What's her mistake ? - 38

“Two guards came from nowhere and stood between me and the child. I tried to push them. The guards had small swords in their hands. One of them pierced just below my breast. I had a shooting pain. I fell down and stayed there. My husband’s first wife was screaming, ‘Kill that bitch. How dare she come near my child! She should be thankful that I have let her to be alive all this time!!’ As if my life was in her hands. I was trying to think fast. What should I do now? Should I fight my way and die? Or should I retreat and go back to my home without the child? Nammu, I never felt so much in dilemma. But I took a decision at that moment. I do not know whether I am regretting that decision even today” Dammu stopped to look at Nammu Aunty directly.

“I am sure whatever decision you would have taken must have kept alive till date. Am I right Dammu?” asked Nammu Aunty.

Dammu smiled. “Yes, I got up and went to my husband’s first wife. She thought that I was going to strike her. But I folded my hands and told, ‘I was a fool to fight all this time. I should be happy that my kid has got the best mother! She will give him the best of education and all other luxuries. I know I too can provide them. But you are crazy about the child and I allow you to keep the child’. She looked at me with surprise. She must have sensed the sincerity in my voice and the honesty in my eyes. She suddenly became very friendly. She shouted at her maids to get me medical attention. Within no time, they treated my wound below my breast in whatever way they knew. I was treated like a queen. I knew that that woman was still skeptical. She might have thought that I may be playing a drama to steal the child in an appropriate moment, even though she also knew that her guards could take care that it would not happen. I smiled at her and told, ‘Sister, don’t worry. I won’t do any tricks. I go out of the haveli, take a transport and reach my city. I will erase my memory of the stay here. She asked, ‘including the child?’ I said yes”

The time was almost dinner time. We freshened up and had our dinner. As usual, Nammu Aunty picked at her food. I thought, she must be really very sick. Is she already nearing death?

But Nammu Aunty was very eager to know the end of Dammu’s story. May be the enthusiasm of listening to Dammu had given Nammu Aunty the extra strength. Today, I was sure Dammu will complete the story till date. But what other ‘story’ I have to invent to keep Nammu Aunty healthy as long as possible? This question haunted me continuously.

After dinner, we again assembled to listen to the balance of the narration.

“There is not much to add Nammu! Once she found that I was not hostile, she took care of me. She arranged for a vehicle for me to reach the nearest Railway station. She even presented me a local Sari and a few gold and diamond jewels! That is the price which I got for giving away my child!” Dammu laughed.

“I felt like a surrogate mother which is now a common thing in our country.  I came back here and picked up the threads again. I had left the place for quite some time. Fortunately for me, my father’s lawyer who is even now my lawyer had taken charge of the house and kept it intact. God won’t cheat humans unlike humans who cheat other humans!” Dammu exclaimed and went on to explain the rest of the story.

It was very difficult during one or two years. She was craving for the child. She was even contemplating taking the help of law to retrieve the child. Then she thought, the child is in good hands. Of course, it was a loss for her. But why get into unnecessary skirmish? By letting the child go, there was peace in her life. Otherwise, she was to live in apprehension of an attack by the first wife of her husband.

“But do you not miss your child?” asked Nammu Aunty.

“Of course I do Nammu! But I started seeing my child in every poor child who is impoverished and sick. This expanded my vision and I am happy. Then one day I found my dear Nammu and I am the happiest person in the world” she told and looked at me and said, “Probably my child would be of your age today. May be that’s why I have taken you into my custody!” and her eyes twinkled.

My ears became hot and I must have blushed. I blurted out, “Is the child a boy or a girl?”

She smiled and replied serenely. “I do not know young man and I did not want to know. When the child is not with me, should I worry to know whether the child was a male or a female? No point at all!”

What's her mistake ? - 37

“When I reached the place i remembered that this was the place where I was kept captive. I should carry my child from here and somehow reach my home, I thought. I was expecting a lot of resistance. But nothing came up to my surprise!’ Dammu smiled. But the smile did not reach her eyes, I observed.

