On Grit and Determination

                                         

 

I decided to take the public transport that day back home from office. I got into the bus. I bought the ticket from the conductor and then put on my headphones to listen to the radio. A few minutes later, I felt a nudge around my arm and I see a burka clad woman sitting in one of the seat signaling me to occupy the vacant seat next to her.

I sat next to her and thanked her. She smiled and after few minutes, she asked “kaam ko jati kya?”(Do you work?). I smiled and said, “yes”. She enquired what work I did. I plainly replied that I am working in a company as I didn’t want to explain her the software jargons.  She said,”auraton ko apne pairo par khada hona zarurai hai” (Women should stand on their feet). “Mein bhi kaam ku jati” (I too work), were her next words and I saw a glint of pride in her eyes while she spoke.

I grew inquisitive and wanted to know more. I switched off the radio and asked her what and where was she working. She said that she did double duty. Morning she goes as a house keeping staff in a software firm and evening she works as a house help in a software engineer’s house.

Hell breaks loose at our houses if our house helps do not arrive even for a day and here we have a woman who does double duty.

She read my mind and went on to speak her story. Her husband had abandoned her and her 2 children to marry someone else. Since then she has been the sole bread earner of the house. Her two children, a boy and a girl, go to school. She wants them to read well and stand on their feet, especially her daughter and she doesn’t want to leave a stone unturned to accomplish that.

She further added that she gets up early, cooks breakfast and send the kids to school and then leaves for her work. Then comes back and cooks lunch. The kids return from school and she has her meals with them. She then sends them to tuition and leaves for her second work. The kids return from tuition and get busy with their homework and after she returns back, cooks dinner and has a happy meal with her kids and gets ready for the next day’s battle.

The bus was reaching her stop and she got up. She looked at me and waved a Bye. I couldn’t help but say, you are an amazing woman and all she said was “hamare liye dua karna” (pray for us).

The strength of a woman lies in her grit to excel.

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 Published in Deccan Herald on 14th Sept 2020

On grit and determination | Deccan Herald