His steps moved towards rooftop feeling a desperate need of fresh air to breathe.His conscience mocked him as he knew very well that It wasn't the lack of air but onerous weight on his chest which was not letting him breathe easily.He roamed around aimlessly on the roof before stopping near the parapet.He looked down and found mass of people gathered in the courtyard of "
Chaudhary haveli". Males were occupying a small corner of the courtyard given their small number as compare to the females who had covered a big area.Some of them were wailing,some were busy gossiping and some were consoling his wife,pammi..
His gaze halted at her face.Despite the distance,he could see her blood shot eyes due to immense crying,however instead of evoking "sympathy" in his heart,sight made bile rise in his throat.There was no difference in the tears shed by her for channi and "customary wailing" by the village ladies surrounding her.Villagers were told about channi's sudden demise in a car accident previous night after the "bidai".He now looked at his father who had cooked this story because few ladies had witnessed Mohinder and Rano bringing unconscious geet to their home this morning.They all came to haweli and asked geet's so called guardian cum grandfather about her condition.Their curiosities were calmed by stating that geet could not bear trauma of her elder sister's death.To darjee's good luck,none of them inquired Mohinder and Rano. Shoki's mother had already called daarjee to inform about all the chaos created by Handa couple at her house.Her call helped the old man to stay ready with this story when villagers confronted him about geet's condition.Moreover,Story easily covered the crime committed by him,though he had to give more money to shoki's mother for keeping her mouth shut as well as supporting darjee's story.
He tried to find a little shame,regret or pain in darjee's eyes after slaughtering his elder granddaughter with own hands but all he could see was a 'devilish gleam" enveloping his imperturbable ego.For him, He had just punished channi for her mistake or sin precisely.Her decision of eloping was a direct attack on reputation of choudhary clan and she was punished aptly for it.
He saw darjee leaving his place amidst the elderly persons of the village as he received a call on his cell phone. Lines of worry appearing on his fore head tainted the satisfaction present on old man's countenance.Sudden change in his expression made Balwinder realize that caller had not given some good news to him.He kept looking at his father whose frantic steps were now moving inside the "haweli"..May be it was result of Balwinder's intense and despicable stare,Darjee looked up and his gaze met with accusing eyes of his son.He raised his eyebrows little as he gestured his son to come down.
Balwinder came down with lifeless steps.He could hear his father talking with villagers about arranging geet's marriage with Shoki now.Some of them suggested to wait till geet turns eighteen and some did not find it wrong to marry a girl at this age.No matter what,all of them agreed with darjee's decision gladly.
"You called me.." Balwinder asked him.For some reason,he could not call him "darjee".
"Yes..come with me..I need to talk to you.." Darjee answered entering inside his room.
As soon Balwinder entered the room,he was met with his irritated father.
"This greedy lady is irritating me alot..She is calling me every half an hour since morning.."Dajee exclaimed in exasperation.
"Why darjee??You have already promised her enough money.." It was pammi who questioned darjee as she made her entry into room.
"She is scared that Mohinder would file a case against her and shoki.."Darjee told the reason.
and she would not be able to make a false story there in such scared state..Balwinder thought feeling an intense anger for that greedy woman.
"I don't know,how did he come to know about geet???" He mumbled further though his voice was audible to both Pammi and Balwinder.
Pammi looked suspiciously towards her husband.She was sure that Balwinder had done so.Knowing darjee's bed temper,She tried to divert him from this topic as she spoke,"Its good darjee that Mohinder had brought geet back otherwise we wouldn't have been able to answer people about geet's as well as channi's disappearance..People would have come to know about it sooner or later.."
Pammi was right in suspecting her husband.It was balwinder who had informed Mohinder about geet's marriage with Shoki,though he was quite late in making his decision but still he was feeling a little peace somewhere since geet was in safe hands of her true "parents" now.
"You can't stop Mohinder from filing a complaint against you and shoki's mother.."Balwinder said in venomous tone.He knew,It was geet's condition that had not let him take this step now.As a father,he had to take care of his daughter first.Her health would be his priority rather than justice during this time.
His statement was followed by a dread silence as It was first time when he had used such tone with his father..
"I would stop him for sure.." Darjee exclaimed gritting his teeth as his left hand caressed a "loaded 9 mm pistol" in his kurta pocket.
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Geet fluttered her eyelashes before opening her eyes slowly.The familiar surroundings calmed her anxious nerves.For a moment,she thought she was woken up from a nightmare but then her aching body made her realize the reality of "nightmare",she had endured physically.
"Chidi..."She heard Rano's voice who was sprinting towards her bed.Next moment,she was engulfed in her masi's warm embrace. Geet closed her eyes hiding her face in Rano's bosom as she inhaled sharply,taking in the fragrance of motherhood and feel of protection. Rano kept her daughter in her arms till she heard her voice..
"I am hungry,masi" Geet spoke in a weak voice.
"Let me get something for you beta..." Rano exclaimed separating herself from Geet though she did not want to keep her daughter away from her eyes even for a moment.
After ten minutes,Rano was back to room with geet's favorite "parantha" and "milk". Her eyes turned misty as she watched geet eating the food greedily.She made a "yucky" face when Rano gave her a painkiller after finishing the parantha.A milky mustache appeared on her upper lip as she emptied the glass of milk in one go.She winced in pain when she wiped her mustache with back of her hand.Her lips were bruised slightly.
Rano could not control her tears anymore,though she was needed to stay strong infront of her daughter. Her daughter seemed stronger than her as Geet's fingers wiped her tears"Don't cry masi..He could not rape me.." She said in a manner to console her masi.
Her statement astonished Rano as she looked incredulously in her hazels.
"Yes masi..He tore my clothes but he could not see me because room was dark due to powercut..I was saved.."Geet tried to make her masi understand.
"Tearing a girl's clothes and seeing her naked body" was what Geet's innocent brain meant by term "Rape" according to the knowledge acquired from the movies by her.
"May be that was why he got so angry and hurt me.."Geet explained further.."He hurt me here...here..here.."
Rano's eyes followed geet's fingers as she gestured at her lips then neck and then chest.."and he did hurt me there most..." Her voice was one octave down as she gestured towards the area below her waist where pain was maximum..
Rano felt her heart bursting with immense pain as she lived the nightmare through geet's innocent words..She cried bitterly hugging her daughter close to her heart ..She cried louder so that "God" could hear her wails if he was not deaf..
More than her cries,She wanted God to hear her daughter's words when she explained what she had endured previous night..If he had listened those words,he must have realized that he had done a grave mistake by letting all that happen with this innocent soul...
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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Debate Mansion
Parineeti
Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan
501