𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚇𝙸: 𝙸 𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙽𝚎𝚠 𝙼𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝙵𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢

After the drama at the store, Tashi was taken by police. The owner was worried about me and she let me go home early that day. 

“Lhamo! You must stand up for your own right. Man cannot come and torture you. They cannot threaten you with such kind of act”. The owner said.

“He was my husband and we were married according to the wishes of our parents. After coming here, he changed. He considered our marriage as divorced. We don’t even have marriage certificate. I thought to report to the court but I am just turning seventeen. All our parents would be in big trouble”, I explained her everything starting from sickness to giving up of education and coming to Thimphu.

“You have a matured mind. You could even think of your parents. As you said, they will be in big trouble. The marriage will be considered invalid by the court and they will punish people involved in arranging the marriage”, the owner said.

After Tashi was arrested by the police, he didn’t visit the store to create drama. I continued working and day by day, my belly was bulging. I was feeling weaker. I had to wake up in the evening because of discomfort. 

When the baby inside my belly turned seven months, my mom came to Thimphu. She stayed with me and took care of me. 

“Lhamo, I am really sorry for causing a big misery to your life. I just wished for good things to happen and I have never expected such acts from the boy whom I considered decent. I was wrong”, my mother cried.

“It’s okay mom. I know you did what is best for me but life doesn’t go the way we want. There are women who are facing worst of situations. I am just happy that I could know him earlier. Earlier, the better. Imagine, if he acts after three or four children. The one inside my belly can be fed. Don’t worry. Anyways, thank you for coming”.

When everything was forgotten, Tashi started coming again and doing the same thing. I was tired of the drama. For several times, he was arrested by the police. 

In one of the days, he came and threatened the shop owner. I could notice that he was coming to the store only when he became drunk.

 

“One day, I will burn this store into ashes. All the people inside will be dead”, he screamed. The owner was worried and told the police to keep him longer until he realizes his own mistakes. 

I worked until the bulging belly became too heavy. It was eight months old. By that time, I had enough money. I was prepared. My mother started weaving and selling. She started earning as well. I told my owner that I would be giving up the work as Tashi was creating chaos at the store. 

After nine months, I was strong enough to give birth although I was just seventeen years old. The baby was a girl. With so much of pain, I had the most beautiful feeling of becoming a mother. 

For few months, I took a break and gave time to my baby. Then, I got a job in one of the handicraft shops in Thimphu. I could earn more than what I have earned earlier. I also earned commission. 

The life was getting back on track. I was the richest because I had my mom with me. Soon, I had friends who worked in the same shop. Sometimes, I came to work with my baby and most of the time, my mother took the responsibility of babysitting her.

I didn’t know how Tashi was doing. I was not bothered as well. Some of his friends were telling me that he was after aunties. I didn’t know whether he had been married to the girl of his choice. I was focusing on my own business. 

I have gone through lot of struggles but they only made me stronger.  Once, I also decided to end my life but ending a life wasn’t the best solution. Giving a life to someone was. Today, I can see the smile on her face and she could see the beauty of the world. I can kiss her beautiful cheeks and hear her cries. I can hear her giggles. She brought the happiness back to me and to my mom.

Well, my life was like a Bhutanese movie. My marriage was arranged by mom hoping for the best. However, life doesn’t give what we hope. It only goes the way it is written in the thing called fate. We don’t see what that thing called fate looks but it can be seen in the way of life.

Now, I believe in another side of fate. After a heavy rainfall, there will be a beautiful rainbow.  I am already experiencing some colours of it and I hope to see more.

In a gist, my life was like a Bhutanese movie with a sad ending. But the sad ending doesn’t mean the end of life itself. Life by its nature comes with battles to fight. If and only, I can fight those battles, there will be happiness.

I have two most beautiful people in the world, my mom and my daughter. We are the three sides of a triangle and we form the strongest shape in the nature. We will fight the battles together and laugh together.

We are building fortunes by picking what has been broken. In few years to come, we will be leaving to our home in Tashiyangtse. I will remain grateful to the capital city of Bhutan for strengths, lessons and joy. 

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜! 𝙇𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮! 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 150 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨! 𝙇𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 100