Story 9: Feminist in the tram - Part 2

Ma’s story.

It was early 1980s. I lived in Kolkata, actually Calcutta, at that time.

I was barely 18 when I was married off by my uncle, my mother’s brother, who was entrusted as my guardian post my parent’s death in an unfortunate accident. He precisely waited for a year and a month post my parent’s demise to get me married to a man almost double my age. He didn’t want anything to do with me and while seeing me off post my wedding, he told me, “Ranu, now it’s your fate. All I could do was to get you married somehow. The door of this house is forever closed on you, please don’t come back here ever.”

I was shell-shocked. I had a privileged upbringing. My parents were liberal in their outlook and had provided me with a luxurious lifestyle and best education. My father had a profitable business of chemicals. Whenever I had spent a part of my summer vacations at my uncle’s house I was always welcomed there. My parents had given their entire family not only expensive gift items but also financial support from time-to-time. As my father didn’t have any close relative in the city, my uncle’s family became our extended support system. It was thus natural that post my parent’s demise, I was entrusted to live with my uncle’s family.

In the beginning, they were supportive of me when I lived with them. They even encouraged me to complete my schooling. My uncle took charge on the factory and business on my behalf, and told me that I have nothing to worry about. What I didn’t know then was that they were doing all that to ensure that I do not go anywhere else before my 18^th birthday so that they are able to trick me to get all the property and money on their name once I become an adult. Since a month before my 18^th birthday, uncle started becoming stressed and unwell. Aunty blamed it on the pressure of running the business, which had now been running in losses as customers have been losing faith in the company. Uncle even suffered a minor heart attack, and was advised by the doctor to take bed rest. That’s when it was decided that for the peace of the entire household, the business should be sold.

As the business was ‘presumably’ running in losses, it was sold to the closest competitor at a dirt-cheap rate. What I didn’t get to know was that the business was sold at a good-mark-up from the market price. Uncle, however, told me that the money wasn’t even enough to off-set the various debts that my father had taken for over the years. He again started falling sick with the debtors coming on to his doorsteps to recover their money.  

I wanted to clear my father’s debts and restore his goodwill in the family and society. I asked my uncle what could I do, and if he could get me a job. I had learnt typing and stenography during my last summer vacation to help my father with various secretarial jobs. Uncle placed me as an associate in his old firm, a traditional male-driven organization with a patriarchal outlook. We were only two women in that entire organization – I and a receptionist. We were actually looked upon as the necessary evils. They needed a pretty face in the reception and an efficient secretary who could take notes diligently and type with speed in the organization. It was pure business decision. We were their tools, and women rights were an unheard phenomenon in the organization. Known as lalaji, my boss only allowed men to be part of the business. In fact, only boys were given education, and girls were usually relegated to the kitchen post providing them with some basic education and then being asked to be homeschooled.

However, the newer generation seemed different. The two sons didn’t always agree with the patriarchal outlook of their father. In fact, Vidya, the receptionist had told me that it was Sahil, the youngest son of lalaji, who had insisted on hiring a woman secretary in the company as he had felt that women are better at time management and are dedicated workers. It was only after a lot of heated discussions that my post was reserved for a woman. However, lalaji insisted on hiring me, as I was coming from a known source.

Whatever I earned, I gave to my uncle, hoping that it would be enough to pay off my father’s debts. However, it never was. Soon my uncle told me that he had negotiated a deal with the debtors and they are asking for a lump-sum amount of 20,000 rupees and if we can provide them with that, they will forever leave us. It was substantial amount of money at that time. I didn’t know what to do. Somehow, the solution also surfaced in the form of a marriage prospect.

Aunty explained that she had a distant relative who has recently gotten widowed. He doesn’t have any children and is planning to re-marry. As the man has a lot of money, he is ready to offer money as well for marrying a woman who is ripe for child-bearing! I was aghast about what I was hearing, but at that moment I didn’t have any other choice. I agreed to the proposal. He was 40, more than twice my age, and yet, I agreed. I wanted to make my parents proud of me. I wanted to pay-off their kindness.

So when my uncle told me that I should never think of even visiting his home, I understood that although I had been an orphan from the day my parents died, it was only on the day of my wedding I had realized the true meaning of being an orphan.

With a heavy heart and tears flowing freely at the betrayal of my own, I set out into a world that I had no knowledge of. Yet, somewhere I thought maybe this could turn my fate. And, yes, it did, for the worse.

(To be continued...)