Another usual day it was, as we drove down  East Coast Road and reached Vishranthi,  a home for old and destituted women in Palavakkam. Unlike the buzz of the city traffic  we were left with a feel of tranquility for the start. Welcomed by the trustees and members of Vishranti they explained to us on how Vishranti came into being and sustenance. It was obvious to note that they all missed Savithri Vaithi, ill in the past month, the women who is instrumental for starting this retreat for the old and destituted women for decades now.

Meeting the inmates of Vishranti, the one person who instilled a sense of hope,trust and stuck in our thoughts for days was Sanjivi, 86, an inmate of Vishranti for more than 20 years. The moment  we met her we knew she had something different to say. Born in a small township in Kerala, she said she was married at the age of 11, which we were not shocked to hear as we aware the cultural injustice that lasted for decades, the child marriage where a girl gets married at or before attaining puberty. At the age of 13 after attaining puberty she was compelled by her family to move to her husband’s house for which she strongly opposed. This made us question why and how as this was something rare to hear about. “Women of my time suffered a lot after getting married, more like slaves for the husband and their families,Why would my parents allow me to suffer that way?”, as she says it was clear that she was deeply affected by the sufferings that the women of her time had to face.

All the misleading customs like Sati, blaming the wife for not having children, dowry death has made her to think at that tender age to hate the concept of getting married. Threatened by her family to leave to her husband’s place, she was strong in her decision of not wanting to leave. As the curiousity to know what happened after that which made us question, “So finally you went to your husband’s place?” which made her a little furious to say, “No, why I should have to go there and be his maid for my entire life I chose to leave my home instead!” . A thirteen year old girl, abandoned by parents for not giving in and adhering to the decisions of her husband, she was left homeless. As she continued, she said, “I learnt it the hard way, did every other job that I was able to do at the tender age, earned wages that is comparable to men at that time.”

After undergoing a lot of practical difficulties of facing life as a single women, here I am, happy and content.  “For the youngsters of today, I think that the choice is their’s. Equality is something to be demanded.”