Love, Lust and a Child

The evening was the best..

Dark clouds, droplets of rain water rolling down the slanting red tiles, cool breeze accompanied by the fresh aroma of mother earth..Supriya was enjoying the evening with a cup of freshly brewed filter coffee with her best friend Rekha.

The conversation between them criss-crossed so many topics.. Over the conversation, Rekha could guess not all is well with Supriya.. She sensed something was seriously wrong behind the serene looking face..

Supriya resisted initially, finally relented.. She told Rekha about the unplanned pregnancy and the effects this child could have on her life…

Rekha immediately shouted, “Stop it! Never ever say anything more Supriya.. The child in your womb is hearing everything you are saying. You have no idea that all the words you say today will affect the child’s life”

With all the right she had over the friendship Rekha asked Supriya, “Is this child out of love (or) lust?”

Supriya was dumbstuck. She was blank..she didn’t expect this coming.. Slowly her eyes turned red, tears filled her eyes.. She couldn’t speak but she nodded her head in denial... and rushed back into her house….

That night as she went into sleep, Rekha’s words were lingering in her mind?

“Is this child out of love (or) lust?”

“Is this child out of love (or) lust?”

“Is this child out of love (or) lust?”

Slowly she went into sound sleep yet the question was still lingering.. the little baby in the fetus picked up all that her mother had been speaking and child in the womb had this question…

Am I a result of love (or) lust?... the little one started to speak.

“Am I a result of love (or) lust?…that will determine how I get to live my life..

Resting in this dark room inside my mother’s womb, I have heard my mother talk about how she was raised by her parents, my grandparents.

My grandparents moved to Canada where grandpa worked as a pilot. Inspite of work schedule, travel and trouble times they never gave excuses in raising their child. When it came to making a choice between child (and) career, grandma chose the former because even as a young parent she gave more importance to raising the child than raising money. She never had a nanny because she believed nothing could substitute what a mother could offer her child.” said fetus adjusting itself to restricted space within the uterus.

“They doted on their only girl child. Grandpa’s first addiction was his child. Second addiction was alcohol. I have heard that Grandpa used to drink everyday inspite of sermons from his wife. At times, the sermons of my grandma were so frustrating that he drank more.

One day, my mother as a little girl saw her dad stumble & struggle to reach his room. He puked all over the place. It took lot of effort to put him on bed. Next Morning, on demand from his daughter he promised he would stop drinking. She never believed him and thought alcoholics always lie.

But grandpa didn’t. He kept his words.

One day my mother as a little girl asked her dad, “Daddy, How is that you stopped drinking after you promised me?”

Looking into her eyes he replied, “Angel, a real man will always make his child happyJ”

Tears rolled down their eyes as they hugged each other…

As it spoke the fetus was moved so much by grandfather’s words that it moved its hands & legs to the slight discomfort of its mother.

Slowly settling down the fetes continued speaking, “I envied my mother for having loving parents, who did everything to make their child happy.

Sure, my grandparents made love to love their daughter for life time.

For the 8 months I have been in this womb, I believed that all parent child relationships are hunky dory until I learnt about the heart wrenching story of Tinu.

Tinu, 6  years old kid was rescued from a cage underneath the staircase of his house. He was rescued but his survival chances are minimal. Without proper food he was skinny, all his back vertebrates and bones were visible, bruises were found all over his body.

Tinu’s parents well learned people belonging to upper society had caged their son ever since he was diagnosed with Autism, a condition with impaired social interactions and Verbal & Nonverbal communication. Tinu’s mother didn’t feed him what’s considered to be the most important food for any child, for reasons best known to her. Without minimal parental care he was dying everyday.

Tinu was suffering for the lust of two individual person of opposite sex.

What about the plight of other children who are suffering for no fault of theirs?

Chandra selling peanuts in beach, Rajee selling soft cloth in the scorching heat and little Samuel who is begging at railway station

Surely, these children are victims of Neglected parenting.. or should I say victims of parental pleasure?

Most of these children are raised by a single parent (or) their grandparents. Their dad (or) mom (sometimes both in their respective direction) left home to marry someone leaving their children to suffer. How cruel life could get for the little ones? They are being punished for no fault of theirs.

Sitting in this dark room in my mother’s womb and hearing such stories scares me. I fear coming into the real world.

Will I be raised like a princess (or) left alone to sell soft cloth.. may be my upbringing may throw more light into this.. until then this question will keep lingering in my mind…

Am I a result of love (or) lust?” said the fetus with its eyes rolling down with tears.

As a reader, you may be a child, newly married couple, loving father, doting mother (or) anyone for that matter, I want you to know that all that you say & do has an adverse impact on your loved one’s life.

Today you have a choice, you can be like those lovely grandparents who doted on their child (or) make the life of your loved ones miserable…

I would like to leave you with a note that I read in my mail today morning, “IT TAKES 2 MINUTES TO MAKE LOVE AND A LIFETIME TO PROVE YOUR LOVE”