Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.

Sometimes a few of the settlements which our elders make for us, leaves a striking change in our lives, moulding us to a whole unfamiliar person.

The decision of Gayathri to make her grandson Dhruv as the helper of their house for one entire month also had a motive. A consequential motive. She wanted to make him learn all the things we expect a woman of.

"Dhruv, I need to acquaint you about something," Gayathri's voice got everyone's attention. Dhruv and Ayushi were finally back from their honeymoon a week ago.

The news of Ayushi being pregnant again had made them enraptured, so that's why Gayathri had decided that every day they'd congregate in the aurora and in the eventide inside the prayer room, to recite the consecrated Ramayana which is said to be tranquillizer and soothing for the growing baby inside the womb.

After their evening prayers, finally, they were sitting in their drawing room along with the other members. Both the kids were busy playing with the younger staff, creating lots of giggling in the backdrop.

"Please go on," Dhruv acknowledged her while Ayushi too got attentive, seeing the solemn tone of Gayathri.

"Dhruv, I was thinking to organize a campaign for the empowerment of women, I mean, we should start an initiative for the betterment of all the women out there, making Ayushi the brand ambassador of it, collaborating all the other big names as well along with ordinary people, to gain the interest of people from all the fields," Gayathri's idea was nonetheless liked by all. She was right, making the people aware of the power of women was necessary at this point.

"It's a marvellous idea, Maa," Dhiraj sided with her noble plan along with others.

"It will be a campaign-cum-competition for 'Women empowerment' and 'Equality'. I want you and Ayushi to take part in that, making the people aware about it, breaking the stereotypes and social norms," she had finally disclosed her plan and Dhruv couldn't agree more, he too had a plan like this in his mind since long.

"That'll be a great initiative, Dadi," Dhruv was ready to start this program, wherein he'd do something for the women and this society, to make it a better place to live.

"Yeah, I think that'll help many women of India," Ayushi too commented while switching off the TV.

"I will call all the big names of the business world, to take part in it, Pratibha, you can call the other celebrities," Dhiraj was all set to execute this plan.

"Dhruv. Do you know why I had made you do all the chores for one month?" Gayathri asked Dhruv, which took him off guard. Why this sudden question amid this current plan of a campaign! He shook his head, not knowing the exact motive behind that move of his grandmother.

"To make you empower, to make you learn what all women have to do, every day, 24/7, without taking a break. We talk of women empowerment, but do we realize its true meaning? It is giving equal rights to women as that of men to education, to work, and many other important things. But with women empowerment, equality too comes in the picture," Gayathri started explaining, while everyone was concentrating on her words.

"Ayushi can do household work? Why not Dhruv? Why only women are asked to cook, clean, and care? Shouldn't men also do something like that when today's women are also working like men? It's not about exchanging duties, it's sharing duties, equally," Gayathri's powerful words had affected Dhruv and others.

Finally, Dhruv got to know why he was asked to work for one month in their house, doing all the household chores which we expect only a woman to do.

"Yes, I completely agree with you, Dadi, why only women work like that? Even men need to know the household chores because modern problems need modern solutions. Today every other woman is working along with their husbands, so why only she needs to cook after they arrive from their respective offices! Even she is tired!" Ayushi too sided with her while others nodded their heads, smiling at the great initiative that Gayathri had taken today.

Dhruv was brooding about something and then he got near his grandma, sitting in front of her on his knees.

"Thank you so much, Dadi for making me realize all this, now I know why you ordered me to be a helper. I've learned a big lesson, now I'll spread this message to the world as well because we all are equal, we shouldn't impose all the work on women instead we should share the work," it was all decided itself, about the upcoming event which would be for the uplifting of women and their equality, which was named as 'Shakti'.

****

Later in the night, Dhruv and Ayushi were busy playing hide and seek with their kids inside their house, as the kids weren't getting any sleep because of their siesta in the afternoon.

The current dyner was Aranya who was busy searching for her parents who couldn't be seen anywhere along with her brother, Agastya who too was hidden somewhere so well.

"Mumma where are you?" she was speaking with herself while trying to find them inside their enormous house.

"Hah. Mumma, look how hard she's trying to find us," Agastya giggled softly while his parents just smiled at his antics. Because of their kids' persuasion only, Ayushi had to sacrifice her sleep-time as she couldn't say no to her innocent babies' request.

