Write a letter to your elder brother mentioning your plight.
Mohalla Kanoongoyan
Muradabad
4 February ……
Dear Brother
I have received no letter from you for a long time. Have you also ousted your unfortunate sister from your mind? I had never thought that you would also become stone-hearted with the passage of time. Or it may be that you suffer from want of time which I presume to be your callousness. May it be so!
I had been thinking of writing a letter to you for one week, but somehow or the other I have ventured to write this letter to you today. You are the only prop for me now after the death of my husband. I had thought of passing the remaining days of my life in my father-in-law’s house by serving my parents-in-law. But hardly had a few days passed after his death when my mother-in-law also passed away. Somehow or the other I continued bearing taunts and abusive remarks. But now my life has become more miserable than ever. I remain busy with the household work the whole day long. Then I happen to get the left-out food and beatings as a bonus. Every day’s thrashing has made my life hollow. My father-in-law assails me with his sarcasm ‘A serpent has dug her fangs into the life of her husband.’ My forbearance has not been able to change his demeanor. Now you yourself tell me how long I should bear this atrocity silently.
It is only the harsh circumstances of life which have obliged me to write all this. Dear brother, call me back to your house now. I shall manage to earn my living by doing some stitching and embroidery work. You will not have to bear my burden. There will be no inconvenience even to my sister-in-law. You are like a father to me. Whom can I approach to express my sorrows and griefs of life!
Please do come and take me away from here. I shall wait for you for a fortnight. After that, you may never be able to see your ill-fated sister.
With kind regards to you. Please convey my greetings to my sister-in-law and tender love to the child.
Your ill-fated sister.
Mohini
