Welcome π€ lovely reader on my profile πβ€οΈβ€οΈπ₯°<br /> <br /> The world wants happiness......<br /> And in every happiness, I want you πβ€οΈππ<br /> β₯β β£β [β -β _β -β ]β β β β₯for my lovely reader π β₯β β£β [β -β _β -β ]β β β β₯<br /> <br /> The story I'm about to write,... Welcome π€ lovely reader on my profile πβ€οΈβ€οΈπ₯°<br /> <br /> The world wants happiness......<br /> And in every happiness, I want you πβ€οΈππ<br /> β₯β β£β [β -β _β -β ]β β β β₯for my lovely reader π β₯β β£β [β -β _β -β ]β β β β₯<br /> <br /> The story I'm about to write, I hope you'll enjoy reading it, and I hope that you all will give me lots of love and continue to motivate me and encourage me to write,,,,<br /> β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ<br /> <br /> The one who praises sees your position,,,,<br /> And the one who cares sees your situation............<br /> <br /> Love you all readers, I hope you give me lots of love and keep encouraging me to move forward β€οΈππππ<br /> <br /> Love ππ you β€οΈ again πππ₯°π₯°<br />
Page 1 of 7
Kutumb, the city's largest old age home, is home to many elderly people, both men and women, all living there happily. Some elderly women have been kicked out of their homes by their daughters-in-law, while some have no time for their elderly fathers, so they have kept their fathers in this old age home. Some have children who have settled abroad, while some are childless. Everyone has their own reasons for living in that ashram. That ashram was opened years ago by Shyama Maa...
Now Shyama Maa is almost eighty-five years old. She had been ill for many days and had no hope of living any longer. So, she called her adopted son to her and said in a trembling voice...
"Nukul, son! It seems God has called me. Call Sundar Babu. It would be good to see him one last time. No wish should remain unfulfilled at the time of death."
"Yes! Mother! I will call him now."
And saying this, Nukul called Sundar Babu. Sundar Babu stays away from mobile phones and the like. He finds handling a mobile a hassle, so he has a landline installed at home. He lives alone in this big house with his servant HariyΔ. He is a year or so older than Shyama Maa. He himself doesn't know what his relationship with Shyama Maa is. Their unnamed relationship has been going on for years. Their relationship is so pure that if their relationship were given a name, the purity of that relationship would be destroyed. As they say, relationships that don't have names tend to last longer, because relationships built from the heart have no destination, only a stillness that stays with time where it was meant to stay.
The telephone at Sundar Babu's house rang. At that time, Sundar Babu was not at home. He had gone to the park for his evening walk. Hariya picked up the phone and, upon hearing Nukul, said...
"Nukul Babu! I will tell the master that your call came."
"Okay, make sure you tell him. Don't forget, it's very important," Nukul said...
"Yes... yes... don't worry, I will tell him," Hariya said...
Then Nukul hung up the phone. When Sundar Babu returned home, Hariya gave him Nukul's message and told him to call him, as he had something very important to discuss. Then Sundar Babu immediately called Nukul and asked what the matter was. That's when Nukul told him that he had to come there immediately, as Shyama Maa's condition was very bad. She had said she wanted to see him one last time. Hearing Nukul, Sundar Babu said to Hariya...
"Hariya! Pack your bags, we have to leave immediately."
"But where are we going, master!" Hariya asked...
"Banaras... we are going to Banaras," Sundar Babu said...
"But why?" Hariya asked...
"Not everything needs to be explained, Hariya! Do as you're told," Sundar Babu said...
"Okay, then I'll go pack," and saying this, Hariya started packing. In a short while, Sundar Babu called a taxi and set off towards the station. Upon reaching the station, he bought train tickets and boarded the train. Later, by telling the TC and giving him some money, he booked two seats in the reserved compartment. It was evening, not too late into the night. When the train stopped at a station, he asked Hariya to pack two plates of food.
Hariya immediately packed the food and brought it. Then he sat Hariya beside him and said...
"Look! I will stay in Banaras now, so you go back to the village. I have transferred my village house and land to your name. The documents are also in this briefcase. And I have donated the city house to the orphanage. The papers for that are also in this briefcase."
"What are you saying! I won't go anywhere leaving you," Hariya said...
