You woke before dawn as always.The ceiling fan hummed above.Beside the bed ,the framed degree you earned twelve years ago, rested on the desk.You wiped the thin layer of dust on it with your palm.The calender on the wall had a pink circle on the date 8.
8 March the Women’s Day.
In the evening you were invited as the chief guest for the Women’s Day celebration by the society members where you reside .The event was in the community hall . Your husband reminded you about it, and asked you to prepare a good speech, suitable for the occasion.
After breakfast, you sat down at the study table to write your speech.The school and college days flashed in your mind’s eye.You had been a brilliant student those days.You had graduated with flying colours,a first class degree in Economics.You dreamt of joining the London School of Economics.You had applied for it .The day you got the confirmation letter from them you were on cloud nine.
But,fate or destiny or family or society,which shattered your dream ??
Your father said,”no no,not now,later, first your marriage.” Your mother too was of the same opinion.”Now there is a good proposal.They are very interested for the wedding.They may not wait till you complete your course.First you get married.There is plenty of time for higher education.They are high minded people.They will never object,they will allow for further study.”
Your admission to that prestigious institute got postponed due to getting a perfect husband.That day you had folded the joining letter and kept that inside the dictionary, dot on the page where the word “ambition” was printed.
Your phone buzzed with glittering women’s day messages from the office group chat, filled with quotes of empowering pink graphics.You had forwarded these messages in privious years.
But this year felt different.
For years , you put your future on hold , letting your dreams wait while others took priority.At the age of thirty two , you took out the very letter which you had kept in the dictionary and saw it had become a little yellowish, but the writing hadn’t faded.You emailed them again for your admission there.One month ago you had got an email from the London School of Economics approving your admission there.At last the grand future you had once envisioned was going to be fulfilled.
Now that your daughter was going to be nine, there wouldn’t be any problem.Your hubby and the maid could manage her and the house in your absence.The years you devoted for the family was without any regret from you.
On women’s day speeches were on women empowerment and gender equality.Had you been a man, you had never postponed your ambitions future.You had to , because you were a woman.
By four in the evening, you were almost ready for the event .You wore a beautiful white with green border sambalpuri saree.You looked majestic .On your way to the hall, you saw young girls playing on the ground with bright laughter.You wondered what future they were already being asked to postpone ?
You were recieved ceremoniously at the entrance of the venue with tika and flowers.But you were not carried away by all these external things.You looked happy , as you were coming out of a pause in your life.
The hall was full.On the day meant to celebrate women, you wanted to share your own story.There was pin drop silence, as the audience seemed drinking the speech.You concluded your speech from the podium , saying that you had once been asked to postpone the future.Sometimes, life will ask you to pause.But pause didn’t mean stop.You declared that on that day , the Women”s day, you would leave for the airport at 9 pm to proceed to London. Your husband and your daughter were going along with you there to say bye bye.
The community hall echoed with loud applause.
