The story of an educated Bride

Around 9 o’clock in the morning Meera’s aunt-in-law arrived from Trisulia to Cuttack, for some medical check up. She was fair short-heighted, dressed in a yellow heavy banarasi saree. The orange border of the saree had intricate design of lotus flowers. The border ran into the embellished pinkish orange Anchal which overheaded her in the form of a odhana. A hindu Odia married woman is supposed to cover her head with the anchal of her saree. Meera welcomed her by washing her feet with the help of the water-filled Kalash, a rounded container. She knelt down and bowed herself in her aunt’s feet as a mark of respect. Asking about her health Meera requested her to enter her home. She got the sight of the soiled green tub carrying some sprouts. ”What is this?” she exclaimed. “These are some fenugreek sprouts I had sprinkled on the soil to get some leaves.” She started her imparting education about gardening. ”The space is so little the sprouts when grows into small herbs they will smash each other and everything will be spoiled.” Meera choosed to be quiet. She entered the home and took a seat on the copper sulphate couch placed in the southern wall of the living room. She rounder her eyes all around the room. The ceiling in one of its right corner was occupied by a house spider laboriously building her web. Raising her nose,as if something was stinking ,Meera’s aunt-in-law says, ”cleanliness is a distant dream in this home.” It was time for her office. The Calling bell rang. The boy has arrived to collect blood samples for test. The blood sample was collected from her Aunt-in-law for diabetes and other tests as prescribed by the doctor. She had an appointment with the doctor at 5 PM. It was time for her office so Meera hurried into the kitchen to get something to eat for her. Meera didn’t notice that auntie has followed her into the kitchen. She asked in a high volume, ”You don’t have office today.” Meera spoke to herself in her head,”Then why do you think I am getting hurried”. She had made some rice, dal and Cabbage curry. Aunite had a look on the curry and asked,” Why is the curry looking whitish?”(As per her it should look red).Also Meera had kept some dough of wheat flour. Meera asked her,” Should I make some chapatis for you auntie?” “ No no you go to office I will help myself.” However, Meera made two chapattis and kept them in the pink casseroles. Then she took some rice, dal, curry and some pickle in my plate, headed towards the dining table. Meera was enjoying my food when suddenly auntie came and sat in front of her. Shedding tears she started,” Your mother-in-law was saying what the hell job is she doing, she is not getting time for anything including to eat peacefully.” I got the underline meaning that I am a loser and have no peaceful life because of my job. “Thank you so much for your understanding”, she conveyed her gratitude. Meera got ready with her black kalamkari gown bordered with Red intricate geometric design recently gifted by her husband on her birthday. Auntie followed her here also. Raising her nose she taunted,” Such a devil colour this dress is! Why do you wear such clothes.” “ This is fashion”,she wanted to say but kept to herself. She had some shadowy office make-up of some kajal and some lipstick and simply left for her office.

She gathered enough points to have a spicy conversation with Meera’s mother-in-law.

Point №1-”She didn’t asked for tea. Point №2 She didn’t made breakfast for me. Point №3.She had no respect for elders. Point №3.She doesn’t wear saree to office. Even she didn’t bother to get a chunri for her dress. Point №4Such a shameless, lazy woman is your daughter-in-law.

God save you. These days the daughter-in-laws knows nothing but sitting and eating you see. We used to do all the domestic chores, look after the farming, cows and many more things but these lazy women they can’t even pick up a straw. And the conversation goes on………………”

Why the female-in-laws are so fond of hurting the daughter-in-laws? They love to find mistakes and taunt the young woman in every respect they can. The most harsh I find is that a woman’s caliber is measured on the scale of how much domestic chores she is able to do though the job is not monetized. Why the character and nature is judged on behalf of her dress code? Moreover, society shames a male person if he willingly does some the same job.

A daughter-in-law leaves everything and accepts her in-laws with open arms with all her love and affection. But why is it so hard for the family to accept one single member.

The reason I had found is one can hurt you only if she has pain within herself. Yes, the senior female-in-laws had deep scar of disrespect in their own heart for years. They themselves had been victims of harsh words, regular negative judgements, never ending exams of life and still being never thought to be given love and respect while they were young brides. These ailing souls thirsty for love and respect ignorant of addressing their own sufferings find pleasure in hurting their next generation. But they fail to realized that pleasure is always temporary, the real happiness or joy is in forgiving and loving your fellow beings.

The problem is daughter in laws are educated and it is difficult to choose for them to tolerate or to revolt. If they tolerate they are grooming evil culture of harrasment to a daughter-in-law. If they revolt the peace of the family is disturbed. What should Meera do in this case?