Tales of the Dark Age (66)
Written by: Mumtaz Hosseini, Translated by: Shekib Jaghori
Noriya was born into a very traditional and religious family in a remote district of Uruzgan province. Her father, known for his bravery and courage, had married Noriya’s mother out of love; however, he died early, even before Noriya was born. When Noriya was two years old, a conflict broke out between her maternal and paternal families, as her mother’s family wanted to take her back, believing that a widowed woman should not remain in her husband’s house for fear of gossip and condemnation of the villagers. Despite this pressure, Noriya’s mother decided to stay, insisting that her daughter was still too young.
After a few years, she remarried to Noriya’s uncle. They continued to live in the same house, but Noriya grew up without a father’s love, as her stepfather treated her differently from his children. Consequently, she endured many hardships in her uncle’s home. As she grew older, Noriya received numerous marriage proposals; however, her heart belonged to someone her uncle’s family rejected. One by one, her suitors were denied, and when the wife of one of her uncle’s nephews passed away, her uncle married her off to him without consulting Noriya or her mother. This man was twice her age and already had several children.
Noriya’s mother was devastated but had no say in the matter, leaving her with only tears to express her sorrow. The years went by, and Noriya soon realized that her husband was strict, controlling, and deeply suspicious. He wouldn’t allow her to dress nicely or take care of herself, insisting that if she looked good, other men would be attracted to her; moreover, he barred her from having more children, declaring, “I already have enough.” Despite this, Noriya longed to be a mother, and after three years of marriage, she got pregnant. Overjoyed, she shared the news with her husband, yet his reaction was devastating; he frowned and told her to get medication to end the pregnancy.
Heartbroken, Noriya begged and pleaded, but he remained unyielding. With no other option available, she approached the local midwife. The midwife checked her blood pressure, listened to the baby’s heartbeat, and provided her with iron supplements, telling her to return the following month. However, Noriya, tears in her eyes and her lips dry, confessed, “My husband doesn’t want the baby. I came here to terminate the pregnancy.” The midwife was shocked and refused, saying, “Have you lost your mind? I can’t do that; it’s a sin. I will not bear the burden of this child’s death. Take this medicine and try to convince your husband.”
Returning home, Noriya attempted to speak with him again, but he grew angry and responded, “What kind of midwife is this? The child is mine, so his blood is on me. Why don’t you do what you want yourself?” Despite his harsh words, Noriya was determined to protect her baby and bring him into the world. As the months went by, her health deteriorated under the weight of the abuse and neglect; she stopped eating properly and taking her supplements, suffering from headaches, dizziness, nausea, stomach pain, fever, and swollen legs throughout her pregnancy.
The pain wore her down, leaving her so thin and frail that people hardly recognized her, and they all pitied her. Eventually, her declining health also began to affect the baby. In the 39th week of her pregnancy, her waters suddenly broke, bringing intense pain. She rushed to the clinic, where the midwife examined her and stated, “You are severely anaemic.” The midwife checked for the baby’s heartbeat, but it was missing, which showed that the baby had died. The midwife informed her, “We don’t have the equipment here for an operation. You need to be taken to the hospital immediately; your life is also in danger.”
But Noriya’s husband claimed, “I don’t have the money to hire a car.” The midwife paused for a moment and then replied, “I’ll lend you the money. Just take her to hospital.” After receiving the money, he arranged for a car, and following the midwife’s basic instructions, they set off for the hospital. Upon arrival, the doctors quickly took Noriya to the operating theatre as she was bleeding heavily. One of the doctors exclaimed, “She’s in shock. You need to find blood quickly.” Yet her husband could not find any and did not even have enough money to buy it.
Although the doctors removed the lifeless baby, Noriya tragically died of internal bleeding during the operation. She passed away far too young.
Note: The picture is captured from Internet
