Chapter four
"What???? You can't be serious!!!! I am the shah... I take decisions here" Jagan spluttered looking at Amba Pavanya's three daughters who were standing in front of him, their hands crossed against their chest. Jagan was holding a court order which gave Amba equal rights to the land. The entire property was to be split into two separate parts each for Jagan's and Charan's families. Amba's henchmen came inside and put up a rope dividing the house into two equal parts. The panchayat also supported the decision as Charan's widow and his children had rights in the Pavanya's property. Jagan was freaking out. He had lost control of half the original property. He convinced the panchayat of not giving Amba his money in the bank stating that it was his own earnings. Amba and Simmi wanted to contest the decision but Preet asked them to leave it. Jagan was hoping that Amba would not be able to become powerful as she doesn't have the money to buy seeds or pay employees. But to his surprise Preet provided the amount of money required to Amba. They even paid half the amount of money to the labourers in advance. Simran, who refused to accept the relationship with Rohan didn't wear any indication of being married and lived with her mother. Jagan sought her as the next target. He taunted her of being a Bajwa bahu. He tried creating nuisance for them by creating misunderstanding about her intentions towards Pavanyas now that she is a Bajwa bahu among clansmen. Amba called him and said "Jagan, tu toh jaanta hai na apni parchai ko... Continue such antics and I will make sure that Rohan Bajwa comes here and lives as our ghar jamai... Soon the entire Bajwa clan will be living here with us... Do you really want to see Harjeet's face every morning?? I think he will jump at the opportunity to irritate you ". Jagan felt a mental slap and since then refrained from connecting Amba's daughters to the Bajwas in order to be able to sleep properly. Preet had gone back to Mumbai and Gunjan to her sasural. Meanwhile a movie Preet acted in released in Bollywood and it was a tremendous hit. It was a big budget movie and Preet had gotten the chance by luck. The heroine had cancelled at the last minute as per a plan by the rivals of the producer. One of Preet's friends in the industry suggested her. It wasn't really a problem that she started from serial. In her serial 'Chand pari' the show for kids she appeared in a completely different look to that of her original. She was given a makeover and launched. Her royal lineage in the matter of looks and talent blessed her and with a single hit and lots of hard work boosted her kismat. She was a sensational star who was paid 2-3 crores of money per film. While Amba and Simran was also developing their influence in the village by building an ashram for homeless widows and increasing the basic wages of the labourers. Jagan tried his dirty antics then and now but Amba along with Simran's and Preet's support outwitted him every time. Meanwhile Harjeet who was at first happy about Jagan's status started worrying about Amba and her power. Unknown to his sons who were pining after the Pavanya sisters, Harjeet started planning methods to counter Amba. Every time Amba took a matter to the panchayat Harjeet and Jagan convinced the panchayat that as she is a woman, she shouldn't be taken seriously. It was then that Preet decided to visit her mother and sister.
* After six months *
The villagers were facing a new problem. A drought was killing the crops. They were in a huge economic crisis. Simran drove her jeep through the fields on a hot, sunny afternoon. As she reached near the Bajwa fields her tyre got stuck in a hole. She tried to drive out but didn't succeed. One of the Bajwa goons saw this and informed Harjeet. He liked the situation and thought of it as a golden opportunity to humiliate the Pavanyas. Goons corner Simran and she is forced to get out of the jeep. "Pavanyas are always going on about women empowerment... I suppose you need real men to pull you out of troubles that you land into. I suppose that is what your mother teaches you.. Woo men into doing your chores" Harjeet said tauntingly. Simran gives him a glare but doesn't say anything. She was outnumbered one to ten. She knew she wouldn't be able to ask for help and even if she did, she won't be getting any. The goons leer at her and closes in on her. Simran panics as she is sure that the goons doesn't have any decent intentions. She prays that she can walk away from here with her dignity intact. A jeep's beeping sound startles everyone. Rohan and Raj get out from it. "Let her go..." Rohan orders, furious by seeing the goons so close to Simran, his wife. "She came without invitation and she won't leave without permission" Harjeet counters. A guy try to pull Simran's dupatta and misbehave with her. Rohan hits him while Raj tries to get Simmi undercover. Tensed by the situation Simmi pull out a rifle. Raj and Rohan are pulled away by Harjeet's thugs. Harjeet ignores his son's struggles and pleadings. Simmi points the pistol at the people who come near her but they laugh as her hand shakes. Suddenly a gun shot is heard. A girl sitting on top of a jeep was firing a gun three times her size. Simran mutters "Preet..." dazed. Preet blasts off the turbans off the goons and fire near their feet forcing them into a tap dance. As the Bajwas look on, their henchmen scatter in all directions leaving them alone with Simmi and Preet. Preet smiles at her sister. Simmi gives her a relieved smile. Both the Pavanya sisters give Harjeet and his sons a look of intense disgust. "Uncle ji... Agli baar Pavanyokke ladkiyon ko pareshan karne k liye asli mard hi laana" Preet taunts. Preet asks her sister to come and take her seat in Preet's jeep as nobody can sit inside Simran's jeep without it undergoing a purification procedure. As they drive off in style Harjeet takes off his pagdi and steps on it in frustration. Rohan and Raj glare at him. Raj berates him on insulting Simran who is Raman's widow and Rohan's wife. Harjeet in the end is guilty of his actions.
*Next morning *
The panchayat is assembled. Amba puts forward a suggestion for borewells for ending the lack of water supply for the fields. She asks them for approval of loans for the purposes for her and everyone in the village. Jagan and Harjeet says that she is a woman and taking a loan will endanger people's property. The sexiest panchayat agrees with them and tells Amba that her suggestion is not possible and they won't give approval for her loan. Some of them taunt her that just because she is a widow she shouldn't be thinking that she is her own husband. Women shouldn't be suggesting such huge things. "Excuse me, my mother was only trying to help everyone. If you guys think that she is trying to interfere with your work then sorry. But you see it is a good idea..." Preet arriving at the panchayat says. Her arrival cause a stir amongst the people as she is well known now... The panchayat remains adamant and refuses Amba's suggestions. Preet agrees and says that she can do whatever she wishes with her own land so she will construct borewells in her land and use tissue cultured seeds which were expensive but better quality. The panchayat says that she can do whatever she wants to her own land. Preet implements her plans and soon when everyone's crops were poor Amba Pavanya's fields thrived. The entire village was miserable as the money they got for the crops were low. Meanwhile Preet and Simmi made Amba throw a party for the villagers including the panchayat to celebrate her good produce. She exported her produce and got a good rate. The villagers among themselves started questioning Harjeet's and Jagan's ability to look after their needs and compares their situation with that before when Mannu was in power. Back then at least for saving his image Harjeet would also take good decisions. But now he and Jagan competed for the 'biggest idiot' title on a regular basis. Slowly ideas about what women can do formed in their minds...
(to be continued...)
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