Short Story- Escape, Shackles of a Reputed Family

Sitara was born in Delhi in year 1997. She did her schooling from RamManohar Public School. Fifteen years from her birth, her mother was diagnosed with a deadly disease. Sitara was told that her mother's lungs were shrinking and she was left with only one year of her life. Sitara's heart broke when she received this news. She could not stop her tears from flowing down her cheeks.

Sitara's elder brother, Kashi, was three years elder to her. They were in same school. By this time, Sitara was transformed into a teenage girl, having a lean figure and fair toned skin.She was healthy and cheerful. Kashi also had good physique.

Days passed and Sitara continued to pray for her mother. One day her mother's condition worsened and she was taken to the hospital. She got admitted and survived for three more days. Sitara prayed and doctors tried their best but her mother could not be saved.

Days passed but Sitara's grief did not end. Sitara's father was a drunkard and her brother never tried to soothe her.

Days passed and Sitara's school days got over. She scored 69% in her high school exams. She went to her father to share this news with him and to talk about her future plans. She wanted to become a teacher. Her eyes were filled with dreams and that was the first time she was smiling after her mother's demise. She hugged her father but to her shock her father pushed her away and gave her a tight slap. He scolded her for planning a future and showed her the way to the kitchen.

Sitara was astonished and she cried silently in her room. She was waiting for her brother in the hope that he would help her. She heard the doorbell in the evening and ran to open the door. It was her brother. She started crying on seeing him and told him everything. She was calmed a bit by the thought that her brother was going to help her. But Sitara was shocked when her brother started laughing. "Father have already showed you your place, go and get me some food, I am hungry", Kashi said. She followed the order.

Days passed and Sitara's dreams died. She stopped dreaming and planning her future. Sometimes she thought "My life would be better if mother was here". Her days started in kitchen and ended in kitchen. She was not very good at cooking, because of which she used to receive physical and verbal abuses from her father and brother. Her daily routine was cooking, cleaning and washing clothes.

One day she fell ill. One neighbor took her to the doctor and she was told that she was suffering from jaundice. She became too weak to cook. Her father and Kashi did not get food that evening and lost their cool. They went to her room and started hitting her. They threw abuses at her and dragged her to kitchen to cook something. Sitara could not tolerate this and fainted. She became weak day-by-day as she did not receive proper care and treatment. One day, she decided to run away. She decided to escape from those shackles. Her father and Kashi went out for some work and she got up and took a taxi and asked the driver to take her to Mata Matangi Mandir. She reached their and rested for a while and then headed to Baba Sai Mandir.

On reaching home, her father searched every corner but could not find her. Suddenly a thought came to his mind and he ran to check the footage of the camera installed outside their house. From that he found the taxi number. He searched for that taxi. Entire village got this news and started searching for Sitara.

After few hours, Suku came and told her father that he saw Sitara outside Baba Sai Mandir. Suku lived in the same village and knew Sitara and her family very well. Village people rushed to get her and they found her sitting on the stairs outside the temple. She was brought back home.

Sitara was caught again in that cage made by her father. She had no other option but to live with her father and her brother. A neighbor, Lala Ram saw all this. He observed Sitara and found that she was very sick and weak. He talked to her father but her father's behavior towards her daughter was known to every person in the village. So Lala Ram scolded him and said "Take your daughter to the hospital else I will call the police". Threatened by this, he took Sitara to hospital.

But nothing changed in her life. One day, she ran away and was caught again.

She made two attempts to free herself but all in vain. But one thing I'm sure about is that she has made her mind to run away and to take charge of her life in her own hands. She will keep trying and I pray that she gets success.

Let's see what happens next. She is now full of courage and self awareness.

Will she ever get success in her attempts to free herself? Will she ever be able to live her dreams? His father believes that his family has a reputation in the village and if he sets Sitara free, this act will demean him and his family. This so-called reputation is killing Sitara day-by-day. This reputation has killed everything. It killed her charm,her cheerfulness,her dreams. Now, if all this continues, then one day Sitara will also get killed by this reputation. Reputation of her family, her father and her brother, all are her culprits. All three are spoiling her life. Their is still some hope left. That neighbor who scolded her father is a hope for Sitara. He can take actions against all this. This entire village can help Sitara build a beautiful life. Sitara is trying to help herself. She has already taken the first step. Now her neighbors and society must help her to take the next step. Her freedom is only one step away from her.