Was It My Fault?

By Moumita Malik

"Tink! Tink! Tink!"

The harmony of the temple bells flowed into me.Though I wasn't always welcomed in the temple gates. Even today I sob and chuckle remembering my story.

I was born in a small village near Gonda and the villagers welcomed me with screams and anguish. Wondering why? Because I was born on the night of the Blood Moon. Therefore, growing up everyone was terrified of me, even my family! They always tried to scavenge remedies to ward off evil spirits. Trust me, the necklaces, bracelets, and rosary contributed to half of my weight. I didn't have any friends just because their parents threatened their kids to stay away from me like I was a creep or something. As I grew up I learnt to ignore them and made books my best friends. I was a bright student and soon was provided with a scholarship to study in the city. City life was way more comfortable than a village. People were always busy and minded their own business unlike the villagers who used to poke their nose in each other's work. My family didn't bother to check on me while I was in the city to complete my studies. Maybe they got rid of their bad luck. I didn't let it become an obstacle, I studied hard and did my Ph.D in agriculture. Soon I achieved my dream of becoming a successful agriculturist. During the weekend, I decided to visit my family, so I brought some fruits, snacks and clothes. I reached my village and was shocked to see the condition. I asked a woman who was passing by there, but she started screaming, "Oh God! The unlucky girl is here. She brought the famine.

" Then I came to know that my village had been hit by a severe famine and along with other villagers my family hadn't eaten for days too. I rushed to my family and asked how it happened. They answered, "It hasn't rained for days. I think the God of Heavens is angry with us." In the era of technology too my villagers were still dependent on showers! I arranged an urgent village meeting that evening and explained them the new techniques of irrigation. But they didn't seem to believe it since I was a 'bad luck' to them. So I assured them that if it didn't work then I would leave the village forever. They agreed. For the next few weeks, I worked so hard. Introducing new methods, instructing them and helping them with the food from the city. After a couple of months, our hard work showed spectacular results. Brown and lifeless wilts were replaced by green and lively blooms, despair was replaced by hope and magically 'the unlucky girl' was replaced by 'angel'. The villagers now considered me their savior. I smiled and said, "Free yourselves from the web of superstitions. There's nothing like good or bad luck. No person is a devil or an angel. Your trust in God should be blind, because God helps those who help themselves. It's our hard work because of which we witnessed these beautiful results."

The villagers seemed to understand and since then every child was welcomed with smiles, and the temple gates remained open for them.

The End…..

By Moumita Malik