The Tilted Axis Of Life
A common Indian woman generally has an axis to revolve around. That axis can be anything or anyone under the cover of ‘love’. From love for the family, parents, children, siblings to ” What will people say!”. A few lucky ones get to choose their own axis while some get a ‘hitching post’ in the garb of axis. They stay there forever without any option to break free. All they look for is a chance to wallow in the glory of their little moments of independence which might mean to tilt their axis of life.
Her axis is a hitching post….
This is about a woman who works as our house help. A mother of two, in her late twenties. After working in five houses on a regular basis, she works in a few homes temporarily to add a little extra in her kitty. In the evenings she goes back home running to avoid being welcomed by a drunk husband with a stick in hand to beat her up.
Her husband is an alcoholic. He doesn’t work but for the times when he gets short of money to buy his daily quota of alcohol. From household expenses to children’s education, everything is the lady’s responsibility.
“What is the need to educate children….Am I not living happily without any education?” says the wise man.
She never cribs about the kind of life she leads but on some days, she is all smiles and relaxed. That happens only when her husband goes out of station ‘to earn money’. When her husband stays at home, she chews ‘Gutkha’ which according to her ‘helps in doing extra work and forget her pain’.
Her mobile phone is her constant companion but no ‘Sir’ or ‘Bhaiya’ can call her. A male voice would mean a thrashing for her with a stamp of being a woman of ‘loose character’.
She tilted her axis…..
“Is your husband not here these days?” I asked her hearing her sing while cooking.
She smiled with a glint in her eyes, “No, he has gone down south to earn money.”
“Where?”
“How do I know? For the last one month he is off radar.”
“You mean to say, you don’t know his whereabouts?”
“No.”
“And you didn’t even try to find out?”
“Huh! Why should I? He has not given me his contact number. If I ask from his friends, he will beat me up.”
“Still, he is father to your kids!” I was getting rest less at her comfort level now.
“He called me last night from some one’s phone asking for two thousand rupees.”
“Why? Is he not earning there?”
“It is raining there so no work and no money.”
“Oh! He must be hungry…”
“Let him be. You know what! He is in trouble not because of food but liquor. That is why he called me. He is repenting not being with the family. I know that it is just because he doesn’t have anyone to hit and steal away all money from. You think, I don’t have money? I save it in the bank for children. I have not told him about it.” She almost whispered the last sentence.
“So now what?” I asked.
“Nothing! Let him be there. Why should I get him back. Let him suffer there. At least that much revenge I deserve for all the suffering I have been through.”
“If he is so abusive, why don’t you leave him?” I hesitatingly asked.
“Leave him! Why? I have spent every penny I have earned on this family. The land belongs to his family but I have constructed house for my children. Why should I leave comfort of a house for a loser like him? It is good for us if he stays away longer.”
Woman and Earth…
Woman, you are like earth. The only difference being earth has a naturally tilted axis giving her relief from scorching sun, while women need to create that tilt for their hitching posts. May be because she knows how to create her comforting seasons herself.