Start a New Life with a Single Step
March 11, 2015 3 Comments

A Single step of a man, was a giant leap for mankind.

Could not agree less with this statement that Neil Armstrong made post his historical trip to Moon. His words have made huge impact on generations that came and will keep making impact to the upcoming generation as well. And Nina was no exception.

Nina was this little girl from small town who wanted to make her mark on the world. She was 12 year old daughter of my house maid Basanti Mai. Nina, unlike her mom did not wanted to end up being a house maid but she had dreams in her eyes. She wanted to study and become something, someday. Yes, that is what she told me when I asked her what is her aim in the life. She said- Didi, I am not sure what is aim and how to achieve it. All I know is that I do not want to step in shoes of my mother and do the house work. Rather I want to work hard and become "Something", someday.

I asked her what is that "something" she wants to become. As it would be a vague aim and given an inclination, right approach could be taken in the right direction. So she said that she wanted to work in an office wherein the people would say "Good morning madam" whenever she enters the office. So you want to be Politician? I asked. She said no but she wants to be a simple officer but do not know what officer. May be like the one "saheb" and all are. And she would soon figure out.

Nina was studious girl and was keen on her education. She would often look at my books with an undefined curiosity and ask questions about them. Given her curiosity, I picked my old school books and gave it to her for reading. She would diligently read them all and share her queries on it with me. One day I needed to go to bank for some transaction and I took her for company. It is then she decided, she wants to be a bank officer someday. I was happy that she finally found her calling.

Well life is not as rosy as we think. Nina belonged to a poor family. Her father was a drunkyard who would often beat her mother for money. One night, we were woken up with some screeching noise at the backyard. I realized it was her father who was having another brawl with her mother. I could not stop myself but reached to my window to get the details. It was Nina who getting beaten up by her father. He was so thwarted for money that he decided to marry his young teenage daughter to an elderly man against some money exchange. I could not stop myself and rushed out. My mother got worried and tried to stop me but seeing the situation, she could not help stepping out.

"Stay out from this memsahib, it is my matter, my personal matter and I shall deal with it" the man screamed. He then reached out to a big wood log to hit his wife. I do not know what inspired me that moment and rushed ahead and pushed that man behind. He was drunk and he fell down on uneven ground. My mom took the log in hand and asked him to move out of our premises or we will call the police. The man murmured something amounting to separation with Nina and his mother for lifetime and rushed out.

Nina's mother broke down and pleaded my mother to bring him back. She said, she will be broken without a man in her life. We consoled her and Nina and told her how her husband did no good to them but was mere a namesake "stamp" and how she needs to hold her life from there and step ahead.

Good sense prevailed. Nina and her mother vowed to start their life afresh, Her husband left them and married some other woman. His access was denied to our premises and nor did he bothered to disturb Nina and her mother again. Nina with a little help from us, pursued her studies and sat for bank PO. Today is working as a "cashier" in a good government level bank and working for her PhD. Her mother need not have to do the dishes at other's home anymore. She thanked my mother profusely for her guidance and support.

You must be wondering that how this brought "a change in my life". Well Let me tell you that when we move ahead and do something good for someone else, it brings back a lot of good yield to us. Here's how this brought a change to my life-

1) I was quite a timid girl but with that incidence, I realized my potential and rather my strength to give back to a bully and not feel threatened.

2) The whole instance made me stronger to voice my opinions against something that was socially not acceptable. Nina' father's attitude was unacceptable and had many a times caused me agony over their plights. I saw the woman bruised several times but could not gather courage to confront. That moment, I could gain the power of "confrontation".

3) Helping Nina was like helping self. My friends admonished me for not spending much time with them but with my maid. I could not explain them the joy it brought to me.

4) I learnt to voice my opinion towards attaining results.

What more do we need but such little motivations and baby steps at a time to bring "big" changes in our life.