After almost a year after my mother passed away, I thought of going over to our old house in Park Circus and staying there for 2/3 days. I asked Rabia to come over and stay with me. Rabia, as I have mentioned before, is the girl who stayed with my mother as a helping hand for years. Rabia, who is about 20 years old now, used to live with her family in the footpaths of Park Circus about a year back. After her father expired, Rabia and her family shifted to the slums of Subhash Gram.
Rabia joined me that evening, with a small child in her arms, about 8 months old then. Of course, my first question was, 'who is this?' The answer I got was something that awakened me, again, like many other awakenings and experiences associated with Rabia and her family.
The baby, named Fatima otherwise also known as Sabeena, had been discarded by her parents when she was just a month old. Doomed to death, Fatima’s parents gave her away to another poor family because she was born a girl child. Her parents already had a daughter earlier and when Fatima was born, it was a curse for her parents. Fatima’s father used to come home drunk every night abusing and cursing the baby for being a girl. This continued for days. Fatima's mother, who worked as a nurse to look after patients, was also not interested in raising the baby as she wanted a boy child.
Rabia and her family took up the initiative to raise Fatima with the hope to give her a life. When Rabia’s family came upon Fatima in the neighbourhood of Subhash Gram, their heart melted. Rabia and her family became a blessing in disguise for Fatima, amidst the darkness and uncertainty inherent to their lives.
At a time when much awareness is created on protecting or saving the girl child, Fatima's case is a striking example. There are numerous and uncountable cases like the one of Fatima – who fade away in the oblivion of the society. Though there are many organizations and concerns constantly in the pursuit for the rights of the girl child, we are yet miles away from what we want to achieve.
When I was hearing out Rabia that evening, I was awakened by the bold move she had taken by adopting the child. Where again, the so called educated people of the society, have numerous laws for such cases, Rabia was fearless of accepting Fatima as a part of her family, not bowing down to any laws of the society.
No-one knows what Fatima has in store for her in the future. But as of now, Rabia and her family have adopted the child, taking care of her. Sharing their day to day living with her, raising her in the way they have been raised.
Six months back Fatima's mother committed suicide and ended her life. Fatima’s father remarried. Rabia is now pregnant and about to have her delivery in a day or two.
