He stood against gender inequality

Colours of pride
Colours of Pride
This story is purely a work of fiction, highlighting the gender issues prevalent in our society. It's in our hands (the modern generation), to be progressive towards women and stop the obsolete and old practices.
Colours of pride
Colours of Pride

“How far have you studied,” asked Ravi Roy, in an informal chat with Dia, in the next room. He along with his family had come to her home for the marriage alliance.

“Completed my M.A this year, and have applied for Ph.D. a month back,” Dia said, looking into his eyes, to know his reaction.

Surprisingly, Ravi was as cool as a cucumber, “So you are planning to be a Professor someday,” he said casually.

“I want to finish my thesis first, and that too in time, before even thinking about teaching,” asserted Dia.

“That’s great, I like your confidence. My parents are in a hurry for the alliance. And I have no objection to your studies, even after our marriage,” Ravi assured her. They smiled at each other.

After the marriage celebration got over, Ravi’s mom Mrs. Rita Roy who was oblivious to Dia’s Ph.D. studies till then, thundered one day, “If she is busy with her studies, then who will do the household chores?”

“Mom, relax, I gave the consent to Dia to study. And she is managing well enough, taking out her time to study at night, after doing her chores the whole day,” pacified Ravi.

“But beta, the Ph.D. thesis takes years to complete, how could you allow her to do so right now. What about your family planning, I wish to see my grandchild be born as soon as possible,” demanded his mom.

“True, we have put our family plans on hold, till Dia finishes her thesis, I have no qualms about that and neither should you. She is also a human, with her dreams and aspirations. Let her do it,”  said Ravi, putting an end to the argument.

Tears had welled up in Dia’s eyes seeing her Architect hubby dear standing up so strongly for her and her dreams. Exactly three years later Dia got her thesis papers signed off.

And a year later she was expecting a baby, when her mother-in-law accompanied her for a routine check-up, at a doctor’s clinic. Dia was about three months pregnant then.

The doctor who was very close to Mrs. Rita Roy, also discretely carried out her daughter-in-law’s sonography test, to ascertain the gender of the fetus. Dia was shocked when she was told by her mother-in-law to abort her unborn baby.

At first, Dia could not believe her ears. Gathering guts and senses, she took an excuse to go to the washroom to relieve herself. Once there, she messaged Ravi about her predicament.

Within five minutes, Ravi barged into the clinic. And the doctor and his mom were taken aback. “How dare you even think about abortion?” asked Ravi angrily.

“Listen beta, it’s been a tradition of sorts for generations that a male child should always be the first child in our family. See for yourself, your uncles and cousins also have a boy as their first child… Isn’t it?” explained his mom.

“Ma, what rubbish explanation you are giving and that too in these modern times. I just don’t believe in such obsolete traditions. Hadn’t you told me years ago that I had lost my elder sister because of some complications during her birth? And after my birth, you had faced some problems, so you could never conceive again,” implored Ravi, looking straight into his mom’s eyes.

Mrs. Rita Roy stood silently at her place, remembering how she had to abort Ravi’s elder sister years ago, under family pressure. She pressed her eyes concealing tears in her eyes and then she folded her hands.

“Please, please… I was committing an unpardonable mistake,” begging for forgiveness she started crying in front of Ravi and Dia.

“No Maa, please don’t cry,” together Dia and Ravi said, embracing her. Now Dia was also full of tears, when her hubby dear once again stood up for her, making his mother repent for life. Six months later both became proud parents of a baby girl.

Dia could not have asked for a better husband, who’s not just a loving and caring man, in and outside the home, but also supports her in life’s most difficult situations.❤

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