She was murdered in
cold blood. Volumes of scarlet liquid gushed out of its petite abode, nourishing
the parched earth. The carmine snake sequined dress that draped her tender silhouette
spoke of its late owner’s radiant splendor. The scars and bruises on her body
screamed loudly of the torturous death that the victim had endured. Her only
fault, she had always believed, was being a woman!
The kitchen knife
slipped from his bloody grasp and fell on the floor with a loud clank. He was
scared. Every tick of the passing second, seemed to be informing him of the
impending doom. She had gashed his left cheek and it oozed steadily now. The
loss of blood unsteadied him for a while, until he retained his balance. Before
the realization of the intensity of his vice could dawn upon him, he swiftly
dragged Tanya’s limp body across the yard to bury it.
His late wife had
served him well, he thought!
Right after their
wedding, Tanya had earnestly prayed for a boy. Her prayers had gone unanswered
three times in a row. She had been blessed with three wonderful daughters. It
was her fourth time expecting a child and Anwar’s haughty temperament told her
that he was in no way ready to accept another girl. ‘Baitay baap ki izzat aur
taqat hotay hain, aur baitian bezati aur kamzori’, he always said. (Boys are a
source of respect and power for the father while girls bring disgrace and
weakness). She didn’t think so. Aalya, Anaya and Anushay meant the world to
her. However, she was extremely frightened of Anwar’s rage and resentment.
On the birth of their
fourth daughter, he couldn’t take the ignominy anymore and so buried the baby
alive! It was the first time since their wedding when Tanya had ever fought
back. She didn’t have to die, Anwar
thought. ‘She had forced me to kill her by being so impudent. How dare she
question my acts?’ Anyhow, he was a man and he had learnt from his forefathers
that men had the right to do as they please with their women. He could always
remarry. Not resenting a thing, he left his house sending one last glance
towards the three tiny shadows hidden behind the door.
Tanya, like many
others, had been a victim of the stereotypes and discrimination of the society.
No comments:
Post a Comment