Part-6
Prabal Modi was born in a government maternity hospital. His father wasn't around when he was born, infact he was unaware of the birth. The only thing he got from him was a middle name and surname. His mom had braced herself for single parenthood. Her stay with other abandoned women gave her immense courage to face the world.
Gopi took one step at a time on the path towards empowerment, she began by doing small tasks at the shelter and gradually took on tougher work. She was happy that her son was healthy and would grow up in an environment that would sensitise him about violence against women...so that he won't end up like his father.
Gopi gained confidence and became an active participant in activities of the NGO, she would tour cities leaving her son with elderly women. The rehabilitation of acid victims became her primary concern, she went around informing people about the basic first aid to be administered to acid victims so that the damage is minimised to some extent, she taught girls about how to flush the attacked area with water, the need to stop using cold water etc etc. While she hoped that no one goes through such an attack, creating awareness is essential.
Her pursuit for justice brought her into close contact with lawyers and social workers. Anand Sinha was one of them, he took an instant liking for Gopi's efficient ways but didn't express his thoughts,lest she misinterpret it.
Meanwhile things changed in MM too. About a year after Gopi's departure young lady visited the Modi's...her face was similar to Gopi's except for the mole on her right cheek. She had come with her husband and asked for Gopi, the Modi's were shocked to notice the resemblance. Ahem got a shock of his life...the husband's face seemed vaguely familiar.
The girl's name was Ritu and she claimed to be Gopi's twin. They had got separated after their parent's death. Mamaji had found Gopi, whereas she was sent to an orphanage and was later adopted by a NRI couple based in U.K. She had come to India several times to trace her relatives and became successful after many failed attempts.
Ahem realised the blunder he had committed -the girl he had seen with a man almost a year ago was Ritu and not Gopi. He had committed a grave sin by accusing Gopi of infidelity. He regarded himself as a beast for the way he exacted revenge from poor Gopi. His feudal mindset made him think that violating her is an apt punishment for her. How could he do that...such things belong to medieval times.
The whole Modi family had joined hands and vilified that poor orphan, they threw her out of the house. Their behavior was inexcusable.