Fifty five and free

She is 55 years old. And she had the guts to run away! I write this for Palani amma, my maid for two short months, Pal Raj8217;s wife of 38...

She is 55 years old. And she had the guts to run away! I write this for Palani amma, my maid for two short months, Pal Raj8217;s wife of 38 years, mother of one, grandmother of two and such a gutsy woman.

It happened almost a week ago. She came to work as she did every morning at 7 a.m. Looking back, she was a bit anxious that day. And why not. She was a bird about to take flight.

She asked me for some money. Unfortunately, I could not give her the sum she wanted. She left my home at 9.30 a.m. That was the last I saw of her.

Her husband rang the doorbell at 6.30 p.m. When I told him I hadn8217;t seen her since morning, he asked me if she8217;d told me where she was going. She had left the house unlocked, taken her clothes, gold, most of the cash. I asked him if they8217;d had a fight. He said they had been arguing lately.

He returned the next morning saying she was to be found nowhere. Now I was worried. Where could she have gone? A migrant from a remote village in Tamil Nadu, amma, mother, as we fondly called her, came to Delhi with her husband 35 years ago. But her Hindi remained awful and she had little knowledge of the city. I requested him to lodge a police complaint. He refused.

He claimed he had been good to her. He bought her sarees, even expensive ones. But she was fond of roaming the colony more than earning a living, he said. He would not waste his time trying to locate her. He insinuated she had left him because he was an old man and she was much younger. He had been out of a job, and she left him for someone who could provide more comforts.

I was aghast. How typical! How very simple! How quickly he accused her of infidelity, his wife of 38 years! Later that day, I received a call from his daughter, who apologised on behalf of her mother for leaving me in the lurch. She said, 8216;8216;Madam, please don8217;t curse amma. She went back to the village to be with her brother because my father ill treated her. She could not take it anymore.8217;8217;

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This is the story of a woman. And of man, who would rather slander his wife of decades, than take responsibility for a failed marriage. She marries him and becomes his property. He beats her up at will. If she retaliates, she gets beaten up more. If she breaks free, she is accused of being on the look out for better prospects.

I set you free Palani amma, of the baseless charges your spineless husband made against you. I don8217;t know what your compulsions were, why you tolerated him for 38 years. I am glad you have finally escaped. You are on your own now and I wonder how you will support yourself. I hope you find happiness. Your courage is an inspiration.