"That's enough! You have served me a lot. Now I will stay in the old age home, and you will stay in the village with your family," Sundar Babu said...
"You are not doing the right thing, master!" Hariya said...
"I am freeing you, and you are crying. Come on, don't be sad. Eat your food and feed me too," Sundar Babu said...
And then Hariya opened the packed food and placed it in front of Sundar Babu. Then both got busy eating. After eating, Sundar Babu said...
"The train will reach Banaras at five o'clock. Don't fall asleep."
"Yes! Master!"
And then both went to their respective seats and slept. As dawn broke, the train reached Banaras at around 5 AM, and both took a taxi to go to the old age home. After a short while, they reached the old age home. Nukul was waiting for them eagerly, and as soon as Sundar Babu arrived, Nukul said to him...
"Come to Mother immediately, she is waiting for you."
And then Sundar Babu reached Shyama and said...
"How are you, Shyama?"
"I was counting my last breaths. I was waiting for you, Sundar Babu! Now I can die in peace," Shyama said...
"Are you leaving me alone?" Sundar Babu asked.
"I don't want to go, but I have to. Perhaps this is God's will," Shyama said...
And after some time, Shyama's breath gave out, and in a moment, she was freed from the bonds of this world. Sundar Babu called out to Shyama once, and when she didn't respond, he came outside and said to Nukul...
"Son! Your mother has been freed from this world."
And saying this, he sat down on a nearby bench, looking dazed. Just then, Hariya came to him and said...
"Master! Don't feel heavy-hearted. Who can stop someone who is going away!"
But Sundar Babu didn't reply. Then Hariya thought that perhaps the master was very sad, so he shook him and said...
"Master! Don't lose heart like this."
And at that very moment, Sundar Babu's neck lolled to one side. Seeing this, Hariya got scared and shouted to Nukul...
"Nukul Babu! Please call the doctor, who knows what has happened to the master?"
Then the doctor arrived, and after examining Sundar Babu, he said...
"It is with great sadness that I have to say that he is no more."
Hariya started crying upon hearing this, and that day two people were cremated. Everyone at the old age home was immersed in grief, but time does not stop for anyone. Humans cannot remain in mourning forever. Life is about moving forward, and after the thirteenth-day rituals of both individuals, Hariya opened Sundar's briefcase, took out the papers, and showing them to Nukul, said...
"This is the master's will. Please read what it says, because I don't know English."
Nukul then read the will, and it contained everything that Sundar Babu had told Hariya on the train. This meant he had a premonition, and had therefore made the will in advance. That night, while talking to Nukul, Hariya said, "Nukul Babu! Will you tell me what the relationship was between your mother and my master?"
"An emotional, nameless, pure relationship that cannot be described," Nukul replied.
"You must know everything about both of them, so tell me something too!" Hariya said.
"Even a whole night would not be enough to know about them," Nukul said.
"But I need to know. After all, can a relationship be so deep that one leaves the world as soon as the other departs?" Hariya said.
"Yes! Because how can the string be separated from the bow," Nukul replied.
"Now you have to tell us their story," Hariya insisted.
"So listen..." And saying this, Nukul began to tell Hariya their story.
"It was the year 1923. At that time, Mumbai city was called Bombay, when Mumbai city was not yet very big, but a lot of trade happened through sea routes. And when trade happened on such a large scale, there was a lot of smuggling in between. Under the guise of trade, a lot of gold, diamonds, silver, and many valuable items were traded. But the police could not stop it either; it was as if the police's lives were at stake. The smuggler-merchants had made the police's lives miserable.
At that time, there was a notorious smuggler named Jones Devil. When India became independent, his parents remained in India. At that time, their condition was such that they did not even have enough to eat. Due to this compulsion, Jones Devil entered the world of smuggling and became the most notorious smuggler.
But he was not a smuggler from the beginning. In the beginning, to feed his family, he started doing petty thefts. He used to steal just enough to feed himself and his family. But one day he met Mafia Bittu Don, and by staying with him, he learned smuggling. Then, when Jones Devil became an expert in smuggling, he also finished off Mafia Bittu Don and seized his power. Then he took control of Bittu Don's henchmen and started smuggling openly with them. His name was involved in gold, silver, diamonds, various drugs, and many other illegal activities. He also asserted his authority over the police, and if anyone did not obey him, he would not hesitate for a moment to finish them off. He also used to extort money.