"Caught you," Aranya cried in happiness when she finally caught her mother as she had heard the crinkling sound of her bangles and with her mother, her father and brother too had been caught. With glee, she clapped her hands, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Now come on, baby, Mumma is exhausted, she needs to sleep, come in my arms now," Dhruv took her in his arms while Agastya too tried to be in his mother's arms but Dhruv immediately took him as well in his arms, he didn't want his wife to lift anything heavy. And Agastya was a two-year-old baby, for God's sake!

"Thanks," Ayushi mumbled, and finally they all retarded on their bed, but still sleep was far away from their eyes. Ayushi, because of fatigue and her pregnancy tablets, she had already slept but the other three were still awake.

"Daddy, tell us a story," Aranya hugged her father tightly while asking him for a story in her childish voice.

Agastya was on the edge where a pillow was placed, and Dhruv and Aranya were in the middle while Ayushi too was at the edge. As Agastya used to kick in his sleep, so as for Ayushi's safety, Agastya was made to sleep at the edge, none other than the overprotective father, Dhruv he decided which.

"A superhero story, Daddy," Agastya chided in while hugging his father from the other side.

"No, Daddy will tell us about fairies, no hero story," Aranya stubbornly spoke out while glaring at her brother who too glared back at her.

"No, Daddy is a boy, so he'll tell us a superhero story, not your pinky-ponky fairy," with time, Agastya too had become stubborn like his sister.

"No, no, no," Aranya got up from her sleeping position and pinched Agastya's cheeks over her father's chest. Dhruv was too surprised at her sudden violent actions.

"Aranya no, don't hit your brother, I said no," Dhruv had to pull her away from his son as she was busy pulling his cheeks while Agastya too retaliated, pulling her hair.

"Is this a way to behave?" Dhruv's scolding voice was enough for Aranya to tear up.

"You don't love me, you love Agastya more," she started sobbing out loudly while Agastya and Dhruv just prayed for Ayushi to not get up because of Aranya's cries.

"Mumma, daddy doesn't love me," she hugged her mother's sleeping form and cried on her bosom. Her painful cries were enough for Ayushi to wake up from her sleep. She opened her eyes and saw how painfully her baby was crying. She immediately got up and took Aranya in her lap, cradling her with love and affection while glaring at the father-son duo who were now looking at her with guilt.

"Why is she crying?" she asked Agastya while ruffling her daughter's hair who was crying hysterically, hugging her mother more tightly. Dhruv explained all the details and then she sighed out in anxiety.

"Baby?" she called for her daughter, who was busy hiding her face inside her mother's bosom, sobbing, while they could hear only muffled voices out.

"Aranya, baby?" Ayushi called for her again.

"Baby you shouldn't fight and hit your brother like that, and Daddy and Momma loves you both, equally," Aranya was now looking at her mother with her puffed, innocent eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mumma," she hugged her mother again and apologized while Dhruv and Agastya finally sighed out, witnessing their one and only 'Drama Queen'.

"Let's tell you both a story of both the superhero and a fairy," Ayushi and Dhruv shared a look and started telling them a story which was very much similar to theirs.

****

After ten days, finally, the 'Shakti' program was finalized, the venue was booked, the competitions were decided, and the contestants were invited to start a campaign for the betterment of women and also their equality. It was a four-days campaign which was also commended and praised by the government.

The first day, there was the introduction ceremony in which the bureaucrats, government officials, middlemen, celebrities, and even ordinary people came on the stage while sharing their views on the empowerment and equality of women that they should get at their homes as well as their workplace.

And no doubt, their live telecast was shown to the people all around India, basically targeting the middle-class people and the lower-middle-class group - where giving equal rights and status to women was still forbidden.

The second day, the hundreds of people who took part were asked to form groups of ten to play dramas based on women empowerment, inspiring the people and even, making them all emotional, forcing them to cry. All the evils against women were talked about, be it rape, dowry, domestic violence, child abuse, or discrimination against them.

The nation was on fire when they had watched the atrocities a woman had to go through, all on a single platform.

The whole nation cried the most in an act which was led by none other than Dhruv who showed about the life of a small baby girl, who was raped by her uncle. His baby daughter had played the role of that unfortunate baby, where she had to only cry loudly in the public. But her real cries made the whole nation cry, looking at the state of girls and their safety in India where not even a baby is safe inside her own house.

