Now Reading: Two abandoned women build a life together in Guwahati
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Two abandoned women build a life together in Guwahati
In Guwahati's Beltola area, two women, Rupa and Jolly, run a makeshift food and paan stall, living as mother and son. Both were abandoned by their husbands. Rupa, from Kokrajhar, met Jolly…
In Guwahati's Beltola area, two women, Rupa and Jolly, run a makeshift food and paan stall, living as mother and son. Both were abandoned by their husbands. Rupa, from Kokrajhar, met Jolly in 2017 when Jolly was an alcoholic and suicidal after her husband's abuse. Rupa, who had two children, took Jolly in as her own daughter, though they are the same age.
They started a tea stall with just a table and a bench, later adding food items. Two years ago, an excavator destroyed their shop, but they rebuilt. Now they serve about 150 customers daily. Jolly quit drinking and bought a scooter for them. Rupa married off her daughter and stays in touch with her son. The stall represents the life they have built through broken marriages, addiction, loss and destruction.
Indian Opinion Analysis
This story is one of many in India where women abandoned by husbands find alternative families. The mother-daughter bond between two unrelated, same-age women defies traditional kinship, showing how survival networks emerge outside formal institutions. Assam has high rates of male migration and alcoholism, often leaving women without support. The women's small business, rebuilt after an accident, reflects the precariousness of informal sector livelihoods. Their choice to present as mother and son also highlights how gender roles are adapted for social acceptance. The next step is whether their stall, once makeshift, can gain legal tenure or municipal recognition.
Source: assamtribune.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
