P. A. Chacko
It is almost like Sarai and Hagar in Abram’s life in the Bible. Hagar the poor and docile woman and her son being thrown out of Abram household because of Sarai’s jealousy and bitchy behaviour. Though Abraham had fathered Ismael from Hagar, who was his second consort, he bent over backward to obey Sarai’s order to banish Hagar and her son into wilderness.
A similar story unfolds here. Here is Pandu almost docile and demure like Abram. Pandu had two consorts. The elder behaved like a cantankerous and jealous bahurani. The younger one was very humble and quiet, and was often ill treated by the domineering lady.
Then, it all happened! Pandu fathered two children from the younger one. However, bahurani appeared being barren. She complained to Pandu that he was wasting too much affection on choti bahu.
Then, as if by miracle, bahurani also delivered. Then, all hell broke loose.
The jealous lady said, enough is enough. She goaded Pandu to get rid of choti bahu and her two children. Pandu often helplessly watched the jealous lady attacking and abusing the younger one. But he was helpless before the bossy lady.
One day, the younger one decided to quit. And Pandu, afraid of the arrogant one, silently nodded, but with sadness in his eyes!
Choti bahu now lives in an open field hugging her young ones like Hagar with Ismael. Meanwhile, Pandu, the weak-kneed, often waits at the gate to have a look at his ladybird who is ostracized for no fault of hers.
The younger one’s name is Cuckoo and bahurani’s name is Tippy. Cuckoo daily waits at the gate to get some food from our house. We call her in affectionately. But by no means she would come in because the lady bitch is too bitchy like Sarai to let her in.
I feel sad that our canine family behaved so badly. However, such unfortunate happenings occur not only among dogs and bitches.
It can happen when jealousy escalates in families among women, especially when bahurani and choti bahu are under the same roof. That is when weak-kneed men take the backseat!