June 02, 2007

It was raining heavily for the past seven hour. It seemed like storm was about to come and expected to bring destruction not only to properties but also to life. It was the dead of night. No one could be witnessed around the street due to stormy situation and every sensible person had chosen to stay within the safe confinement of the house walls.

They both were also sitting sad in their insecure house. Erum got frightened by the thunder of sky and hid her face in her sad mother’s lap. Her mother consoled her daughter while saying, “Dear don’t make yourself weak … prepare yourself to face it otherwise you’ll never overcome and beat the hard circumstances of life.”

Erum’s eyes broke into tears when she put her head up to face mother, “I was not weak before father died but his death shattered my whole courage.”

Erum’s father was a responsible guardian and labourer, who used to work hard and took great care of his family. Though his pay was too low, they would find happiness in the limited resources as wells. Erum’s attachment to his father knew no boundaries. Her father too loved her a lot. In an accident her father lost his life and that proved to be a shock. A month had passed after his death but Erum and her mother were still suffering from distress.

“If your father were alive he would feel hurt seeing you in this state.” Her mother mustered her courage again that gave Erum some comfort to ease herself up besides her mother.

This poor family was then facing scarcity of food at home. For a few days some sympathetic people used to send food to their house but how long one could take such responsibility. Now Erum and her mother were to manage their life somehow. Her mother put her gloomy feelings aside to carry out important task that needed prior attention.

Erum had studied till class five under the government’s free education scheme and was able to read and write. Her father wanted to educate her daughter as much as possible. Due to financial hindrances it appeared to be impossible, but this desire would repeatedly ring a bell in her mother to do something that paved way for her education. Being uneducated and belonging to underprivileged family she decided to work in rich people’s homes.

After being rejected by several well-off families she continued her struggle optimistically and finally God showed sympathy towards this poor being. A 60-year-old lady trusted them, and hired them to work in her four storey magnificent house. Erum’s Mother would wash clothes and do the utensils while Erum would clean, sweep on floor and help her mother as well. The old lady was a kind hearted person, and paid them well and gave them lunch as well.

After spending a tiring day at work, while returning home both daughter and mother would visit the market to buy something for dinner. After arriving home they would happily have dinner while sitting on the cot and thanked God for His blessings. After having dinner they would chat for a while and some times Erum would chat with her father’s photo.

The old lady, the owner of the house, had nice attitude with them. They were treated as human beings and were paid handsome salary. She had also taken responsibility of Erum’s school fees so that she could continue her education. Circumstances were going in their favour till the old lady was alive. After her death her sons and other family members inherited all the authority of her property. During her life her daughters-in-law would accept whatever decision the old lady would take, and even accepted servants appointed by the old lady.

Now things were in the daughters-in-law’s hands. They were very greedy and unkind women. They stopped paying Erum’s school fee and would call her lazy despite the fact that she did all her work restlessly. Erum would be scolded on one pretext or other. Erum and her mother had no option but to continue working for them at any cost. They had to listen and do what their owner expected of them.

This is not the story of one family. It is life of thousands of underprivileged families that exist in our society. If we see it with depth we will know what a hard life they have to live and even they strive to survive while accepting different behaviours and attitudes.