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Baghi is a small village in district Baxar, state Bihar. I am a resident of this place.  Lakshmi, my neighbour, stays with her husband Bihariram. She has two daughters Meena and Chinta and one son Vinod.  Lakshmi was poor but never had the scarcity of food as her children were her support system. Lakshmi and Bihariram’s daughter Meena and son Vinod were married.  Things were going like this, when in 2018 Biharilal got a paralytic attack. That time their daughter Meena and Shyam took care of his medicines.  They had to travel 18kms from home, Meena and Shyam took Bihariram by an auto  Later Meena and Shyam went back to their home. 

Lakshmi took care of Bihariram, she also went to the field. She did harvesting, farming, sowing, transplanting and earned money.  The people in Baghi were not very rich, none of them hired domestic help; they all did the household chores by themselves.Those who resided outside the village, when came back to the village during any marriage or any other ceremonies would hire domestic help for the time period. Lakshmi at that time would cook and clean and earn money.

Lakshmi was always worried about her younger daughter Chinta. She was always worried thinking that we couldn’t give her a good education neither we are able to marry her off. How will we get so much money for her marriage?

Meanwhile Chinta was friend’s with a boy next door, she used to talk to him. Chinta was studying in a school in the village in 8th standard. When she heard that her parents were planning for her marriage, she could not tell them that she already had chosen a man for herself and she wanted to marry him. She was shy and hesitant thinking what would her parents say? She was also worried that they might stop her marriage.

Chinta couldn’t gather the courage to talk to anyone in the family neither her parents nor her sister. Finally one day she eloped from the house and got married and went to her in-laws house. According to me Chinta getting married against the will of her parents could have two reasons, one that she already liked a boy and second she wanted to save her parents from the financial burden of her marriage. 

Lakshmi’s son and daughter-in-law were working and residing in Delhi. They worked as laborers. The goods which came from outside were lifted up and down the same from the train. They did not earn that much that they could send some money back to Lakshmi in the village. Meanwhile COVID –19 occurred which changed the entire scenario. Lockdown was declared, they had no work, finally they had to go back to their village in Baghi.

Back in the village Lakshmi and Bihari both were sick. Lakshmi was in a serious condition and her son Vinod did not have money to spare for her treatment. He was also helpless due to the circumstances. They did not have soap to bathe or any other detergent, they also had the scarcity of ration in the house. He sent his wife back to her own house. Whatever ration he got from the government he used it for running his house and sometimes whatever he earned from working in the field he would use that to buy surf, soap for the house. 

Lakshmi was so busy looking after her husband and her house that she didn’t take care of herself, she would not eat on time  nor would she rest. One day Lakshmi got a paralytic attack, since she got bed ridden. She was unable to move, neither could she speak. Due to Lakshmi’s hard work and her good care for her husband, Bihari was now able to walk with the help of a stick at least. He cooked for her sometimes and sometimes If he couldn’t he would ask for some food from others, but they could not gather money for Lakshmi’s treatment.

This COVID- 19, pandemic had affected everyone's work. No one had work, this time.Lakshmi’s daughter Meena could also not help her either as she had her own family to look after and it got difficult for her to run her own house. This was already a hard time for all of them but meanwhile another hardship  entered their life. Lakshmi’s house was made of sand and cloth which broke due to the rain. They are homeless now and are living in a tent.

This did not end here. During the lockdown Vinod Lakshmi’s son was very troubled and he ended up beating his parents very badly. He said what have you done for me? Neither you have built a house nor have kept any money! How am I supposed to feed you? He said I cannot do anything for you and he ran away from the house. Lakshmi always thought that a son is the support during the old age, he will be the stick but her stick just broke.

They were all alone, sometimes Bihari cooked food for themselves and sometimes someone would give them food out of mercy . My family has also given them some food. Knowing the circumstances their younger daughter Chinta came to see them she stayed for 5 days and then went back to her in-laws. I felt very bad, as daughters can also be the stick of support for their family, Chinta should have taken their responsibility.

After 10 days Vinod came back home. He did beat them but at least he cooked food for his paralytic parents Lakshmi and Bihari, and would feed them. But food is not everything. Lakshmi was sad that there was no one to help her take  a bath, sometimes Bihari would help Lakshmi to take a bath.

I couldn’t see the suffering of Lakshmi but I was helpless. I could not do anything as I was also scared due to COVID-19. I could feel their pain, but could not do anything as how can anyone go to their home in this situation as one they are sick and second they did not take any precautions of cleanliness and sanitation. They were urinating and passing the stool near their tent only.  Despite knowing their problem my family was not ready to help them. They said how will I be able to help them? When the entire villagers are not able to do the same! I could not help them as I am a student right now secondly I am poor and moreover I am a girl. If I spoke about my neighbours to anyone they would say why is it my headache, I should mind my own business.

Despite this when I was distributing the ration in my village with my friends I sent some Potatoes, rice, oil, wheat, soap to Lakshmi’s house but  could not do anything more to help them. My village does not have any government hospital, there is a small hospital in thana Itaadh, but there was no medicine for paralysis. It is also very far and it is not possible for everyone to take medicines from there, It is not safe to go there during this lockdown. One has to stand in a very long queue, and also the hospital has corona patience admitted. Honestly it mostly had medicines for corona, but any poor person falls sick, he won't be admitted there. Anyone who has a recommendation (Pairvi) can get medicine from the government hospital and those who do not have it no one will listen to him, the person needs to wait in the queue for long hours.

I think if there was no lockdown someone could have got medicine for Lakshmi also. During this lockdown people are occupied among themselves only, they are out of work. Everyone has to maintain social distancing, people are now scared from the once who are ill. Own family members are scared to touch, get close or help their own once with the fear of getting covid.  In this case the government should see that not only due to corona and people are also dying due to other illnesses. Now who will be Lakshmi’s stick?