Greatness – Anumitha Sathish
Radha Das has the keenest black eyes and curly locks of hair. Her features are sharp and tender, unlike those of most of her family members, whose physical features are not as unique as hers. Her intelligence and ardent pursuit of knowledge are often highly judged by the people surrounding her. This is because navigating a patriarchal society will be the biggest challenge of her life.
Her family's desire is to marry her to a rich man. Her devotion to poetry and art has made her family feel that she is not worth having as a member of the household. Yet they did consider her concerns about the bridegroom she desired. She has a pessimistic attitude towards men. When she was young, during a Christmas celebration to which many people were invited, she was locked in a room with an elderly man. She hid herself under the table and ran around the room to protect her chastity. However, by divine grace, the children saved her by informing her parents about the incident. Still, her family did not take any serious action regarding the matter, as their only aim was to get her married as early as possible.
As per her family's wishes, she married a city man so that she could pursue her passion for literature. He would read several books to her and introduce her to several great artists. She did not fall in love with him but saw him as a means of educating herself with his help. Meanwhile, his desire to marry a pretty girl like her was also fulfilled. Her trauma had influenced her decision to have children. However, her unwillingness to have children reduced his affection towards her. He would only eat the food cooked by her and spend the rest of his time wandering around with his friends. His character underwent a complete transformation. He was no longer the man of literature but had become a spendthrift who was selfish about his own needs.
Within just a few years, her husband passed away, giving her a pathway to live without social restrictions. She had been expected to be a good wife. He did love her, but that did not satisfy her soul. He did look at her with love sometimes. Yet her desires were restricted by the man she had married. When he died, she said, "Let your soul find peace, as you bestowed upon me a pathway to achieve my dreams." She could only think about literature, and her friend would mock her.
"It is you who are selfish for not living a life with a man as handsome as him. If I were in your place, I would consider all my desires fulfilled with the amount of money and privileges you have as a rich woman with him."
She did consider herself fortunate, as she could buy several books with her wealth. She could also mingle with great literary figures through the course of destiny.
When You Surpass Your Ideologies
Radha met a young poet who was devoted to literature. He possessed a radiance and charm that could only be achieved through penance. This penance was directed towards the art of writing. "I have met several men of your kind, but none with the desire to pursue literature," she said.
Soon, she developed a distinct attraction towards him. She looked at his face, with its round, dove-like eyes and straight hair parted in the middle. He would spend his time in isolation, making great efforts to imbibe the essence of writing and poetry. He believed that poetry should come from a deep desire to write, regardless of the circumstances. "A person must write from the soul of their life, with the deepest yearning to withstand the neglect of society and still continue to write."
The best way to write poetry is in the presence of nature rather than amid the bustling city life that could suffocate an individual with the choking smoke. As the fresh air touches the skin, the words and the depth of life begin to be expressed through the magic of words and interpretations that could take several forms.
Radha Das had come from such an isolated environment in city society. There was a great man who believed that poetry could reach its highest form when we lived amidst the beauty of the universe in a village. However, she could not understand how being surrounded by agricultural enthusiasts could bring meaning to life. Nevertheless, she did realise the simplicity of their living, which validated the pleasure of trees and scenery as creations of God. Meanwhile, the bustling city spoke an eloquent language and an accent of perfection but failed to understand the essence of their speech. It was merely a resemblance of imitation. This was while criticising great people for not living an ordinary life like theirs, even though their role was to illuminate the themes of life.
She would spend time discussing art, and she realised a great change in herself. This was because her expertise had developed to the greatest heights. As a wise and famous man once said, "You acquire certain skills simply by being in the presence of the kind of people you socialise with."
Her narration and writing had achieved excellence, which could strike the hearts of anyone living in this world. She would also translate several literary works into English, which helped her describe even the simplest ideas that could emerge from a person's imagination. The same applied to her creative writing, which, along with formal education, helped her reach a level of writing and speech that almost all children aspired to achieve.
The literary poet and Radha Das were good friends, even though there were rumours suggesting that they were in a romantic relationship. However, she despised the fact that her popularity depended on her interactions with people rather than on her achievements and way of living. This had scarred her life in the most unimaginable manner possible.
Her desire was not to achieve fame, and some even considered her characterless for spending time with men. She used to wonder why there were not many female writers who could inspire the whole world. She also asked several men this question, but none of them had an answer. Perhaps they simply did not want to put aside their egos as men.
Soon, she realised that women wrote their works under male pen names so that their ideas could influence the society in which they lived. This broke her heart, as she desired recognition for women as well. However, the world was so cruel to them.
"Well, can only one person create a change?" she thought to herself.
But the poet looked at her with keen eyes and affection. The more time he spent with her, the more he began to feel addicted to her. He admired her pleasing brown skin, dark black eyes and thin, well-structured lips. Of course, she did not consider it love, as her friends insisted that his usually kind behaviour was a sign of love.
One bright day, the man knelt down with a bouquet of differently coloured flowers. He looked into her eyes and said that the red rose was what lovers bought for their beloved. "I wish to give you this bouquet, in which every colour blends into the magic of your beauty and expresses my deep desire to marry you. These colourful flowers represent my imagination of life with you."
"I do not know why you always felt that way. I never had any feelings for you. It is not fair to fall in love with me despite knowing everything about me. I do not have the heart to trust anyone. I am only living this life to have a sense of freedom and do what I love," she said.
