Through The Odds.

The contrary Sisters

During the late twentieth century, lived a middle class family in Kolkata. The family had a mother, a father and two beautiful daughters. They lived happily until one day, both the parents died and the daughters were left at the mercy of the relatives.

The girls were like an unwanted abandoned orphaned child for them. Or probably like an unpaid maid rather than a child. When they thought the girls are useless they struggled to lose their custody.

The elder sister was really dear to her mother. She lost her poise when her mother died. Soon she was married - to a good family.. with a good, caring and economically stable husband.. But , she had five sister-in-laws who were no better than a nagging mother-in-law. Plus they lived too close to her home. So in a way, she had six mother-in-laws. She was disheartened and crestfallen with her life. Slowly she started to drift into depression.. soon loosing her sane too.

In the matter of months, life became a to and fro journey for her - home - hospital - home - hospital and the process repeats.

The younger sister, however, learned to accept her parents dead. She completed her Madhyamik in 1980. During the three month holiday, she learned typewriting. She then progressed with her higher secondary. She used to study in the morn and work as a typewriter during the eve - like a par time.

She thus started to earn a living.

Soon, she completed her graduation. Having a degree now, she got a better job. She now worked a full time job.

Within a few months she was transferred to Mumbai - the then Bombay. There she came across a scheme for working people like her.

Bombay provided night colleges for working ladies like her.

She started an MBA course. As soon as she completed it she got a well paid job in a better company - TCS.

After much persuasion she finally got herself transferred back to Kolkata. She applied for a lottery there and the prize won was a nice, tidy apartment.

Things were going good but reality is never "Happily Ever After".

When she went for a regular check up, the doctors said that she may have a retina detachment at any instance. To make it worse for her, there wasn't any symptom to know if someone in being afflicted with it. Its just that, that all of a sudden you go blind to the affected eye and if you don't get an operation within a couple hour then you are permanent blind.

Madhurima , the girl, knowing her health issues started a pre-school training course. Which she completed eventually.

One day when she woke up from sleep she felt a sort of darkness cover her eyes. But she had a busy schedule. She bathed, made her breakfast, packed her lunch, ate her breakfast, reached the office.. but she complained about her glasses the entire day.. she tried to wipe it off too but nothing seemed to work.

When she reached home, she placed her palm on one eye and tried to see with the other.. She realized that her retina was detached, for all she could see with her left one was a pitch black darkness with a thin strip of her environment above and below..

She needed to be operated soon.. rather long back.. but it was night.

She waited till the morning and was finally operated. Lucky was she to be partial blind with that eye.. It was a rarest of the rare cases.

Madhurima, now fifty years old continues to teach little children.

She is a great teacher and a great personality. For like her sister she had no staff to lean on, no one to complain to, no one to complain about.. But contrary to her sister, Madhurima choosed to move on.. to let go.. she didn't really plan anything .. but probably she had a strong survival instinct and keen foresight..

She always took the right decision.