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🪔 ಅತ್ತೆಯಾದ ಸೊಸೆ: ಕಾಲದ ಕವಚ (The Daughter-in-law Who Became a Mother-in-law: The Armor of Time)

“ಅವಳ ಮೌನ, ಅವಳ ನಗು, ಅವಳ ತಾಳ್ಮೆ—ಇವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ಕಾಲದ ಕವಚವಾಗಿವೆ. ಅತ್ತೆಗಾದ ಸೊಸೆ, ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಉತ್ತರ ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತಿರುವಳು.”

ಅವಳು ಅಡುಗೆಮನೆಯ ಬಾಗಿಲ ಬಳಿ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದಳು. ನೋಡಲು ಮಾತ್ರ. ಹೇಳಲು ಏನೂ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ.

ಅವಳ ಸೊಸೆ ಅಡುಗೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಳು — ನಿಶಬ್ದವಾಗಿ, ನಿಶ್ಚಿತವಾಗಿ. ಕೈಚಲನೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಆತ್ಮವಿಶ್ವಾಸ, ಬೆಂಕಿಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಪಾತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೃತ್ಯಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಹಸಿವಿನ ಸುಗಂಧ.

ಆ ಪಾತ್ರೆ…
ಅವಳ ಅಮ್ಮನ ಕಾಲದಿಂದ ಬಂದದ್ದು.
ಅವಳ ಕೈ ತಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಈಗ ಸೊಸೆಯದು.
ಮೂರು ತಲೆಮಾರಿನ ಹೆಣ್ಣುಮಕ್ಕಳ ಸ್ಪರ್ಶವಿರುವ ಪಾತ್ರೆ.
ಅದನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದಾಗ ಅವಳಿಗೆ ತಾನೇ ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಳು — ಹದಿಹರೆಯದ, ಹೆದರುವ, ತಾನು ಅತ್ತೆಯಾಗುವೆ ಎಂಬ ಭಯವಿದ್ದ ಸೊಸೆ.

ಇಂದು, ಅವಳು ಅತ್ತೆ.
ಅವಳನ್ನು ಯಾರೂ ಕೇಳುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಅವಳ ಸಲಹೆ ಬೇಕಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.
ಆದರೂ, ಅವಳು ನಿಂತಿದ್ದಾಳೆ. ನೋಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಳೆ.
ಅವಳ ಸೊಸೆ ಅಡುಗೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಳೆ.
ಅವಳ ಅಡುಗೆಮನೆ, ಅವಳ ಪಾತ್ರೆ, ಅವಳ ನೆನಪುಗಳು — ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ಇವಳ ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿ.

ಅವಳ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡು ಭಾವನೆಗಳು ಹೊಮ್ಮುತ್ತವೆ:
"ಅವಳು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಳೆ" ಎಂಬ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆ.
"ನಾನು ಬೇಕಾಗಿಲ್ಲವೋ?" ಎಂಬ ಮೌನದ ನೋವು.

ಅವಳ ಮೊಮ್ಮಗಳು ಓಡುತ್ತಾ ಕೇಳುತ್ತಾಳೆ:

“ಅಜ್ಜಿ, ನೀನು ಇವತ್ತೂ ಅಡುಗೆ ಮಾಡ್ತಿಯಾ?”

ಅವಳು ನಗುತ್ತಾಳೆ.

“ಅವಳು ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದಾಳೆ. ನಾನು ನೋಡ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ.”

ಆ ನಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮೌನವಿದೆ.
ಆ ಮೌನದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಯಿದೆ.
ಆ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗೆ ಉತ್ತರ ಇಲ್ಲ.

ಅತ್ತೆಯಾದ ಸೊಸೆ, ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಉತ್ತರ ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತಿರುವಳು…

🌸 ಬಿಂಬ: ಕಾಲದ ಪಾತ್ರೆ

ಒಂದು ಹಳೆಯ ಪಾತ್ರೆ — ತುದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಚಿಪ್ಪು, ತಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಂಕಿಯ ಕಪ್ಪು.
ಅದರ ಮೇಲೆ ಮೂರು ಹೆಸರಗಳು:
ಅಮ್ಮ, ಅತ್ತೆ, ಸೊಸೆ
ಅದು ಕೇವಲ ಪಾತ್ರೆ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಅದು ಕಾಲದ ಕವಚ.
ಅದು ಮೌನದ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ.


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