The third child.

Her maid was expecting .Vrinda thought to herself , why was this known all along  ? Well, her maid had been telling her time &  again that she was under tremendous stress to bear a male child. Vrinda had tried to make her see reason that a boy or a girl will make a  dent into the already stretched finances of her maid .Her maid seemed to have agreed that time .And yet, now she was pregnant. With the anticipation, that it was a male child .Was it ? No doctor can say with certainty  that the foetus was a male one. And anyways, it was too early to predict.

Vrinda was aghast that her maid,Anjana  was carrying her third child.She already had two daughters, one of three  years & another of six  years. Thank God, that, there was a gap of three years between the siblings.The maid had followed  family planning to some extent. Vrinda had argued with her maid that a male child will suffer just like her  husband.Her maid,Anjana's hubby had three sisters.All three sisters were married .They always looked up to their only brother, Anjana's hubby for finances. .Recently, when one of his sister's daughter delivered a child, the naamkaran ceremony & other rituals were funded by the brother & Anjana from their meagre funds .Obviously, the funds fell short & they borrowed.Need less to add, the interest rates  were exorbitant !

Anjana was  so thin.She must be barely 40 kilos.And one of her daughters was in village with her mom in law .She went to school in the village.Her younger daughter had been sent to village as well.And she refused to stay & study in school there & returned to stay with Anjana , within a few months.So all the money that was pent on her school admission in her village went down the drain. Anjana's  younger daughter's admission had made them poorer by 10000 bucks . And now, they again have to secure admission for her. Anjana's husband was a mason . Yet ,in a metro like the financial capital of the country, a decent salary was  inadequate. And sometimes, he remained absent because of having to visit his village to run some errands as he lost his father recently. His mom was  unable to manage alone though she tugged  along somehow. And when he skipped work, he lost his wages for those days.All this made it more & more difficult to make ends meet.And in spite of all this, they went ahead & Anjana got pregnant !

Vrinda recalled that perhaps the younger daughter who stayed with Anjana earlier ( and was back now )  was sent away to village so that hubby &  Anjana could have some privacy for begetting the third child, a boy. So , they had planned.Yet, had they ? Was Anjana's hubby , the father ? Vrinda chided herself for doubting Anjana. Vrinda had heard that Anjana had started working in more households .Vrinda figured because, Anjana needed more money.It seemed, that was not the reason. Anjana was visiting some God man, daily after her work on the way home. Vrinda felt disgusted.Was the pregnancy, due to the blessings of the Baba ? Or maybe he had seduced Anjana ? It was futile to ask Anjana. Because Anjana may be in the dark, about what Baba was up to ? She may have been seduced by the Baba  either willingly or maybe, when she was put to sleep or made unconscious.The possibilities were endless. Vrinda wondered if Anjana's hubby knew, that she was visiting that fraud of a God man . And if he knew , whether he approved of it,And then Vrinda came to the conclusion that perhaps, Anjana's husband only took her to visit the baba so that baba could do the needful . Of course, Vrinda had no chance of confirming if Anjana visited any baba as was rumoured. And anyway, what was the point now , as the deed was already done by husband, by baba or some one else ? Vrinda's heart went out to Anjana. This was just a case of sexual assault or maybe, multiple  sexual assaults.

Vrinda asked Anjana, "Why did you agree for another child ? "Anjana replied, "What to do ? I was going to be thrown out of home.My nanads ( hubby's sisters )  &  others were suspecting that I was taking contraceptive pills on the sly. Vrinda Bhabhi ,I have not been taking anything. I do not want another child.This time, my hubby said, why not try & see.I said, if I get another girl , then what.My hubby said, lets see what is in your fate ."Vrinda enquired, "What is the guarantee that once you get a boy, your husband will not leave you ? Men slip away very easily.They can fall for another woman ,many times , just to bed another ."Vrinda mocked, " Your husband does it ( sex )  to you ,almost forces it on you & you say it is  fate ? "Anjana said ,"God is there .He will take care  ".Vrinda screamed, "How is  God responsible if you both have sex ? And then leaves you, if you get a boy or a girl  ?  "Vrinda thought to herself, even God must be wondering how he comes into the picture ?

