Sumaiya Swati Udita
Life is an examination hall where each and every candidate has a different question paper. We all get caught red-handed if we try to cheat or lose the chance of gaining some marks if we answer the questions wrong. If we write a completely different answer than the question, we get different types of consequences and aftermaths. Most importantly, the questions are so complex at times that if we prepare ourselves for writing direct answers, we get blown away, although we do not really express it so that fear cannot overpower us. The only thing we do is regret after the examination -“if only…”
If only what?
I have a lot of experiences in my life, more or less, like everyone. But I can mention one thing about me which is I am a prematurely experienced girl. My question papers have been so tough that I thought I would faint at times. This is an experience I had in my life. And it happened only a year ago.
It was the month of September. We were sick and tired of the crisis of a helping hand. The last one that stayed with us for 18 months, betrayed us, and the traitor did not come back. So on the fifth of September, the gateman called us on our intercom and said, “A woman has come, do you not own the Blue Wagon R, Madame?” My mother held the phone. With a smile, she said, “Yes, we do. Please bring them up.” In a fit of joy, she hugged me and narrated the whole thing for us who couldn’t hear the other side of the phone. I was a bit startled wondering why a maid would know us by our car. Who would send that woman? I thought maybe my aunt had sent her, as she talked with my mother last evening regarding this issue.
The doorbell rang and when mother opened the door, we were all having our dinner. I saw two ladies entering; one was elderly and the other, middle-aged. I felt very suspicious of their appearance; I felt that they made-up themselves as helping hands by wearing torn sarees and all. But my mother, the most credulous creature God has ever created, talked with them in an abasing manner. She was wearing a gold chain with an amethyst set for its locket. The old lady approached and directly touched my mother’s neck out of nowhere, saying that she came to the right house. Still my mother did not suspect anything from such an objectionable action!
After a long conversation and exchanging nothings, the lady handed over the other younger woman and introduced herself as her own sister. Ma sat down to talk with her while the lady said that she had a son and a daughter and then changed her remark almost in the same breath saying she had two sons! Is it not weird? At one point I took mother aside and suggested not to keep her, after her such replies.
Then, for the next two days, I noticed some peculiar actions of “the helping hand.” Firstly, she used to pull the veil of her saree over her face so that we could not see her. Secondly, she used to keep the lights off in the evening. Thirdly, she followed our movements and frequently looked at the clock. The last but not the least and rather very important, she used to cook a lot of things from which I could smell medicinal products like insecticides or pesticides! She also seemed highly enthusiastic in preparing my tiffin, the only thing which my mother did not allow her to do.
On the third day, while studying with my tutor in the evening, we both could smell insecticides, something mustard-y and raw banana. But we both kept silent and went on reading. Then at dinner time, the smell kicked my nose, so I tried to avoid eating both of the steamed foods. At that time, my mother also smelled something. But the way the lady tried to convince us to eat those that we did not dare to leave the food whereas my brother and my father wanted to throw out a stupendous party, being impressed by the taste!
After that as usual I was arranging my school routine when all of a sudden, I felt very dizzy. When I told it to my mom, I felt myself speaking in the voice of a drunkard; she reproved my complaint, which she never thought of doing before. Then, my brother wanted to go downstairs, but the woman came out of nowhere and deterred him from doing that. As a habit, my father kept on watching the TV, along with my mother while she was also checking exam scripts.
Then when my mother and I went to sleep, suddenly the lady came out of nowhere and started massaging our heads. She waited till we fell asleep. In the middle of the night, I woke up and saw something like the woman wearing my mother’s gold jewelry. But I did not know if I was hallucinating or just simply dreaming, and so went back to sleep again.
For the next 36 hours we were left unconscious and in such dreadful condition, my mother called our relatives, especially her sister, her brother-in-law and her brother as the three of them were doctors. Also, our neighbors crowded around our house among which there was a couple both of whom happened to be doctors. I still remember how I cried, lamented and vomited my intestines mostly out of remorse whereas the others were made to vomit. We were clear of one thing, that the “helping hand” drugged us and took away all our jewelries which my mother bought with her wages and payments she got as an honest teacher, checking piles of exam scripts.
If only I was a bit more convincing, this accident could never have taken place. I shall always be contrite for this. But now that it has happened, I actually count it as an incident because I discovered the inner me- a candid and brave girl, for whom life has become both easy and tough. I am more sure of my decisions and ever grateful to God.