A Miserable Women

This story is about that woman who has been disregarded by the ruthless society. She has been lying
haplessly in the hospital after victimized by the rites and rituals of this society.

When I got met the distressed patient, she was weeping bitterly and on my inquiring and insisting she told
me her gruesome story in the following words.

“I belong to a Sindhi culture. My family is one of those families of our society, which has never known the
meanings of pleasure and comfort. I was married in the early age, as this is a custom of our family and have
seven siblings, four sons and three daughters.

My husband is a typical example of male dominance in our society. He never let me known the definition of
self respect and always treated me like animals. He never took care of me but the so-called norms of the
society. His brutal attitude was not only towards me but our kids were also not out of his range. His sexual
desire was the only way which leads to me and to satisfy his lust, he used to force me for every that act
which he wanted.

Family planning and abortion are forbidden words in our tribe and the birth of a child is considered the “God’s
Will”. That’s why my husband wants a child every year. After the birth of sixth child, I became much weaker
and the new comer was died after one month. Same year the seventh one was also died after living just 2
months. But my deathly pale face and blood sacred body did not create any sympathy in the heart of
tyrannical person who wanted more and more from me. Deficiency of blood in my body paved the way for
other diseases and soon I was the “bone skeleton”. After the birth of eight children I have been admitted to
hospital due to huge secretion of blood and unbearable pain in my womb. He also could not survive but
endless desire of my “virtual God” to have one child every year could not retarded. All these debacles and
grieves worsened my position, not only physically but morally also.

I was afraid to discuss even my long living diseased to anyone because I knew there would be no regards or
remuneration for me. This is a true and vivid reflection of our society’s behavior where a husband can use his
wife only to have sexual pleasure irrespective of any fatal result for his life partner. This is what happened
with me.

My trial was not yet over. Another innocent life was nourishing in my womb but this time there was no
chance of any birth eve; one day due to swear weakness, I got faint and the child was aborted during an
immediate operation to save my poor and unworthy life but after this operation I was diagnosed “Myalgia
Cancer” which was at the last stage. Doctors told me that I have calculated breaths which now I am counting
lying on this bed. I am here only because of the brutality of my husband, ignorance of my family and
inhumane nature of our society. I am not worried about myself because I knew what sort of result I could
have but I am afraid that my children could also have same kind of regretful circumstances”.

This is not an only condemnable custom of our society which resulted the above mentioned tragic story but
there are many more so-called traditions prevailing in our society which give reasons to males to treat their
women acrimoniously and tyrannically without having any embracement or obstacle.

This Story was written by Dr. Erum (Friend) and finally translated in English by Mr. Adnan Jamil (Friend)