Being – short contest story
Long hair, Bharatanatyam, feminism, cooking. Kohl in her eyes and a cake for every birthday in the family. Shopping for hand-woven sarees and carnations for her living room. She loved being a woman.
But when it happened for the third time, she hoped she’d give birth to a boy.
Seventeen years ago, when she lost her aunt, she was too young to understand what it meant to hate a disease. She missed her aunt but didn’t question her going away. Fifteen years later, as she watched her mother being wheeled into the operation theater, she was livid—because it was unfair. And then, another year and another diagnosis later, she wasn’t sure whether what she felt was fear or hatred. For her sex or for the disease. Perhaps, for both.
And so, at every ultrasound appointment, she would strain her eyes and see if she could trick the technician and catch that one glimpse—hoping to see proof of maleness. Unfortunately, because some laws are better respected than others in this country, she could never see anything below the abdomen and above the knee.
At the baby store, she would finger the pink A-line frocks but would buy shorts and tee-shirts instead. She would look at cute little girls in their traditional dresses with flowers in their hair and dream of plaiting her own daughter’s hair. And then, immediately reprimanding herself, she’d snap out of the dream.
Nine months went by, hope turning into belief—belief that the life inside her was a male. That he’d be free from danger. That he could live his life without fear—or that she could live hers without fear for him. A few days before her due date, she could see him—round face, wavy hair, brown eyes, and a wide grin—a splitting image of her own younger self. She could hear his voice call out to her as he constructed what he called a ship, from his Lego blocks. She could see him grimace at the veggies. She had long conversations with him about baking cookies together. She had bought books for him already and she’d read them to him at bedtime. She’d laugh at the thought that she probably wouldn’t know how to make him pee because she’d never been around a young boy before. She knew it was a boy. It had to be a boy.
And yet, she thought of two names—one for a boy and one for a girl—just, god forbid, in case.
When the gynecologist opened her up and pulled the baby out by its legs and declared the sex, she thought she had heard wrong—she thought she’d seen something in her last ultrasound—it had definitely looked like a boy. She shut her eyes even tighter beneath the eye mask. A little later, when she could open her eyes, she was handed a bundle—the baby looked at her through knowing, slit-shaped eyes, and smiled. She cradled the bundle in her arms and kissed a pink cheek.
“It’s going to be okay—nothing will happen to you—I won’t let it,” she whispered into the baby’s ears.
Within minutes, mother and daughter were fast asleep, one dreaming of dance classes and dresses; the other just being in her mother’s arms.
* * * *
Saee Koranne-Khandekar is a new mother, food blogger, and instructional designer based in Mumbai. Her regular updates can be found at >> ‘myjhola(dot)blogspot(dot)com’
Have you read the contest story Destiny it’s an runner-up story.
Well written; keep writing you are on your way.
10/10.
Very good short story.
Hey Saee, this one has left me absolutely speechless. I’m just totally amazed at the way you have subtly blended a detour of several lives in such a compact manner with sheer finesse, immense emotion and such fluid expression. What a beautiful creation !!! Needless to say, it can only and only be yours. A mighty salute to you for this one.
Very nice story….. Really shows how much women care for their families & how they can handle things so well in different circumstances. Good job Saee!
wow!no words to say.just that i had tears in my eyes and a smile on my lips!beautiful!hey y dont u write a novel saee!
Its hard to look at this objectively……its quite the accomplishment….and i’m not just talking about the story…i really liked it….
I want to read more. This is one mother I definitely want to get to know. You’ve pulled me in.
Good story, Saee. Hope to see more soon.
Very good story. I liked it.
kalpanaatya
its great to have talent like yours
Hello, Nicely written story.Keep up the good work. Vikrant
Hi,Saee ,Very touching story. I could feel the turmoil this young mother felt.You ended it so well,it brought a lump in my throat. Keep writing , we are waiting for more. Padma
saee you have written a very moving little piece like a champion gifted writer. very good.
Hey Saee Great Story loved it
10/10! nothing more can I say!
Beautiful and unpretentious … I totally agree with the mother in this story.. Just last night I had a long conversation about my mum about why I’d prefer a boy child. It’s not cause of dowry stress (Oh how will I manage to get my burden baby daughter married off with huge dowry sums)
Far from it.
I just think that India is not the place for a girl child. Call me sexist or bigoted or too unkind to our people.. But I stand by my belief
Hi Saee,
Excellent touching story.Came from your heart like Awanee.
Rating 4 star
great going, keep writing!
Well written Saee, All the best. Hope this one wins..:)
Hey Saee,
Wonderful story. Wonderful flair. Must appreciate the deep connect the story brings out.
Best Wishes
Abhishek
A Very touching story and you’ve written about a certain truth in a very subtle manner … waiting for the next one
Enjoyed the vivid descriptions through the story Saee. Keep writing.
Good style. Keep writing more.
just wonderful…. dont have words to express….wrote it so well, though m not a mother but still can feel the character n have tears in my eyes…. keep writing
Awesome Writing Saee… Waiting for more …
extremely neat! excellent!
Heart-tugging..and I think the story is special in more ways than people who dont know you will understand..Love the ending..Good Luck with the contest.
its very good!!! beautifully written!!
Hey Saee !
Bravo! Very touching and excellently articulated. Keep pursing ur dreams. Reach out for them…. be it as a mother or daughter….Winning or losing this contest may not be the right measure of ur capabilities. For me u have always been a winner in whetever u have pursued.
decent effort!
Good going Saee! so many friends of mine are going to face this when its baby time…you’ve brought out fear and joy–both–really beautifully.
Hey Saee!
This story deserves to be placed in ‘The Inner Courtyard’.Brilliant piece of writing.It beautifully brings out the plethora of emotions that a woman goes through while being a daughter,mother,partner…above all a woman!!
Hey that is one amazing story…sadly it is a short storty it should have been a “long” story…my pleasure in reading it then would have gone into days…i think its very difficult to wrtie short stories, pen down so many thoughts in the limitations of few words. you have managed to write about human emotions so well, and also how to manage emotions, that it just speaks volumes about how involved and how pesonal these stories are to you. great work, saee, do keep writing more…. melisha biswas
Saee, A very different story than the usual one why the mother wants a boy.
Really a moving one.You have woven together a biological truth and
the natural instinct of a mother in both ways. Even without knowing
the reality,it would be appreciated,and this is the writer’s success.
Well done.Keep it up.All such moments are very precious. Please preserve them in your beautiful and apt words.
Leave your response!
Sign up for Short Story Book Newsletter
Our Latest Tweets
Categories
Peep in the past
Recognitions !!
Calendar
Blogroll
Tags
Current Story Rating
Latest Short Stories
Recent Stories
Most Commented
Recent Comments
Most Viewed