The real Killer

Thirty-four

Payal saw Khushi sitting alone outside and walked upto her. She sat down,putting the cup of tea down. Donot know why she felt so tired today. So she had made a cup of tea for herself and wanted to drink it.

"Khushi,have some tea with me"said Payal and extended the cup to her sister..

Khushi smiled and took a sip. It was soothing.

"Jiji..Being alone and being lonely,do you know the difference?"asked Khushi..

Payal was silent. Something told her, Khushi would answer herself..

"When you are alone,you can find yourself if you try. You can find things you like,you can rediscover yourself. You can smile,you can cry. Yet there would be no one to judge you. You will find your own beauty,your own smile.. But when we are lonely,it means we are forcefully pushed into such conditions. Like we call someone,yet they continue to lie,about being busy. Like we love the people around us,yet all they care is about themselves. And slowly we learn. We learn that we are lonely. We are not in the priority list of the people around us..It's a slow killing process. Out in open,we are caged. Our trust, expectations are to be broken again and again..Jiji,do you know that most women in this world are lonely?"said Khushi still looking at the sky..

"Why do you think so Khushi?"asked Payal. Somehow she wanted to enter her sister's world. She wanted to know what she was thinking..

"Because Jiji.. Women are made like that. When two beings called Male and female were created,one was the giver,other was the reciever. The one who gives,he gives the seed of future,the resources to nurture that seed. Just like a farmer does. Earth is the womb where grains grows. Farmer plough the land,waters it with care. Then he gives seeds. He gives nutrition,water,sees the time and then can only Earth live upto his expectations. He had to protect his field from pests,animals. He has to pay attention to it. Similar are women. They grow up,their instict is like that. They know how to make a house home. They might be in pain,still they try their best to make everyone happy. It's so instictive Jiji. Like giving care,taking care of things,relations is their nature. They hold the future in their embrace. They give birth,they built nest out of the bricks and sand and soil. They feed,take care. Men work hard,to give them that space,where they can live a happy, healthy life. Where the future grows and present flourishes. It's not like our goal is only the future. Truely life is about today. Jiji,women are not different than men. Yes their body is little weak due to somethings. Yet they too have the same brain,same heart,arm and legs. Yet they have something more. An womb. A heart of a caregiver. A home. These creatures are walking,moving homes Jiji. And we often destroy our own homes,in our own hands. We kill that nurturer in her,from early childhood. We laugh,mock,when a girl plays with her doll,trying to follow her instict. We laugh when she plays toys and makes tea with sand..We donot understand,we are killing the person who should be there to be an embrace for her father,her brother,her husband and her children. We are making them see,that what they like doing is not a natural process but a servitude. We have made the most pious feelings into a slavery. How,where it came from,I donot know Jiji.. But why should one who lives by heart,use mind?"said Khushi..

Payal was silent. Still she was trying to understand..

Khushi knew there were many things more. What she said was just a basic understanding. There are exceptions. Everyone has a nurturer in them.. Still donot know why,she was suffocating,watching her buaji.. No matter how loud the old lady was,she was broken..