The Silence of Sita: A Chronicle of Arrogance and Awakening

Sita was a spirited young woman from Pune, newly married into a traditional joint family in Nagpur. Her husband, Ramesh, was gentle and devoted, but Sita found the customs of his household stifling. She dismissed her mother-in-law Kamala’s advice on household rituals as “old-fashioned,” and often snapped at her father-in-law Dattatraya for correcting her tone or behavior.

Kamala, a retired schoolteacher, tried to guide Sita with patience. “Beta, respect isn’t submission—it’s understanding,” she once said. But Sita retorted, “I am what I am. Don’t expect me to change.”

Over time, the tension grew. Sita refused to participate in family pujas, mocked Kamala’s recipes, and even avoided sitting with the elders during meals. Ramesh, caught between love and loyalty, remained silent.

Then came Dattatraya’s sudden stroke. In the hospital, Sita saw Kamala—frail yet composed—feeding him with trembling hands. The nurses whispered about how Kamala had cared for her in-laws for decades, never once raising her voice.

That night, Sita broke down. She remembered every moment she had dismissed Kamala’s wisdom, every time she had rolled her eyes at Dattatraya’s concern. She whispered to Ramesh, “I’ve been arrogant. I mistook independence for insensitivity.”

From then on, Sita changed—not out of guilt, but out of reverence. She began documenting Kamala’s recipes, joined her in morning prayers, and even helped digitize Dattatraya’s old diary entries for the family archive.

Arrogance and its effects