Upliftment

It was Aashar, 15 June – 15 July in the Bengali calendar, the height of the monsoon.  The rumbling, inky clouds hung heavy and low. The rain came down in a deluge cleansing the earth as if the Goddess Kali was purifying the world of all its evil.

In this tumultuous time, was born beautiful little Chetana to her mother Jyotsnadevi. Chetana’s bright smile and gorgeous eyes captivated her mother completely, shining like a beacon of light in her gloomy life. Jyotsnadevi no longer felt the pain and humiliation of her mother-in-law’s tongue lashing or her husband’s barbs.

Ten months passed with Jyotsna immersed in her daughter’s love and laughter. Then the dark clouds gathered again, engulfing the entire family in sombre misery as Jyotsna’s husband lost his job as a reporter in the local daily newspaper.

Furthermore, their old fashioned joint family which had remained bonded together through thick and thin for 24 years, split up and went their own way. Jyotsna had to leave for her parents home with little Chetana clinging to her bosom.

As Chetana grew, Jyotsna realized that her beautiful, beloved daughter was physically disabled with cerebral palsy. Although her speech and movement were severely impaired there was absolutely no doubt about her intelligence! Chetana’s soul yearned to soar like a free bird… she longed to be one with the air, the river and the ocean!

Jyotsnadevi was deeply disturbed whenever she dwelt on her daughter’s future. Hoping for the best, she admitted Chetana in a special school but because of serious inconveniences had to discontinue with this arrangement. She then began teaching little Chetana at home.

Another five years rushed by….

In the meanwhile, Jyotsna was blessed with two more children. Once her siblings started school, Chetana’s overwhelming desire to attend school resurfaced. But her father cruelly laughed off her longing. This led to a renewed challenge in the mother–daughter duo’s life.

Determined to brave the odds, Chetna was readmitted in another special school. This school was such that Chetana felt she was being introduced to an entirely new face of life. Here she was taught to use Augmentative and Alternative Communication in the form of an alphabet communication board. Through this, Chetana learnt to string together words and then, phrases and sentences. She had finally found a means of expressing herself in a way that could be comprehended by one and all!

Soon, Chetana began to express her myriad thoughts and feelings; her education also began in earnest.  Chetana used to excell in all subjects and also became a favourite with all the teachers. She found her life was progressing leaps and bounds!   Despite this rapid progress, often Chetana’s physical challenges would lead to bouts of deep mental depression. She could not help yearning to be like the other young girls she saw around her and she desperately wanted to lead a ‘normal’ life.

These bouts were like the sudden, violent storms which are the precursors of the pre-monsoon rains, the Norwesters. During these low periods, Chetana’s feelings would be in a state of absolute tumult.

Finally, Chetana’s mother took matters in hand. Jyotsnadevi explained to her daughter how these ‘ups and downs’, longings and unrealized dreams were part of every young girl’s life. No one was entirely free of sadness and disappointments. No one! Jyotsna’s concerted effort at trying to stabilize Chetana worked wonders. Much to her relief, her brave adolescent daughter began to find new depths of courage within herself and face life like a stalwart soldier.

Along with her studies, Chetana became a budding writer.. Her deep and varied emotions tumbled out in the form of vivid and colourful poems and prose. With the passing of time, Chetana’s writings no longer remained in dusty note books but gained recognition in India and abroad!

Thus it was that her name became well known around the globe!  This was the name Jyotsnadevi had given her little daughter, Chetana, that meant awareness and this very name became a ray of light for other girls like herself with renewed strength of purpose and zest for life!

Barsha Bhattacharya

Barsha Bhattacharya, 28 years, uses an alphabet board. Her facilitators, all familiar communication partners write for her. As each sentence is composed, the partner reads it out to her. Barsha was the winner of the ISAAC 2008 International Writing Contest ‘Many Stories One Voice’.  She attends the services of IICP’s Adult Day Centre.