Phenomenal Woman

Few years ago, When I was an engineering student I got my hands on a very sleek piece of literature, Maxim Gorky’s The Mother .It is insofar the most ecstatic book I have read which is filled with colossal emotions of revolution and flag bearing attitude, from a woman’s perspective.

Why am I referring the soviet text here? The prime reason is the strata of society to which the protagonist belongs to is the one of the most neglected and people belonging to it, are the ones who are too engrossed in the convoluting ways of daily life that revolution or boldness is very far from being the food for thought.

There are myriad numbers of untold stories in our daily lives which leaves us awestruck and enthused, attributing to the character and perseverance shown by the protagonists. I would like to quote two of them here from my own life which have inspired me continuously.

In school, she was my classmate and was the class topper and next to none in any sphere. She was the fourth girl child in the family and had a younger brother after her. When she was born, both her paternal and maternal grandmothers and her parents were in mourning as another girl was born. The first hand mental and physical agony that she suffered from throughout her childhood and her adolescence must be horrifying and by no means can be put into words. But she went on, conquering all the traumas ,became the state topper , cracked the most difficult exams of India, completed her computer science engineering from the best institute of our country, got her Masters diploma from IIM A and now holds a top position in one of the reputed MNC. People now know her parents by her name and her family members are now proud and possessive of her.

Daughter of the domestic help, working along with her mother for a meager 1800 Rupees a month , supporting a family of six, Lopa topped her board exams. She won the state level scholarship for pursuing her studies further. When asked by her employer, how did she find time  after long working hours, she blushed and said “I tore up pages from my books and brought them to work to study in spare time ,if I got any”.She made the lines of Robert Frost her motto of life.

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep and I have promises to keep, but miles to go before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep”.

Both of these achievements might sound very trivial to some people and there might be thousands of such Lopas and girls like my school toppers fighting their battles somewhere. But the conditions in which these feats were achieved makes such feats important and sets examples of unnerving spirit in front of us. They truly deserve a standing ovation.

Such women are the classical examples who turned the tides in their side and can rightfully hum the lines of Maya Angelou 

“It’s the fire in my eyes, 
And the flash of my teeth, 
The swing in my waist, 
And the joy in my feet. 
I’m a woman 
Phenomenally.”

By Prashant Mudgal