“Education” Or “Adam”

“Education” Or “Adam” 

Every Boy and Girl should be blessed by Education to choose their best life partner which will be purely their responsibility to live in better way; nobody should force them to Opt or to Reject.

This was in the month of July, Rhea was staying as a renter with Valsala amma at Tambaram, Chennai, near her institute, she was pursuing for her MBA in Journalism and Mass Communication,  Valsala amma a Tamil Brahmin almost 55 years old, unmarried, she dedicated her life in nursing her old bedridden father who passed away few years back, later she converted her house into paying guest accommodation for those young woman who needed a shelter while working, she was little reluctant to accommodate students' because late night studies and exam preparations will keep them awake which will consume lot of power/electricity, she was depended on the income flowed through paying guest accommodation. Amma always kept herself busy chanting, cleaning the house and surroundings, gardening, sketching. She was well disciplined a typical warden kind off. One room was occupied by two working women, and the other room was allotted for Rhea and her roommate Manju, both were students of MCC College, luckily they got accommodated in a lavish room with washroom attached, and being malayali they could live happily communicating in Malayalam. In just five months Rhea was well gelled with Valsala amma and other occupants.

  

One day, middle of the course Rhea got a call from my neighbor saying her husband is down with high temperature since many days. He was not able to attend his routine work even, usually he is always seen glued with his laptop but viral fever kept him away from his daily schedule even, said her neighbor who offered him breakfast and light lunch. Rhea loved her husband a lot and this forced her to board the first early morning flight to Mumbai. 

The sky was dark grey the next morning, the wide clouds were low to the ground, and the sun’s light barely reaching their boundaries. Rhea’s flight was scheduled for 6:20 am, an Air India Airlines from Chennai, Valsala amma made soft dosa’s and chutney for the breakfast and insisted Rhea to have two at least as she has to start from home early in the morning. Rhea by nature was very down to earth, helpful and timid, she use to help Valsala amma in household chores whenever she got time after her studies, in just five months she was like her daughter, Rhea reminded amma to take her medicines on time before each meal which she often skipped if not reminded. Rhea lost her father when she was just seven years old and she had a blur image remained in her heart of her father which was getting more clear each time when Valsala amma shared every good moments she had spent with her father, perhaps this was the reason she was little dear to amma unlike other three occupants who never shared any personal talks with Valsala amma.

Rhea soon finished half of her plate of breakfast and sneaked to the washbasin. “Finish your food before you leave,” Valsala amma beseeched her in Tamil. “I am not hungry and I never wish to eat in the morning.” Rhea’s words tend to be simple when she spoke in tamil with Valsala amma, "go pray before you leave", said amma, “Yes amma, I will ” said the God fearing Rhea. The shrine was situated at the separate room at the end of the corridor, because the house was full of women (“Magalir Mattum” which means Ladies Only) and being a Brahmin lady Valsala amma was very strict with them and made all of them follow certain rules during menstrual cycle, during those days none of the ladies were allowed to stroll inside the house. Everything was provided in their room like hotel room service, press button and things were there, life was really good.   

As Rhea entered the shrine the room was full of sandalwood fragrance, the incense stick were blazing and cradled in a bowl of uncooked rice. Rhea stepped forward and bowed slightly and smelled the Jasmine flowers which amma kept for her in a plate. She sat down and gazed attentively at the idol of Lord Ganesha, the elephant God. She closed her eyes and sighed and prayed for her safe voyage and for her husband, she was very much phobic traveling by airplane. 

She could hear the rustle of Valsala amma’s saree and chiming of her bangles, amma dipped her finger in a dark red kumkum (which means a red pigment used by Hindu women to make a mark on the forehead) and mark along Rhea’s forehead. It was comforting that she too prayed for Rhea’s safe voyage to Mumbai. Valsala amma hugged her before anyone else had the opportunity. Rhea embraced her roommate Manju quickly and got into the taxi which amma arranged. She advised the driver to drive safe don’t speed much as she was really worried for Rhea.

The roads were empty as Rhea started early morning to the airport; the driver pressed the accelerator a little more and reached the destination before time. Rhea reached Mumbai safely despite of bad weather and turbulence she had experienced. During the voyage she was chanting for safe take off and safe landing. It took another one and a half hours for her from Mumbai airport to reach her residence and this time she was fervent to meet her ill husband. Buzzing the bell to the residence, she was overcome with a sense of tiredness, the flight and train journey had sapped every fiber of poignant energy left within her body. Viral fever made her husband Ravi very weak, his timing was too slow and finally he opened the door, he was so happy and amazed to see his wife home, he hugged her at the doorway and asked many questions, he was dressed in a white T-shirt and worn blue tattered jeans, this time he craved for her badly to refresh him and give him those precious sentiments of strength warmly. Would his wife ever be like Aishwarya? Oh God! How he wanted to see her, when she had come flying to meet her ill husband leaving her studies. I doubt on God’s creativity “Adam”. Who was Adam? Was he Ravi…Rhea’s husband? 

Rhea recalls, when she was down with temperature, her husband would never try to reach home early, she yearn for him, the funniest part was Ravi got parcel food for both of them, it was “Chinese Cuisine”, Rhea’s heart screeched, “God, have mercy on me”.  Now, God also got confused on Ravi's childish behaviour.

Rhea was well qualified with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and she was forced by Ravi to enroll herself in MBA course, away from Mumbai, just to stop her irritating demand to procreate, he loved her very much but taking add on responsibility was an assured task for him. Rhea never served by any option by her parents to pass any rejection on the proposals she received, her step-father was the deciding authority, if her mother had given her such courage and opportunity then probably she would have never been in Ravi’s notion as “Aishwarya” rather could have been as “Rhea”. 

It is so difficult to understand a man, some are so down to earth and understanding and many are exactly like Ravi, looking at her poor mother’s miserable past life, Rhea thought her life is far better, as no one can graze a man and examine, once conceded by you, then you cannot reject. 

Time just altered Rhea’s mind set too and whittled her thoughts as an independent individual, Ravi the “Adam” was totally ignored by Rhea after she achieved her MBA with incredible scores, she became a successful journalist and writer and kept herself busy and never got a reflection in her mind that she crave a man simply to be his “Aishwarya”. 

A companion should be selected by an individual (s/he) and not by a set of family members’ including the parents’. Tall and Handsome appearance, Bank Balance, Luxurious Life will not make a girl happy always. What if an Adam not showing interest to procreate? Life turns out to be miserable for the girl. Give her a chance to ask her Adam, "Are you willing to be a father", willing to be a family oriented man and take responsibility of the family? Rest everything will follow and be placed well. A woman is a complete woman only with her child and not with that “Aishwarya” looks.

In today’s generation every boy and girl are well raised and educated, hence they can choose their life partners very easily under the guidance of parents and not under the created and emotional pressure. One can raise ourselves to overcome anything, if we have a power bank called as “EDUCATION” and not “ADAM”. So decide what you want and choose the best “Apple” for you. 

This post is dedicated to “Rhea” the creator of her own, in her second innings of life she gave preferences to Education more than Adam.