The Three Women - Hope

There were three women. The oldest was around 60 but looked much older. She was a widow, very thin and fragile. She looked much older than her age and was always draped in a saree tucked tightly around her which made her appear even more weak. The second was her elder daughter. She was married but abandoned by her husband, two children and in laws. She worked 8 to 8, 7 days a week and lived with her mother and younger sister. Over years of suffering she had become thinner than her mother and her only hope was that someday she will be united with her family. The youngest was Minni. Minni, lost her father when she was 16. No one supported them and she was forced to start working at the age of 16. At the age when kids go to college and have fun with friends, she started taking care of her mother. All the three women lived in a one room 12x14 flat with two single beds tucked somehow in which the three would sleep.

One day, Minni, met an old man for a job interview. The old man was not so old, say 50. The old man, was touched, was moved and sad when he heard about her plight. He was very sad. He was also worried her future. This is cruel world. How did Minni, a beautiful young girl, working in call centers for last 5-6 year survive exploitation. He also adored her. The old man always wanted a daughter and he saw a daughter in Minni. He wept so many nights worrying about the future and thinking of the past and present of Minni. Gradually, the bond as father and daughter evolved. The feeling was mutual. Minni started calling old man as ”Papa”. It was not easy for Minni as the world would call her mean to adopt a Papa for selfish reasons. However, the bond grew stronger with time and they were “Papa Beti”. She became the daughter of the old man’s family.

But the bond was also strange for the world. Laws do not allow to adopt any child over 12. The relationship between a young girl and an old man was questionable. Family, friends, society all wanted this bond to break. Everyone asked the old man to break the bond. They even said, that the old man could go to jail as the relationship is questionable and that no one will believe this father-daughter theory. What shall the old man do? Leave the three women on their plight (as there are hundreds of millions of other miserable women in the world so what is special about Minni!!!). Shall he also abandon his daughter as she is not his daughter? Shall he just think of keeping his immediate family only happy? Shall he abandon the daughter, his daughter, his daughter of many lives.

The old man is torn, the family is torn and the daughter is torn. Instead of a dream of a happy family it has turn into a nightmare. The dreams are foolish and only fools ride horses. We think we make right decisions. We think we decide on our futures. We think we control our destiny. So, what is the right decision in this case? Is it about right or wrong or is it being selfish? Shall the old man abandon the daughter as she is not his daughter and make his family happy? Is there any other option? Is this really so complex that it can't be resolved?