Page 115 - ACCF - Stories of Resilience

“Why didn’t you seek treatment earlier?” I asked.

Tears welled in her eyes. “I wanted to,” she whispered. “I even went to the bank one day to check my account. I have some
money saved from my years of work in the tea gardens. But I don’t know how to withdraw it. I have always relied on my three
sons for such things, but they…” Her voice trailed off, and she wiped her tears with the edge of her saree.
A BLEAK PICTURE

As we spoke further, a grim picture of her life emerged. Kalpana, a widow, had spent her entire life as a tea garden laborer. Her
husband passed away years ago, leaving her to raise their three sons alone. Despite her sacrifices, her sons had abandoned
her when she needed them most.

“I told them about my pain. I asked them to take me to a doctor, to help me get the money from the bank. But they don’t listen.
They say it’s nothing, that I’ll be fine. I know they don’t want to spend their time or money on me. I am a burden to them now.”

Her words felt like a dagger to my heart. Here was a woman battling cancer and the suffocating grip of neglect. I couldn’t help
but wonder—would her situation have been different if she were a man? The bitter truth of our society was starkly before
us. A man in her position would likely have received sympathy, attention, and care. His pain would have been validated; his

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