopped and she became aware that they had reached their destination – Rahul's house. Rahul held out his hand to help her out of the car but Deepa was too shy and conscious that she hesitated to take it. She confused about what was to follow next. She slowly and gracefully followed Rahul and stood by him at the doorstep waiting for the welcome ritual. There was a lot of hustle and bustle around with women over loaded with jewelry and dressed up in party wear but half awake (as it was the wee hours of the morning) flocking to the door and surrounding the groom and the bride. Small silly jokes began to be cracked to embarass Deepa even further. She was wondering about Rahul's reaction to the whole scene but would not dare to look up to face him.
Some internal fear gripped her when she heard the commanding voice of her mother-in-law.
“Don't move Rahul and all you children move aside. We have to perform the rituals to let the new bride in”, the mother-in-law (Rekha) commanded. Everyone stepped aside to give way to Rekha. After the application of vermillion on the foreheads of both Rahul and Deepa, Deepa was warned to step in with her right foot in first and that there should be no mistake in toppling the pot of rice with the right foot only. Then Deepa was made to stand in a plate full of red vermillion solution to mark her auspicios foot steps in red as an omen of prosperity entering the house. She was made to carefully walk through piles of grain and other sacred stuff on her way to the big hall where all the other relatives of Rahul's family waited.
As they were about to enter the room, Rekha yelled - “Hold! How can the bride enter the room bare faced! Cover her face with a veil.” Now this was too much to take, for Deepa! She had not imagined anything like this in the wildest of her imagination! Quickly her mind ran back home to realize that she had never ever seen anything like this there. She had seen marriages in her own family and brides welcomed into the house and family but nothing in this manner. Then as the couple sat after the rituals Rahul was allowed to eat, but as one of the women approached Deepa with food in her hands, Rekha quickly jumped to snatch the plate away. “What are you doing Preeti? Today is Amavasya and the new bride has to fast the whole day for her husband's long life!” “But Aunty Deepa must be hungry, she had fasted the whole day yesterday too as per your rituals!” protested Preeti.
Quiet but deeply agonized, bearing the hunger pangs that she just happened to be aware of, Deepa cursed her stars and wanted to desperately hold on to the food as now she was hungry and for the first time realised she had not eaten properly in the past 36 hours! The preparation and the rituals for the weding had left no time to fend for the calls of the belly.
But Deepa kept quiet and recoiled into her own self as any new bride would do in a new environment.
Immediately after that Rekha ordered her to change and freshen up as there were more guests expected. Again the poor tired and hungry Deepa followed instructions timidly and meekly, wondered why Rahul would not help her in such a situation. Rahul was nowhere to be seen, all she could hear in the conversations of the people around was that Rahul was busy entertaining friends and guests. The whole day past in this melly and later as evening came Nishant, her brother came to fetch her home for some hours as was the ritual. Upon sighting Nishant, Deepa was too happy and wanted to immediatelty jump over to hug him. She felt as if Nishant had come there as a saviour to save her starving belly and dizzy head. But again boomed Rekha's voice, ”girl what do you think you are doing? Are you going to visit your mom like this? Go change into something heavy and wear some more jewelry! And yes remember, you are fasting, so no eating food at home tonight”. A scared Deepa meekly nodded and slowly walked away. Nishant was too shocked and confused to react over the whole episode while Rahul stood a mute witness to everything and did not even bother to react or reason with Rekha. Meanwhile all other family members and guests pitied Deepa and criticised Rekha but in subtle undertones huddled into some corners as none had the guts to confront her. Finally Deepa emerged all loaded and decked up gaudily in jewelry and fineries which had been chosen by Rekha and supervised on Deepa by Preeti. She slowly touched Rekha's feet and stole a quick look at the expressionless face of Rahul. Then she retreated slowly into the car with Nishant.
Once home, mother greeted her with tears of joy and the sorrow of a parted daughter in her eyes. After exchange of pleasantries when mother brought Deepa's favourite dishes for her to eat, the hungry girl just let tears roll down her eyes and refused to touch food.When an astonished mom looked at her inquisitively she just lowered her eyes. She was dying to say “Mom I am famished, I can eat whatever you give me!” But the norm of decency and the fear that her parents would be saddened prevented her from saying anything. Finally Nishant spoke up and told the parents all that he had seen and how Deepa had been ordered not to eat. Then slowly Deepa's mom asked her to eat and nothing would be said to reveal the disobedience was the instruction to one and all around. Then the poor starving Deepa cried and cried narrating every incident and about the dictatorial attitude of Rekha. Though the first nightmare was over, it left Deepa's parents in deep worry as they knew this was just the tip of the iceberg and the worst was yet to befall their daughter and that they would have to be mute witnesses and there was no way they could do anything for her now.
