As soon as he entered the room early in the morning, Akash started shouting to wake up Malti. 'Malati O Malati….the buffaloes have to be watered, why haven't you woken up yet?' With these words echoing in Malati's ears, Safali sat down and when she woke up, she again saw the same anxious life in front of her. The bride has not been able to sleep peacefully since her father-in-law arrived. The sky was not so bright. The house was fine. Malti's father passed away when he was five years old. After Malti's mother became a widow, she brought up Malti and her brother by working hard. Malti, who grew up there, was now young, even if her maternal uncle did not support her much. Malati's beauty was such that everyone was wounded at first sight. His simplicity and smiling nature was liked by all. Malati dreamed about her future husband but little did she know, fate had something else written. When a girl is young, she naturally feels attracted and that happened with Malati too. There was a boy named Mitesh next to his mother in his paliya. He looked good. Also it belonged to Malati's daughter. Every day he used to stand in front of the house and look at Malti. At that time, Malti was studying in the twelfth standard. Malti also got attracted to the woman and she also started loving Manoman Mitesh. Malati wanted to marry him. Once they both met in the market, Malti asked Mitesh for marriage. But, when Mitesh refused her, all her dreams were shattered. She used to pray to Mahadev in the hope that her future husband would be a good one who would love her immensely. Now, Malti gets engaged and unfortunately has to marry the reluctant Akash. There was no enthusiasm for marriage, so it was not even prepared. Hey, if he was ready, he didn't even look at his own face in the mirror. On the first night of Lagan, when Akash approached, even his touch felt like a thorn. After two months passed like this, Akash spoke to his mom and Malti's aunt. Malti's maternal aunt persuaded Malti with love and due to the rites of her parents, Kaman also adopted Akash in life. But, now Akash has found a way out. If he got angry in the conversation and harassed Malti, she would bear it dumbly. In time, a daughter was born. The condition of the house was bad. Akash did no work and the income of the farmer was very meager. The house was barely running. Malti started weaving papads and started tutoring. Started to cooperate financially. Started working in a private school. But, Akash did not appreciate it. Borrowed money for the loan taken from the bank for the buffaloes and cleared the debt. The limit came when Akash did not have the money even to admit Malti to the hospital in the second pregnancy. This is Malti's little by little collection of money which came in handy in the hospital. Even in such condition of Malti, Akash did not give money. Akash was told from above that Malti will give him the money to pay off the loan if there is a normal delivery. Knowing this, Malati remembered her heavenly father and put her head on the pillow and cried a lot. Even after suffering so much, he did not leave the house of the sky. It was the rites of his parents. Finally, forgetting everything, Malati woke up and started watering the buffaloes. – Sanjay Prajapati 'Shivansh' (Mundra)
euthanasia
The room was packed. A week later, a new type of case was reported. Today was the first day of his hearing. Since this case was under discussion since it was reported, even the reporter had come out before the court time thinking that he would get to know something today. The suspense in this case was such that people were more and more curious to know about it. The name of the person who filed this case was Janaki. Janaki who demanded euthanasia for herself and her five-year-old daughter Soumya. As Sita gave up her life in the earth, Janaki too could have died by drinking medicine or hanging from a fan in some corner of the house. However, she was made of different clay and that is why she applied to the court for euthanasia. Everyone sitting in the court room was looking at him with something strange. He avoided the reporters standing outside saying that everything will be cleared in the hearing. The crowd inside and outside the court was increasing because the question why a mother is demanding death for herself as well as her daughter was bothering everyone. In this situation, Janaki was sitting quietly with Soumya in her lap. As soon as the judge's arrival was heard, everyone stood up quietly. As soon as he sat, everyone sat again and the murmuring started again. The public prosecutor while detailing Janki's case in court said that he wanted euthanasia but did not say why. Jajasaheb called Janaki. Janaki stood up, holding Soumya's hand and standing with her. Janaki gave a blank look at the people sitting in the court. Soumya then unchained the frock and turned her back to face the judge and then towards the people sitting. The small five-year-old child's back was covered with scratches and bruises. Screams came out of people's mouths. Tears fell from Janaki's eyes, but the next moment she straightened up and said, 'Seeing this you must have understood what happened to my daughter who is a piece of my heart. As soon as this happens, I should kill him and die myself. The same thought also occurred, because for this society now Soumya will become a spoiled girl and I will remain a mother who could not take care of her daughter. The perpetrators took advantage of our loneliness and helplessness, but this society considers it our fault. The incident we try to forget every day. We are reminded of the same again and again in different ways. There are fewer who heal the wounds and more who heal them. My daughter is looked upon with pity. It is considered stigmatized. People are more worried about who will marry her when she grows up. Such is our society. Which punishes the victim and not the perpetrator. If I had died quietly like a coward, people would have remembered and forgotten for two days and some other gentle person would have been the victim of such cruelty. According to the law and order of our country, we neither have the evidence nor the patience to fight against it. And even then it is not certain whether justice will be done. Those animals who are roaming outside may be raped again. Even then the punishment is to be meted out only once that too after years when the case is over. We abandon this society which cannot give us security. My little daughter's childhood was taken away, but this society sometimes won't let her recover from this wound. Even in his future he will only be considered tainted. Rather than dying every day in this society of ours, sir, give us death, just death.' Saying that, she burst into tears. – Chowdhury Hetal 'Krishna' (Netrang)
Prohibition
13-year-old Raghala's feet stopped as soon as the word ban fell on his ears. The small hands holding the cup-saucer trembled slightly at the sound of crackers. Today, when he went to work on the kettle, the new collector in the village was going to ban firecrackers. Father himself was very worried about not being able to study, so he wanted both brothers to study a lot. Two years ago, Raghu was in high spirits that day. After leaving school, he went directly to the factory to show the result because if Bapu agrees, he will get Jalebi! Raghala's small family used to 'celebrate' every small happiness by eating jalebi for themselves and the children. The same thing happened that day. Bapu was pleased to see the result and sent to get jalebi from Pyarelalkaka's stall standing in the nearby street. He pressed the note in his small fists and put it near the beloved Jalebi. He was coming to his parents after tying jalebi, he saw that there was a fire in the factory. Smoke all around, heart-rending screams, the unmistakable sound of bursting firecrackers…sound…sound…ma-bapu….couldn't think much and collapsed there. A lot had changed when he came to his senses. He and his children were destitute. The responsibility of both the brothers now fell on Raghu's small shoulders. It happened to Raghu, perhaps even the parents of Big Saheb… 'O Raghala… Give two cuttings soon, it will be late.' The voice of the customer brought Raghlo back to the present with such enthusiasm. Going home at the end of the day, Raghala packs a jalebi in the hope that crackers will be banned, for the first time in two years… – Kinar J. Rana (Gandhinagar)
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
