A Mother By The Window

‘A final lesson for her, she thought. A woman’s happiness resides outside herself, in places defined by society.’

Neetu, an obedient housewife, devotes all her time and energy to take care of her family. She is diligent and abides by the rules society has laid out for her. Nostalgia of winning a beauty pageant many years ago and regret of marrying early encourages her to try her hand at becoming an influencer on Instagram.

She works hard to achieve her new goal, without disrupting the life she was married into. Her attention eventually gets divided between her dream and family, bringing to light the secret she is harbouring. The secret hurts her image of an “ideal wife” much to her husband’s chagrin.

Will Neetu realise her true potential and achieve her dream? Are women expected to fulfil only one role at a time, and no other? Does a woman’s personal life belong only to her family? 

About Change Stories

Change Stories by Kapil Raj is an amalgamation of five independent short stories: Kuroopa, A Gutterful Life, First Love Many Times, Flying with Chains, and A Mother By The Window.

True social development cannot be achieved without breaking existing stereotypes and adapting our mindsets to the subsequent changes. Each short story interweaves a heartening story with a deeply imbibed social issue, hardened public belief, and associated fabrications. As you read the narrative, you watch and evolve with the characters, sometimes feeling yourself in them – empathizing in circumstances that may or may not have existed in your lives. The stories will highlight the suffering that was never supposed to take place had we brought about a meaningful change for ourselves and others in the society.