Convincing Aranya was not easy, but Ayushi had finally convinced her, encouraged her to just cry for a little while, with a distraught doll in her hands, personifying the state of the turmoil a girl has to go through because of some molesters and rapists. Dhruv too didn't want his daughter to take part in such a dark drama but eventually, he too had agreed, seeing the requesting eyes of his wife.

Ayushi wanted nothing but the world to know the brutal reality of this sadistic society we are currently living in. And she didn't back away when her daughter was needed to portray a role so difficult and heart-wrenching.

People tweeted, shared, commented, retweeted about the viral video of Aranya where she put life in her role. People couldn't believe that a small, three, and half years old could make them face reality with such fineness and connecting all of them on an emotional level.

And when they realized that it was none other than Dhruv Singh Rajput's daughter, they couldn't believe anymore. They applauded for her, appraising her like never before. Even her family too hugged her tightly when she was finally off the stage, she had made the whole nation cry, with her fine acting of pain and agony, wrenching billion hearts.

Dhruv and Ayushi couldn't be much proud, seeing the love and respect their daughter got that day from all around the world.

On the third day, all the competitors were asked to come on the stage with their wives. The task was to exchange the duties, that is, guys would do the household chores while women would just sit among the audience and watch the men, doing the household chores. The message it wanted to convey was the respect that should be given to a woman for what she does for all of us, in the whole day, for 24/7, for the whole 365 days without taking a break.

The men weren't even able to cut onions properly, only a few could do some of the chores, while the others surrendered, but they couldn't as it was against the rules, so they had to complete the tasks of making something edible, then sweeping the area that they were provided and so on. Although Dhruv could complete most of his tasks still he was saddened about the fact that most of his co-contestants weren't successful in doing their tasks.

The whole nation now knew how most of the men didn't even know the basic cooking forget about other household chores because from childhood only, a man is disregarded to even enter inside the kitchen. It showed the nation the patriarchal system of living that they all were doing for so long. The men were ashamed a little, while the women could only relate to that while watching the live telecast.

The fourth and the last day showed an all-new concept to the world. The task was similar to that of yesterday, but they were just asked to bring their wives or even their respective mothers to their allotted places, and then they were all asked to work together. And the nation could see how well they all performed with the companionship of a woman figure. Even the workload of a woman lowered with the help of their male companions.

"So, now you all can see how tough it was for men to do all those chores, yesterday, but today with the help of women, they were able to complete most of their tasks. Now, I think you all must have gotten the message that we had wanted to convey through this campaign, named 'Shakti' which means power, the very name of Goddess Durga whom you all worship," this was none other than Ayushi Singh Rajput, the brand ambassador of this campaign, who was holding the mike now, speaking in front of the whole nation.

"Respect your mother, sister, wife who's not just a housewife but a homemaker, a home manager who's not paid. Educate your daughters along with your sons. And break the discrimination barrier between a girl and a boy, make your children learn everything that they should know, irrespective of their gender. That way only, we could empower our women, making our nation a safe place for them to live in, then only your prayers to the Goddesses will be heard," the whole nation applauded for the words of Ayushi, although behind the television but now they understood what real women empowerment and equality is.

Many of the husbands apologized to their wife, for their shouting at them, for not giving them the respect that they deserved and for taking them for granted.

This campaign left a mark, changing the lives of many women who literally sent a lot of thanks through the media when they were randomly asked by the journalists.

The Rajput family was everywhere in the headlines for this initiative of theirs, which shook the whole nation, empowering many women who were beaten, tortured, discriminated against by their own family.

****

"So, wifey, ready to start your own company?" Dhruv asked his wife, facing the tall glass building over which 'Aryavart Tech' was written so magnificently in calligraphy.

Yes, finally Ayushi had established her own start-up company which would deal with the latest technology and a domain for information technology.

"Yes, hubby," she nodded her head and kissed him gently on his lips, with a promise of never letting go of each other.

Ayushi couldn't be more content as finally, she had broken the barrier of being a shy, weak, feeble woman, who couldn't defend herself. She was now an inspiration to many other women out there. Now, she had everything. Her loving husband, two adorable babies, a loving & supporting family, and now even her own company.

Broken was the old and feeble Ayushi,

This was the birth of a new, strong lady!

~**•**~

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