36 yearold woman pretended to be a man to raise a child alone
This story will move anyone to tears.
While still a young girl, a resident of India named Petchiammal, got married. She was barely 20, and it seemed that she had a long and happy life ahead. But alas, in reality it turned out not to be so.
Just two weeks after the wedding, her husband died of a heart attack. By this time, she was already pregnant, and even then she had to think about how to ensure a normal life for herself and her daughter.
Shortly after giving birth, Petchiammal began looking for work to make ends meet. She managed to work at a construction site, in cafes, in hotels and teahouses.
But it is hard for a young woman to live and raise a child alone in India — despite constant work, she received mere pennies. This was barely enough to feed his daughter and himself.
In addition, the young mother was constantly harassed and threatened: “One day I was returning from the factory late at night when a truck stopped nearby. The stranger wanted me to get into the truck and go with him, but I refused. I was lucky — he cursed, but did not touch me and left.
This episode scared the woman so much that she realized that it couldn’t go on like this anymore.
After a while, Petchiammal went to the city, where she cut off her long hair. After that, she changed from a sari into a shirt and national trousers and changed her name to a male, calling herself Muthu.
Now she and her daughter were ready to start life from scratch, but not at home, but in a new place.
After the move, Petchiammal continued to work: “I took on any job: painting walls, selling tea, baking cakes. All the money earned went to provide a comfortable life and protection for my daughter, ”said the Indian. Only close relatives knew who she really was.
Surprisingly, for more than three decades, no one has revealed its secrets. Now that her daughter has grown up, married and become a mother herself, the woman no longer needs to hide.
But Petchiammal realizes that now that she is 57 years old, she will no longer be able to return to her former life.
Her story stunned the people of India, but the woman herself managed to get used to the new look. She admitted that she was ready to remain Muthu for the rest of her life, because it was this name that helped her earn a quiet life.
