Sitting beside the body of my mother-in-law, I tried to evaluate her life. Life? I think she existed but never lived. She was made a "Giving Goddess". When I met her at the age of 18 she was extremely humble and loving. I always loved to be with her. Sadly, she was always busy giving herself to each and every member of the family. She knew at her fingertips the likes and dislikes of everyone. I found her like a punching bag. Everyone respected her at their own convenience, shouted, and blamed her whenever anything went wrong. I tried to raise my voice against this kind of attitude but she would beg in front of me too. She requested me not to fight for her rights. Her dreams, aspirations, her likes, and dislikes were locked in some remote cupboard and its key was thrown in the fathomless ocean.

Oh! I forgot to tell you about her Slippers. They are tiny multicolored sets of Slippers. Unique! Exactly like the flags of a Relay Race. Our secret fights took place at 3.00 am. I wept, I cried, I shouted and sometimes tried to explain to her that she was also a human being. She hugged me always and said that "it's destiny". I was never consoled. My heart used to bleed to see her plight. It was indeed something unbelievable that she had forgotten her favorite food, color, sports, and many more things. A rebel was developing within me. I never wanted to wear her 'Slippers'. Our heated discussions were hushed by her. She used to say that one day I would be like her. It was indeed a Nightmare for me. I studied hard and got a good job. I became financially successful and independent. I thought I would not be like Amma, my mother-in-law. I posed to be daring and daunting. Do you think that I won the war of identity? I thought I could. Being a Gold Medalist, I thought I was an empowered woman.

It was the time of afternoon one day and both of us were at home. I asked "Amma", what she would like to eat. To my utter dismay had forgotten her likes. I became stubborn and I asked her to tell me about her choice. Suddenly, I saw tears in her eyes. With teary eyes, she said that I was the first person who asked her about her choice. That day she wept and told me about her favorite food, dress, her dreams ... all this time she was weepy. That day I cooked food of her choice and we played Marbles. Her smile stole my heart. Her happy smiling face gave me such a bliss which I can't explain. I decided determinedly that I would never waste my life like her. Suddenly, I heard ladies Weeping and they told me that it was to take her body. My daughters wept bitterly, everyone was sad and shattered but I was numb. Numb because without living she died... she didn't live, she was a body throughout her life.

I came out to bid adieu to Amma. I was looking for Slippers and all I could find were her "SLIPPERS ". I started walking on her path, hoping one someone would come and throw away the SHACKLES OF SLIPPERS... Please help me to find out that Brilliant Someone or Shall I try? Can I do it? Will I be able to do it? I am still in the same Slippers... God, either give me strength or create a woman with a different metal....silence...I hear silence.....Hoping against Hope ... Woman is groomed in such a way that she carries the flags of Race from one generation to the other...

She tries to revolt but she receives insults and loneliness... Shhhhh! Someone is coming... let me be in my role wearing the Slippers of Amma.

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