Not only was Anjana under tremendous pressure to deliver a boy, she was under lots of financial stress as well.She was forced to leave her daughter with her hubby's sister's family as she went to work as a maid in households.The lady who used to baby sit her daughter had doubled her charges & Anjana couldn't afford to pay that sum. And when anyone obliges another, it is understood that the obliged party must pay up .And since, Anjana had not paid anything towards baby sitting to her hubby's sister, Anjana & husband had to keep financing some expenses or the other of hubby's sister's family. Vrinda sighed , we live in such  an age,  wherein , money dominates each & every aspect....eclipsing all , even the closest of relationships. And Vrinda knew that Anjana's sister in law was no way better off than Anjana. Her husband was a lazy fellow who stayed home, skipping work most of the times,  week after week.And he used to drink as well. Vrinda wondered , how do they manage to eat two square meals daily ? Perhaps they don't.Maybe , they remain hungry most of the time.And hunger makes you a parasite.A parasite sucks on the host plant .And Anjana's sister in law  was just  doing that, because she had no choice.It was a question of survival .

 Anjana was so fed up of being under pressure that she had given in to the demands & got pregnant .There was danger to her fragile health. And yet, Vrinda helped the only way, she could.She would get less work done by Anjana. And she would always ask Anjana if she wanted tea or a snack like a  paratha or a slice of bread or a banana. Anjana was feeling nauseous most of the times & she would politely refuse the offers.This worried Vrinda more & more. And then ,Anjana said her tummy used to ache all the time.The pain was not alarming & yet it was there. And Vrinda hoped all was well, with Anajna's pregnancy.   Vrinda hoped that Anjana would survive it & deliver a healthy child. Vrinda said a silent prayer towards that.And yet, Vrinda  wondered if delivering a male child would end all the miseries for Anjana or mark  the beginning of a fresh cycle of misery & poverty ?

Atmahatya katha.

Sriram Ayer's, "The Story of a  Suicide " is the story of generation next. It is the tale of Charu, Mani , Hari & Sam .Charu, Mani, Hari & Sam study in the same college. Some are freshers & others are  older. Sam is born with a silver spoon. Hari has a doting family.Mani has worked extremely hard, to get admission to the institution. Charu is the one, who can make heads turn ,especially , those  of males.

Mani 's language skills are wanting. He is teased & taunted for his inability to communicate & express .He tries to end life. He is rescued in time, by Sam, professor Alex, Charu & others. Sam cannot stop looking at Charu.He feels, that he is in love though it is not. Like he felt, he was in love with Priya, earlier. Charu is not so sure. Hari has terrible childhood memories of being abused.He has been unable to confide, in anyone, about his trauma. He feels, Mani is the one friend who will empathise. Is Hari  right, in feeling that Mani ,will be his confidante ? Charu 's phone is hacked, so much so, that her pictures are being taken automatically.She discovers this hacking & gets scared .She leaves her phone with friends. And then , an  intimate  act goes viral.It stuns & shocks all .And wrecks havoc. Someone decides that the time has come to end it all & how .

Who is behind the hacking of Charu's phone ? Is he or she, a friend or a frenemy ? Do Sam & Charu break up or make up ? What about Hari ? Does he discover a true friend in Mani ? Does Mani overcome his language problem? Or is he back to thinking about ending his life yet again ?

"The Story of a Suicide " is taut & thrilling. It arouses curiosity & the reader reads faster & faster to know what will happen next. The illustrations by Ghana look like  watercolors & are eye catching. There are thirty one chapters & each chapter can be accessed separately. Each chapter has concerned issues stated by the side of the chapter. It is an audio book which can be heard in addition to being read on mobile, tablet,etal.

Sam is so sure of himself, that he never gives a damn. Charu opines that all males are losers & yet ,never lets it show in her behaviour. She is ready to help in need.Hari is doubtful of Charu. Mani thinks Charu has got all the timing wrong. Each characters is etched clearly.The characters are representative of the young generation who are confident yet vulnerable.They have their own demons & feel so overwhelmed that they feel that suicide is the only solution.Though, all youngsters are on the social network most of  the time, they are unable to confide & share their fears with their friends & family.They feel, that all are ganging against them, & they have to just end their lives.They keep, all their pent up emotions to themselves. They need to talk it out of their sytems with family & friends.At the most, they may get dejected by many.Yet, there will be one or two who will understand them. And most of the  fears are simply unfounded. People do not recall supposed follies of others, as public memory is short .Moreover, there are fresh follies happening on a daily and even hourly basis. And ,we are all human. To err is human , to forgive divine.



