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One of the most vivid memories of my childhood is those glances which used to pierce through my mother’s ‘No’ to every question “Do you have a son?”. The glances never stopped there and then, they were shifted towards me because oh! I was thought of as an unasked for the creature, “the fourth daughter” The pity in the eyes of the people used to make me feel very uncomfortable, back then but now I have become used to it.

Astonishingly, this was an ISSUE that was never discussed at my own home. Luckily, my parents were never ashamed of it but the moment we stepped out of our little world, people tried their best to make us feel the “disable” in the family.

This letter is addressed…

To the people who came over a cup of tea but ended up advising my 60 year-old-father to get married, so he doesn’t miss a chance of having a son. The cruelty and heat of your words felt like you spilled the steaming hot tea over my existence, that I had served you. These are the well-wishers who often encounter my father in his own drawing room.

To the ones who gave my father death stare when he told them that he doesn’t want a son and he has spent a pretty good life without one. To the relative whom my mother served feerni (a Pakistani dessert) and then he spat it on us by telling my father how important it was for my mother to bore a son to prove her credibility. Dear uncle, I feel terribly sorry for the woman who gave birth to your six sons. Alas! even they have failed to make you a decent human being.

Pitting on you uncle!

To the people who call to wish me on my birthday and never fail to remind me that if a boy was born instead of me, he would have grown up to be a fine young man. Let me remind you one thing, I have also succeeded in growing up to be a very fine young woman as well. Let me assure you all today, being a girl never hindered my growth. To the person who told me that I am not enough to make my parents feel as the best of the parents because I am unsympathetic towards them for not having a son.

Better be this way!

To the people who think I have said something unusual when I tell them that I don’t miss having a brother. You need to understand that missing is an emotion that is felt due to the absence of a person. I don’t miss having a brother because I have never felt how having one feels like. To the people who told me about the birth of my nephew that now this little baby might be able to fill the space that’s left due to not having a brother.

To the woman: whom my mother went to console on the death of her son. Even while drowning in the sea of pain, the words that came out from the lady’s mouth were “how would you know my pain, you never gave birth to a son”.

Dear All,

There isn’t any space that needs to be filled. A couple can have a fulfilling life with only daughters as well. Parenthood is no different for the couple who don’t have a son. Daughters are enough to make their parents proud. They are enough to fulfil all their dreams that parents have for their children. Only daughters can be enough to make parents feel the best of parenthood.

Yours,

Happy and contended BROTHERLESS woman!