Unhappy women

Just this past week I met two unhappy women. Both aunties; that's what you would call them married women slightly older than you, if you grew up in Bangalore.

Aunty no 1 is from a small town, and moved to Bangalore through marriage and has been miserable ever since. She was previously a neighbour of ours. She came to our house to find out about her husband's salary. She had to know how much he earns in order fight for maintenance for her son in the court. She was distraught at the prospect of losing her teen-aged son to her husband. 14 years since marriage, she had found no happiness at all, not one moment. Her tears made their presence in our small living room every now and then and vaporized into the warmth we extended to her, only to reappear again. From the very beginning her husband has taken sides with his mother and left her alone!

Aunty no 2 also happens to be my masseur. The other day she came home and while I was being massaged to satisfaction, she shed tears from a broken heart. Something was seriously wrong with her husband. After falling in love, she had realized that the man had no job, but she had married him anyway. He had lied to her about a hundred things; his family, his job. The man happily occupied my masseur's mother's home and forgot all about seeking a job. She feeds and clothes the man and works overtime and yet there is no loving word from him at the end of the day. He simply never talks to her. I feared that her tears mixed with the gingely oil, seeping into my body was bringing me bad luck! I decided to invite her home for massages as I often as I could and even recommend her to others who needed it. How little we can do to help others, how much remains to be done!

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