Topic started by Bhargavi (@ 1cust49.tnt1.bloomington.il.da.uu.net) on Fri Jan 25 10:42:33 .
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It was then when the mansoon had begun.everything looked very nice & beautiful from the house.droplets of water pouring from the leaves ,children splashing water on each other,puddles making a big mess,traffic jams.I enjoyed all of these from the window of my apartment once the mansoon season had begun at Calcutta.
It was almost 3years now that i had come to this new place with my husband.everything was still new & unknown.Usually we used to go during the evenings to buy fresh vegetables n fruits.
I can remember the day when Shantha had come home.
Her torn saree n weak body made me give her a small house hold job at my house.she had come in need,I didn't want to disappiont her.she knew only bengali.i cudn't understand whatever she told,but could see through her mind & understand.
After a few months when i started to learn a bit of bengali bargaining with the sellers at the vegetable market,i started talking with shanta.
she was very quite n very quick in her work,very naive & poor.
Once i asked her about her self.I gathered the information that as all the major cases .shanta also had a husband who use to drink everyday n beat her up everyday.she was living for her 3year old son,waiting for him to study & become successful in life.I asked her why can't she do something about her husband.she was silent& after a long pause said,'He will not listen to me.He will listen to only her...
This gave me a surprised look on my face,see that she told me that He had another wife.
I laughed.but i could see the hurt in her eyes.
after a few months,one day I told shanta that we r leaving Calcutta for a year,since my husband had to go for a project in the interior village of bengal called Despur.
Shanta was sad.But i promised her we will return soon.
In my days in Despur there was not a single day I wouldn't have thought about Shanta.
But as days passed by memories also faded.I became a mother.Things became very busy.I hardly used to get time to think.My husbands project got extended & it had almost been 5 years staying in Despur.
The project in Despur finally got over & we were going back to Calcutta.My heart was pounding very hard to meet Shanta n know about her.I had never realised that in these years I was thinking so much about her.
we reached our old apartment.nothing much had changed.but the small slums near by had all been broken n removed& I remembered Shanta used to stay in one of the house.That evening I thought of taking a stroll down & enquiring about Shanta.
As the thought was going through my mind the door bell rang.I heard a familiar voice calling me ''Bahuji'' I came near to see it was a very decently dressed women with a nice cotton saree,hair properly tied into a bun,a good looking glass & a smile on her face.As my lips were trying to say Shanta,she said,"I saw u coming today.I stay in the next building.Did u remember me?"I was standing there not knowing what to do,when slowly I said "Shanta is that you?
she smiled.I wanted to know everything.
I could see a very strong ,bold women in her & somehow I was feeling very proud .
Shanta's husband died very soon we left.Shanta was now free.She came in contact with a teacher with whom she worked after us.The teacher taught her to read & write.And through the teacher she had got a municipal job.she was now earning enough to save n spend.
Her son now goes to a better school & today her only dream & hope is her son.
Shanta is also planning to stand in the co-operate elections of the municipal commity of workers.
I was proud.My face was all in smiles when I heard all this.I never thought of getting such a good surprise when i returned to Calcutta after so long!!!
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