“’Welcome, the mother of the child!  You can have a look at your child. After all, you have taken the trouble of holding the baby in your womb!’ I looked up when I heard the voice. Of course, it was my husband’s first wife. Miraculously her tummy was flat! That means the drama is complete. Now she can say that it is her baby. But I was preparing to collect all my inner strength. I knew I need every ounce of my strength to take away the baby. I had lot of thinking done on my way to this place. I first thought I will go to the police. But I immediately rejected the idea.  I had seen her to be very powerful. What is the use of going to the police? For all I know, she may have all the police eating out of her hands. I decided to rely on my wits and of course, the four types of tricks which our elders  had taught” Dammu stopped and started fidgeting with the edge of her dupatta.

It must have been very painful to go all the way back to the haveli after so many troubles she underwent. Now comes the important part. Did she get the baby?

“I saw the baby. It was peacefully sleeping. I did not have the heart to touch it and wake it. As expected, I could not know the gender of the baby. So I asked her. She rudely said, ‘I hope you heard me saying. You can have one look at your child. Since it is not going to be with you, why should you know what baby it is? Whether male or female? It is born by my husband’s seed and it is mine. Like I said earlier, I owe you one look at the baby. May be for this moment only, you escaped your death. The sedative which was given to you must have killed you. But you came out of it and have taken the trouble of coming up to here. My people were behind you all this time. They saw my husband’s brother’s death. I only let you come up to here. If I had minded I could have got killed you on your way here’.  After her long talk, I felt very annoyed. But Nammu! I was helpless. I decided to play all the tricks I had known. I pleaded with her. I implored her. I begged in all possible manners. She was like a stone. I then offered my whole property. She scoffed at me. ‘Your property? Do you know how much I have with both the brothers gone? With the kid being born? The figure is not even countable. So, with the money I could buy anything or anybody!’ I decided to threaten her. I told I will go to police. But I knew that my threat was very much useless just by the look on her face”  Dammu’s eyes started to get wet.

Nammu Aunty responded by shedding tears herself. I was getting very uncomfortable about the next part of the story. I was sure it was not at all happy after listening to all this conversation.

“Now, I decided to act fast. I rushed towards the baby to snatch it from its cradle”

What's her mistake ?-36

“That means you came to know where your son..  I mean your daughter.. I mean your child was?” asked Nammu Aunty. The narration got broken at that moment.

In fact Dammu was talking almost non-stop for the past 3 hours. She was narrating the incidents as if it did not involve her. It was a story of a third person we were made to feel.

But by Nammu Aunty’s question, the spell of storytelling was broken. It was good in a way. It was bad in another way.

It was good because it was already very late beyond bedtime. It was bad because we were yet to know what happened to Dammu’s baby? Did she ultimately get the baby? If so, where is it today? He/she could be about 24 as I had wondered earlier.

We broke the party and left to our rooms to catch some sleep.

The next was Sunday. It was a lazy day. By the time I got up, got ready and came out to the lawn Dammu and Nammu Aunty were sitting in the chairs sipping coffee with biscuits. There was a teepoy on which a coffee pot and a cup were kept and a few biscuits on another plate.

I was greeted by both. But I felt they were talking about something very seriously. What could be it?

I need not have worried. They have considered as a part of their group.

Nammu Aunty was having trouble with her eating. She was not able to speak very properly even now. She complained some pain at the back of her neck.

Dammu immediately wanted to take an appointment with the oncologist. Nammu Aunty protested.

“I have to go to Jaaji!”

Dammu looked at her seriously and said, “Nammu! You are supposed to reach on Monday evening. So, tomorrow morning we will go to the oncologist, get a clean chit from him and then you may leave for Jaaji”.

Nammu Aunty had to give her consent.

She did not like to eat the breakfast. She felt like vomiting after whatever small portion she ate.

Dammu had called the oncologist. She listened to what he had to say with a serious look on the face. Her face looked clouded. Since the generally cheery Dammu looked worried, I felt alarmed. I knew that the end is inevitable. But somehow my heart did not like to even think about it.

The morning became afternoon. After the daily chores, before lunch, we were summoned by Dammu for the next session of the story.

