Unintended/Unexpected Activism
“Aap CHECK nahi karte Ma’am?” The Saket SHO demanded angrily
“Sir main har husband wife ke rishte ko parakh nahi sakti, yeh sab NGO mein partner hain”
“Aapka naam keh raha hai who, AAPNE sikhaya hai Babu ki biwi ko”
Viveka gave him a shocked look
One of the new craftsperson Malti had brought with her, a young woman named Pihu, was beat up by her husband Babu, he had struck her twice
Viveka did not know anything about it until some of the people were missing that morning of January 3rd, they were supposed to go meet someone in some back office at Maurya to confirm the stall appointment AND show off some of the work
When it was close to 2 and Suhani Vibhor and Biren did not show up, Iqrar took her to the tenement where Pihu and Babu were living she had actually caught Babu striking Pihu for the second time
She had shoved him to the side and called the cops
There was a giant commotion outside the tiny room as people in the neighborhood gathered to watch
“Aapne dobara haath lagaya to 20 saal ki jail karwa doongi” Viveka shouted furiously
“Ishwar and Ratna calmed her down when they showed up a few minutes behind her
“HE JUST HIT HER” she was too shaken up
Now back to the thana…
“Aap UNKI enquiry karen, unhoney apni wife ko kyon peeta”
“Aap mujhe pehle YEH batao kia ap under age logon se kya kaam karwa rahi hain”
“KOI under arge nahi hai”
“Madam apni galti mat chhupao” Mr Atwal the SHO officer told her firmly
“Sir koi illegal kaam nahi kar rahi main” Viveka explained calmly
“Aap INKE ghar kya kar rahi thi”
“Sir main ek NGO chalati hoon part time JNU mein lecturer hoon, researcher hoon ek kamre ka work room hai hamara Shahpur Jat mein inke ghar se 2 block chhodkar” she explained calmly
“Aap ye ladies waale naarebaazi sikha rahin hain inko” Mr Atwal looked upset
“Bilqul nahi sir” she began to feel agitated
She had no idea how a domestic violence issue had quickly turned into one about the legality of her NGO
She had HEARD Babu strike Pihu… THWACK!
She had used a pillow on a narrow khaat on the corner to shove him against the wall furiously
She didn’t get too close to the people she worked with
Not too long ago, someone she had trusted too much had run away with the revenue from a show
She was cautious and respectful but didn’t make rishtedaari
She didn’t know if they would appreciate too much close ness from someone that was about to bring them economic prosperity
Ishwar and Ratna interacted even less than she did with the crew
“Aapko INKE GHAR jaane ki kyon pad gayi?” Mr Atwal pressed
Sir hamari meeting thi Maurya mein 3 baje, ek craft fair host kar rahe hain who, hamara approval hua hai
Bas waha jaana tha, Pinhu aur Babu keg har ek box mein 4 kaleen aur ek dozen silk waale cushion covers the, Suhani ne kaha hum le aate hain, kyon ki aaj Pihu kaam par nahi aayin”
“TO AAP BOSS HAIN” Mr Atwal had a gotcha look on his face
“Sir nahi…. Main volunteer hoon, mere saath Ishwar Ratna hai yeh bhi volunteer hain, mere paas profit loss etc ka statement hain, laptop yahi Quraysh Masjid se 10 kadam par work room hai main laake dikha sakti hoon
“Nahi nahi… aap to jao mat….” Mr Atwal picked his teeth with a tooth pick
And stretched his leg out on a chair next too him
“Sun Jaiswal…. Ja bhai lekar aa Madam ka laptop”
“Sir main waapis aa jaaoongi, Ishwar Ratna hum sab equal volunteers hain” Viveka insisted
“nahi Ma’am aap ruko, bande ko chot aayi hai aap nahi ja saktin yahan se” Mr Atwal was firm
She turned to Ishwar confused “What the heck”
“Aapki jaise social worker hamesha ant shant bakwas karke gharon ko todti hain Madam” Atwal explained
“Pehli baat to yeh MAINE inka ghar nahi todaa, main bas Suhani ke saath jaakar waha se material lekar meeting mein jaane waali thi
“Par aapne phir bhi inke ghar ke andar ghuskar inko maara”
“Inko” was Babu, who was nowhere to be seen
Suhani was at Pihu and Babu’s house
“Beta jaakar Babu ki biwi ko lekar aao” he urged poking his teeth
“Sir, jagah meri naam par rent par hai” Ishwar stepped up to explain
“Inka ghar aapki naam par hai?”
“Jee sir yeh saare kaareegar bahar Rajasthan Gujarat UP MP se aate hain, jo hamara work room hai who Viveka ke naam par hai, Babu keg har ka kiraya main deta hoon
“Ek baat batao tum teeno, waise apne aapko voluntiar bata rahe ho par kaam maalkon waale kar rahe ho”
“Sir inke paas koi kagaz nahi tha Aadhar card wagairah”
“Aise kaise eka admi MP se Dilli aa gaya bina kagaz ke”
“Sir hum bas help karne ki try kar rahe hain”
It was a cold January day, with all the gawkers and hangers on inside the thana Viveka was beginning to feel exhausted and sweaty
She was supposed to go to Rohini and go to Bua’s for dinner actually with Varsha anD Harshu
They were back from honeymoon
Bua was as usual throwing one of her big dos
Her phone was ringing too
Ma, Papa, dadi and Bua, back to back
Naina texted her too
“Did you leave the orange scarf for me”
No hello no hi!
“Haan tumne mujhe ek baar kaha tha acc to some Tunisian or some culture orange brings good luck” she typed her fingers shaking with excitement
Are we back?
Say we are back?
Please please!
Her heart danced in joy
“You remembered
“Naina? Tum pagal ho?” Viveka asked in her signature style
“Madam fone pe baat karni band kar do jara aur ye faram bhar do”
Mr Atwal pushed a clip board with some forms
“Sir ek minute”
“Aap mujhe phone do” he said firmly
She quickly put it on her lap
She reviewed the form
“Sir main sign nahi kar sakti…. Babu apni wife ko maar raha tha”
“HAI VIDEO aapke paas?”
“Video nahi hai but I will not let a man hit a woman” she said her voice shaking with anger
“Angreji to bolo mat, aap log isi khoz mein rehte ho key? Kiski ghar mein dawa bolen aur Pardhan mantri ko rajneeti sikhayen”
“Aap Pradhan mantri ho” she cackled still shook up
“Madam main is thane ka SHO hoon…. Aapke khilaaf complaint aayi hai”
“Sir Babu ne apni wife ko maara”
She had had some run ins with men like Babu before as part of her work for an abused women shelter while getting her Masters
But today’s incident was unexpected and shocking
“She had to channel her thoughts on the topic and her outrage hit the fan
“Sir aap humse sign le lo hum subah aa jaayenge hamari meeting hai hotel mein”
“AAP JAO sirjee aapko roka thodi hai” Atwal told Ishwar
Viveka’s heart sank, she did not know what the heck was going on now
“Suhani kidhar hai?” she whispered to Ratna
“Gayi to hai lene”
Papa texted
“Kidhar ho beta how was ur meeting? All good?”
She bend down to text
“Phone do aap mujhe” Atwal demanded
Ratna texted Akash Mathur
“Uncle ek craftsman ne apni wife ko maara Viveka involve ho gayi hum Saket SHO ke office mein hain”
Ganesh Kartikeya
CID
Anupamaa
324