SICKNESS OF LOVE [ FOUR SHOTS FOR ANSHUMAN AND PAKHI -SHOT TWO ]

Pakhi wasn’t able to sing it fully and Anshu wasn’t able to hear the song anymore as memories flashed their  mind.

FEW YEARS BACK

Anshuman : How are you feeling now Pakhi ?

Pakhi : Anshu I am better now. Thanks for that packet and book.

Anshuman ; I realized that now we have grown up, Pakhi.

Pakhi : Yes Anshu. Did Bawuji beat you again ?

Anshuman : No, Pakhi . My baaba came there and when he appologised Bade saab didn’t beated me again.  I have bought colour bangles for you.

Pakhi :Thanks a lot Anshu. Now you should leave . Because if some one sees we both talking together then you will be beaten again. Anshu tomorrow onwards I won’t be coming to our school.

Anshuman : Why Pakhi ?

Pakhi : Bawuji said that now I can continue studies in this haweli only. He has given money to a Masterji to taught me subjects. But I will miss our teachers a lot. Especially Malati Teacher Ji. She was so friendly to us.

Anshuman ; Why Pakhi ? If you don’t like studying in haweli why you are not saying this to your Bawuji ?

Kesar ; Anshu!!! Beta just go away.

Anshuman : Badi malkin , what’s my mistake ? Till now Pakhi and I were friends, we played together , we went school together and now why you are not allowing me to talk with her ?

Kesar : Anshu, you both are no more small children. This age is crucial for girls and being born in a Thakur family she is bounded to obey all the rules and restrictions. Just leave and don’t come inside haweli anymore. Don’t forget your limits. You are just son of Gireesh Kaaka who is a servant of this Haweli. Go away!!

Anshuman left away in sadness. Pakhi looked him sadly and ran near before the idol of Lord Krishna. She folded her hands before him

Pakhi : Kanhaji when you was a kid you also used to play with your friends , when you grow up you used to enjoy with friends ,gopiyon in Vrindavan. There was not any sort of constriants for Radha and Gopiyon who were around you . I am not a Gopi or any Radha to complaint that Kanha is not with them. But I got a nice friend Anshu who makes me happy among all these tensions. And why are you keeping Anshu away from me,Kanhaji ? Why ?

Kesar was sad to see her daughter. Though in heart she felt regret for scolding Anshu she didn’t expressed it before her.

Kesar sat near Pakhi.

Kesar : Pakhi you are a choti Thakurayin. And the way you walks, you talks everything needs to be changed from now onwards. You are not supposed to make friendship with boys anymore. Start adapting things from now itself and better don’t cross question when elders advice you. Remember you are a girl and girls have no rights to protest .

Pakhi : Why I born in this family ? I hate myself for being a girl.

Kesar patted her shoulder and she was finding hard how to pacify Pakhi.

They came back from memories as Kesar arrived there to call Pakhi.

Anshuman : Don’t do this to Pakhi, Badi maalkin. She is too young. Already she was like a bird in cage at this haweli. By making her to marry an old man you are literally ruining her life.

Kesar : It’s a custom to give Thakur family’s girls to Shekhawat family . Anshu we called you because your father is been a loyal worker for years and it’s the wedding day . Lot of work are to be done and it will be good if we gets two or three workers etc for the arrangements. I just showed a mercy because my daughter wished to see you lastly before leaving Haweli . Don’t take it as an advantage and stop uttering useless things.

Pakhi silently watched both of them and her eyes went teary.

Anshuman : I will not be able to see this.

Anshuman walks in anger. He came infront of Thakur Ratan Singh.

Anshuman :  You are doing a sin to your daughter. Please don’t spoil her life. I beg you please stop it.

Gireesh was feared with this deed of his son.

Gireesh : Anshu!! Go away, what are you doing ?

Anshuman : Bade saab Already years back Malti Teacher Ji went away from hear when this villagers degraded her by questioning on her character. She was a nightingale who came to show the path of progress. When she stood for the rights of the freedom of women you Thakurs beated her brutally in road and she was helpless to leave this place. I was feared that time with your deeds. Later you kept away me from Pakhi and ruined her life by keeping her in these four walls of haweli stating that a girl should never cross barriers. That time also I didn’t say anything. For years I was silent in fear. But now you are doing bigger injustice to Pakhi. She is your daughter , won’t you ever think about her happiness ? Why she need to bear this burden ? Please don’t spoil her life.

Ratan’s anger went to peak level.

Ratan : You are uttering before me , an ordinary servant’s son !!How dare you question my decisions ? I should have killed you that day itself but your poor baaba pleaded for your life and I show mercy to him by leaving you. But today I won’t leave you

Gireesh : Bade saab!! Please !!

Ratan : Gireesh take your son right now from here.

Gireesh : Ji. Anshu come with me

Anshuman : No baaba. I can’t see Pakhi’s pain anymore.

Ratan : Who are you to show concern towards my daughter ? You are like a refugee beneath this haweli , it’s me who gives salary to your baaba and because of that your home is running and you are nothing just a loyal dog only. When this loyal dog starts barking madly the purpose of it’s owner is to keep it in control. Shambu, Sajjan

Roopvathi : Aey Shambu, Sajjan beat him so well that he should never think about Pakhi in dream too.

Ratan’s brother Shambu and Sajjan came forward . They started beating Anshu brutally with sticks and some other workers also did it. Blood was clotting from the entire body of Anshuman. Pakhi cried out loudly in pain screaming Anshu!!!!

Gireesh : Don’t do it, please

The workers tied Anshu in a pillar with rope and tied his mouth with a piece of cloth . Before him only the mandap was set and he watched Pakhi getting married to an old age man in pain

The whole haweli witnessed the biggest sin and Kesar was weeping in her own heart and was praying to God to forgive her as she was also a part of ruining her daughter’s life.

Shekhawat Nivas

Pakhi was shocked to see the 20 year old son Kripesh of her husband Ranveer Singh Shekhawat . He was stalking over her and she was feeling extremely uncomfortable. Pakhi was send to the room for the first night. She was feeling extremely scared . Ranveer came near her to touch but soon he started coughing and he fell down . Ranveer was taken to hospital but he eventually fell down to death as he was suffering a problem in lungs. Shekhawat house , the age old members blamed Pakhi for the reason behind death considering her as a bad omen.

[I have narrated this part in this way because I don’t want to make it very much negative . It’s extremely hard for me also to pen down the domestic violence which Pakhi suffered in detail , kindly adjust with this change.]

Few days later when Anshuman got cured a little  from wounds he decided to go and meet Pakhi at the new house. Anshuman was shocked to see Pakhi wearing a white saree as she has completely become a widow

Anshuman : Pakhi !!

Pakhi was silent

Anshuman : Pakhi say something. Pakhi please

Anshuman went near her . Seeing Anshuman Pakhi burst out her pain in tears

Pakhi : I have compeletely became alone, Anshu .

Anshuman : Pakhi !!! Don’t say like that. I am with you. I will take you from all the hell ridden things .

Anshuman held Pakhi’s hand

Pakhi screamed ; Aah!!

Anshu slowly removed the saree’s edge and was shocked to see the scars in her hand .

Anshuman : Pakhi

Pakhi : His son tried to molest me and when I slapped him he complainted it to the elders of this family . They all are ill treating me a lot and believes that because of me only he died and daily they are torturing me a lot.

Pakhi cried bitterly

Anshuman : Pakhi

They both hugged emotionally

Anshuman : I am sorry Pakhi. I came much late but I assure you that I will release you from all these pains. You don’t need to live a bitter life for any one. What all others said you obeyed it a lot . It’s time for you to live for yourself.