Man proposes, God disposes. And sometimes, that twist of fate is so cruel that it leaves you high and dry and in utter despair.
Nirmala Devi from Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur has a similar story to tell. A story so poignant that it is sure to leave a lump in your throat.
All that Nirmala had ever wanted was a normal, happy life after marriage that would see her bask in the love of her husband and in-laws, raise a family and live her family life in a smooth manner. She hoped fervently that her marriage would deliver her from her hand-to-mouth existence.
Nirmala’s marriage was going well too. She had no complaints, living a contented life with her husband and child. Then, tragedy struck. Nirmala’s family was caught in a dispute with another family from the village, and it turned ugly and horrific.
The younger brother of Nirmala’s husband eloped with a woman from another religion. The woman’s brother, filled with intense hate for this interfaith relationship, hired a contract killer. The killer entered the house of Nirmala one night and slit the throats of her husband, her father-in-law and her sister-in-law.
Nirmala Was attacked too, but she escaped by the skin of her teeth. She lived to tell her tale. A distraught Nirmala however was left with deep wounds, but her bodily harm could never compare with the irreparable loss she suffered psychologically. Her loved ones were snatched away from her by a group of barbarians, who cared little for the feelings and well-being of Nirmala and her two-year-old child. Her life turned upside down and seemed absolutely destroyed.
Turning back from such a situation is often next to impossible, but hats off to Nirmala for staying courageous. Much like a drowning man who tries to clutch at straws to survive, Nirmala had nothing left in life other than her two-year-old son. When you are broken and everything seems lost, the smallest ray of light often acts as a beacon, drawing out of the darkness. Nirmala’s toddler, likewise, became her rallying point, and her reason to live.
Soon, Nirmala returned to her parents’ place, but her parents, who were struggling with penury themselves, could offer her nothing except moral support.
Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation came to know about Nirmala’s plight from news reports. More than a year had passed since the tragedy. We tracked her, reached out to her, heard her. We then extended monetary support.
We understand that nothing that we do, no help that we render can be balm enough for Nirmala’s trauma, but we were at least able to take some burden off her shoulders. As a single mother, struggling to cope up with a terrible shock, Nirmala has a long way to go before life gets smooth again. Till then, our help would act as a pathfinder for her, while her child continues to be her inspiration and motivation. Hopefully, she would be able to find a light at the end of the tunnel soon.
Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation has always made it a point to come to the rescue of the victims of hate crimes. We have saved many families from being swept away by disaster and misfortune, even when we had learnt about their conditions a little late in the day. Do support our work so that we can bring succour to victims of hate crimes like Nirmala.
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