It was well over a few weeks when Sheena realized that she had missed her period. What was she to do? Should she talk it over with her boyfriend Praveen or just go ahead and get rid of the evidence. She knew deep down that her family would ostracize her if they ever found out and she had no other option but to opt for an abortion at the private clinic. She was asked a number of questions and filled in all the information in the form supplied and within a couple of hours the deed was done. She kept the secret from her boyfriend for a couple of weeks but when things were too much to handle she blurted it out. He was furious and relieved but had to audacity to ask whether the child was his! Sheena ran out of there in tears and cried and cried until she was too tired to cry anymore. The next day it was all over college that she had slept around and had an abortion! She was treated like a social pariah.
She looked at Praveen her boyfriend who ignored her and said sadly “To think I loved you.”
The rumors eventually reached her family who packed her off abroad. But even though she pleaded with them, they did not budge.
“I want to stay here and stand up to society. I know that I have made a terrible mistake and have brought shame to the family. But I am willing to turn my life around, can you please accept this Daddy, Mummy please?” she cried.
“Nothing doing,” screamed her father “you will do as we say and that’s that.”
Sheena took a break and started a new life in another country, her new home. Her parents looked after her education for a few years until she wrote home and said that she would manage on her own. She never got involved with anyone as trust was an issue. Her family got on with their lives like she ceased to exist. After some years she paid a visit home but her parents and siblings were extremely uncomfortable at her presence. She wished them well and went away accepting that she had made an attempt at peace.
But Sheena was sad…. her family did not consider her a part of them she was an embarrassment. Praveen was also instrumental but no one said a thing about him. Everyone knew that he was her boyfriend at the time but the same old story. He was a man so it did not matter so he got away with it. He was always the life of the party, had the best job, married a wonderful girl and had a great life. But there was something else in store for him, something that he never imagined would happen. With every pregnancy there was a miscarriage. Both he and his wife suffered over five miscarriages. They followed all the medical suggestions but unfortunately none of the babies made it. They tried to adopt but something or the other happened and never materialized. The realized after sometime that they had to accept this part of life and went on trying to manage without any offspring. Invitations from friends and family were limited and finally stopping arriving. They had to manage with each other.
The truth…
Sheena never did go through with the abortion and gave birth to a bonny young girl who was ten years old when she visited her hometown. She wanted to share her joy with her family and introduce her daughter when she visited but they never got to met Lily. She also wanted her to meet Praveen the father but decided against it. He had seen her in the mall while she was shopping and looked away embarrassed pretending that she was a beggar. She paid the bill and walked away a free woman. Free from the shackles of her hometown and free to love her little girl and provide her with everything that she could possibly desire.
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