Behind the bars

The day I opened my eyes, this world welcomed me with open arms. Initially, I liked only the lady who kept me in her womb. Later, I learnt that she only got me here. Slowly, I started loving all the people at my home. Then I grew up a little and it was time to attend school. I could not understand why my father was so stressed. He was a rickshaw puller and earned well. We ate twice a day, however sometimes my mother did not eat and we ate all the food. At last, my school started. For a few days, I could not see any teacher but sometimes I got food to eat in the recess.

As the years passed, I started learning that we were a poor family. I was not supposed to demand any toys or new clothes. I felt very bad but I had no choice. My tears only made my mother sad but she could not get me my demands. Eventually, I stopped asking for anything. Somehow, I could not do too well in academics. Reasons could be figured out easily. I never bought books and teachers hardly came to school. In any case, nobody even cared at home. They only wanted me to finish the school education.

After finishing the school, I had somewhere built up this dream that I will at least enroll for graduation. The blow to my dreams came the day I confided this to my mother. The reasons she gave were emotional and financial. We could not afford any kind of investment on my education plus it was time that I was supposed to play a pivotal role in terms of supporting my family financially.

I started working as a sales boy and tried to earn to my fullest capacity. Somehow no matter how much I earned, it always appeared meagre. At times I felt very unfortunate and frustrated about our financial situation. I did whatever I could but things were never improved, sometimes my father’s illness, sometimes my mother’s pain. There was no end to the need for more funds. And one fine day, one more addition popped up. My family wanted me to get married.

I was already imprisoned in the cage of poverty and now, one more shrinkage in that cell. It was a difficult life behind bars where you can’t dream, you can’t expect too much out of life, you never dare to think of future because you are so busy thinking about supper. My marriage left my family in debt and added one more mouth to feed. I felt so irritated and messed up that I could not even enjoy the marital life.

AND NOW LIFE HAS TAKEN ONE MORE STEP

Today, I have become the father of a baby girl. I am not sure whether I should welcome the angel or start working harder to save her from the ordeal I am facing. I feel so helpless at this point of time that I can’t think of a way out of this pathetic life. And there are millions others who are facing harder situations in life. I wish a miracle which helps all of us to feed our family, and educate our children so that they do not hesitate to dream.