DEVADAS
The tress has bent their branches in sadness…
The flowers are singing the grief song….
The birds have not come out their nests…
The whole nature is seemed to be gloomy because, the pair whom they adored are going to separate today.
Which they never wanted.
But, in that house all happiness is heard. Surroundings are filled with sacred music of marriage. The doors were decorated with mango leaves, all the ladies are in jewelry.
Among all of them, only one is seemed to be dull.
Her eyes were dried having no more tears to shed. Her heart is broke no more to fill any feelings. All her feelings are just covered with bridal makeup. Her heart is singing sadly a melodious music, ‘o ho ho oh oh..’ which was the lovely song of her and her left away soul mate.
She remembers, when both are kids,
‘Ragini, I will come back after my studies.’
‘Laksh, don’t go away please.’
‘I will come surly and marry you.’
Childhood hearts has given promise which doesn’t have any meaning. But, they can’t even fulfill them when they are elder now.
All the sounds of marriage were touching a window and penetrating in that building.
In that dark room, a boy is sitting and a drink bottle is in his hand.
He laughs painfully,
‘hmm..haha, this life is a restless journey. This life is a pointless circle. This is the whirlpool of magic and logics. But, we never understand them.’
He talks with the walls. Because, no one is there to hear his pain.
‘This life is maya..! this world is maya..!’ he laughs vigorously and says in drunken voice. He then coughs.
He looks at the wall painting of that girl. He goes near it. He is about to touch it, but he takes his hand back.
In drunken voice he,
‘No..No..no no no.. Ragini… you are going to be someone’s wife now. how can I touch you..? and, what are you doing in my room..? Go away..!’
He says and takes out the painting from wall. He is about to throw it aside. Then he remembers,
Both of them were leaning their backs to each other sitting in a garden. She says,
‘Laksh, look at the sun in sky..’
Laksh looks and closes his eyes.
‘you silly girl, how can we look at sun..? it’s most powerful.’
‘In same way Laksh..our love is also very powerful. No one can ever separate us…’
They both rub their palms gently.
Laksh comes out of flash back remembering her words.
He in drunken voice,
‘No Ragini, our love is not powerful. It’s nothing. The whole world is separating us..!!’
He tries to walk but trembles and falls on a table all things on table fall down. His pet dog who was dull with his upset gets scared looking at him.
He falls on floor lying completely on ground. His dog comes near him. He holds it,
‘My sweet idiot, did you ever love another dog..? then, you can’t understand my pain. No one gave meaning of love… No one gave meaning of love…!!’ he keeps saying in drunken voice and dozes off.
Shekar and Sumi come and take Ragini to marriage planks. Her heart is still thinking about her devadas Laksh…
Actually what happened,
Laksh returns to his hometown after his education till masters. He is not hurried to see his parents or his house. But, his silly girl, ‘Ragini’.
As soon as entering town, he hears her voice singing, ‘oh..ho…ho ho ho….’
It’s their friendship signal call. He smirks and goes in that way. No one is there. Suddenly someone shouts, ‘bhoo..!’ in his ear. He scares and moves aside. It’s his silly girl laughing at him.
‘You silly girl..! you didn’t change still..!!’
‘you fat boy, even you not changed..!’
Both looks at each other completely. She is the one who has transformed as a childish girl to complete matured perfect woman for him… he feels..
And he, from the chubby child boy, now he has changed as handsome man in universe just for her…. she feels.
‘Ragini, you have changed so much.. you are looking beautiful…!’
‘Even you Laksh, you have changed still fat…!!!’ she counters.
‘you silly girl..!!’ he chases her.. she runs.
Looking at their friendship the trees around used to make the flowers to shower in happiness. The flowers used to sing the fragrance lovely song. The birds happily surround all the sky to look at the pair who are going to be the lovers.
As the nature wished, by the time… by the increase in intensity of their friendship, slowly they transformed them as soul mates. It was not decided newly, it was happened during their birth only.
In fact, they have born for each other. To entertain whole world with their pure love…
They are sitting on the bank of river, her head is on his shoulder and his head is on her head. Both of their hands are entangled in never separated mode. The slow music of the flow of river is making them still loved. Their goose bumps are telling many feelings to each other. It doesn’t need any language. Both of them are perfect to listen each other’s heart…
‘Laksh…you are rich, I’m middle class. What if our parents don’t agree for marriage..?’
‘I will fight with everyone and elope with you..!’
‘Hmm, before marriage all boys talk like this only. After marriage… they look at other girl.’
‘silly girl…!! I can’t look at other girls. Because you will kill me know, if I see…’
Ragini raises her head and starts beating him. Laksh holds her hands. both look at each other.
‘I love you silly Ragini..’
‘I love you fat Laksh..’
Both hugs. ‘Am I fat..?’
‘No..you are the most handsome one in this universe. Who can melt this silly girl heart..’
Both lost in their lovely hug.
They hear the shout, ‘Ragini..!!’
Ragini and Laksh trembles and stands. Ragini is scared to see her father Shekar.
‘papa..’ she is about to complete… she gets a slap from him.