The dullness which was in Nammu Aunty’s all movements seem to vanish. She was like - I will be fine if you keep me engrossed in your life story!

Dammu was little perturbed. I was sure that it was not about her life story. It was to do with the telephonic conversation she had with the oncologist.

“What was the name of the village you were kept prisoner?” I asked the moment we sat together to have the story continued.

“Young man! I have more important things to tell” she said with mock severity and looked at Nammu Aunty who was very eager to know the next part.

“I thanked the village chief who had given space for my husband’s brother to stay.  He regretted that he could not take him to a hospital. I told that it is all right and everything is pre-written. Funnily it helped him overcome his guilt. I asked him the directions for the village where my baby could have been taken. He gave me the details. I thanked him again for this information this time and left in a bullock cart to reach the village”

She took a deep breath and told, “Two people from my husband’s first wife’s goons were following me without my knowledge. I was going towards the village with death hanging on my head!”

What's her mistake ? - 35

She rushed to him. She called him by his name.

May be his mind was tuned to her voice. He opened his eyes. He recognized the anxious looking Dammu!

“Come let’s go. I will search for a vehicle. We will reach the nearest hospital! You look very ill!!” she exclaimed and her words tumbled out one after the other.

He smiled.  He beckoned her to come nearer. She bent her right ear nearer to his lips.

Out came the story. Dammu could barely make out what it is. But she understood what happened. It even replied some of her queries about her whereabouts before she had reached these dwellings.

The friend whom her husband’s brother believed turned out to be treacherous. Actually it was not his mistake too. Dammu’s husband’s first wife had a firm grip over the whole situation. She had known that that person was the only close friend of her husband’s brother. She also knew that her husband’s brother will go for him for help. With the help of her large number of goons, she had captured him before he went in his jeep to meet Dammu and her husband’s brother. This was revealed by him before he was caught and tied up by the goons.

The roughish people who came with her husband’s first wife had mercilessly killed him. Her husband’s brother had put in a valiant fight to save his friend. But he could not succeed. The friend had succumbed to the wounds he got inflicted by the goons. In the bargain, even her husband’s brother got badly wounded.

The birth of the child took place. He could not know the gender of the child. Some goons along with the midwife and her husband’s first wife left the dilapidated house where Dammu gave birth to a child.

Dammu was given a heavy sedative orally. She lost consciousness for quite some time. The balance goons took both Dammu and her husband’s brother from that place and left them in the house where Dammu had regained her consciousness.

He had tried to wake Dammu in vain. The medicine must have been very strong. He was afraid that Dammu may die. He was badly injured in the stomach by a rusted sword. When he could not wake Dammu, he decided to go to a nearest village and get some medical help for her.

He had gone by a slow walk for a few hours. He fell down and crawled till he found the village. The village chief took pity on him and tried to get some immediate local medicine applied on his wound.

It looked as if the wound needed attention of a better doctor.

Dammu was aghast to know that he is wounded that badly. She felt very much indebted to him that he tried to get medical help for her while he himself was very badly injured.

The first wife of her husband was wrong! This man is good. Whoever goes out of their way to help others even though they are not in a position physically to help are good people!

She tried to make him sit so that she could something to help him.

“No, don’t try to lift me. I feel as if my whole body is about to explode. I am feeling very thirsty. Can you give me some water please?” he whispered.

She found a tumbler of water nearby. She started pouring the water into his mouth drop by drop.

He started swallowed the water slowly.

At that moment she suddenly knew how to get her child. She asked him, “Please, can you please tell me the name of your village? I hate to admit. But I do not know the name”

She did not know whether he heard her or not. But his lips opened to utter a word.

She could barely catch the word when there was a gurgling noise from him.

Her husband’s younger brother who was accused by his brother’s first wife that he lusted for her first and then Dammu, had finally succumbed to the wounds he had received and died in front of Dammu.

What's her mistake ?- 34

It seemed she was traveling for ages when she finally found a group of dwelling. From where she was standing it looked as if she had to walk another 4 kilo meters before reaching the place. The sun had already started coming down.

