Gatherers Not Hunters

Before Long

     Prabul was turning twelve this November. Her parents still remember the day she was born. It was on a cold chilly winter afternoon. Her father and his brothers were seated by the lawn overlooking the vegetable garden ready to be harvested for the winter. His father was the youngest among six brothers. They boasted on the fact that they were a strong family, all his brothers gave birth to a son and all were hoping for his first child to be one too. Only the look of disappointment from his brothers when the midwife appeared made him want to disappear into thin air.

 
     After years now, he realized the blessings of having a daughter. He felt more fatherly and his urge to protect his daughter, even more, were only getting denser by the day. Every evening when he would return from the field or from the lake she would run up to him with a jar of water and a small piece of cloth to wipe his sweat. He felt contented with the small things she did. Not saying that he never longed for a son. His wife and he tried numerous times but failure to get her impregnated was too much of a disappointment to face each time. His brothers have suggested a new bride but he loves his dutiful wife dearly he didn't want to hurt her. He promised to protect her and protect her he will.

 
   Well today as he was returning, he was greeted by an old man in his 70s, introducing himself to be from the village down the river. There were others with him already seated by the lawn in a Bamboo mat laid out by his wife. A young good looking man in his 20s stood up and greeted him with immense respect.

 
    The reason for their visit dawn on his father. His daughter did not rush to greet him today and he knew why. He looked at his wife who nodded and went inside. The sun was setting and the Solar distributed by the local MLA automatically lid up shining its ray into the group of men discussing as they sip black tea. The eldest among them said a few words to which the father smiled and shaken their hands.

 
     As they were leaving, Prabul came up to her father to plead not to send her away. His father looked down at her smooth lovely face, smiled, and said "Beti, do you love going to school?" She nodded.

     The father than with a smile not so bright said " Soon, you will be going to a better school, the elder man who greeted will be your father in law, the family is rich and they need a small loving girl like you to fill joy in the house, and worry not they are good people and they are going to send you to school until you give them a child."

     He looked at his wife who was peeping from behind the pillar. She could only eye her opinion not because she wasn't allowed to but because she was taught never to.

 
      That night Prabul woke up from fright, her mother who was sleeping next to her got up startled. As Prabul looked at her mother ran out to pee, the mother looked down on the warm mattress her daughter was sleeping on and felt the first pain of bloodstain, wet on her sheet. She looked at her husband who was laying with eyes open, in the cot next to them, and mumbled, "Before Long".

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Child marriage is banned in India, yet in rural areas even today it takes place some in plain view some hidingly. I wanted to include the voiceless life of a woman taught by her mother or another woman not to raise her voice or her words at all.

I hope the story will make all of us think a little more and maybe move us to do something in our own way.