JANU

Janu wakes up early

in the morning

and completes her routine chores.

After awaking her

eldest daughter

who is walking along the bridge of teenage

she hurried to the

two neighbouring 

houses in the junction

before the sun appears

in the east.

She does have

a lot of works in each

of the houses owned by

two rich gentlemen.

She cleanses the house premises

first with a broom.

Then she enters the house

and takes another broom

and wipes out all rubbish things

in response to the instructions of the owner’s wife

except the bedroom

where her husband is fast asleep

along with their children.

Then cleanses the

utensils and fills the

vessels with pure drinking water.

The lady hands over a

hot black coffee in a

glass to Janu

which she sips slowly.

By this time the Sun

welcomes her

and Janu after

taking permission from

the lady goes to

the neighbouring house

and indulges in repeating

the household chores

from there too.

She gets a glassful of black coffee

together with some eatables.

On completion of her duties

she walks to her small house

covering a paddy field

and a narrow path filled

with craters and stores

reaches her small house.

Her husband wakes up

in the wee hours of the morning

and fearing him

she never inquires him where

he was heading to.

Late in the night

he blurts out

choicest expletives to no one

otherwise to himself

and arrives at the

house in an inebriated condition.

All hell breaks loose

with him repeating

his abuses not only

towards Janu and their three children

and all one by one

is forced to suffer his blows

and kicks until

the whole house and

surroundings reverberate

with their cries.

One day he didn’t come back

none knew where he went

and after one week

on enquiry it was learnt

that he fled away 

with a lady leaving

her husband and three children

Janu breathed easy 

children breathed easy

their fear  melt like ice

and continued to have good times.

The next day

Janu went to the temple

took a bath in the temple pond

and bowed before the

God thanking him for

the blessings showered

over her and her children….

And they lived happily thereafter.