CHENNAI: R Priya’s husband KR Raghu died in a train accident in Chrompet four years ago. Her daughter K R Lakshana, was just 12. “It was like a big burden falling on my head. The very thought of running a family made me nervous. Till then, I had been working from home, earning an amount that I would spend on me. But after my husband’s demise things took a sharp turn,” she says.
With not much support from her in-laws, Priya decided to shift to her mother’s place, which is where she has been living till date, although now it has become a joint family. Ask her what are the challenges she faces as a single parent and she says with all seriousness, “There is always a vacant space that has been left and I am pretty sure no one can fill it up. How much ever I do for my daughter — from giving her get good education to getting her married — there’s something missing and nothing can be done about it,” she says.
Though initially Priya had a tough time finding a job, she says that her daughter was there with her throughout to provide her with moral support. “I have never given any counselling sessions to my daughter,” she says with a smile. “It has been the other way around. Even today, she is the one who provides moral support when I break down. My daughter is my counsellor and advisor,” see adds.
Priya, who is presently working as a receptionist at a clinic, rues that being a widow, she had to undergo lot of sufferings. “My husband’s office rejected me for the job of an attender. Today, I earn despite all odds, since there is an additional burden on me. Even though my daughter studies in a government school, I have started saving for her future,” she says.