Journalism's Joy

Joy!

That one word could partially describe what Asha felt, reading the email that had just popped in from the Newspaper Office. It had read

Dear Ms. Asha Menon,

It is my pleasure to extend the following offer of employment to you on behalf of Bharat Jagaran, further to the interview and discussions you have had with us. You are expected to join duty on May 10, 2013.

You are appointed to the position of Junior Correspondent and in this capacity, you will report directly to Senior Editor, Omi Joshi. As Junior Correspondent, your starting monthly remuneration will be _______________________

She didn’t need to read the rest, not that she did not, but she was not bothered. Her dream had just come true, she had just landed the coveted job, the one which she had dreamt of ever since she started understanding what news and newspaper were. Hindi was not a language people assumed she would pick; but Asha, as always had went over and above people’s expectations and had not only become very fluent, she had also won accolades for her prose and versification at various literary contests organized by her college and by her university too.

Asha could now smirk at all those people who said she would never make it to Bharat Jagaran, that too at her first attempt. She had not conveyed the good news to her parents yet; how would they react? They were aware of Asha’s dreams and had never attempted to tie her down, probably because they knew if they tried to contain her in any manner, she would resort to rebellion; and there was no way Asha wouldn’t win against her parents. Obviously they will be happy for me, thought Asha.

She didn’t have a reason, but she was suddenly reminded of all the trouble her mother had gone through when her in laws had opposed her for being employed, that too at a much better level than her dad. Through those testing times, it was Asha’s dad who had stood by her mom and had been the wind beneath her wings. Though they were living in separate cities for a very long time, Asha knew her parents were still very much in love with each other, and that was the very fact that pained and consoled Asha, because she believed that a married couple should always live under the same roof, or else the marriage was not complete.

Strange, ever since the guy and his parents came into her life, she was thinking more and more about marriage and family life. God! I have a career to focus on, Asha chastised herself.

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Girls in India are caught in the drift when they reach a particular age. They suddenly face a dilemma as to what to focus on in their life, whether to make a career and ensure a living or to get married and secure their life. Girls who remain single after the so called marriageable age are frowned upon by the society and are considered a burden for their families.

Throughout the month of April, thanks to the AtoZ Challenge, I am trying to portray the life of Asha, a common Indian girl with dreams and aspirations. Everyday we focus on one alphabet starting from A on April 1st till Z on April 30th. Stick with me till the end of the journey and do tell me what you think of my writing and my Asha.