Awakening

I struggle to come to terms with some cultures. The culture where while some trailblazer women are fighting for their right to light the funeral pyre of their deceased parents, some other women are still using excuses to avoid helping their frail and financially dependent parents. Culture where daughters are claiming equal rights in property, but without shared responsibility.  This is the very culture where they say daughters inherently love their parents more than a son; they say a daughter's love, gratitude and appreciation for her maternal home doubles once she marries and goes through changes demanded by new home/relationship.  Yet, it somehow seems so unloving when some daughters, in that same culture, intentionally hold off help towards their parents in the name of culture. Today, I want to question those unloving daughters why their love is so meagre when it comes to helping their own parents? Why use “culture” as an excuse and I wonder...

Lightness of soul He woke up to the sound of shower running in the adjacent bathroom. It was quite stark in that hour of the night. He covered his ears with a pillow hoping to dispel the disturbance. Suddenly he realized he was not alone in the room. He reached out to his phone and looked up the time. It was 2am. His 3-day-old baby was peacefully sleeping in her cot. His wife was nowhere in the room.  "C'mon Cathy, how many times do you have to shower? At this time now really? Come back to bed" Prashant voiced lazily. He just wanted to go back to sleep.  He heard some fumbling and then some shuffling and then rapid panting. He wasnt sure whether he was still dreaming. He slowly opened his eyes and adjusted to the dim light making its way through a small gap between the ensuite door and their bedroom.  Catherine was hunched over at the edge of their bed making some crackling weird sounds. He sat bolt upright this time and reached out to her.  ...