She wriggled out of her mother’s womb and entered this world with a ear piercing cry. They rejoiced her birth- crying is a healthy sign for a new born, they said
She was a toddler now and she cried for more milk, more sleep. Ah babies cry for everything, don’t take it seriously they said.
It was her first day at school and she wailed, pangs of separation were making her sad. You have to study and become a big person like Papa. Be strong, you are a big girl now, they said
The boy hit her in the playground, she was but 8. She was too stunned to retaliate. Tears brimmed her eyes. That’s how boys are. Learn to move on and be careful next time, they consoled her.
She got her first period, the shame was more than the pain. The whispers and name calling by her classmates stung her. She was ashamed of being a girl. She shed tears of helplessness. A girl’s life is like that, these few days of impurity are always tricky, they sighed.
She was 15 and her skirt was pulled by some hooligans. Her eyes were filled with tears of rage. I will complain to the police, her voice quivered, but was held back by her family. Papa will drop you to school from tomorrow, good girls don’t get into such a mess, they said.
As a 21 year old who had dreams to work and get a taste of the real world, she was asked to “settle down”. Tie the knot, as a daughter don’t you owe this much to your parents? Let them be relieved of their responsibilities. Am I a liability?” she shed silent tears as they rejoiced the new match.
It was their first night, her dreams were brutally shattered as he forced himself on her. There is no such thing as consent between a husband and wife, do I go to other women then to satiate my desires- he asked. She lay down closing her eyes as a tear trickled down.
She cried – tears of joy when she saw her little one for the first time. You shall not lead a life like mine, she whispered. Her family cried outside for it was a girl and abuses were hurled at her for not producing a male heir.
She was a middle aged woman now, a mother of 2. Toiling from dawn to dusk, cooking, cleaning, attending to the needs of her husband, kids and in laws took a toll on her health. Her dreams were quashed somewhere in fulfilling those of others. She cried in the silence of the night for a life she dreamt of but could only live in her thoughts.
Mum please stay out of this, it’s none of your business- the words of her son were like a dagger piercing her heart. She retreated to her room, looked at the picture of him as a baby by her side and the years of sacrificing her dreams at the alter flashed before her. She cried like a baby that day. Tears for a life that she could never live.
She saw her daughter crying today, being forced to marry a guy chosen by her family. I want to study, I have dreams she pleaded. What dreams? A girl’s dreams should be confined to the kitchen and her husband they barked. Something snapped inside her.
A fleeting image of her daughter being married forcefully and living the same drudgery day after day, stifling her dreams and dying one day.
No this will not happen, I will fulfill my promise. She will live a life on her own terms. She will not die with remorse of a life not lived.
Today there were no tears in her eyes, she stood there blazing eyes and strong resolve as she reclaimed her life and that of her daughter.
The day she stopped crying is the day she started living.
I am taking my blog to the next level wit #MyFriendAlexa. My Global Rank as of 13Sep is 12,09,428 and India Rank is 76,517.
(Image courtesy: relationshipcircle)
Loved this line – The day she stopped crying is the day she started living!!!
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Thanks Sadhuvi! Isn’t that true about life?
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Yes it is true!!
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Lovely!
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Thanks Kanika!
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I am having goosebumps reading this.i love all your articles always. They are thought provoking. But this one beats all for me. Subtle words, high on emotion quotient and impactful.
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Thanks so much for the generous praise my dear friend
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This reminds of the movie Parched starring Radhika Apte, especially the son – mother relationship/
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Haven’t watched the movie – it’s on my list though!
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Such impactful words…yes you need to stop those tears to see the world properly and let the world know what your eyes behold other than tears….
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Very true
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this is by far the best blog I’ve read here. Somewhere I saw myself as if someone wrote down the moments of my weakness when I cried… the moments when you don’t even know if you have an option and you can choose not to do something. I loved this. Sending you my best wishes. Sharing this on my personal wall was well … more power to your pen!
