Shouts of AIDS

This story is heart throbbing as well as inspirational for all humans.

This will really stir up to people.

I just entered to my uncle’s house located in satellite colony of city. In the courtyard of my uncle’s neighborhood, a woman was crying with deep sorrow.  I felt restless therefore I asked to my uncle why she was crying. Uncle said, my son, please ignore it. It is a daily affair. I could not continued conversation as my uncle was least interested in discussing about that woman. Till mid night, I heard her tear-jerking sound. I did not know when I slept. In next morning, I woke up at 6.00 AM. I again heard the cries of woman. At that time, I felt some one was brutally beating her. I was very upset. I decided to talk on this issue with uncle because it is inhuman and against law to torture a woman. When I again asked the uncle about that woman, he didn’t take it seriously then I told him that there are strict laws for domestic violence and my friend is well established lawyer.  Ultimately I convinced him to open that issue. He disclosed the truth which was not easily digestible. Woman, Leela, was bahu of that house and she was suffering from STD like disease. Instead of providing treatment, her in-laws kept her separately and charged that she had illegal relationship with the person of her village and she was suffering from AIDS through him. Her husband, Bholla, did not have any physical relationship with her due to her loose character. She was considered as a stigma for that family that’s why she was being punished daily for her act. My uncle further added that all the villagers knew that woman had good character and she was very kind and cooperative but it was their internal affair therefore nobody came forward to shield Leela. Even her maternal relatives left her to live in this hell. I was surprised how parents could react in this manner. But I was seeing the cruelty. I had decided to provide justice to woman.

 I consulted my lawyer friend. At first, he advised me that I should not interfere in this matter because it was family issue and colony members may react shrewdly if some outsiders interfere in their internal matter. But I told my friend that if she has AIDS then she must be treated and if she was not suffering from AIDS, she must be protected. These points can be put in front of powerful entity of village. Lawyer quickly understood the case and he agreed to help me in this matter.  He instructed me to keep an eye of what is happening in that house and observe her husband. I had visited Uncle’s house to spend my vacations. I thought it is the best way to help person in trouble. I started noticing minute movements of her husband and woman. Her husband usually walked around colony and sat on his father’s shop. It was his daily routine. Woman was daily beaten and she had to work for 14 hours a day to get one time meal. Her health was deteriorating day by day. Lawyer took inputs but he was helpless to do any thing because woman’s family said that her bad health was due to AIDS and we do not have enough money to get treatment from expensive hospital.

One day, the limit was crossed. Woman was taken out of the house and women of colony were teasing her for disease and demanding that such characterless woman must be expelled from the society. Woman was continuously requesting to take her to hospital as she did not have any illegal relation with anybody but no one was favoring her. After sometime colony president came and ordered her family to go to health center and give blood sample for AIDS. Her in-laws could not avoid it and they took her to health center for test. Her test result for AIDS was negative but her in-laws did not accept it and regularly exploiting her instead of giving treatment. After sometime, when woman was almost in dieing stage, a team of forest officers came to colony and enquired about her husband. Her in-laws asked what the matter is then they told to family that your son is daily engaged with a female in near forest and we came here to investigate the case. Her family dreaded but all members shield Bholla and justified that due to his wife’s loose character, her husband goes to forest for pray. This plea was unacceptable to forest team.

When the case was severe then colony president requested them to leave Bholla. Forest team returned. After a day or two, when team of doctors came for regular check up for colony members, one female was showing symptoms of HIV. She was immediately taken to hospital for test and that was positive. All members were feared to know this. My uncle’s neighboring woman Leela slowly spoke to nurse that her husband has illegal relations with that lady. Please check up my husband and do test for HIV. Here I was again surprised that a woman being tortured by her husband was begging for his wellbeing. When her husband’s blood sample was tested, it was positive. All colony members were stunned and ashamed for their behavior towards women. Now the scenario was changed. Every member was caring for Leela. She was treated and became healthy but her husband was on bed. May be he was punished for his cruel act. Leela tried her best to save her husband through providing treatment in big hospital. She sold all her ornaments, asked for aid from NGO but she had lost her husband as it is deadly disease. I regularly took update from my uncle about Leela. She suffered a lot in her life. After her husband’ death, one NGO offered her a job of social worker which she accepted and till now she is serving to AIDS people.

Writer’s perception: I came to know the fact that we all have duty to prevent AIDS through generating awareness among people about its consequences. One important thing is that male must not hesitate for medical check up and they should not blame females if they have disease. Illegal relations are established very easily and these relations are just for temporary enjoyment but person may have to pay for it by loosing his/her life. 

Important Note:  This story is penned by Ragini Sinha and hold copy right. Using part or full content is prohibited and infringement of copy right law. Any resemblance is just a coincidence. Writer is not responsible for any disagreement.