Seven Vows Part 3 -Part 259 Page 147 - Page 91

Chapter 241- The Break down

The Varma family was the dining table. Tilak Sudhir and Sreedhar were discussing about how people were not coming forward to report about the missing girls.

" Sudhir I had a discussion with Ankush. He is telling an official enquiry cannot start without active participation from people. Dheeraj and his team had bought out every missing report stacked in old files. But now the families either say they got information the girl is no longer alive or some bluntly say, they have other girls in the family. If such a girl comes back it will affect the prospects of other girls" told Tilak.

" Yes Bhaiyya. We in our committee also had discussion about this. Somalatha Devi told she will keep the girls in her ashram if they are found. Pooja also told she will make arrangements with NGOs to rehabilitate them. But people are not coming forth" told Sudhir.

" Bhaiyya this time that Mahantji and his cronies have played well. I had seen Rupinder, then Praveen Samrat's son and all visiting many homes. They might have brainwashed them" told Sreedhar.

" Beta don't take me wrong. Unlike dignity for widows this one is a complex issue. A widow was a married woman. She is within the social norms of acceptability if we take away the superstitions. But that is not the case with these girls.."

" Everyone please stop discussing such depressing things. I have some good news to share " came in Renu breaking the conversation. She

" What happened Bhabi. You are beaming. Seems like good news from your home " came in Vindhya.

" Yes Vindhya. It was my badi bhabi. My niece marriage is fixed and Suman do you know who the boy is. He is your Tauji's son Piyush " told Renu laughing. The next everyone heard was a crash. Suman stood her hands shaking, the dishes in her hand had fallen.

" Suman what happened " Renu rushed to her.

" What did you tell Bhabi. Your niece is going to be Piyush's wife. Do you know what that means" Suman held Renu's shoulders.

" What is it Suman. We all know about your family. It's a good family. Piyush has studied till 12^th. My niece education was stopped post 10^th and we were looking alliances for her. If she goes to your family maybe she can continue studying" told Renu.

" Stop her from being sent to hell Bhabi. She will burn in that family Bhabi." told Suman

" What are you telling Suman. Be clear " told Renu and now everyone was standing. Sreedhar pressed his hands against the chair.

" You want clarity. Then listen. I didn't wanted to marry Murali. Do you know how I was married. Remember you asked about the marks in my leg. That was done by my father. He kept hot tawa on both my legs to make me agree to the marriage. When I didn't relent he burned my mother's legs, her stomach. I agreed because I couldn't see the torture for my mother.

Then I decided to die. But someone saved me. You know what happened after that. I was again burned, my mother was also burned. Then they gave injections to me so that I don't remain conscious. Then they married me

You told your niece can study in my family. Nothing of that will happen. I studied because my Papa couldn't say no to my principal. Nobody values girls in my family Bhabi. They are killed in mother's womb. Two of my sister's were killed in my mother's womb. My Amrit Bhaiyya's daughter Amita was killed by putting her in the bath tub. My Pritam Bhaiyya went to Delhi just to save his daughter.

My mother is a slave there because she doesn't have son, she only has me. My Papa beats her everyday. In our family girls are not given proper food or dress bhabi. We eat half stomach and that too some days rotis of previous day with dal water. I always wear my didi's second hand clothes. New dress is given only for Diwali that too cheapest for me and my Maa as we are redundant in that family.

For my fault Maa is beaten, to terrorize her I am beaten. I cant show you all those marks bhabi, don't send her to the hell, don't send her to the hell " Suman was crying profusely now and Maheswari tried to hold her.

" Leave me Maa. I didn't choose this house to live. I choose this house to die. I just wanted to die. I didn't had it in me to suffer more torture from my husband, his family so it was me who wanted to jump from that car. It was me who wanted to die and it was me who switched places to die. But then I lived. I didn't wanted to. I stayed here because people here will kill me. I thought you will kill me because your son died immediately post his marriage to me. It was better to die in one day than to die every day.

Save your niece from hell bhabi. Don't allow her to burn. Save her bhabi." Suman fell on the ground unconscious before someone could hold her. She was still shivering and murmuring

" I will marry. Don't torture Maa. " . Maheswari took her head on her lap as others were too stunned to do anything. Sreedhar's hand was paining as he had pressed the table hard to control his emotions when she was speaking.

" Tilak and Renu. Go immediately to Renu's house and do whatever needs to be done to stop the marriage. Sudhir call the doctor, Sreedhar take her to your room, Vindhya give dinner to children and take them to their room" Maheswari barked orders.

Tilak and Renu and Sudhir rushed out, while Vindhya gently led the children to the dinner table. Maheswari observed Suman as Sreedhar lifted her. As if in cue her shivering stopped and her hand clutched his kurta. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Suman feels Sreedhar even in her unconscious state. His touch brings the solace to her even when she is most troubled. What had she gone through. She called it hell. But for the first time Maheswari felt it was miracle Suman was sane after going through the torture that she described.

Originally posted by: ajay227

I have a feeling they were all more concerned about suman and didn't take it seriously. The next update might hold the answer 😳

Edited by Cluny13 - 8 years ago