It's not okay always.....

 "Don't worry bhaiyya, I will do it. Just keep your t-shirt separately, I will wash the stains", young Smita said to her big brother. Her brother had come home after a football match and his t-shirt was stained with mud patches.


Smita was brought up in such a way that she always rushed to help everyone. She would end up doing tons of work, all by herself. She would think they are my people, so it's okay to do their work.


Her mother was happy about Smita's attitude. She would say, "Girls have to be on their toes. They should know all the household chores. They should keep their priorities aside, it's men's prerogative after all".


Smita had adopted her mother's pedagogy with whole heart. She stuck to the principles even after her marriage.


Smita was a devoted wife and daughter-in-law. Everyone chanted Smita's name hundred times a day. "Smita! Where's my tie?", her husband every morning. "Mom! Where's our breakfast?", her kids every morning. "Smita! Where's my medicine?", her mother-in-law every now and then, "Smita! Where are my spectacles?", her father-in-law throughout the day. They knew that she was always perceptive and ready to attend. And 'All Was Well' when it comes to her.




Smita had a son and a younger daughter.

Her son would make his sister do random chores for him. "Bring me a glass of water", "Put my books back on the shelf", "I'm older, give me the remote controller", "Put my plate to wash too, after you finish your dinner", he would keep ordering her every now and then. Smita was observing this for days now. Her mother-in-law favored the grandson and had the same mindset as her parents, 'Daughters should obey the elders and men in the family'.


One such day, when the kids returned from school, she saw that the daughter was carrying two bags on her each shoulder, and wasn't able to balance them properly but was trying hard to do so, with her tiny hands.


Smita rushed to take the bags off her shoulders. "Why did you hand over your bag to her? She's small, how can she weigh the load?", she asked her son.


Their grandmother was sitting in the living room watching TV. She said, "So what? Can't sisters help their brothers with such small things? She will learn to do things this way".


Smita looked at her daughter. Her daughter's cheeks had turned red, she was sweating and gasping. Smita realised that  All is not always well. "Why should only the daughters sacrifice everytime for the well-being of the family? Her son was older, he should've helped his sister to hold the bags instead. Why is their grandmother taking sides?", these thoughts caused chaos in her mind. She had been living like this herself. But did she want her daughter to do it too? Did she want her daughter to always adjust, prioritizing the men of the house?




Smita had lived all these years, assuming, that this is acceptable but she realised that her daughter shouldn't go through the same. It wasn't okay to say All Is Well even after being discriminated against and given a piffling spot.


She scolded her son for being rude to his younger sister and warned him that this mistake shouldn't be repeated. Hearing her raised voice, her mother-in-law was surprised. Smita hadn't ever talked in such a stern tone. Mother-in-law couldn't counter as she knew that the water had passed the threshold. And Smita wouldn't accept such behaviour any longer.


PC: 123RF


AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the prompt 'All is well', I've chose to write All is not Always well.

'Adopting a right attitude can convert negative stress into positive one' ~ Hans Selye.

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