"Daughter oh daughter make others happy".

Sakhi,  today I am telling you the story of a daughter.

The daughter that I am going to talk about to you, is  one with very unfortunate fate. She had all the happiness and love and care in the family. A small girl then kept very cheerful. Life was moving ahead smoothly. She could complete her education up to graduation. And was appropriately married off to a city boy.

A mother of two children, she could see that a lot of wrong things had been set in motion by her own people. It all started when she was just 10 years of age. Though her father's deeds looked very harsh and objectionable, overall life was not disturbed. She basked in childhood innocence like other girls of her age. Her father  was a mute dictator. Manipulative and selfish. No one could question him. Mother could barely prevent him from giving away the daughter. She was given in adoption against her mother’s wish. The unshakable  trust that a daughter can have in her father hid all the seriousness about the incident.

Father told mother that life sometimes created  unimaginable circumstances and that the current decision would not bring misfortune to their daughter.

 See the progressiveness of the backward mind. Daughters are rarely adopted anywhere in India. But the father showed interest and a lonely landlady was convinced and ultimately lawfully adoption procedures were completed too. The girl stayed with her original parents. Occasionally she was taken to the adopted mother. Fortunately or unfortunately the adopted mother died soon. Daughter completed  18 years of age and became the sole authority over her land. Her father and brother had somehow landed in grate financial losses and this girl was made to sell off her fields one by one to pay for the debt. Marrige to Brahmin girl is not easy because of high expectations of educated grooms. The girl got married and the in-laws were told that the girl inherited huge agricultural land since she was given in adoption. The in-laws who had pinned their hopes on the daughter-in-law’s property  started giving her harsh treatment once they realised that her property was not for their benefits. Somehow the husband did not desert her but also did not take measures to prevent his parents from harassing her. “It happens to all the girls in India. You are making a mountain of a mole. After marriage one has to adjust to people. They are my parents what can I tell them? You ignore their attitude and stay happy. Happiness stems from one’s outlook. You must change yourself.”He told her.

The father continued to enjoy the same respect and affection from the daughter. She turned to him when the in_laws tortured. And what option even she had? The In_laws were ready to throw her out. Her husbad was a meak, selfish onlooker. She did not want the status of an abandoned wife. With no means to fend for herself she questioned her father once,“tell me why are you selling my land? You only wished that I remain happy in life. How can I be happy when you are exploiting me? You can not force me to sell land. Do you realise father you have sold most of my land to pay for your son's daughters' marraiges.”She told her father. She was a little less firm. Conditioned to obey the father. She could have very well refused to sign the sales deal. She was too weak. She did not want to hurt father. Since he was her moral support as nothing was good in her in_laws house. They found fault with everything that she did. Husband brought her the “married woman” status. So he was the most important person in her life.

Father told her “Be happy. Leave everything to God. Your nices are always there to help you in your house hold core. They are much younger  than you.You call them and atleast one of them will be at your service. You have obliged them.They are happy because of you.If I ask you to sign the papers you should sign. I have my blessings to you. My love will make you rich. Life shows high and low tide bla bla bla….” What could the daughter say? Now a mother of two grown up highly educated children she is unable to forget the agony. They earn fat salaries and are settled abroad.

Parents are dead by now. Duties have to be fulfilled in life. She takes care of the in-laws who often looked down up on her. Husband’s siblings refuse to look after the parents. The father-in –law is very old now and is not keeping any hygiene. He sometimes passes excreta in the clothes itself and soaks the same dhoti in a bucket where in  other family member’s clothes are soaked.She struggles to prevent this. He does not want to be humiliated by keeping his clothes separate. He  does not want to give her a chance to avoid washing his clothes. She must serve him till death. She gets wild. Gets fits of anger. Daughter has untold miseries. She has rose to the position of a mother_ in_ law. Is trying to be on good terms with daughters in_law. She has  developed an eccentric and wild temperament over the past several years. Nothing will change now.
 According to her only death can bring some peace. 

Janmasjtami celebrations.

Sakhi I found few very interesting photos of kruhna janmashtami celebrated all over the world.They look very interesting and lovely.

Forget not to respond.

Lata Mangeshkar and Ramnath Kovind meet

Just yesterday I found on Facebook that The President of India Shree Ram Nath Kovind went to meet the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar at her residence. Lata Mangeshkar herself wrote this.Today morning all the newspapers followed suite.  It was a just a friendly gesture and the President along with his wife met Lata Tai  and enquired about her health.  And the occasion was simply a graceful bonhomie between the two dignitaries. It felt nice to see their photo.

It was no doubt a happy occasion and signalled at a special type of social interaction that we urbanites  have forgotten long ago. In cities it is not much appreciated if people go to meet someone just for the meetings’ sake. No one likes to meet any one now a days. Why blame Facebook and whats up. Much boils down to attitudes.

This news is about dignitaries. There must be  some protocol in existence when two important people meet. That cannot be violated. Dignitaries do not meet without reason. Yet our President went to meet Lata Mangeshkar and enquired about her wellbeing. This was truly  surprising, welcome gesture  and a happy occasion.It means known people can meet without particular occasion.

I always have found myself silently admiring the family of Lata Mangeshkar for the lovely familial bond. All the sisters and the only brother have followed the legacy of love towards one another.. Mangeshkar family is not just important because of their contribution to Indian music; they symbolise  a strong bond of love between brothers and sisters. They always are seen together.  During highs and lows of life brother and all the sisters stood firmly together. After the death of their father, as we all know Lata Mangeshkar did everything she could for the family making the task easier for her mother Mai Mangeshkar. On facebook it is a matter of grate interest to see the photos of Mangeshkar sisters and brother.   

The recipient of the much prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award for her music,  Lata Mangeshkar was bestowed with the honour “ Bharat Ratna” for her unforgettable contribution to the Indian music. I wonder sometimes if aliens would come in search of earth if they listen to her music in space. Excellent idea to send her music in space to attract extratrestrials. May be scientists  have already accomplished the task. Why not record her one more beautiful and send it on Mars?

Driving home the point is that the message of  sibling love, that this family has been silently spreading can not be ignored. We are drifting away from originality. Henceforth Father’s Day , Mother’s Day, Friendship Day are born the market is flooded with artificial ideas.We feel greeting one another yearly through whtsup is the ideal way.  

Raksha bandhan was just celebrated with grate fervour and pomp. The festival that symbolises the solid bond of love between brother and sister looks hollow and unreal. There are Rakhis in the market but  there is no love at home among brothers and sisters. Sisters are bent upon spoiling the happiness of one another. Brothers are no longer interested in sisterly love. To them sister is a liability. The brother who learnt to walk holding his sisters frock is ashamed of her. No occasion is left to show her down. Parents are there to make decisions marked with acute partiality. This venom has extinguished brother sister feeling. Why not do something to foster sibling love?

Why not create an award in the name of Lata Mangeshkar family for brothers and sisters in the form of  some incentives? Oh no. Let us not create another channel for corrupt tendencies. Just can’t see any bright idea. Everything looks so blank and point less. Probably conscious efforts through Fb(since it is dearer than relations ) may gear up the movement. Locating many such siblings like Mangeshkars and honouring them may spark the beginning of a new era. Can agony aunts be requested to stop accepting sibling rivalry as normal behaviour? May be something bright can come up then.

Jai hind!