another true story...

*****All characters appearing in this story are taken from true life. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely intentional. If you can spot yourself amongst the characters, be assured that it is you  ****************

Once upon a time there lived a female Dove. Very pretty and equally intelligent. Her heart melted at seeing poverty around and yet she was very very shrewd .

She loved painting and laughing. While her friends burnt the midnight lamps to pass engineering exams , she passed the exams studying in the canteen along with her best friend and numerous plates of samosas.

As soon as she passed her exams , her parents got her married . A perfect match in every way . She cooked  rock hard idlies and he showered her with praises.

Their weekend was spent in shopping which was her favorite timepass.

Soon the strokes got them a sonny baby. After the initial few hiccups she settled down to the new routine.
But there was definitely something missing. Did she feel insecure because she was not earning  ?
"Darling you are already doing a lot . Why do you want to work now ? " Hubby asked surprised. But as always he let her have her way.

Soon she got a job !  Responsibilities kept on adding - at home and at work. Did she take anyone's help ? No ! Our Dove felt it would be a sign of weakness to ask for help. She was a strong female!

"We need a baby girl" one day Dove declared. "So be it " said darling hubby .

As her maternity leave came to an end , hubby dear once again offered "You can give up your job" .

 "No no I promised them I would be back after 4 months . So away I go next month"

Time passed by . With the added responsibility our Dove started getting up one hour earlier and went to sleep an hour later than her usual time.

But the responsibilities kept on adding as did her weight.  One day she got a shock as she looked into the mirror. Signs of ageing !!!! The damn expensive cream didn't erase the dark spots as it promised on television. She neither had the time nor the strength to sue them.

"If you want I can leave my work and take care of the house" Hubby dear offered.

"No No you earn more than me. You carry on . I think I will leave my job. Just give me some time to sort it out in my mind "

"I am a superwoman" she chanted 10 times everyday morning. And did it hep ? No it didn't. She gave up her evening walks to meet her deadlines. She didn't have time to hear her daughter sing "Chamak Chalo " .  She gave up her pedicures to complete the damn report . "Candle light dinner ?" she gave hubby such a dirty look that he actually felt guilty of proposing it . "Lets just grab a burger . I have a call in half an hour. "

The sensible hubby recognized the sign of depression behind the fake smile.  But what could the poor guy do ? And how long could the Dove's body take this kind of abuse. As she sat in front of the Psychiatrist she realized how wrong she was.  She thought equality meant going out and working. She knew the exact time of  each of her meetings , but didn't know her sons exam had started.

"Darling take a break from work for some time. If it doesn't work out go back. But at least give it a try. "  Dove nodded her head in agreement. Next day she went to her office and gave in her resignation. There was a notice period of two months .

From then on every time she fought with her hubby or shouted at her kids she thought "Few more days , then  life will be back on track" . She googled for dance class and meditation classes nearby. She did a lot of research on salsa and hip hop and finally decided on belly dancing classes . She was looking forward to her break. She got a new fruit juicer , sprout maker and a steamer.

Finally the day day arrived. She handed over her laptop and said good bye to everyone . As she handed over her Access card at the security she felt very happy and light. Finally she was going to live her life the way she wanted !

She came out of the huge gate . She looked back one last time. She took a step to cross the road. She did see the huge monster truck that was coming from the other side. Crash !!!!! Her white feathers along with her dreams were strewn all over the road... She slowly closed her eyes as the crowd gathered around her... A small tear dropped down from her lashes and got lost somewhere...

Moral/Lessons Learnt : 

• Don't wait until tomorrow to begin living. Start right now ! 
• If your superwoman outfit seems to have ripped /shrunk , just discard them for a designer outfit. 
• Its okay to ask for help. 

Take Care,