A GIRL CAN ALSO BE A SON OF HER PARENTS

  I am a citizen of independent India where maximum families recognise a son as the heir of the clan. I belong to a  Muslim family. My parents have two daughters and I am the eldest. My father used to serve outside, so my mother brought us up in such a way that both of us are active at all the outside work as well as  household work . I grew up hearing only one thing in people's mouths, "You are two sisters, no brother!" My mother had to hear, "Get the girls married early because you don't have a son." At that time we felt very helpless, we felt that we were a huge burden on our parents. Although parents never let us understand anything like that from childhood. But sometimes I get overwhelmed by all these conversations. There were many quarrels over the family just because of land and property, then the cousins used to beat my father badly and we were very young, screaming and crying. Mother used to cry, that if I had a son, he would have protested for his father today. Then they felt very helpless. I have come to know from my uncles that my father brought them(cousins) up like his own son and got these kinds of  rewards from them in his old age. Then why does this society say that a girl cannot be the shield of his family. From that day I decided that I should be the son of my parents. The relatives were of the opinion that by marrying the two daughters, all the property of my parents would be usurped as they don't have son. I slowly grew up overcoming all the social odds and then suddenly I got addicted to someone. Our marriage was successful with the consent of the family. Just then my father left for work. And since he was working in a private company, he did not get any such money in retirement. The younger sister was studying. I was spending my days thinking how the whole family would run, so I got a job in a private manufacturing company. I shouldered the responsibility of the whole family. Of course, I always got the support of one person, my husband. I never wanted to support my parents with financial help from anyone. I have been raised and educated by them, so I have some responsibility towards them, so I have never received any financial support from my husband for them. He never once expressed his disapproval of me taking the responsibility of my parents and instead always gave me mental support. Today for 9 years I have been taking care of them which  nowadays, many parents are not getting even from a son. I vow to my being that I will live up to the responsibility I have taken. I pray to God to give me strength and courage so that I can overcome all odds and be the shield of my parents and keep them well forever. I strongly criticise this social reform where only  sons are given status. If every person in the society thinks like this then even a girl can take the responsibility of her parents because raising a boy is as difficult as it is for a girl then why this discrimination. Why a girl cannot take responsibility for her parents after marriage.I will continue to fight against it and will try to do some social work on it if I get a chance in the future.

#Written By

Yana Parveen