Shephali’s Story

She had known the love, loss, and joy of living. That is Shephali's story.

At 18, she had met the love of her life, a few blocks away in a small hometown. She had married him about a year later. By 21, her eldest son was born, much to the delight of her parents and in-laws.

By and by, they came to know that her son, however, had a water phobia. He feared always going near the water of the river nearby. At this time, boys of his age enjoyed splashing water at each other and wetting their feet. He, however, was asked by the doctor to stay away from the river since he feared water so much.

Shephali took great care of her son. Her mother-in-law, an ex-teacher of a High School in the town, took the responsibility of teaching her son school lessons and helping him with homework.

As the years rolled by, Shephali's son, Munna turned 13. His parents were very happy that their son was getting mature and just became a teenager.

When he was 13, he was going with his Dad to the bazaar, and he noticed boys of his age swimming and enjoying in the river. He asked himself, "Why am I so scared of the water? Why can't I learn to swim like the other boys? Will my parents let me?”

He asked his Dad on the rickshaw about his concerns. His Dad’s answer was a strict “No.” “Munna, you are not like other guys. You fear the water a lot. It’s doctor's advice for you to stay away from the water." That afternoon, he asked his mother, Shephali, for her permission to let him go near the river. “I only want to wet my feet,” he said. “And I won’t be there long.”

Shephali was not in agreement. But her son, Munna forced and forced her to say yes. Shephali still didn’t say yes. But he had already taken two maidservants as bodyguards and reached the river. He played in the water first. Then something weird happened. He started to fight against the water. He lay down and kept fighting until he lay motionless.

The maidservants looked at him and wondered what happened. One of them went home to inform Shephali and her husband. Shephali quickly reached the river while her husband fetched a doctor. The doctor checked his pulse and declared him dead. Still, they took him to the hospital, and he was once more declared dead.

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How pathetic! They arranged for prayer and buried their son. The whole hometown was shocked at the early demise of Munna. It was a small hometown, and everyone knew each other.

Years rolled by, and the parents couldn’t grieve less for their son. Then, they decided to go for family planning again. Soon, Shephali was expecting a child. A son was born to them several months later. The parents were overjoyed. For the next two years, they took good care of their child and had the doctor examine him regularly for any phobias like their first child who passed. The doctor negated the possibility of phobia for this son. And the parents were happy.

Two years later, a second son was born. The parents took enough care of this son also. The doctor examined him also and negated the possibility of phobia for this son.

Years went by. From childhood to teenager to tweens- the parents took care of the sons and watched them grow. They were healthy kids, and the parents gave them a tutor to supervise their school lessons. In the late afternoons until early evenings, they allowed their sons to swim in the river and play with the other guys.

When their sons were vibrant and robust in health, Shephali's husband had a fever and body aches for long durations. He was thoroughly examined at the hospital and found to have liver problems. Shephali brought her husband to the main city for better treatment. He was given treatment, but for several months, he fought for life and finally passed on.

Shephali was deeply saddened at her hubby’s demise. She had been to Dhaka during frequent phases of her life. She now decided to shift to Dhaka and give a good education to her sons.

With the legacy left by her husband, she managed to carry on with her plans. Her sons were still at college, and Shephali was forever racking up her brains to earn more money perhaps through her boutique business and also her husband’s businesses that she decided to take on.

Shephali managed to take care of her sons’ welfare and continued to give them a good education at college.

Go green again, Shephali. Smile and laugh again. There is still joy in your world. Spread your wings and soar high up in the sky like an eagle!

© 2023 Rosina S Khan