Is this really a FATE !!!

Last evening as I entered home, I saw my mother in deep conversation with our part time cook. She was withdrawing her 11 year old daughter, Ruby, from school. My mom was trying her best to talk her out of it.

At the root of all her problems is her husband who is unemployed, and has no intention of earning a living. He takes away most of her earnings too (after having sold away all her jewellery). He is addicted to liquor and gambling. Any attempt not to give him money or stop him in any other manner results in her getting beaten up badly. As if this wasn’t enough, she often had to pay the local “thana” when he got arrested.

To earn more, she will be taking up jobs in the mornings as well (until now she works only in the evening) and her daughter will have to stay back to take charge of the house and younger siblings. So, school is out for the little girl (just because an irresponsible drunkard happens to be her father).

Unable to hold myself back, I asked her why she doesn’t just kick him out of her house and her life. Her answer stunned me… she said living with two daughters (she has 4 children in all) in a basti is very unsafe. As long as there is a man in the house, others will not try to mess up with them. It’s this “majboori” that makes her put up with everything...its her "fate" and she has accepted it.I had no answers or solutions to offer.

It also made me realize how lucky I was. All the things in my life which spelt “security” came from my parents. I never ever thought, in all my life, that I would be denied any opportunity to move ahead in the direction I chose. Yes, there have been many times when we disagreed and whatever may have transpired amongst us, they always stood by me (of course there were limits set, which I do not stretch, or need to). They were always a buffer between us siblings and the world at large. Isn’t it strange the things that form the strongest anchor of our lives are the very ones we take for granted?

I do not know much about karma to say that my actions in my previous birth contributed to all that I have today. But, I do know that there is God above who has crafted my destiny in a manner that has saved me from much pain. I just want to say “THANK YOU GOD”