Women’s Day celebrations are everywhere.

Some guys were making slogans against it.

They were saying “Every day is a women’s day, no men’s day now and near future”.

Their laughs were showing they were making fun out of this day.

But I felt first half is true in true sense.

Yes…EVERY DAY IS A WOMEN’S DAY.

I am a woman, so my words may cause disturbance to some men and may try to treat me as a feminist. I am ready to accept those comments with lots of smiles.

So whoever reading this article, read it until last line and express what you felt. No need to hesitate. OK.



Now let me share my observations on a brave woman whom I came across in my daily life.



The name of that brave woman is Lakshmi. Even though her name is denoting Goddess Money, she is very poor, wife of a vegetable vendor Raju. Daily that couple used to come to my lane by keeping vegetables on a cart. They lived with two small kids and mother of Raju in the next street in a small two room house. While taking vegetables I used to talk to them and found them as a happy couple. Watching Lakshmi every morning was a pleasant experience because she used to come with ironed cotton sari, big red sindhoor and plait decorated with fresh flowers. In market also they have a small shop.



But one day bad part of fate hit her badly. Raju daily goes to big market yard where he can get vegetables at cheaper rate and adds some profit while selling them to us. On that day while he was returning from the market yard by keeping so many vegetables on his two wheeler. A heavy vehicle (lorry) hit him and ran away. He was dead on the spot. My bad luck, while going to my college, I watched his dead body in a pool of blood. Immediately I got the omitting sensation. Mind stopped working for few seconds. I know how important Raju is to his family. What happens to Lakshmi and other family members? Those thoughts made me feel sick. As already information was passed to Lakshmi and before she reached that place police took the body to a hospital for postmortem. At college I did my duties half heartedly. When I came from college, I learnt that Raju’s body has been cremated.



Two days I didn’t see Lakshmi or that vegetable cart. On third day, Lakshmi came with that vegetable cart. With smiling face, she started explaining the rich qualities of those vegetables. I didn’t ask any thing because I saw pain in her eyes. Took vegetables more than what I really want. I know how difficult for her to run this business. Now she has to go to that big market yard to bring vegetables at wholesale rate. She has to look after her very old mother-in-law and two small kids.

I think she might be crying when she is alone in a corner of the room. But showing her guts as a man, took up the charges of leading that home.



Their residence changed from two room house to the hut behind our apartments. I saw her in the small shop of vegetable market, yelling the name of the vegetables and trying to sell at least some. Now there is no sindhoor on her face, no flowers on her hair, but I saw determination in her eyes. Very soon she became popular as quarrelsome woman. She used to shout at other men who come to buy vegetables in her cart or shop. One day I asked her the reason. While controlling tears and pretending smiles she said this "Amma...I am a lonely lady. No man is there to protect me. Many wolf like men are trying to catch me as their feast. To protect myself I don’t know other weapon other than this quarrelling. Now all men are afraid of me. Because I will publicly announce their misdeeds to all surrounding people. After all they are gentlemen in the society." She smiled again.



I saluted Lakshmi in my heart. Hats off to that brave woman. Let God bless her peaceful life.



Such so many Lakshmis are around us. For them every day is a women’s day because every day toughens them to face the cruel world activities. I salute all such brave women.



Yes...Ordinary Women Can Be Extraordinary Too.

O God...please turn every day as Happy Women’s Day.





Sneha

Tags: life, women, women's day