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| Sunday, 10 November 2002 |
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Death do us part Sagarika was only 24 years when she got married to Nihal, a handsome young man of equal age. They met each other at a wedding and both fell in love. Soon they came to know each other and their love began to mature day by day. Sagarika was the only child in the family and so was Nihal. After marriage, they decided to live in an annexe because they preferred to enjoy their freedom. About one year after their marriage, Sagarika gave birth to their first child. Three children were born and they were now five, three and one. She experienced hard time in bringing them up. Nihal did not earn enough to sustain the family. With his meagre income they were compelled to live a simple life, devoid of luxury and comfort. The children were weak due to under-nourishment, and Sagarika too looked like a rag on a stick. Having gone dry, she depended on patented milk foods, which was a drain on her husband's income. The children rarely tasted a chocolate or an ice-cream or any fancy foods usually liked by children. With all the vicissitudes of poverty at home, they were devoted to their children, loved them dearly and considered them a blessing in disguise. Suddenly, one morning, she realised that she was pregnant again, then she developed morning sickness associated with nausea and vomiting and marked by spasmodic distension of the abdomen, pallor and languid looks. To be certain, she went to the nearest clinic and obtained a pregnancy test and found it positive. Trouble Sagarika was in a fix because she knew that another baby meant more trouble. To her it was like 'jumping from the frying pan to the fire'. However, Nihal did not take it seriously, but just said "It's a blessing in disguise". "What can we do now?" asked Sagarika. "Nothing except an abortion", said Nihal raising his eye-brows, and continued, "Saga! It's a very risky affair for one reason it is illegal, and the other being the risk to life, if attempted in a crude way, using unsterilised equipment or any other method it could be fatal. One day, Sagarika was desperate to abort the child when her husband was not at home. She used some instrument lent to her by a friend who advised her how to use it, to remove the unwanted foetus. When her husband returned from work in the evening, he saw his wife lying prostrate on the ground with her children weeping by her side, not knowing what had happened to her. Weeping In the meantime, hearing the children weeping, the neighbours rushed in, and having come to know the condition of Sagarika, rushed to get down a doctor who was living closeby. The doctor being a relation of one of the neighbours, rushed at once to the scene to help the ailing woman. A midwife who was present assisted the doctor to deliver the child. The fourth child was born. At the end of two weeks, recovery was in sight. The fragile patient had however to take up ordinary duties at home, including those of wifehood and motherhood. The neighbours congratulated her on her recovery, and the kind, sympathetic and understanding neighbours brought soups and other nutritious food to help her suckle the new born. But, she appeared to be despondent and worried. In a faultering voice she said "Another baby will finish me, I suppose". The doctor advised her not to get pregnant again if she loves her children and that she needed to live long to look into their future, without making them 'motherless'. Finally, he said "Any more such capers, young woman, there will be no need to call me". Sagarika was stunned when she heard so. "Yes! yes! I understand you, doctor. But what can I do to prevent such a repetition? My husband is not happy with me when I object to his wishes. Males do not understand the pains women undergo to bringforth what they have created". Laughed The good humoured doctor laughed at what she said. You can't have the cake and eat it too. Do you? Well, it can't be done. So saying, the doctor tapping her on the back, left the house. His last advice to Sagarika was "Tell Nihal to sleep on the roof". She soon retorted "He is a man, after all, and I'm a woman who has to satisfy him and bear children for him. Don't you agree with me, doctor?" "Yes! I understand you", said the doctor with a smile. She preferred birth control but it was taboo according to her religion. Abortion is also considered homicide, and she knew that it was an offence under the law. She also knew that there were clinics where illegal abortions were performed charging exorbitant fees. She could not dream of having the chance of going to such a clinic. Every time Nihal approached Sagarika for conjugal harmony, she told him to be very careful in what he intends to do and not to make her pregnant again. She told him what the doctor had advised that she was not to bear any more children, since it would be a matter between life and death. A year later, the doctor was summoned to bring into this world Sagarika's fifth child. He was the doctor who had given Sagarika the noble advice not to get pregnant again. He found Sagarika desperate and in great pain with spasmodic colicky feelings. In the process of childbirth, she became unconscious and within a few hours she died. There was no transport available to rush her to a hospital. It appeared that she had died of induced abortion by a quack, who was an unqualified abortionist. The gentle woman, the devoted mother, the loving wife, had died leaving behind her frantic husband, helpless in his loneliness, bewildered in his helplessness, and with four children to look after. Clenching his hands he moaned over the loss of his beloved wife. Aryadasa Ratnasinghe |
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