Moreover, the country had just gained independence at that time, so there was a lot of starvation. No one had any source of income. People waited for any opportunity, and as soon as they got work, no matter what it was, they were ready to do anything. They were only concerned with their money and their meals. Because of this, the number of Jones Devil's henchmen kept increasing. They were all young men afflicted by hunger. Struggling amidst poverty, their humanity was also lost somewhere, and they did not hesitate to kill people. They would just pick up a knife and shoot, no matter whose life was lost, it made no difference to them. Sometimes they also died in police encounters.
But the police could not even catch Jones Devil. Reaching him meant putting one's life in danger. Jones Devil had made the police's lives miserable, and if any policeman ever tried to catch Jones Devil, that policeman would lose his life.
The police had also started fearing Jones Devil because as soon as the police went to catch him, his henchmen would kill the police.
Now the police were also very troubled. At that time, a new Station House Officer, Vinod Srivastava, arrived at the police station. Seeing the fear Jones Devil instilled even in the police, Vinod Srivastava wondered what kind of gangster he was that even the police were afraid of him.
Station House Officer Vinod Srivastava took steps to catch Jones Devil. "Let me also see who this Jones Devil is that even the police are afraid of," Upon hearing this, the police officers already on duty said, "Sir, don't even think about catching Jones. Catching him means inviting your own death."
Despite much explanation, Vinod Srivastava did not back down and stood firm with his decision.
"All police officers listen carefully, we must catch Jones the Devil at all costs, and no one will retreat from this. If we police officers themselves retreat in fear, then to whom will the common public go to plead for their safety?" Vinod Srivastava's order was such that no police officer could refuse.
Vinod Srivastava had put all his might into catching Jones the Devil. During this time, he was attacked many times, attempts were made to kill him, and his family was also threatened with death.
"Listen...", Vinod's wife Sudha says to Vinod.
"Yes Sudha, tell me what happened...", Vinod says to Sudha, and Sudha starts crying. "Oh Sudha, what happened, why are you crying?" Vinod says, comforting Sudha.
"Why don't you quit this police job, or get transferred from here. If Jones harms you, what will we do?..." Sudha says, crying.
"No Sudha, nothing like that will happen. Jones can't do anything, and nothing will happen to me either..." Vinod says, trying to console Sudha.
Meanwhile, the security at Vinod Srivastava's house was also increased. Two guards remained on duty 24 hours a day to protect Vinod's family.
Finally, Vinod Srivastava put his heart and soul into catching Jones and handed him over to the government. Seeing Vinod Srivastava's bravery, the government honored him with an award. That day, there was an atmosphere of joy in Vinod's house. When Vinod Srivastava returned home with the award, his wife Sudha and his younger brother Rajiv gave him a grand welcome. In this joy, Sudha cooked Vinod's favorite meal, and along with this, Vinod Srivastava was also promoted. The entire family was very happy. When everyone sat down at the table to eat, Vinod's wife said, "Listen, dear! A letter has arrived for you from someone named Pankaj Srivastava."
"A letter from Pankaj..." Vinod says happily, "Where is it? Give it to me, Sudha."
"Yes, I'll get it right away," Sudha says, bringing the letter. Vinod immediately opens it and starts reading.
"Yes, who is this Pankaj! You never told me about this," Sudha asks Vinod.
"Oh, he is my college friend. We both studied together in college."
"Is it something important!" Sudha asks Vinod.
"Yes, it's the naming ceremony for their son. After four daughters, they've had a son. I need to prepare to leave immediately. I have to leave for his village tomorrow..." Vinod Srivastava tells Sudha.
"Okay, I'll get your things ready," Sudha says and starts to get up to go to the room for packing. Then, "My preparations for leaving...? They haven't asked me to come alone, you have to come with me..." Vinod Srivastava tells Sudha.
Hearing this, Sudha becomes a little sad.
"No, I won't go with you. You go alone..." Sudha tells Vinod.
"But why, sister-in-law..." At this point, Sudha's brother-in-law Rajiv says to Sudha.
"You know Rajiv, even after so many years of marriage, my womb is barren. It hasn't been filled yet, so how can I go to a joyous occasion like a child's naming ceremony? And after so many prayers and wishes, they've had a son. How can my presence be there on such an auspicious occasion..." Sudha says, becoming sad.
