(Part 2/4) “I do not remember Father working. He was unwell most of the time due to which Mother had to manage the household herself. It was difficult for her to take care of the family. Father would take out loans from our neighbours. I think he saw no hope in the future. I also saw my mother’s troubles and it pained my heart. It also made me mature fast. I became older than my age and I took care of the household and my siblings while Mother went to earn wages. Amidst all of that, Mother made sure we went to school. But for me, it was difficult as the work of the household would pile up every time I went to school. Although my heart belonged in the classroom, I would drop my brother and sister and come back home. At home, I would try to finish work as fast as I could just to be able to sit in some of the classes. I was constantly exhausted both at home and at school but somehow I managed to complete my SLC.
All those years in the village, things did not change. The situation would become difficult at home especially during festivals as people to whom we owed money would come and threaten us. They would demand the money back or would take away whatever they would find in the house. Father would become unstable due to such financial pressures and would start drinking. That in turn, would create an unhappy environment at home for everyone. It was during those bad days, I could feel a determination in me growing. I had vowed then that I would only concentrate on work and earning money. I had made up my mind. Even though my father discriminated against me for being a daughter, from thereon I was going to work, earn money, look after the family, and pay off the loans. I love father more than he will ever know. It was father bitterness and the foul words that he used towards me that gave me the guts to change my life and to do good. I was not going to marry early. I was going to make money and prove to my father that I was no less than a son."
