Sandook

 It’s been sitting in the verandah for years and years and we decided to renovate and refurbish it to its former glory . In 1902 , a father lovingly commissioned the huge wooden cupboard for his daughter as befitting his status and to ensure that his daughters prestige and rutaba be maintained in her marital home. As was the custom in those days , the sandook was brought in to the verandah and all her clothes, her Khes her dhurries and all that she had carried with her put out for the in-laws family to see and approve. Then the village headman / the most influential man of the village would approve by picking up the dhurrie and folding it to signal his assent! 

This was a matter of great respect and would cement the newly weds position in the house. I wish the sandook had ears and could talk and would be just out of Harry Potters magical  Diagon Alley so that I could be transported to that era and also the history that it had witnessed . This two storey cupboard with brass inlay and the shelves put strategically so she could place her clothes is a marvel. It has the topmost floor with arches and tiles , maybe it had mirrors , maybe they had put bevelled glass ! I wonder what all the father had given to his daughter who must have lived a happy long life ( this is the hopeless romantic in me ) .. as patriarchy demands we have to provide for the daughter and now the demands have gone up more and more , instead of progressing  we have regressed even more .

We don’t value her but we value what she brings . A century more later , we still gift / give / or subtly give to our daughters so that she is cared for and looked after in her husbands home , a father a hundred plus years ago gave a cupboard as part of her dowry and it rests now rests with us , guaranteed to outlive me. The cupboard has been witness to her tears , her laughter and happiness and sorrow .