The Nightmare(Dr Sunita Agrawal)
THE NIGHTMARE
Dressed in beautiful red like any Indian bride would, Deepa walked quietly beside Rahul. All of a sudden in a span of just one night she felt herself to have grown up from that bubbly talkative young girl to a woman who will now have to shoulder a lot of responsibilities. Her mind was swirling in the uncertain as to what should be expected of her new home and new family. One way the mind worked was maybe they are good people and life will have all the love and belongingness Deepa had ever imagined. The other way the mind would wonder whether she would be able to adjust with them or will they be able to give the same kind of life style she was used to at home? And then the thoughts about Rahul came racing to her – they had been engaged for quite some months now before the wedding but there hadn't been a word between them. Was he so unconcerned towards her? Had he been forced to marry her? Did he like someone else and this was just a compromise wedding? Etc. etc. Among this flurry of questions came Rahul's voice softly – Are you ok? Can I help you in any way? No sooner had these soft words entered Deepa's ears, her mind stopped and she became aware that they had reached their destination – Rahul's house. Rahul held out his hand to help her out of the car but Deepa was too shy and conscious that she hesitated to take it. She confused about what was to follow next. She slowly and gracefully followed Rahul and stood by him at the doorstep waiting for the welcome ritual. There was a lot of hustle and bustle around with women over loaded with jewelry and dressed up in party wear but half awake (as it was the wee hours of the morning) flocking to the door and surrounding the groom and the bride. Small silly jokes began to be cracked to embarass Deepa even further. She was wondering about Rahul's reaction to the whole scene but would not dare to look up to face him.
Some internal fear gripped her when she heard the commanding voice of her mother-in-law.
“Don't move Rahul and all you children move aside. We have to perform the rituals to let the new bride in”, the mother-in-law (Rekha) commanded. Everyone stepped aside to give way to Rekha. After the application of vermillion on the foreheads of both Rahul and Deepa, Deepa was warned to step in with her right foot in first and that there should be no mistake in toppling the pot of rice with the right foot only. Then Deepa was made to stand in a plate full of red vermillion solution to mark her auspicios foot steps in red as an omen of prosperity entering the house. She was made to carefully walk through piles of grain and other sacred stuff on her way to the big hall where all the other relatives of Rahul's family waited.
As they were about to enter the room, Rekha yelled - “Hold! How can the bride enter the room bare faced! Cover her face with a veil.” Now this was too much to take, for Deepa! She had not imagined anything like this in the wildest of her imagination! Quickly her mind ran back home to realize that she had never ever seen anything like this there. She had seen marriages in her own family and brides welcomed into the house and family but nothing in this manner. Then as the couple sat after the rituals Rahul was allowed to eat, but as one of the women approached Deepa with food in her hands, Rekha quickly jumped to snatch the plate away. “What are you doing Preeti? Today is Amavasya and the new bride has to fast the whole day for her husband's long life!” “But Aunty Deepa must be hungry, she had fasted the whole day yesterday too as per your rituals!” protested Preeti.
Quiet but deeply agonized, bearing the hunger pangs that she just happened to be aware of, Deepa cursed her stars and wanted to desperately hold on to the food as now she was hungry and for the first time realised she had not eaten properly in the past 36 hours! The preparation and the rituals for the weding had left no time to fend for the calls of the belly.
But Deepa kept quiet and recoiled into her own self as any new bride would do in a new environment.
Immediately after that Rekha ordered her to change and freshen up as there were more guests expected. Again the poor tired and hungry Deepa followed instructions timidly and meekly, wondered why Rahul would not help her in such a situation. Rahul was nowhere to be seen, all she could hear in the conversations of the people around was that Rahul was busy entertaining friends and guests. The whole day past in this melly and later as evening came Nishant, her brother came to fetch her home for some hours as was the ritual. Upon sighting Nishant, Deepa was too happy and wanted to immediatelty jump over to hug him. She felt as if Nishant had come there as a saviour to save her starving belly and dizzy head. But again boomed Rekha's voice, ”girl what do you think you are doing? Are you going to visit your mom like this? Go change into something heavy and wear some more jewelry! And yes remember, you are fasting, so no eating food at home tonight”. A scared Deepa meekly nodded and slowly walked away. Nishant was too shocked and confused to react over the whole episode while Rahul stood a mute witness to everything and did not even bother to react or reason with Rekha. Meanwhile all other family members and guests pitied Deepa and criticised Rekha but in subtle undertones huddled into some corners as none had the guts to confront her. Finally Deepa emerged all loaded and decked up gaudily in jewelry and fineries which had been chosen by Rekha and supervised on Deepa by Preeti. She slowly touched Rekha's feet and stole a quick look at the expressionless face of Rahul. Then she retreated slowly into the car with Nishant.
Once home, mother greeted her with tears of joy and the sorrow of a parted daughter in her eyes. After exchange of pleasantries when mother brought Deepa's favourite dishes for her to eat, the hungry girl just let tears roll down her eyes and refused to touch food.When an astonished mom looked at her inquisitively she just lowered her eyes. She was dying to say “Mom I am famished, I can eat whatever you give me!” But the norm of decency and the fear that her parents would be saddened prevented her from saying anything. Finally Nishant spoke up and told the parents all that he had seen and how Deepa had been ordered not to eat. Then slowly Deepa's mom asked her to eat and nothing would be said to reveal the disobedience was the instruction to one and all around. Then the poor starving Deepa cried and cried narrating every incident and about the dictatorial attitude of Rekha. Though the first nightmare was over, it left Deepa's parents in deep worry as they knew this was just the tip of the iceberg and the worst was yet to befall their daughter and that they would have to be mute witnesses and there was no way they could do anything for her now.
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