Then Rajiv says, "Sister-in-law, what are you saying? I am your son. How can your womb be barren? You raised me, nurtured me, took care of me like a mother, and gave me all the affection a mother gives. You never made me feel the absence of a mother. Sister-in-law, you are my mother..."
"Rajiv is right. Now you are his mother, Sudha. Don't be so sad about this. Rajiv is your son and mine. Now, if you don't feel like going, then prepare for my journey. Tomorrow, the auspicious train is at 6 AM, and from the railway station to his village town, I will have to take a tonga. Only then will I be able to reach Pankaj Srivastava's house by night..." Vinod Srivastava tells Sudha.
"Okay, I'll get your things ready..." saying this, Sudha starts serving food onto everyone's plates.
After eating, everyone goes to their rooms. Sudha finishes the remaining chores and goes to her room to prepare for Vinod's departure. Just then, Vinod's eyes open.
"Oh Sudha, you haven't slept yet..." Vinod says to Sudha.
"No, I'm just getting your things ready. I'll sleep in a little while. You should sleep now, you have to wake up early in the morning..." Saying this, Sudha starts packing. Vinod also falls asleep.
The next day, Vinod reaches the railway station on time for his morning train and sets off towards Pankaj Srivastava's village by train.
His train stops at the small platform of the village. After alighting from the train, Vinod Srivastava surveyed the station all around. There was a single railway track, and all around it were fields. It was the month of Fagun, so the wheat and mustard crops were ripe and ready, turning golden. As the sunlight fell on the plants, they shone golden.
Vinod Shrivastava walked a little further and then stopped, feeling like admiring the view there. There were two or four peepal trees, and tessu flowers were visible all around. He felt like getting lost in that beautiful natural scenery.
On one side, there was a water tank, which was the only source of drinking water for the people and travelers coming and going. A little distance away, there was a tea stall, shouting loudly, "Hot tea, hot teaβ¦" Two or four gram sellers were calling out, "Take gram, take gramβ¦"
There was so much peace at that station; where could he find such peace in Lucknow! Even the people here were leisurely strolling around peacefully. Vinod Shrivastava, admiring the beauty of the station, came out of the railway station and then, "Oh my God, what a foul smell!" It was as if that stench had ripped his nostrils apart. This was none other than the stench of horse dung. At that time, horse-drawn carriages were the only mode of transport. A horse-drawn carriage was the only way to go to the village.
Vinod Shrivastava looked back. Only a handful of passengers had alighted from the train, who had come out with their families, and three horse-drawn carriages were standing outside. Therefore, Vinod thought it best to quickly get a carriage. Who knew it was an unknown place, and when he would get a carriage, when he would be able to sit in it, so he decided to talk to a carriage driver. Just then, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl arrived, extremely beautiful, with features as if God had placed them with great deliberation. Long hair, braided on both sides, with red ribbons tied in them, which looked very lovely. She was wearing a red frock, overall, she was a very sweet child.
"Sir, my mother, father, and I will travel in this carriage. You find another carriage," the girl said to Vinod Shrivastava promptly.
"But I came to this carriage first," Vinod Shrivastava said to the girl.
"So what if you cameβ¦," after saying this, the girl placed her bag and all her other belongings in the carriage and went and sat in it.
"Mother, Father, come and sit, let's go," she said to her family while sitting in the carriage.
Seeing the girl's behavior, Vinod Shrivastava's mouth remained wide open.
"Daughter, don't be stubborn. This gentleman is right; he came to the carriage first, and we came later, so he should go first," the girl's father told her.
"So what! We will go in this carriage, sir," the girl said.
"Daughter! Don't be stubborn; he will go first. This gentleman seems like a foreigner; let him go first," the girl's father told her.
"No, it's alright! If your daughter wants to go in this carriage, then you go first," Vinod Shrivastava said.
"By the way, where do you need to go?" the girl's father asked.
"Sir! I need to go to Kutia village," Vinod Shrivastava said.
"Oh! We are also going to the same village, then there is no problem. You also come with us in this carriage; let's go together," the girl's father said to Vinod Shrivastava.
"No! Please let me be. I will come by another carriage. It will be a bother for you unnecessarily if I travel with youβ¦" Vinod Shrivastava said to the girl's father.