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That’s overwhelming thanks so much for the blog love. As you mentioned sometimes we don’t even have choice
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This is such a powerful piece. The flow, facts and how life circles back. Quite poignant 🙂
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Thanks for the kind words Ashu
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It’s so true, very simply put, but extremely powerful
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Thx Sonia! The irony of life
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Strong, impactful, elegant and so lovely. so many emotions went through my head as I read this beautiful poem.
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Thanks for the kind words!
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We should stop living only for others and regret later. Women should stop killing their dreams. A nice attempt. Glad she changed the world for her daughter
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Thanks Upasana. It’s time to be selfish
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Beautifully penned Akshata! Loved the portrayal and the message that its time to be strong and support each other.
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Thanks Neha! That’s indeed the message I wanted to convey
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Such a powerful story and powerful message!
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Thx Mahak!
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What a nice and fact-full post. Thank you for sharing this thought. A great read.
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Thx for the motivating words Shamik!
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What an impactful post this is.
Powerful writing indeed.
Love
P.
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Thx Dr Pooja!
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Such a touching post, Brought me to tears. I wish no one has to go through this pain.
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Yea hope so too but we need to stand up to make that happen
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scary n harsh truth for so many!
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Indeed!
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Nice one.
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Thx!
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You have hitted it. Well written.
My wishes to you.😊
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Thx for the kind word!
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beautifully written , a woman hides so much behind her tears ……lets stop crying and start living
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Perfectly said Monica! Can’t agree more
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😢😢This is just so amazing. I don’t even have words. And I’m supposed to never be short of words. Following you for more of this stuff.
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Thanks so much! This is like the highest level of motivation to do my best!
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Wish to write something like this for boys. I don’t think I’ll manage to reach the standard you have set.
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Come on! You should write one and do tag me
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Sure!
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Very profound. A true story of many middle class family women. As always you have penned it beautifully.
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Thx so much Dee for the lovely words of encouragement
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The day she stopped crying is the day she started living. How lovely!
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Thanks Gayatri!
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The note with which you ended the story is good. Happy to see mom standing up for daughter. I know what you shared here is truth for many women in India.
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Thanks Hena though most stories may sadly not end on this note I hope things change!
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Loved this one. I also liked the title! )
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Thx Zee!
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Akshata, it was a wonderful read. Inspiring and so relatable. I loved how you weaved the story right from her birth and came full circle with her own daughter. How do you do it?
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Thx so much dear Brinda! Having great friends like you who encourage me makes it easier 😍
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Such an inspiring write up akshata! Its a suffering most of the females go through!
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Indeed and I do hope it stops one day
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At last, a mother stood up for her daughter.Mothers have this hidden bundle of courage. All is well that ends well. Inspiring post! 🙂
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Thx Disha yes when it comes to their offspring mothers become resilient
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It’s the bad scenario for most girls here. Loved the last lines very much. It was full of power. happy to connect with you for #MyFriendAlexa !!!!
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Thx Vasantha its always great connecting with you!
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A sad but motivating story. Powerful choice of words Reading this made me think a lot .
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Thx so much Doc. Yes this should make all of us think as women and mothers
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Akshata, you have brilliantly narrated the pain a woman goes through and emerging of a fighter at the end through some wonderful storytelling. I hope being a woman in our country gets easier by the day.
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This is a story of lots of women in our country. This needs to change and change for good. The more we speak about it the more awareness happens. Thanks for writing this.
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Thanks Anindya I do hope it changes for the better
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Empathetic tale with a touch of sensitivity and profound thought indeed. Storytelling at its best!
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Thanks so much for the generous words Ramya!
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Simply loved reading this…gave me goosebumps… and I was reminded of how my mom stood by me against society when I wanted to first finish my engineering and work a bit before getting married…. Loved your blog and so glad to have come across it .. bookmarking it for many more reads
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Thx so much for the kind words! I always mothers have a lot of resilience when it comes to their kids though sadly they ignore it when it comes to themselves
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Loved reading this story. Beautifully narrated with simple words. you have a got of gift narration and story telling .. Hope to stay connected and read more of your stories.
Neha (Sharing our experiences)
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Thanks I look forward to it Neha!
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Loved the title. I think this might be your best work till date. Excellencio Totalus
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Thx so much for the kind words
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