Puja decided to accompany her husband when her husband Ramakant an agricultural laborer from Uttar Pradesh found it difficult to survive in their village and on advice of a friend decided to migrate to Navsari to work as an auto rickshaw driver.
Puja has started to work in diamond industry about 10 years have passed. They have bought their own home at the outskirt of the town and brought Ramakant’s parents from the village to live with them.
Things have been going on well until last year when Puja was badly ill. She got Malaria and Tuberculosis together doctors also found some kidney disorders. After many check ups doctors suggest to have a HIV test done. They find her as HIV positive. They suggest Ramakant and his child to have the same test done. They come out to be negative.
Life has become miserable for Puja since then. Now she has started to wake up every morning with a hope that today the death will come to her but it does not. Her in laws and husband accuse her of being unfaithful to them and keeping physical relations with other men. They torture her physically and mentally.
Our society is not mature enough to accept women getting this kind of a virus not from her husband but from some where else. When ever we meet some positive woman first thing we ask her is what about your husband? If the reply comes he is negative immediately some wrinkles appear on our forehead. They look like of concern but actually they are of surprise.
Puja’s husband does not provide for her medicine and food. Puja works as housemaid she has been running here and there for quit a few month for getting free medicine. But since she is on second line of medicine from the beginning nobody provides for her medicine. As a reason some months she can afford ART some months she can not.
This lady of around 35 laughs all the time. I tried to make her cry, I asked tempting questions I touched emotional parts, I touched soft corners, but every where she was strong, stronger than anybody can imagine, firmer than anybody can expect out of an illiterate women like her.
She has decided to live; she has stopped expecting that her husband will understand, she does not any support from her in laws. She does not want to go back to her parents with it. She wants to live on her own.
She loughs…..she lives…..she loves……
No comments:
Post a Comment