Oh, how she wishes!

She was born with the fate they chose for her. Unwanted, undesired, a regret she was called. An extra mouth to feed, an extra physique to cover and an extra human being in the world she was detested. Her own mother was not much fond of her as much she cherishes her sons, let alone other members in the family, the society she was brought up in.

To her childhood and her young, she was seen as an alien or some peculiar being. The eyes not so comforting, the words not so refreshing, being treated as she doesn’t belong to the very own pack she was born. She questions her existence, her purpose and the one that actually made the mind to create her kind. She wanted to rebel, didn’t know how, if she actually can or it’s just some illusion somehow. By now she’s gathered some courage, her folks decided her to some other as a helpmate. She feels helpless other than to say yes, she prays to God to put her at ease.

She is in the bed, that’s not hers but technically it is now. She was told whatever they own is each other’s now. As she is married to a man she barely knows, she has fear in her eyes, the smudged Kohl she hides and screams inside. A man enters the room, locks the door from inside, he then starts to move towards her and sits in that bed. The force applied to her sister she couldn’t forget, one life already taken she didn’t want to add up. This is a different man she thought, be him different God, she prayed. As she slowly closes her eyes, he tells her likewise. That he is no animal but a man and love matter to him more than a forced pleasure. The respect she deserves will be provided, her pride and dignity shall be protected and she will not be chained. Tears flow down her eyes she wished the mentality was given to each one of them.

There she is returning home from work, it’s late at night and she is alone. As she walks by the empty road with the little ray of light coming from that pole. The dogs are barking aloud and she prays that she be not the prey this time. A car comes from afar, slowly approaching her and stops right next to where she stands. As she increases the pace of her walk, the car again changes the gear and lands near her. The process is repeated a couple of times by now and she is frightened to her soul. She slowly closes her eyes and the car window opens likewise. A lady there in the driver’s seat smiles and her man beside tells her to calm down and offered her a lift to her home where she belonged. She thanked God for this time and wished the world be like this always.

Upon her reaching the home, she unlocks the door. There are people in the living room watching TV and talking. As she walks inside, a minute of pause, the eyes gaze her and she couldn’t utter a word. She wished not this time she couldn’t answer the question her in-laws would fire as her parents did before. Why you so late? Do you even care about the dignity we have in society? You will be called characterless, and who would marry you? We cannot take care of you till old, go find yourself a groom. The questions that shattered her confidence and doubted her worth. She slowly closes her eyes, her mother in law stands likewise. The mother softly approaches her and tells her to freshen up. As they waited for her to arrive so that they could share the fair share of the fish Mr Husband cooked for his wife. She smiles in relief and wished everyone’s evening be like this.

She is in her labor, this time in the hospital and everyone waiting outside to see the child. She is worried and struggling. Can say that she is multitasking with her mind. On one hand, she wants the child to come to this world and see the beauty, but she fears what if it’s a girl and her family disown her. The child is her life but she is not sure if the family wants it right. As the child was pulled out, it’s a girl the doctor shouted. She was immensely happy and worried as she slowly passed out. There were giggles all around, people were laughing and the child in the lap of the father’s arm. I want to name her Laxmi, he said. She brings joy and the fortune to the family they added. Her motherhood was finally relaxing as she no longer had to choose between her daughter and her family. She saw her for the first time then and wished everyone would welcome daughters the same.

She wished she was no more a hot topic or not even a topic at all. The guys in her society, in college or at work would stop objectifying her. Her parents would include her to the family discussions as well. She would finally get to say what she feels about her career, future and more. she was also given the same priority as her brothers and the privileges they get she could experience for once. She was praised the same as he gets upon the achievement of the teamwork. The assignment, the projects and the chores she wished would be distributed equally. For the things she knows better, he wouldn’t feel humiliated to commit his mistake. No matter who earns what, the piece of paper wouldn’t affect their relationship at all. She wishes a world more of a harmony, symphony where they play and sing with the same pitch and lyrics.