"Sir, what trouble! We all have to go to the same place, so let's go togetherβ¦" the girl's father said to Vinod Shrivastava.
"Alright! If you say so, I'll come with you." Saying this, Vinod Shrivastava put his luggage in the carriage and sat in it. Then the girl's father also sat down.
"Let's go, brother," the girl's father said to the carriage driver, and the carriage began to move forward with a tap-tap sound.
"Sir, what is your good name?" the girl's father asked Vinod Shrivastava.
"Sir, my name is Vinod Shrivastava, and your praiseβ¦" Vinod Shrivastava said to the girl's father.
"Sir, my name is Umesh Shrivastava. I am a mathematics teacher at an intermediate college, and what do you do?" Umesh Shrivastava asked Vinod Shrivastava.
"Sir! I am a sub-inspector in Lucknow. I was recently promoted; earlier, I was an inspector," Vinod told Umesh.
"Looking at you, it doesn't seem like you are a policeman," Umesh Shrivastava said.
"Sir! Why...? Why are you saying that..." Vinod Shrivastava said to Umesh Shrivastava.
"If someone else were in your place, they would have shown their police authority and wouldn't even let us sit in the carriage," Umesh Shrivastava said.
"And wouldn't even talk in such polite language."
"There is no such thing. The authority of a policeman is only up to the jail. I limit the authority of the police to criminals and jail. I don't like to exert authority unnecessarily outside or over anyone," Vinod Shrivastava said.
"This is the difference between you and other policemen. And it is your magnanimity that you said nothing by using your position, otherwise someone else would have shown their true colors by now," Umesh Shrivastava said.
"There is no such thing, Inspector Sir. It's just that a little too much pampering has made her mischievous," Umesh Shrivastava said, laughing.
"Sir, I cannot do all this, nor do I like all this," Vinod Shrivastava said.
"Yes, this is the sign of gentle people," Umesh Shrivastava said.
"I am a gentleman, but perhaps your daughter is not," Vinod Shrivastava said, smiling as he looked at his daughter.
Vinod Shrivastava's words make Umesh Shrivastava laugh too.
"My daughter may be outspoken, but she's not bad at heart," says Umesh Shrivastava, looking at Vinod Shrivastava.
"It's fine, she's just a child, immature. Once she gets married and her mother-in-law hits her with a stick, she'll learn sense," Vinod Shrivastava says, teasing the girl.
"If my mother-in-law hits me with a stick, I'll throw her into a well," the girl says angrily.
Just then, her mother speaks from behind, "Hush, you silly girl, don't talk so much."
"So if someone hits me, should I just let them?" the girl replies angrily again.
"By the way, what is your outspoken daughter's name?" Vinod Shrivastava asks her father, teasing the girl again.
"My name is Shyama," the girl says promptly before her father can speak.
"Oh... what a lovely name, Shyama," Vinod Shrivastava says.
"Yes, it is," the girl quickly replies, confirming his statement.
"Yes, that's enough! The name is lovely, but your face is not at all good. You'll find better-looking witches in the village than you," Vinod Shrivastava says, teasing Shyama.
"First, you look at your own face," Shyama angrily tells Vinod Shrivastava.
"Shyama, did you talk back again? Oh God, I'm tired of trying to reason with this girl," Shyama's mother says.
"But Amma, you don't say anything to him, and he's been teasing me for so long," Shyama complains to her Amma.
"Daughter, don't take offense at what elders say, they are older than you," Umesh Shrivastava explains to Shyama.
"Okay, they are older, so what? Will they keep saying anything about me and I'll just keep quiet and listen to everything?" Shyama asks.
"Shyama! If you speak again, you'll get slapped," Shyama's mother tells Shyama.
Then Shyama sits with a pout, and meanwhile, Umesh and Vinod talk a lot.
"Look, while we were talking, we didn't even realize when we reached the village," Umesh Shrivastava says as they arrive at the village.
Everyone gets off the tanga.
"So! Whose house do you need to go to?" Umesh asks Vinod.
"Sir... I need to go to Pankaj Shrivastava's house. We used to study together in college. Today is his son's naming ceremony, and I've come for that. You can drop me here, I'll pay your fare and go from here," Vinod Shrivastava replies, answering the question.
"Oh! I'm going there too, Pankaj is my maternal cousin," Umesh tells Vinod.