She felt like sitting for some time. She had no idea what was in store when she reached the village. But the hunger and thirst jointly decided her visit to the village. For all she knew the place could be full of people who act upon the orders of her husband’s first wife.

She was thinking what to do if she finds adversaries there. Her inner voice told her that ‘you reach the village Dammu! You request for some food and water and shelter also since the sun is getting down in the west. May be because it was summer and Western part of India, there was some sunlight still left in the sky and the heat in the air.

There were some trees near the village. She tried to see whether she gets something to eat there, a fruit or two. Then she could sleep there only and leave the next morning for a bigger town without getting into the village. But the fate had decided that she should reach the village to face the next part of her life’s tragedy.

The balance journey to the village was uneventful. She very badly wanted to eat something. More than that, she wanted some water to drink.

The evening was turning into night. There was a little coolness in the air. She was greeted by the bark of two dogs. She had no strength to even run or protest. She just stood there holding hands high lest the dogs do not bite away her fingers!

Fortunately for her, a wiry woman came running and shooed the dogs away and took her hand and led her to a house nearby.

It was a small house with tiles on the roof. She was made to sit on a low height cot with a thin bedspread on it. The woman went inside and came out with a tumbler of water and a plate.

Dammu found two rotis, a green chutney and two pieces of raw onion.

She was ravenous and tried to eat in a hurry. She had hiccups and had to finish the whole tumbler of water. The woman brought one more glass of water.

Now Dammu ate slowly and finished the rotis, Chutney and the onions. Then she washed her hand carefully in the plate and stirred the chutney mixed water in the plate using her right hand fingers. Then she drank the water from the plate and licked her fingers after wiping the plate clean.

The woman watching her smiled. This lady is like us, she knows the value of water in these areas, she must have thought. Dammu smiled at her.

She felt little more relieved when she went to the bathroom and threw some cold water (a very little quantity) on her face.

The woman asked her to sit and went out. After a few minutes she came in with a local ladies’ dress of a big size and handed over to Dammu.

Dammu thankfully took it and went behind the kitchen door and changed into it. The woman was the only person in that house. Probably the man of the house must have gone for work.

Now she asked Dammu her name. The moment she uttered her name, there was a change in the face of her savior woman.

Now, what is this? Wondered Dammu. Has the lady become aloof after hearing her name? Dammu could not tell.

The woman took the hand of Dammu and led her out of her house. Dammu followed not knowing what to do or how to react.

Is she an unwelcome person now? Or is there a chance that this woman knows her husband’s first wife?

Her questions were partly answered when the woman took her inside a small hut which was about 6 houses away hidden behind a bigger house.

Dammu took some time to get adjusted to the small kerosene lamp burning inside the hut.

Even in that light she could recognize her husband’s brother’s body!

Body?

No, he was breathing, but very lightly!

He looked as if he was about to die!

What's her mistake ? - 33

Dammu came out of the house. The house looked so different in the night. It was a dilapidated building. But come to think of it! This looks different. What is the day today? Was it just the next day or ....?

Dammu was devastated. How could she have been out of consciousness for so long? Or is it really long time or was she missing something?

She was not able to understand the situation. She went back to the house. Surely the house looked different. She remembered that she was lying on hay while the two ladies were trying to get the baby out of her body. That means she has been carried unconscious from there to some other place.

She sat since her legs did not help her to stand. She sat in a chair which was there. There was a gnawing feeling in her stomach. Was she hungry? When did she have her food last time?

She remembered eating in the haveli on the day she delivered the baby. Did she really deliver the baby? Of course! She should have! The growing stomach, the kick on the walls of the womb was the proof.

Where have all vanished? Where is her child? She got up and walked into the other parts of the house. It was empty. She found a basket. She opened it and there was a buzzing sound. There were many house flies which left the place since they got disturbed. She found a pair of fruits, the name of which she did not know. She searched for water. The sink tap had some water drops coming out. She washed the fruits as much as possible and gobbled them. She felt a little relieved.

After wandering to the bathroom and washing the face gave her some strength to explore further. She came out of the house since there was no one else in the house.

