IN AN era of television serials, the daughter-in-law in modern day joint families is projected to be carrying out daily chores - all decked up. However, one hardly comes across the same scenario in the real world - or at least not in a clear cut black and white manner the way popular entertainment media makes it out to be.

After witnessing the plight of a bahu at the hands of her in-laws yesterday, today was a day to witness the other side of the coin - something that one's eyes could not believe - surprising yet touching at the same time. Driving through the busy morning traffic, enjoying the mechanical synchronization of clutch and gear, and savouring nice music, my brain refused to believe the sight in front of my eyes. On the side of the road I saw a car being driven by a lady. Normal? Naaah….hold till I complete what I saw. What caught my attention was that a lady was driving the car with a pallu on her head - barely able to see the road ahead. Yes, a pallu-draped woman driving a modern and snazzy automoibile! This was not all. The occupants of the car, apart from the lady, were an elderly gentleman in his late 80s, sitting as her co-passenger, and another lady and a gentleman - both in their late 50s.

It took my mind a few seconds to register this contrast, or perhaps the combination of tradition and modernity - a rare sight that I was lucky to witness right in front of me. The occupants of the car seemed comfortable being driven around by her. The car, the woman driver, old and dependent passengers, the pallu, the car - all relatively early in the morning - was modernity overiding tradition.

Why is it that we don’t find more of such harmony in society? Why is it that girl child is not treated at par with a male child? Why do we have large number of female foeticide in some parts of the country? It is all about changing one's thought process with changing times. One has to grow out of the parochial approach and welcome and shower the same love and support to a girl and a woman - whether she is part of your family or takes a life-changing decision to leave her house after getting married and becomes a member of another family. This one occurrence has strengthened my thoughts that tradition and modernity can co-exist in perfect harmony - provided we start to accept this.