This is what life's all about!

I was woken up by an ever insistent phone of mine in the morning before my usual waking hours. As I got up groggily, I was annoyed that the caller had cut it before I could answer. On checking, I found that it was a member of my staff and my man Friday of sorts, Jang Bahadur Yadav. When I finally made contact, it was a weepy Bahadur trying to inform me about the death of his wife that had happened sometime, late last night. She'd succumbed to complications as a result of a terminated pregnancy.

I was seething with anger at the guy but controlled myself owing to the circumstances. The Bahadurs have five children(four daughters and a son) ranging from the eldest who's 17 years to the boy who's all of five years and was just admitted into class I, last summer. Mrs Bahadur and their five children were staying at his house, somewhere in the innards of Rae Bareilly while he was maintaining a second establishment here at Delhi, to pursue his profession. He made it to his hometown at least once every month and it always amazed me to see him stock up provisions, clothes, toys and whatever else in his travel bag that he perpetually kept at the office(reminded me of the industrious ants and their meticulous ways of stocking up for a rainy day). He'd just returned from his house yesterday after the long weekend and had reported that everything was fine with his family.

A bit about Bahadur, at this juncture, I think would be appropriate. He has no vices, lives well within his means, does not waste money unnecessarily and has shown me as to how he'd invested his savings for his family. And coming to realise his nature, I once queried him as to why he'd not practiced family planning. The answer was the usual one that hears from an average Indian. Anyways, in Bahadur's case it was the continuous taunts of one of his sisters-in-law who doubted his ability to produce sons, that compelled(?) the couple to end up with an unwieldy family! And Mrs Bahadur went ahead ,without any complaint, to save her husband's honour.

From Bahadur's narrations, what I'd conjured of his wife was that she was a tough lady managing their house and agricultural land efficiently- she was in her early thirties - and also supported her husband by providing advice as and when he required it. She was illiterate but worldly wise and practical.

Their world has been shattered. The children would need support and emotional sustenance. I pray for the departed soul and sincerely hope that Bahadur has the strength to tide over this difficult phase of his life.


Having narrated the story of the Bahadurs, I've three doubts:-
(a) Does woman view guys with daughters as those with reduced manliness?
(b) Why don't men offer themselves for birth control measures instead of
thrusting their womenfolk into doing so- though I must hasten to add that
it cannot be gender specific but health based?
(c) Was the script for Mrs Bahadur, written by the Almighty, confined to producing
five children and pass away into eternity?