There was no house nearby. There was emptiness miles and miles around. She felt that she has been shifted during her unconscious period or she might have been drugged to sleep so that she could be easily shifted.

She then remembered the younger brother of her husband. What happened to him? She also remembered that there was a friend along with him. What happened to him?

Her husband’s first wife had hurled quite a number of abuses towards her husband’s younger brother. Was he that bad? How come she was not able to understand his real intentions? Has been so dumb?

How far is she from the haveli? She tried to remember whether she has seen the name of the city or town or village where the haveli existed? To her dismay she found that she did not know anything. The servants, her husband’s first wife never spoke anything about the place. She had tried to extract information and had failed miserably.

She racked her brains to remember any phrase or sentence spoken by her husband about his birthplace. Funny, he had only talked about her and he had encouraged her to talk whenever they found time to talk! He had not replied any question she asked about his past!

Of course! He had come to hide from his people and she had successfully helped him to do so. By talking and talking and talking!

Now she had to first survive. She has to see some civilization. Once she is fine with that, then she has to search for her kid.

Did she have a boy or girl? She did not know.

What a pitiable situation! She thought.

She searched the empty house. Somewhere in the corner she found a pair of old slippers. She thankfully slipped her feet in them.

With a heavy sun looming on her body, flies buzzing around her she started slowly walking on a much trodden path.

She had no idea where she will reach and when she will reach.

What's her mistake ? - 32

As the screams continued, Dammu started writhing with pain on the hay. Her husband’s brother was totally at loss without knowing what to do. He sat next to Dammu, held her hand and tried to pacify her.

It was at that moment there was the sound of a jeep arriving. He told Dammu, “Your troubles are over. Just hold for some more time. We are going away from here and reaching the nearest hospital immediately”

Dammu asked who has come.

He replied. “I had told my friend to come as early as possible. He said he could come only by early morning. Looks like he has come early. It is good! We can reach the nearest hospital fast” and went out to meet the friend.

Dammu was still feeling the pain.

In came the friend along with Dammu’s husband’s younger brother. Both of them were trying to lift Dammu and take her to the jeep when it happened.

Stormed in two ladies. Dammu was wondering what was happening. They were carrying two lanterns in their hands. Dammu recognized both the ladies!

One was the ‘doctor’ who was checking her. The other one was the woman who was like her shadow during the whole of her stay in the haveli. Her husband’s first wife!

She took some water from her camel skin pouch and sprinkled it on Dammu’s face.

“How far do you think you could have gone? You came behind him?” there was disgust and anger in her voice.

Dammu was just able to blink.  The speed with which the events were happening, she almost forgot her pain.

“What did you think? You felt safe coming behind this person? This means you don’t know how to read people!” She said and sat on the hay spread next to Dammu’s head.

“He is the most lecherous person I have ever seen. When he found that I was not being even touched by my husband, that is his brother, he tried to take advantage of me. I had a tough time to keep him away from me. I had to resort to having bodyguards always just to be away from this person” She glared at the younger brother of her husband.

Dammu did not say anything. Somehow she had felt that some more words were expected from the first wife of her husband.

She was right! But this time the words were still more torturous.  “My dear Damayanti! You were his next target. When I refused to budge to his advances, he blatantly said, ‘You are useless. I will go to my brother’s second one. She is bold and will not hesitate to become by life partner. After all, my brother is dead!’ So my dear woman! You were ready to go with this man?” she disgustingly said.

Dammu could see her husband’s brother’s head down with shame. But suddenly the pain became unbearable and she screamed.

“I knew this! That is why I have come here with all the equipment” she said and called the other woman to help in holding Dammu properly for delivering the child.

Suddenly the whole place became tense. The two men were sent out.

Dammu was slowly losing consciousness.

She did not remember the next part. She was aware that there was a crying of a baby and some cruel laughter of the first wife of her husband.

When she again regained consciousness, she became aware of her surroundings. The pain had completely subsided. She felt very light.

She tried to sit up. She suddenly remembered that she was about to deliver a child. She looked wildly around for the child.

She was all alone in that place.