A Mother's Sacrifice, a widow's memories! -Debaki Mala

“I was a naughty kid- who was encouraged to go to school but I bunked classes with friends to steal mangoes and play kit-kit later. I grew up in a poor family, amid financial and emotional crisis. I was married at 17. Within 11 years, my husband passed away in a tragic accident, right when we were expecting our fourth baby. I had hit my worst.

I had no means of earning, couldn’t educate my kids and spent sleepless nights for months- how to raise 4 little kids, how to survive all on my own- there seemed no way. There were days when I had to go without a meal a day even, just so my kids could eat half a bread. (A bad habit I developed then which, in fact, saved me was having paan. I can stay without rice but not without paan for days.) The pit was so shallow- I would run to the village’s main river and often think of jumping off the barrage; the thought of my children was the only thing that prevented me from ending my life in those dark days. I’m almost 70 today and I can still say the happiest part about my life had only been the 12 years of my marriage. 

However, I am so proud of myself that I’m alive today, my children are settled somehow and I would just say this to every reader- ‘Whenever you think your circumstances are impossible, they're not. Take my word- YOU WILL MAKE IT THROUGH THIS ONLY WHEN YOU’RE WILLING TO STAY TOUGH. Do not believe otherwise.’ “- Debaki Mala