During Holi, I had gone to my village which is in the Deoria district of Gorakhpur and roaming in the evening time one day I interacted with a helpless girl. She was busy watering the plants but gave an innocent smile when she noticed me. I had a conversation with her which led me into deep thinking.
Naina is 18 years old, not goes to school but does all the household chores while her brother, Anuj goes to school and lives his life at ease. He is having all the necessities be it a bike or a mobile. Naina has studied only till the 5th standard but her mind is very sharp and even she is a good dancer. Anuj fails in every exam although a tutor comes daily at home to teach him. Naina loves reading books, she reads Anuj’s books when all the family members sleep at night. While making food, she listens to what the tutor teaches to Anuj. She notices everything but never speaks her heart out. One day when she told her father that she also wants to continue her studies, she faced anger and cried much. Her father said that educating her means wasting money and It is better for her to keep mouth shut and learn the household work which will help her after marriage. When she answered back that his brother fails every time in the exams still his needs are fulfilled. Then her father blamed her for being a girl in their family and even told that her brother is their old-age support and will make them proud. Listening to this much negativity, she decided that she will neither say anything nor demand a single thing.
I was unable to say anything after listening to this. I hugged her having teary eyes and she told me smiling, “Didi, yahi to zindagi hai!”
This is a serious shame for all of us. Is being a boy a matter of pride? No, It is judged by who we are, how we react, our attitude, nature, talent that defines us. The generation has been changed but the real world makes us see and understand that thinking is still the same.
