LIBRARY IN THE LIFE OF THE RURAL WOMEN

LIBRARY IN THE LIFE OF THE RURAL WOMEN

I dedicate this article to the incredible life journey of my late grandmother, Shrimati Chandraprabha Shankarrao Patil. Our library in Wadange village in Kolhapur district stands in her name, ‘Tall and Big,’ touching the lives of the splendid gift of God ‘Woman’.

Dr. Aparna Patil

Hesitant she put her feet in….A faint smile on her feeble face….I happily welcomed those steps towards my purpose and made their way on to the chair….I put forth the register penned with the list of titles….As I continued with my words to the inquiries that followed….Sweat drops featured her forehead, as she gently caught hold the book of titles….Slowly and swiftly she turned on the pages, as I could sight the eyes scroll over the names unread before…. Clearing the table job, I interrupted her endeavor to connect with her lost instinct to befit the multiple roles beyond herself….She fumbled with words, in reply for her name….Her articulations made me put across a thin book, ‘A collection of short stories’…and with a measured smile explained her the rules to the perfect…
She succumbed so easily to the opinion of the second, but perhaps to the fortunate few of her own species, but from a different sky above….Her lines moved in agreement with the endorsed…I could see love in those eyes, as the hands moved across the cover and slowly over the title….She covered it affectionately beneath her sari fold as she made her way onto the door….A month elapsed and there was this same nervous, half smiling face again…Delighted and, pride I felt inside for the rules followed..She held out the protected cover from beneath her sari fold and seemed lost with words, but which her face did not fail to convey-‘A GRATITUDE’, it was..Hurriedly I asked for her feedback, which came in with positive head nodes and closed smile….Rejoiced I gave her another title….to which again she gave in so quickly and easily….Covering the title beneath, she tried her way towards the door…But this time the steps stopped…and with hesitance she turned her back…I queried her for her pause…no words in response..I queried further for any doubts or forgotten property…The lips moved this time to their lowest pitch, ‘SHYAMCHI AAI’, were the words heard….

”Do you have the book, Shyamchi Aai, by Sane Guruji”, she asked. She smiled at my smile, “I had left it at page nos. 22 in my class 5… My teacher had given it to me to read… Unfortunately it was the last day of my school, when I was on the page nos. 22 of SHYAMCHI AAI… My younger brother’s education was a priority”….My eyes swiftly searched for the title through the shelves….And there it was, I took it out and handed it to her. Tears moistened the cover, which she fearfully rubbed it off with her sari end…and this time I heard her feelings loud in pitch-‘THANK YOU-‘…

Unable to hold back, I asked, “Why didn’t you ask me the first day?” “The second story of the book, A collection of short stories page nos. 15….A story of a little girl Savitri….The story summarized of her two divine qualities of women- ‘COURAGE and SACRIFICE.’ Sacrifice of her roll towards herself for all the roles beyond herself and courage to protect every role, along with her role towards herself.” “I have lived sacrifice”, she said, “But not courage to protect to be beyond everyone who perceived me to be. This abode is created for me, which I fearfully but joyfully stepped in, the pages, the words, all read out to me-what was for me, what belonged to me. ..I felt courage today to express and access what I liked and loved, beyond what I should like and love. ..My daughter will read it first, complete, and start with the second one soon”… I could feel tears moistening my eyes, as I saw happiness complete, for such a small desire complete.

Library for women in the village of Wadange ( Dist. Kolhapur ) by Reflections, has not just made possible the access and convenience to reading to many –girls and women equally- giving them the joy of reading, providing them with information and knowledge, and confidence that comes along with reading, but has also encouraged many of them towards writing and attempting their own small business ventures, promoting themselves towards entrepreneurship.

‘Any new book’? is the question I am asked every of my Wednesday and Saturday, which are the days of our library.

I dedicate this article to the incredible life journey of my late grandmother, Shrimati Chandraprabha Shankarrao Patil. Our library in Wadange village in Kolhapur district stands in her name, ‘Tall and Big,’ touching the lives of the splendid gift of God ‘Woman’