That night, light rain drizzled over the small village on the edge of town. The modest house of Anton felt warm and quiet. Inside, there were only three women: Mrs. Ratna (Anton’s mother) and his two younger sisters.
Ever since Mrs. Ratna’s divorce in 2013, she had lived independently with her children. Life as a single mother wasn’t easy, but she proved herself to be a “wonder woman.” She worked day and night, raised her children on her own, and stayed strong despite the whispers and judgments of others.
Just three months after the divorce was finalized, an unexpected visit came. A married couple showed up at their house, saying they wanted to “reconcile” Mrs. Ratna with her ex-husband. But the way they spoke — coming late at night and talking as if they knew everything about the family — left Anton upset.
Two years later, sad news arrived: the wife of that couple passed away after a long illness, worsened by malnutrition. The couple had eight children.
Anton felt sympathy for the man, whom we’ll call Mr. Samin. But as the years passed, Mr. Samin began showing up more often — sometimes late at night, after 8 p.m., alone, and walking straight into the house without being invited.
For Anton and his family, this was unacceptable. In their home, where everyone was female, it was custom to meet male visitors on the porch — never inside, unless they were accompanied by a woman.
What infuriated Anton even more was that Mr. Samin had now started asking, even pressuring others, to arrange a marriage between him and Mrs. Ratna.
But Mrs. Ratna was in the middle of considering someone else — a kind, respectful widower who treated her with dignity and made her feel cherished. After 15 years of a disappointing marriage and 12 years of raising her children alone, she deserved happiness on her own terms.
For Anton, Mr. Samin had crossed the line.
“If you want a wife, why force yourself on someone? Why disturb other people’s lives?” Anton thought to himself.
He considered many things:
- Mr. Samin had eight children yet still had time to visit others late at night.
- His wife had passed away from illness and malnutrition — shouldn’t he be working harder to provide for his kids?
- His repeated interference in other people’s personal lives made Anton lose all respect for him.
Anton sat on the porch, staring at the quiet village road. In his heart, he made a promise: he would protect his mother, keep their home a safe place, and make sure no one could barge into their lives uninvited.
That night, when he heard footsteps approaching, Anton stood up. His heart pounded.
“If he dares to come again this late…” Anton thought.
This time, he was ready to face Mr. Samin.
Photo by guille pozzi on Unsplash
