“ Yet Another Mysore Marriage ”
1-A story inspired from a real incident -
(This story happened in a state called Kerala, a southern province of India , near to the Arab sea . It’s the story of a Muslim girl named Sadia , who was born in a state called Malappuram , a Muslim majority area of Kerala . On the literacy map of India , Kerala stands first with 98% literacy – people there can read and write in there own language called –Malayalam , this was the first state , which has got a total literacy status among the 28 other states of a big country called India . This is a story based own a marriage occurring mainly in poor Muslim families in Kerala, parents who haven’t got enough money for dowry(which is the reward or money given to the bridegroom who is promising to marry their girl ) struggling through out there life to send off their daughters to a decent family , safely !. Lets have look into Sadia’s life and what happened to her during the process so called – the marriage).Sadia was born to Kunjalavi(father) and Beepathu(mother) in 1989 on a full moon night of a Ramdan month , in an average family , young Sadia was fond of Indian classics and literatures available in Malayalam and she was a charismatic baby who caught attention of any visitor to her family by her beautiful smile and attractive speech . She started to raise questions against social and financial imbalance among people in her village, She was always worried about vulnerable living conditions of people nearby, who was not having proper food or shelter . She raised her protest using her pen and some of her good essays started to appear when she was just thirteen ! .
On an award ceremony for a good essay, the minister of the state congratulated her and said to her father –“ Sadia is very creative with a new style of writing , keep tell her to write more “. Kunjalavi responded to that in a different way- “ Writings will not bring money and food also it will not teach how to run a family –Muslim women should know how to feed family !, that’s the first and final thing she should learn !”, he was never interested in her writings or accolades , Sadia have no complaints against him –She was a quite girl !. One day Kunjalavi sold out Sadia’s all old note books and papers used for study with out her knowledge , this made a deep wound in her mind , she missed her favorite diary where she wrote some of her stories and poems –it will never comeback !.2
An year after this incident she started to observe her poems and stories in local weekly and monthly magazines with a pen name “Shyamala”, she was very happy to see her writings again , more over she felt proud to be a writer , during that time her poems and stories attracted public attention, still she was not recognized by any of them- all that people know was -“Shyamala”. During that time a youth club based on the culture and sports decided to give an award for the best poem to Shyamala , Sadia was excited and she have got a chance to recognize the unknown publisher as well. On that day she wake up early and was ready to go to the place where the award function was decided, but Kunjalavi came with a boy, who was handsome and slim and he introduced the boy as Abdul Hameem , who is ready to marry her , that day she have to stay at home and she joined Beepathu for making dishes from chicken and rice with spicy spreading. After the feast, the boy left and he was never heard again !.
During the years she developed a special taste to Journalism and joined for a course at the government college near by for studying English literature and mass communication. She was an active participant of debates, quizzes, cultural programs in the college and worked closely with women’s welfare organizations nearby as part of her internship projects . She was an active orator and script writer, many of her classmates were envy about her in her special talents , she was enjoying her college days .
One day Kunjalavi passed away due to a serious case of Jaundice, she have to return to family to assist her mother and thus came a break to her college days . Beepathu was vey much worried and anxious about Sadia’s marriage and she was thinking during the day and night about her daughter. One morning she found to be no more with Sadia , she died because of long suffering case of Asthma , young Sadia was deserted and she felt no interest to live . After her parents death , there came an assistance from Beepathu’s elder brother who had fight with her all the time when she was alive for the common property inherited from their parents , Sadia was not ready to go with him and she send him back by kindly denying his offer to stay with him . Women’s welfare organization, where Sadia have got some good friends suggested to her to contact with the local government authority to obtain a job. Since she do not have a completed Bachelor degree from university nothing more than a cleaning job of the government job is anticipated. Sadia was ready to do any job to get rid of her loneliness and have an income, she got a negative reply from the board that the post was already filled , what to do next ? , she thought about her future day and night – in her dreams she saw sharp sword falling from the roof top on her head and blood started to leak from the forehead and slowly made her body wet, she wake up and had a look to outside through the window, there was fireflies flying all around outside home and they spread little light of relaxation and hope to her mind as well - now back to sleep !.
The next morning she wake up with a kock on her door– is that a hand of angel ? . She opened the door and saw there stood Mr.Sreekandan, a contractor for building homes . He offerd her a flat smile, she was not well introduced to him before when her parents was alive , Sadia heard some bad stories about him when she was at the college that he was involved in women trafficking to abroad , anyway he was not a good man in the public –that’s all she know .
He started to speak-“ my wife mentioned that if I could do a favor for your livelihood , I agreed with her and I am ready to offer you a job in my brick making factory”. Sadia observed him closely during his speech, he was interested to scan her body in total rather than offering a job . She closed the door against him !.
Kunjahammed, a mediator for marriages occurring in the village was an old time friend of Kunjalavi . He came with a marriage proposal to Sadia .
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He explained ;
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“there is no demand from the bridegroom side , he is a gentle man , the only condition that must be fulfilled is the bride should be below 30 years old –that’s all . The only thing negative in his case was he is 45 years old “- Young Sadia is only nineteen !!.
Ther is no other way opened before her – she said “YES “ .
Some people around the village helped her to arrange a marriage to set up , the bridegroom and a few people arrived on the decided date , young Sadia had a look on her future man, whom she never saw before . She was shocked and dumb ,the man who she saw was in his early seventies with a slender body with fine charcol balck in color!. She started to search Kunjahammed and her eyes couldn’t able to find him . She felt the wrinkles over the bridegrooms face was harder than her house wall made of unshaped bricks , She got cheated !, now she may walk out from this situation , but to where ? who is there to protect her ? . She sat there like a stone , bent and looked down – slowly there came a drop of tear that fall down and shattered on the floors , along with that her dreams to be a journalist as well !, meters away Shoukath Ali, currently a photographer and journalist to a famous local daily and her old time school friend was taking her snaps with out knowing who the girl is for his review on “ The mysore marriage”- the process by which girls are compelled to marry old or ugly man from different states who don’t speak there native language and get deserted and often sexually abused !. Sadly, Sadia is a new member to that group !!.*****
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