When life gives you a second chance | Wattys2019

Prologue

Guys this is not just a story but it is based on a true incident. Yes it has added preservatives in it but still that is only for entertainment purpose. The main crux behind me writing this novel is to highlight the pains that a widow experiences in her life. The pains of bringing up her child as a single mother, the pain of facing the taunts from the society, from her family. Be a part of this heart-touching experience of Netra Raichand and do post in your views as comments and share this story to your fellow readers. 

Thank you,

Shivani.R

-----------------------------------------------------

Café Coffee Day: Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh

Time: 9 am

'Ma'am, what would you like to have?' said the waiter while I was busy scrolling my Instagram account.

'One Black Coffee please,' said I without taking my eyes off the phone.

Today Instagram was filled with the pictures of Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, the newlywed couple, and obviously the most controversial. Every post was about their big fat wedding and it was really fucking for a middle-class girl like me. We toil so much to earn 100 bucks and now look at these celebs; they leave no stone unturned in spending money on destination weddings. Irritated with the social media, I kept my phone inside the purse.

'Ma'am, your Black Coffee' said the waiter and placed the cup on the table.

'Thank you' said I and sipped some Coffee when suddenly a pale voice interjected.

'Excuse me! May I sit here?' said a woman dressed in pale yellow tops and white Patiala pant.

'Of course,' said I and scanned her from top to bottom. She seemed like an introvert. I gently held a strand of my hair and started curling it. My eyes kept staring at her as she made herself comfortable.

'Thank you and I am sorry, there was no other seat available' said she. Her tone was low, and it looked as though she was going through a lot of pain in her life.

'It's okay, I understand. It's office hours and usually the tea shops remain flooded with people,' said I while she gave me an unpleasant smile.

I hesitated to ask her anything and put her in an awkward situation. Hence I silently sipped my Coffee and kept observing her.

She looked cute like a doll, but a sad doll. Her eyes always facing down, her hair well plated and innocence swept all over her face. She reminded me of my school days. Even I used to be an innocent, silent, and well-behaved child.

I chuckled

'Would you like to have something?' asked I unable to keep mum anymore. Her silence created anxiety in me.

'No, thanks' she said without lifting her head. Her hands fiddled with her ring and she seemed absent-minded.

'How dare you come out of the house?' yelled one man abruptly. I was about to spill off the coffee from my mouth but quickly gulped it. That sudden loud noise had created havoc inside me.

'Don't you know that you cannot wander out like other women? And how dare you meet a stranger?' said the other and dragged the woman along with him. The woman walked silently without opening her mouth. It was a terrible scene and I had lost my patience already.

'Such people have to be taught a lesson' I muttered to myself and stood up to walk to her when suddenly, a man from the crowd interrupted. He was a tall, fair, and handsome young man. His biceps highlighted his love towards workouts and gym, and he looked like a dream guy for any girl.

'Why are you being so rude to this woman?' said he.

'Sahab ji, this is our family matter and we will sort it out. You don't have to interfere,' said one of them. He clenched his fist and stared at him.

'I wouldn't have if it had happened inside your house. But this is a public place and you cannot humiliate a woman like this,' he roared.

'Sahab ji, she's our sister and we know how to talk to her' said the other.

'Okay then, I will call the police now' said he and took the phone out of his pocket. There was a sudden panic in their faces.

Well done, handsome. They deserve to be behind bars, I murmured to myself.

'Please, Sahab ji, don't call the police.' The woman finally spoke up, her words wobbled. 'They are saying the truth. They are my brothers' said she leaving me baffled.

'How can her own brothers humiliate her like this?' I whispered in wrath.

'Because she is a widow, and such humiliations are common in our lives' said the lady sitting opposite to me.

She can talk? I wondered. In the last ten minutes I doubted if she could. There was no sound, no expression and only silence. But in all of a sudden I could hear a few words from her mouth. Startled by her response I went on.

'Our lives? You are a widow?' said I, but she didn't answer and again went into her silent mode.

Damn it, why the hell is she so silent? I wondered. I always hated silent people; their silence makes me feel uneasy and digs up my anxiety. I smacked my hand on my thighs and growled. I guess I showed a lot of aggression, it was aching. But she still held on to her silence.

'Actually, I am a widow,' the woman, who was being humiliated started narrating, 'and in our family, widows have a lot of restrictions. We cannot wander freely like the others; we cannot talk to any stranger and we can never fall in love with anyone' she said, a tiny drop of tear rolled out to her cheeks. The angry young man stood mum as she continued, 'We are considered bad omens and cannot think of leading a normal life like the others' she gasped.

'Enough of explaining' said one of them and they dragged her out of the café. She kept looking at that stranger with teary eyes. It looked like her heart was shouting for help but that wasn't my main concern at the moment. I was desperate to know about this suspicious lady sitting next to me.

'How did you know that she was a widow? And why did you mention our lives?' I repeated my question, this time even more firmly.

She looked at me and smiled.

What the hell? Was I cracking a joke to her? What was so funny in my question? I wondered and stared unpleasantly. Seeing me lose my cool she finally spoke up.

'Because I am a widow and I know how it feels when your own family humiliates you in front of everyone,' said she, my jaws dropped in shock. I quickly cleared my throat after a small pause.

'I am sorry to ask this, but what happened in your life? Can you elaborate?' asked I. She seemed uncomfortable with my question or to be precise she didn't want to share. I quickly ordered two cups of coffee and introduced myself 'Look, my name is Shivani and I am an author, writing is my profession. I can help your voice reach millions of people. If you wish to share your story, you can?'

Her eyes enlarged in all of a sudden. 'Are you serious? Can you convey my feelings to the world?' she asked, a ray of hope glowed in her eyes.

'I promise I will,' said I placing my hand above hers. She smiled.

'First, tell me something about yourself? What's your name and from where do you belong?' asked I

'My name is Netra and I belong to Bihar. I shifted to Gwalior a few months back. I have a younger brother and sister. My father died a year after my marriage and since then my brother had been taking care of the family. My sister got married and shifted to Delhi with her in- laws and husband. We were all happy in our respective lives, until suddenly I experienced the biggest shock of my life. I still remember, it was the last week of May..................' 

------------------------------------------------------

Guys press the star to cast your vote and do leave your comments. It keeps me motivated .