And what resonated with me, was the fact, that men will rant about women after break up .And the rants  will get sexist, because she is public property. Means , she wronged him, so all  need to find faults with her. Males are always right, females always wrong.And yet , all will continue to lust after her. It only comes to this, that all girls are  bodies to be ogled at , nothing more. Just goes to prove, that men seldom  love, they just want sex.And men slip fast .And they have no regrets about being disloyal etc. There are no emotions. Love sorry lust is all physical. Men have big egos which get hurt easily.And men will go to any extent to nourish & even refurbish their pricked  ego/s.Never mind the consequences.

And this katha  is a tale of awareness.It narrates that  things can go unexceedingly wrong & how.It also tells, that overconfidence can make us overlook our errors of judgement .And all this may create such conditions, that it ends the world for someone who is completely unaware & innocent of it all .So , the youngsters need to care .They should behave  such that  their acts & omissions should not hurt their fellow humans.When a person commits suicide, more than anything it points towards friends & family who failed in preventing the loss of life. All lives are worthy  As Oscar Wilde put it ,"The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future."

Thanks to IndiBlogger for this book review & contest  for IndiChange .

Prajwala

I was introduced to Prajwala by a friend through the net. As I read &  understood ,what Sunitha Krishnan has done & continues to do ,I was filled with admiration & respect for  her.


She herself was a victim of gang rape & she rose from the ashes to rescue others from trafficking.The tasks she has on hand are just too enormous.Her orgainisation has been instrumental in rescuing & rehabilitation of hundreds & thousands of women &children.

She has a blog titled "Sunitha Krishnan :The Anti Trafficking Crusader " where she recounts her experiences of rescue.Actually ,her blog is not an easy read.It is very difficult sorry impossible to read about small girls ( as young as four year old ) being raped by dads, uncles,brothers,cousins & neighbours.A seven year old  was violently raped .Her blog posts can just shame us all out of our peaceful existence.The least we can do is spread awareness about the scrouge of trafficking.



We are a very proud nation, always boasting of our glorious past & the economic gaint we have become now.We seem to brush under the carpet ,the sins committed by us.Trafficking is increasing at an alarming rate & no one is spared.Girls are brought in from Nepal & sold to brothels all over our nation.The alarming part is that people who are involved in all this are the ones who are trusted by victims.

Fathers,brothers,uncles,grandfathers,cousins,neighbours,acquitances,friends -all are involved in this dirty business.In some cases,they are the ones who violate the victims first & then invite others to do so for a price ! Really how sadist can anyone get ? Many atimes ,the mother or female relatives who raises a voice are silenced by money or threats or rape or by death.Hence,the victims are utterly helpless.


The condition of the victims is worse than that of slaves ! The victims are subjected to the worst form of sexual abuse often accompanied by violence.It leaves the victims emotionally as also physically brutalised.The victims have to keep catering to many clients & end up with HIV/AIDS.Then, they are just discarded as they are now useless & cannot bring in any returns for their owners.


Sunitha's orgainisation 'Prajwala " has been rehabilitating the victims after rescuing them. Shelters have been built & a factory has been opened where skills like carpentary ,welding ,etc are taught to the girls.Prajwala also tries to unite the victims with their families.Sometimes ,the victims are not accepted back by the families owing to the backwardness of our views on women.At such times,Prajwala takes full responsibilty of such victims.Some women & girls are also married off by Prajwala in its endeveour to integrate the victims back into society.Prajwala also takes care of the last rites of the victims who pass away.In all these tasks,Prajwala faces stiff opposition from our society .


Prajwala works with police & other law enforcement agencies in this job of fighting commercial sexual expolitation.Prajwala never seeks publicity for the rescue of the girls.Prajwala lets its  work speaks for itself.


Prajwala & Sunitha have won many awards for their exemplery work.They are now sought after ,the world over for rescue & rehabilitation of victims of trafficking.Even State governments are listening to Prajwala &  Sunitha in prevention of trafficking.All this, will surely help in minimising this crime .

Sunitha has said time & again that the silence of the society towards human trafficking has to change.Let us become aware & appreciate Prajwala.

One can become a follower by joining Sunitha Krishnan's blog @http://sunithakrishnan.blogspot.com/.One can also 'Like" Prajwala on facebook to get updates on Prjawala.


Please spread the word around on the net- on social networks,through emails,through twitter ,etc.This will be our contribution to this noble cause.