After that, we all went back to our business. I got admission to one of the known B-Schools. Disha also got a good start and from then, there was no looking back for her. Her works were appreciated all over the places where she went. Meanwhile, someone advised her about giving an exam and that she had very good chances of getting through that. That was a national level exam and people selected in that were given an opportunity to go abroad for a special course and project on the environmental studies. She grabbed this opportunity with both hands and went out to be one of the 5 people from all over the country and the only one from her zone to get selected.
She had to go abroad, for studies for a year. But, before she was leaving, her Dad’s health started deteriorating. Disha made up her mind to drop the opportunity she had got. But, her father had different ideas in his mind. He always supported Disha in whatever she did, and wanted her to beat all the odds and prove this world, what can a determined girl do and go far beyond a guy. He insisted rather forced her to go, and wanted her to work as hard as possible and give her best contribution to this world as an environmentalist. He promised her that he himself will come to receive her at airport, when she would come on vacations. She loved her dad more than anybody else in this world, but didn’t want to ruin the beauty of the dream he saw and the brightness in his eyes when he said so. So, she decided to go, for her Dad, for that dream he saw.
She was doing very well there, and used to tell each and every incident to her Dad on phone. Unfortunately, her dad’s condition started deteriorating day-by-day. But, he didn’t let her know, nor did he allow anyone else in her family to tell Disha about this. And then after long days of weakness, he passed away. Disha was thunder-struck on hearing this news. She couldn’t believe that her dad whom she talked just 15 mins back (he sounded perfectly fine) had passed away. She took the next flight available and came back. She just could not contain herself and had been crying all along her way back. She didn’t had anything on her way to home, and after reaching home, everything just seemed to have stood still. She kept on screaming that her dad broke his promise of coming to airport to receive her. We all ourselves became infelicitous, seeing Disha shattered like this.
Then came, the most important time in her life to decide what to do after that . That was the most difficult time for any person and so was for her. It was really hard for her to take any step further. Then, I remember her mom saying 'Disha, its a big time for all of us. This all happened so fast that we just couldn't get time to think what to do and what not.'
'But mom, how could you people not tell me about dad's condition so serious.'
'Your dad did not want any of of us to do so. He stopped us.'
'Beta, I would not like to force you on anything. Its your and only your decision where to go from this point. But one thing that I would certainly mention that, your dad was so very optimistic about your future that he used to tell everyone around about you and what change you can bring about, he wanted to show to this world that he gave her daughter freedom to pursue her dream and she never let him down.'
We talked to Disha after that. Though it was not possible for any of us to feel what all she was going through, but then we tried to explain her that, ‘Even just 15 mins before he passed away, your dad didn’t let you know about all this, what strength he had, one couldn’t even dare to imagine. He loved you so much and wanted you to reach the zenith of success, how could you stop? You have to go ahead, you can't stop, atleast being his daughter you can't.’
She also thought that after what all happened if her mother had so much courage to say so, then she would also face what all life had kept infront of her with all the strength. She got ready once again and went back. This was what a women having undergone through so much, can do, I wondered how… how could any person give-up after any little failure.
Its not just for Disha, in a country where a mother sends her son to battlefield with a smile, knowing that he might not even come back. A woman who lost her husband (fighting terrorists) at such a stage of life, that after which she might have to face so many difficulties to bring up her children all alone, had the courage to say ‘He died for the country and I’m proud of him, we’ll manage somehow’. How could anyone say that women lack strength. And how could any person use violence against them, saying they do not respect our cultures when they go out with some friends to enjoy some beautiful moments of life? Did our culture and traditions allow us to hit women, drag them on the road pretending to be a 'guardian' of our cultures and traditions (and all similar bull-shit)?
Things were changing now, and parents like Disha's were facilitating this change. Now its high time for people to realize that women are to be respected and be proud of and not someone to show their strength upon.
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