As she left him, his eyes filled with tears, and he moved away so that no one would notice. He was left alone and deserted, not only by his love but also by all his acquaintances. He was a man of poetry, someone with whom no ordinary mortal could have a relationship. At least, that was what he believed. If he had remained her friend, he would have had the chance to be a part of her life. Now, he would not even be able to face her any longer.
The people who knew him mocked him as well. They wondered how a man so much older than this young woman could ever become attracted to her. A honeybee sucks the nectar of different beautiful flowers to nourish itself. Similarly, a young lady could remain in relationships with different handsome men. They wondered why his fate had led him to fall in love with a woman like her.
He also regretted proposing to her without considering the consequences or her aspirations in life.
An Addiction Towards a Forbidden Love
Once, Radha Das had to visit her wealthy sibling in the city. She packed food for him to take care of him. She entered the room while the man was lying down in the most casual manner imaginable. She felt an unexplainable stillness of mind upon seeing him. She was drawn towards his masculine features. She also had a bouquet for him. Her aunt had instructed her to take it as a request for her son, who was seriously ill and could hardly recover on his own without any assistance.
In this society, consanguineous marriage still prevailed as a means of keeping money within the family and securing their daughter's life with a trustworthy person. However, she had to resist her attraction. The more she ignored him, the more she yearned to stay with him. She was not interested in marriage, contrary to the misconception held by the general family based on the behaviour they observed around him. However, Radha Das's parents firmly believed that this woman would never trust a man.
Moreover, with the modern development of science, it is believed that a recessive gene could dominate in such a marriage, making it risky. A child born from such a marriage may suffer from several problems. This custom is born out of sheer selfishness, and Radha Das, as a poetess, opposes it as well. However, the older generation seeks ways to unite both of them through marriage. Their desire is to preserve the tradition, which is gradually disappearing because of modernity among the youngsters.
Thus, forbidden love is still prevalent in remote corners of downtrodden communities, while caste issues arising from love marriages are also avoided through this means of marriage within the kinship of family members.
However, among wealthy families, this tradition no longer exists, with education serving as a means of progress.
Radha Das had to visit her sibling for almost three months, and he recovered well. The moment she realised that her most favourite well-wisher might not behave with her in the same affectionate manner, rumours about their relationship had already begun spreading in the village. She usually froze in his presence because of the pressure from her parents to make him the son-in-law of the family.
Luckily, she was the only person who had completed her studies by attending college. Her knowledge regarding such matters led her to disagree with the proposal. However, her sibling did not oppose her views, as he had been fond of her since their childhood days, when they enjoyed playing together. There is a saying in the village: "A young mind can be shaped by social norms if they are enforced from the day of birth on this planet Earth."
She immediately rushed home after taking care of him. However, she was considered to be in love with him because of her daily visits. "Such is the nature of this society that assumes everything it sees."
She scolded her parents for revealing everything that happened within the family to strangers who were unknown to her.
However, he had always been an amazing person to her and had managed to assist her in every possible way.
As a poet, she began to expose these useless traditions to the society in which she lived. Meanwhile, her sibling helped her repay her debt as a gesture of gratitude for her selfless nature in taking care of him, even when the people dearest to him could not manage to look after him when he needed them the most. Such is the world that gives you the most valuable things when you serve the society in which we live as human beings with the ability to discriminate between things.
When a Woman Achieves the Height
Several years passed, and Radha Das continued to live the life of a poet. She lived in isolation from a society that considered marriage to be the only goal that made her life worthwhile. Strangers would tell her that she was too arrogant and that her behaviour was ruining her life. She taught students who were not born with privileges, and her life journey remained unknown even to her family. She once visited the place where she was born and was surrounded by all her acquaintances.
Her behaviour was condemned by the people, who threw stones at her for delving into controversial topics. It was raining heavily as tears flooded from her eyes. The women who had once praised her had turned against her. The people with whom she had been in relationships did not come forward to protect her. Everyone seemed to disappear as her family abandoned her for not listening to them. Meanwhile, certain people were watching her from the terrace as though she were a spectacle about to unfold. The women on the terrace were looking at her as an unrecognisable person. Yet it was for them that she had fought against society.
The people had forgotten the day they had thrown flowers to welcome her because she had become famous. She could have even accompanied them to the space and provided them with their sensory allurements. But now, her tragedy was seen as a source of enjoyment, even though it could hurt her heart. Not a single mortal protested against this unfortunate and cruel action.
Her relationships with men and her family had served no purpose. It seemed as though all the people she loved were taking revenge on her through their silence.
She recalled all the beautiful moments of her life as she closed her eyes tightly.
She had travelled to several places with the money she earned from her writing and work as a preacher, as her only goal was to enlighten as many people as possible.
Once, a young girl asked, "Should a woman require a man to achieve her desires?"
She replied, "Not really. If you have a desire, be determined about it, and the universe will manifest it for you."
"But my mother tells me that family is the most important part of a woman's life and that it has to be celebrated."
"Each woman is unique in her own way. While someone's dream is to marry and have children, another woman might like to spend her life investing only in herself. The progress of everyone is different, based on their skills and capabilities. But it is important never to sacrifice something that matters more to you than life itself."
She wondered whether she should forgive these people, just as Jesus Christ thought about their well-being and considered them eligible for forgiveness. For some reason, she could understand the pain of Christ: the disciple who betrayed him and the world that was jealous of his popularity. However, she did not consider her situation equivalent to his. For once in her life, she decided to be like him and smiled in forgiveness at all of them, as she had been raised to do.
She wanted many people to be inspired by her literary works, to look towards the future with hope, and to contribute to the advancement of the world, rather than expecting an immediate change in people's minds regarding women's desires.
