Sunday 24 April 2016

"U"gly Race to give birth to a Male Child

I have long concealed this heart wrenching tale for years umpteen buried in the darkest corner of my heart...as I was pained to even think about it but it's high time it is brought in front of the world and is questioned for it's sanctity...

My aunt and Mira Maasi were best of friends and neighbours and thus Mira Maasi's kids Vivek and Veera were our very close summer vacations pals as we mostly used to be at our aunt's place during our summer break...

Me and my brother often built sand castles in the large heaps of sand outside Mira Maasi's house and ran inside to get to drink Rasna whenever we felt very hot..Both Mira Maasi and her husband were well educated as well as very loving who never reprimanded us during our long hours of play in and around their house.Vivek and Veera were absolutely adorable too...While Vivek was a genius who excelled in everything related to studies and mind games, Meera was more into music...I connected with Vivek more probably as he was my age and an extrovert like me😊

...Considering his intellect, he was surely to make something big in life as was evident from the number of medals he was amassed at such a young age..He was surely the apple of his parents eyes and loved by everyone  alike...

In the coming year, as we were back and started school, aunt shared with mom that Vivek has contracted Polio...I  asked my mom what was it and she explained to me what could have been told to a 8-9 year old...I really felt pained for my friend...

I could earnestly understand it only next year when I met Vivek in next summer break...He was in a wheel chair but his spirits were not dampened.. Physically he looks weaker but his brain was as sharp as it always was... We played like before helping Vivek only when he needed!

In the coming years I saw my friend , his pride , his confidence shattering gradually and that was because his parents who were year on year trying to give birth to another boy who could take care of them in old age and in turn gave birth to 3 more daughters... This crippled mental block of the parents ,they didn't realize, made Vivek feel so helpless and useless for them... His parents took care of him and even got him all the treatment done but what what they forgot was to love him and motivate him....He stopped studying, his grades fell and after tenth, I heard his parents opened a shop for him! 

This was the last thing I could have imagined for a brilliant champ like Vivek... The last time I met my once extrovert and always giggling friend, he didn't even lift his  head properly and uttered a silent hello ! I was heart-broken...I don't know what went thru' the brains of his educated parents or was it societal advice... Why did they not show confidence in their son and went in for an ugly race to bear a male child...in my eyes it was the viral infection which stripped Vivek of his ability to walk but it was his parents' behavior that stripped him of the zeal to fulfill his dreams and live life.....His parents did have a male child, but here came the second premise, that he must be free of any physical disability!I have always believed that parenting is a beautiful journey but than their are such parents that baffle my faith....

Even till today, after so much of education has seeped in our roots and when daughters are actually taking more care of their old parents than sons, I see that couples still want a son, it's for their feel good factor I believe because otherwise I don't see any reason for this ugly race to have a male child continue.......




Author's Note: This Post is a part of #AtoZChallenge 2016 under my theme #FaceofChange

You may also like to read the earlier True Tales of Indian Women in this series, some heart wrenching while some truly inspirational but each giving a genuine lesson...

"A"trocities in The Disguise of Tradition : The Shut Doors

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