When she broke stereotype

It is a sweet morning ,the sky is cloudy, the weather is creating a jolly mood as it does during rainy season. Rita is getting ready for the university where she is working as librarian. As soon as she reaches the parking, the rain starts. But as there is a covered lobby to library from parking she manages to get into her office. She begins to check the register to reconcile the books allotment. She is feeling proud as she has won the battle against society which doesn’t want to see working women as they have customs and conventions.

When Rita got married three years ago she was supposed to be the puppet whose all action, inaction are controlled by her new family but after the untimely death of her husband made her life hell as the blame of husband’s demise was thrown on her by her In-laws. Therefore, she was frightened of everything the atrocities on her were growing with time. She was spending her time in the house like a slave. She was working in the house whole day restlessly without taking a morsel in her mouth. Her little daughter was only reason to live her miserable life. But once her mother-in-law tried to harm her daughter as she never wanted a girl but a boy. This is irony of the society that the woman doesn’t want the girl should be born in her house. The same day Rita left her house and went to her parent’s house who were living in the same city. Once her uncle visited her house and he came to know everything and suggested her to start a new life. He asked her either to get a job or remarry so that she can restart her life with her daughter. But as she was afraid of her previous family’s deeds ,she was confirmed that remarrying would be harming to her daughter and she would try to get a job. But she also knew that in this small town how would society allow her to do the job as society’s stereotype customs are obstructing the path.

But she made her mind and started to apply for the jobs and after a month she found a vacancy ad in the newspaper whose walk-in interview was scheduled next day. She reached the university before scheduled time and gradually the interviewee started to gather in the hall. Everyone was gazing like they have found alien in the room as she was only the female candidate. When her in-laws came to know they rushed to the university with the social contractors and started chaos in the hall. This time Rita was determined that she wouldn’t lose this battle at any cost as it was the battle for the future of the daughter. And once mother decides for the welfare of her kids she wouldn’t let anyone play with their children’s future. The university staff immediately entered the room and asked everyone to keep quiet. The management postponed the interview and warned all who made chaos in the university not to enter the university again.

The in-laws were happy as they thought they had won. Rita returned to her house and she was full of rage but when she saw her daughter she made herself calm and started to plan something which will end her all the problems of life.

Next day one of her school friend met her in the market ,both were happy to see each other after a long time. She was married to a businessman in Delhi and she came here to meet her parents. Rita didn’t say anything about her life as she didn’t want to let her know about her life. She told Rita about her NGO for women empowerment. She invited her to Delhi to become a part of it. Rita returned to home and she found her parents were looking very sad. When she asked father left the room and went outside while mother started crying. Mother told that her In-laws called them and warned that if Rita starts the job the community would boycott them.

It was the time which triggered all her raging emotions and she just got fiery and decided to teach them a good lesson. She called her friend and told her everything when her friend came to know everything she immediately  called her NGO members and asked them to come over there. Next day all members were in the town. They started a demonstration against them gathered around her In-laws house and demanded their immediate arrest for domestic violence and attempt to kill the daughter. Whole family became bewildered and locked themselves inside the house all those social contractors who accompanied them in the university didn’t respond their phone call. The demonstration turned into an agitation and all other women who were tolerating these kind of atrocities they also joined Rita to end all this. They were also suffering like her everyone was frustrated and wanted to uproot these blindfold customs and conventions which were nothing but the restriction on their freedom, snatcher of their self-esteem.

Few of them  were burnt due to dowry, Few of them were beaten by drunkard husbands, few of them were molested by family members and many of the heart-tearing stories were going on there. But this time they were determined and committed to get rid of these social crimes which are considered as disciplines by society. There was no exception in the town who was not talking about it. The local leaders became active and supported them foreseeing the political advantage. All women of the town accepted Rita as their Messiah.

Media also started to cover this and the issue turned into a national issue. All the countrymen reacted to support the Rita and to punish the accused not only in this town , but in the whole country wherever it is happening. Her In-laws and other families like them were frightened as their game was over and they knew that it was the time to surrender to escape from a severe punishment. All of them surrendered to police and when police came to arrest them the angry people tried to hit them. But Rita immediately stopped everyone and let them go.

Next day the NGO called a press conference where Rita requested to all the leaders, government officials, all renowned persons of the society and the people of the country to give the freedom to women so that they can live there life with self-esteem and happily. The death of her husband was neither her wish nor her intention and many other women who are the victims like her have the right to get rid of the hell and to live the life like everyone on this planet. She demanded to open the doors to provide employment to the women also as they also want to be independent. And doing job and bringing up her children is every mother’s right and duty.

She urged everyone representing all other women that they also have equal right for love and respect in the society as everyone. The Chancellor of University was also watching this conference in the house he immediately called the principal and sent an appointment letter to the Rita’s house and he talked to his industrialist friends and started a drive to provide employment for women in the town to start a new life.

And it was a beginning of a new era where women became independent and became successful in breaking the old and narrow minded customs and gave the new generation the freedom to live their life as per their wishes, dreams without social constraints.

Suddenly the bell rings and she comes out of the thoughts with the winning smile and an eternal calmness on her face. And she is living the life as she imagined and now her daughter is studying in a boarding school in Delhi and Rita is waiting for her as she is coming next week after her exams.

We all know “For every action there is reaction” but the reaction must be more powerful to eliminate the impact of action which really needed to be superseded.