This is the story of Semri, a small village in Jaunpur district, Uttar Pradesh. It is the story of one girl's struggle. Though she was uneducated, she faced life's ups and downs with such courage and determination that she became an inspiration to everyone.
Babhna, the eldest of five siblings, suffered her first blow when her mother died. Yet, without anyone having to explain things to her, she shouldered every responsibility on her tiny shoulders and carried it all out with remarkable skill. God rewarded her sacrifice by arranging her marriage into a prosperous household without a dowry. She became the eldest daughter-in-law of that family.
But was Babhna ever able to enjoy that good fortune? What storm entered her life and raised her from the status of an ordinary woman to that of a goddess? How did Babhna face that storm? Come, then—once again, let me take you all on the journey through hardship of our heroine, Babhna. I will try to make you feel her sorrow and joy, her happiness and grief, from the inside. So come… join me on Babhna's journey through hardship. Become fellow travelers with Babhna on The Path of Duty.
Chapter 1
As soon as Bibhavati regained consciousness, a searing wave of pain coursed through her entire body. Until that moment, her face had looked completely peaceful in unconsciousness, as if she were sleeping comfortably. But the instant awareness returned, her whole face darkened and contorted with pain.
The nurse standing nearby seemed to have been waiting for her to regain consciousness. As soon as Bibhavati opened her eyes, the nurse leaned in with a sweet smile and asked, “Hello, Auntie. How are you feeling now?”
Forcing a smile onto her dry lips, Bibhavati said softly, “I'm all right, dear… but it hurts terribly.”
The nurse said, “Your family is waiting outside for you to regain consciousness. I'll send them in. You can see them. In the meantime, I'll go call the Doctor.”
With that, the nurse went outside.
Naresh and Umesh were sitting outside with their wives.
The moment they saw the nurse come out, all four of them stood up and looked at her questioningly.
The nurse looked at the four of them and put their minds at ease. “Your patient has regained consciousness. Go inside and see her quickly. I'm going to call the Doctor.”
After sending the four of them inside to see Bibhavati, the nurse headed toward the Doctor's office.
Naresh and Umesh entered the ICU with Rama and Devaki.
All four touched Bibhavati's feet, then brought their hands to their foreheads and eyes.
Bibhavati made an unsuccessful attempt to raise both hands, which were connected to IV lines. Then she merely moved her fingers and gave them a blessing to always stay happy. She alone had to endure this pain. But the care and attention these children had given her—perhaps even her own flesh-and-blood son could not have done more. Even in the midst of this unbearable pain, her heart felt comforted as she looked at Naresh, Umesh, Rama, and Devaki, all distraught with worry around her. Her decision to devote her entire life to them had not proved wrong.
For a moment, her entire past flashed before her eyes like a motion picture. Her life had not passed like a cool, gentle breeze that brought peace. Instead, it had passed amid the scorching blows of the hot summer wind that seared both body and soul, endured and suffered year after year. She had never been granted the shade of a leafy tree where she could stop and rest for a while. But yes… even if she had not found a broad-canopied tree, she had certainly found the support of a few loved ones rising high above her like palm trees—people who gave her the strength to steady her heart and face her circumstances with courage. They might not have been able to offer cool shade, but they kept a small hope alive in her heart: yes, at least there is some shelter over my head. That was how it had been for her, too.
She yanked hard on the reins of the horses racing through her mind, brought them under control, and returned to the present.
The four of them came closer and asked, “How are you feeling, Mom? How do you feel? If something is troubling you, tell us.”
Overwhelmed by pain, Mom replied, “It hurts so much, sweetheart.”
Just then, the Doctor entered the room.
The four of them stepped aside so the Doctor could examine her.
As he checked Mom's pulse and eyes, the Doctor asked, “How are you feeling, ma'am?”
Mom repeated her complaint and groaned, “It hurts so much, son.”
The Doctor said, “All right, ma'am. Everything will be fine in two to four days.”
After that, he instructed the nurse to administer some medicine by injection and left.
The nurse gave Bibhavati an injection. It was probably a sleeping medicine, given to relieve her pain.
As soon as her eyes closed, the nurse told everyone to go outside.
Bibhavati was admitted to a large hospital in Delhi. She had undergone major surgery. She did not know exactly what had happened to her or what illness she had. But from the expressions on everyone's faces at home and from their conversations, she had figured out that she had contracted some dangerous disease. No one was telling her anything. Perhaps they were afraid she would panic.
Around midnight, as the effect of the injection began to wear off, Bibhavati woke up. The more she emerged from sleep, the worse the pain became.
When she was fully awake, she felt as though an important part of her body was missing. Her upper body felt strangely light. Panicking, she slowly lifted her hand, pierced with tubes, and placed it on her chest. The instant her hand touched it, her heart began pounding. What was this? She felt around again, wanting to reassure herself. But no amount of touching could change the truth. An important organ of a woman's body, an integral part that reflected every woman's identity, had been cut out of her body piece by piece. Two tears slipped from the corners of her eyes and rolled onto the pillow. Compared with the agony of realizing that her body was incomplete, the physical pain no longer tormented her as much.
Seeing movement in Bibhavati's body, the nurse attending to her turned her attention toward her. She rose and came over. Through her routine visits and by reviewing all the test reports, the experienced nurse had realized that neither the two tears rolling down Bibhavati's cheeks nor the anguish in her heart could escape her notice. Straightening and gently stroking Bibhavati's bent arms, she said in a tender voice, “Ma'am, please don't be sad. When an organ in your own body spreads poison throughout the rest of it, cutting it out is the better choice. The important thing is that your life has been saved.”
From the nurse's routine visits and her review of all the test reports, it had become clear to her that these were not Bibhavati's own sons. Bibhavati was childless. The nurse understood the question rising in her mind: she wanted to know how she had ended up with this disease in the first place…