Women-Empowerment (A Short Story)

Her spectacle ridden red eyes were trying to run away from the crowd as soon as possible. Every person was looking so alien, so dreadful.  Her heart was pounding so fast, it felt it could come out anytime. She closed her eyes; took a long-breath; chanted a prayer, perhaps to stabilize her trembling soul. But it was of no use. In the high decibel of the noise she had already lost her ability to hear her own words. Somewhere at some meters away she found a corner.  She moved towards the corner with her shuddering legs but alas! Her blurring eyes were proving too difficult to keep open. She fell down and in a few hours she was laying against white bed-sheet in the government hospital.

She didn’t know who took her there.  She moved her eyes everywhere to search some known faces. But there was no one. Finally she closed her eyes.

So how are you feeling now?

She heard a male, soothing yet concerned voice, but not sure if it was for her or someone else. She opened her eyes slightly...As the image in front of her was misted down, she saw an young handsome man in his late 30’s standing beside her and looking directly into her eyes.

For a moment she was flabbergasted and then with shivering sound she murmured...

“Feeling okkk...”

There was a small gap. Questions were not being asked. But in between the space of the two there were so many questions swirling around.

“Thanks a lot for taking me to hospital. I don’t know what would have happened if you did not come.”

“It’s ok. It is not a big deal. Anyways I had called your dad when you were not conscious... got his number from your mobile.”

“By the way, you live in Sarnath. Then what were you doing here...?”

“I am Rishita, Professionally a teacher...I teach English, here in Sunbeam school.

And what do you do??”

“Me...?
I am Ajeet. I run a NGO who is working for social issues like begging, poverty, caste-ism etc."

“That’s the reason why you took me to a hospital.” She smiled...

“Not exactly...however it is part of my work... our NGO works also for women-empowerment.”

"Women-empowerment!!" She said with a sarcastic smile...

"What happened... is it a joke...??"

"Might be..."

She tried to say more and then put a sudden pause as she just wanted to choke the words coming out of her mouth...

Tell na...you seemed to have something to say... let it come... I want to know...

“Women’s Empowerment! Is it not a big word only to pronounce? Every year Government celebrates one day as women-empowerment day and start envisioning empowerment of women. Male-chauvinism is lying in the DNA of society. It is incurable. I hope when god would again create this world, women will get the equal status as men have.”

He was wondering what happened to her all of sudden. It seems that the fire inside her heart was just being translated into words....

He tried to calm her...and replied confidently but politely...

“I don’t know.............But.... Society is changing.... Our constitution has a provision of gender equality. Women are doing a marvelous job. Government has started new schemes.  Education is changing the attitude of people. Once people get educated, I hope this would do a tremendous change in the structure of society.”

“So you are saying that Education will remove suffering of women. Do you any idea how women are being treated in corporate or any working institutions? Eve-teasing, molestation and vulgar comments have become part of their routine. The person who writes articles about the women-empowerment is charged with molestation. They say dowry is a crime; then can you tell me who is not criminal, even in your 'educated class' people. Society is not changing...it is just disguising...... camouflaging..."

"Oh! Come on...Many people are not taking dowry. Our laws are getting strict. I am running NGO and I know how many such cases have been handled by police."

"Then they must have gifts... :P"

"You are behaving like a misanthropist... I don’t know why? Anyways I cannot justify our society more. At most we can try to make it good if it is bad..."

"I cannot comment. I have lost all my faith to this society and its impotent laws."

As discussion was getting hotter, an old man in his late 60’s entered in the room. His worried face and moving eyes soon confirmed that he was her father.

"What happened to you dear...?" He said as he was about to cry...

"Nothing Dad...Just the weather...Days are too hot"

"Anyways he is Ajeet; he took me to the hospital..."

"Ajeet!!... Ajeet Saxena... (Pause for some seconds)..."

"So you are the son of K.K. Saxena..."      

"Yeah! But how do you know...??"

"I know... just leave it..."

"Thank you so much for taking her to the hospital..."

Saying this, he lost his control on himself and tears trickled through the corner of his eyes... He could not believe that just two days ago the father of same person has rejected the proposal of marriage as he was not able to match his status...If  he could give 2 lakhs more, he would have matched....He did not know if Ajeet knew it or not but he was wondering who is guilty... Ajeet, his father or this Society.