‘uncle..’ when Laksh is about to say something. Shekar grabs his collar.
‘How dare you to touch my daughter..!!’ he shouts. Ragini tries to separate them.
‘papa..please..’ she says in tears. Shekar slaps her again.. Laksh loses his anger control and pushes Shekar. He falls down.
‘Papa..!’ Ragini shocks.
Laksh shows his finger towards him, ‘don’t try to separate me and her..!’
Ragini slaps Laksh. He shocks. ‘How dare you to push my dad..!’
‘Ragini…??’
‘How can you show your finger and talk to my dad..! don’t forget your age Laksh. He is elder to you..!!’
She goes near her father who has bent his head in humiliation. She is about to touch him, shekar furiously takes away Ragini from there. Laksh looks on…
Big drama happens in Ragini’s house. Shekar and Sumi threatens her that they will die if she won’t accept the alliance they brought. All ways closed Ragini, agrees for the marriage unwillingly.
The news is known to Laksh and he enters her room. He holds her shoulders tight,
‘How can you do this Ragini..? you are only mine..!!’
‘I too want to be only yours Laksh. But my parents..’ she says palely.
He pushes her back. She falls on bed.
‘You are also like all girls Ragini. Before marriage, you love one. And do marriage other one..!!’
‘Laksh..???’
‘you have loved me just for time pass. The alliance you got might be rich than me..that’s why you want to fly away..!!’
Ragini gets rage with his words, she starts beating him with stick.
‘How can you say my love like that..!! I thought, you have come to convince my parents. I thought you will fight for me. I thought you will help me in this helpless state. I fought till now alone..! I was defeated. I thought you will come for my rescue… but you…!!’
She cries.
‘Ragini…!’ when Laksh is about to call her.
‘when you don’t trust my love, I don’t need you. Get out..!!’ she says in pain.
Laksh goes away sadly. He tries to convince Ragini the next days, but nothing changed her mind. She was hurt with his words. he understood Ragini is going to stand with her parents decision.
To forget her, slowly Laksh starts drinking. And that drinking becomes his habit.
How much he drink, that much Ragini comes to his mind. And, he wanted that. ragini is not going to be with him in real, at least let her live in him in imagination. He is now the slave of drink, in the fail of love.
On other hand, now Ragini is the soulless object..who has no feelings and tears have only become her friends. She thought she has dead already on her engagement with other one. She never imagined anyone except her Laksh.
The silence has separated them more far… the misunderstanding has made the situation even worse…
The nature too wept silently…
Now Ragini is going to be other’s. Laksh is lying in the room unconscious.
Suddenly, someone splashes pot full of water on Laksh. He wakes.
It’s Adarsh his brother. He holds his face,
‘Laksh, your Ragini is going to get married. Go and stop it..!!’
Laksh drunken state, ‘she is not my Ragini.. my Ragini is always with me.. see…!!’ he shows his chest.
Adarsh pats his cheeks strongly to bring him to world,
‘You are drinking and sleeping here..! did you listen Ragini’s heart..!!
Laksh opens his eyes suddenly.
‘Ragini is going to get married..!!! did you understand what I said..!!’ adarsh stresses that point.
Laksh clears his face and starts running to the marriage place, which is just beside.
Ragini is already placed on the marriage stage.
‘Ragini…!!!’ shouts Laksh.
Ragini raises her head and looks at him. Now, tears flow from her eyes.
‘Ragini…!!’ he shouts again and tries to come in. some men catch him and start beating.
‘Laksh..!!’ Ragini shouts, but some ladies hold her tightly.
Those men are beating Laksh badly. Blood is coming from his mouth.
‘Ragini…’ he keep saying her name.
‘Laksh..!!’ Ragini cries and pushes all ladies with all her strength. she keeps running away from that marriage stage to reach ‘HER LAKSH’
‘Laksh’ she keeps shouting and runs.
‘Close those gates..!’ shouts Shekar. Ragini is about to hit to gate in hurry…!!!
‘Ragini…!!!!!’ shouts Laksh and pushes all the men.
******everything is blank….*******
Ragini and Laksh are sitting beside each other at the same bank of river. Their legs are wetting in river.
‘see laksh, at last..even death even didn’t separate us..’
‘nothing can separate us silly girl..’ he says kissing her head.
They both keep looking at the silent waves of river…..
***********
Back to scene…
Laksh pushes all the men, he runs. Ragini is about to hit to gate, Laksh keeps his hand near her head, so that her head doesn’t hit to gate. The blood on his hand fills her mang.
He opens the gate, Ragini falls on him. Both have a intense deep hug.
‘Beat that boy and bring her back..!’ Shekar shouts.
‘Stop it uncle..!’ sahil the groom comes.
‘Uncle, let them live. They are for each other. Even you hide her in other planet.. their love makes them together again..!’ he says.
Shekar looks on…
On the same wedding planks, RagLak are married.
******************************
Ragini and Laksh shift their gaze from river to each other.
‘My silly Devadas..!’ she says pulling his cheek.
‘my silly paru…’ he says twisting her cheek.
The Devadas has got his love. No more drink.
………………………………………………………
The end………