The Momma Clan

Mayuri and her friend Payal, after their graduation, went on to pursue a PG course in Social Work. And that led to a job opportunity in a leading NGO.

During her stint here, Mayuri met her future life partner Ketan. They both never got time to date anywhere, but eventually got to know each other by having lengthy and soulful conversations during the field trips assigned to them by the boss of the NGO.

After a year or so, Ketan and Mayuri decided to tie the knot. They faced resistance initially from both sides of the family due to their love marriage. But true to her words and the legacy of her parents, Mayuri had her dream minimalist wedding with Ketan, who wholeheartedly supported her.

It had been smooth sailing for Mayuri for about two years at her in-laws’ home, during which she also gave birth to a baby boy, now four months old.

One day, Mayuri expressed her wish to visit her parents along with their baby, to which Ketan readily agreed. But Ketan’s mother Sheela objected to it, telling him that, “I want to go to my nephew Alok’s wedding a day in advance, so my bahu can visit her parents some other day.” 

“Maa, the homes of both my in-laws and Alok Bhaiya are in the same city. Let me drop Mayuri to her parents’ place first, just for a day. And then I’ll come back to take you to Alok Bhaiya’s home. Anyway, tomorrow I’ll be coming there along with Mayuri and our baby.” Assured Ketan.

Sheela did not like her son’s decision to give priority to her daughter-in-law. She remorsefully watched them leave the house. She even sarcastically commented at their back, “Joru ka Ghulam.”

It’s such an irony that in the conservative Indian society, a daughter-in-law is expected to bury her feelings for her parents’ home and the relatives included. And only give priority to her in-law’s side without fail. This gender disparity has been going on for generations. 

Ketan had moved much further to hear that, but the comment entered Mayuri’s ears and pierced her heart. She caught up with Ketan’s steps and advised him to drop his mother first. But he had made up his mind and it made no difference to him.

With not-so-happy feelings, Mayuri sat in the car holding her baby carefully in her arms. And then Ketan started his car.

Unfortunately, no sooner had they crossed a few kilometers, than they met with a severe accident.

While crossing an unmanned traffic signal, a speeding truck from the opposite direction crushed the car at the right end, killing Ketan on the spot.

Mayuri and the baby miraculously escaped the casualty. Only a few broken pieces of glass window had flung on Mayuri’s head and face on the right side.

She already had held her infant tightly to her bosom, thus saving him, during the crash which happened in a matter of seconds. But she felt numb to even cry out seeing Ketan die in an instant, as a heavy metallic object pierced his skull.

Heavens broke down at the deceased Ketan’s household. Sheela was in no mood to spare Mayuri for the unfortunate tragedy.

“You have swallowed up my son!! Why didn’t you die instead…” Sheela howled in despair.

“Maa, I tried to persuade him to escort you first, but he was in no mood to listen to me,” Mayuri explained, feeling devastated while crying inconsolably.

“Now, just get lost from this home.”

Her mother-in-law thundered at her, accusing her of being responsible for her son’s death. 

This is a perfect case of a woman being the worst enemy of another woman, showing total disregard for another one’s sentiments and the circumstances. Gender equality will never prevail as long as such senior women remain insensitive to the women who are already suffering a lot.

Mayuri had laid her baby in the bedroom and had closed the door so as not to disturb him from the moans outside. She then sat on the floor and broke her bangles, with tears flowing continuously from her eyes. Deep within, she too was burdened with the guilt of being accountable for Ketan’s demise.

Because of this incident Ketan’s cousin, Alok’s marriage was postponed. Gradually, every member of the family pointed out fingers at the already miserable Mayuri, who could hear their gossip. 

“SHAME ON HER… shame on her existence.” 

Mayuri wished to be swallowed up in the ground, as the muffled accusations on her tore her apart. Then she heard her son’s cry and rushed into the room to feed him. Sheela followed Mayuri and closed the room from inside and told her with anger.

“You no longer have any place in this house and can go to your parents’ home forever. But you have to leave my grandson here. I can take better care of him. As I don’t trust you anymore.”

“Maa, I’m already feeling very sorry for everything. But do I have any control over my destiny? No, I’m not going to leave my baby, come what may!” 

Mayuri shook her head, sobbed, and said painfully, feeding her baby at the same time.

“How dare you go against my wishes. Hand over the baby to me, will you?” 

Sheela was about to snatch the baby. But Mayuri held her baby tightly and rushed outside. Resentfully she apologized for no fault of hers to the elders standing in the central hall. She again broke down seeing the mangled dead body of Ketan covered with a sheet and said with a choked voice.

“I know that the time is not right for me to stay here. It’s just my destiny. Maa wishes me to move out of this home. Yes, I will go with my baby. But all of you, please stop shaming me for my existence. Pranaam.”

Immediately teary-eyed Mayuri walked out of her marital house with her baby, bowing her head in front of everyone. Calling out for an auto-rickshaw, with a heavy heart she headed to her parents’ home. 

Three decades later, Mayuri looked much happier and content at her dear son’s wedding. She had taken up a job as an Assistant Professor at a local university, to support herself. With her earnings, she managed to buy a flat in a decent locality. But she advised her son to purchase a flat above her’s through the EMI of his own salary, received from his job at an MNC. 

Mayuri, setting aside her bitterness felt long ago, wished to live independently now, as long as she was physically active, and not interfering with her son and daughter-in-law’s newly married life. However, she was open to suggestions and advice when asked. She believed that it was worthless to achieve gender equality at the cost of someone’s happiness.

-Shashi Thakur