This short story is participating in Write Story from Picture India 2012 – Short Story Writing Competition.
Code: WSPI-2012-01
Photo credit: cepolina.com
When Antima was born, many demised instead of rejoicing. Some had not even feared crushing her to death when she snuggled inside the womb of her mother dreaming of stepping into a new life. The family who anticipated a boy again, named her Antima (from Antim), for they wanted her to be the last girl child in the family.
When Antima grew she was considered inferior to her brothers, she did all the household work but was never appreciated, they said that’s what she was born to do, it was her fate to work in the kitchen, get married and have children. She wanted to study but she could not, they always remarked she was ‘Paraya Dhan’. Her alcoholic father would beat his wife each day and a sobbing Antima would apply ointment to her mothers wounds in the night. Seeing her alone one night her uncle tried to abuse her, she struggled hard but chose to remain tight lipped about the incident.
Few months passed and Antima fell in love with a guy next door, she was in a state of bliss when the affair was disclosed and sooner she was married off to a complete stranger.
Five years later, when she couldn’t produce children with her husband, people started calling her ‘Baanjh’.
God was merciless again and painted her life with white, she was now a ‘Widow’. To make a living, she moved out of town and picked up a job. Knowing that she was alone in the new place, many wrong people started thriving on their dirty intents. Apparently Antima was harassed by her boss at workplace. She was broken again, but this time she decided to fight back and lodged a complaint against her boss. It was a battle between an influential man versus a woman who was all alone by her side. The issue flared up and after knowing the story of Antima many woman organizations came forward for help. A huge wave of support spread across the nation and Antima won the case.
‘Never, Never, Never giveup in life !’Antima smiled as she posed for an interview on the rooftop building of a news channel.
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