"Oh! This is quite a strange coincidence. Then let's go to his house together," Vinod Shrivastava says.
Then both go to Pankaj Shrivastava's house together. Pankaj Shrivastava is surprised to see them together.
"Hey! How are you two together?" Pankaj Shrivastava asks.
"That was also a strange coincidence," Umesh Shrivastava says.
When Umesh Shrivastava narrates the whole story to everyone, they can't stop laughing.
"Come on, come on! Now have some refreshments, we'll talk later," Pankaj tells everyone.
Everyone has refreshments. At dinnertime, Vinod Shrivastava eats sitting on the ground with everyone. Various dishes were made: stuffed eggplant, potato parathas, cluster bean curry, churma, kadhi pakodi, pumpkin raita, boondi raita, rice and chole, dal rice, butter, raita, stuffed pickle, rotis, and many more things. All the food was cooked on the stove with pure desi ghee. Everyone ate peacefully.
"I've thought exactly the same. When I retire, I'll buy a house in a village and live there with Sudha. Food cooked by Sudha on the stove... wow! It will bring great peace. Going for a peaceful walk in the morning, mingling with people, how nice will all that be. If Sudha had come with me, she would have been very happy seeing the atmosphere here," Vinod Shrivastava was thinking to himself.
Everyone went to sleep after eating. The next day was the child's naming ceremony. The house was full of guests, so the bathing arrangement was only for women at home. The men had to go to the canal in the village to bathe. All the men woke up early in the morning and went to the canal to bathe, but Vinod Shrivastava slept so soundly after eating that he couldn't wake up early with everyone else and was left to bathe alone. When he woke up, he was told that he would have to go to the canal to bathe.
"But I don't know where the canal is," Vinod Shrivastava says.
So Pankaj sent a child with him to show him the canal.
Vinod and the child set off for the canal to bathe.
The child left Vinod at the canal and returned home. Meanwhile, Shyama had also gone to the canal to wash her mother's saree, and a saree from the previous day's journey had also come out. At that time, there weren't as many conveniences, so Shyama's mother sent Shyama to the canal to wash the saree. At that time, clothes had to be washed either at the canal or at a well or river.
Shyama put all the sarees in a basket and said to her Amma, "Amma, should I go with someone?"
Just then, a ten or eleven-year-old girl was passing by, so Shyama's mother called the girl and asked her to go with Shyama to the canal.
Shyama took the girl with her and set off for the canal.
Shyama had reached the canal with that girl and while chatting with her, she learned that she too had come for the naming ceremony.
Meanwhile, Vinod Srivastava had also reached the canal. First, he admired the view of the fields along the canal, then broke off a twig from a neem tree to clean his teeth, thinking about how much peace he couldn't find in the city. Here there was so much peace and tranquility. After cleaning his teeth, he placed his clothes on a dry sand dune and then began to descend into the canal. There were two or three steps on the canal, made by placing a few large stones.
When the water waves hit the steps, moss had accumulated on them, making them slippery. Vinod didn't even know how deep the canal was, where it was deeper and where it was shallower, and what's more, Vinod didn't know how to swim. Vinod was also scared, but still, he mustered the courage and entered the canal and somehow managed to sit on the steps and bathe.
After bathing, Vinod had changed his clothes. He kept the wet clothes aside and was now ready, wearing dry clothes. He had put on a white kurta and pajama, which looked very handsome on him.
Now, as he started to gather the wet clothes, he thought of washing them, as they were wet and had gotten muddy. He took the clothes and walked towards where he had bathed. As he started to descend those steps to wash the clothes, this time he couldn't control himself, and as soon as he placed his foot on the steps, he slipped and fell into the canal. He tried to grab the steps, but his hand slipped due to the mossy slipperiness, and he started to float away with the water. The current was very strong, so he drifted further away from the bank and started shouting, "Help, help, help!" He was shouting loudly.
His voice reached Shyama, who was washing clothes a short distance away, and she ran towards the sound. She saw Vinod Srivastava being swept away by the water. Shyama knew how to swim, but she also knew that it was beyond her capacity to pull such a prominent person out of the water. Shyama put her mind to it.
She tied together her mother's sarees, knotted them, tied one end to a thick tree, and tied the other end around her waist, and then jumped into the water. She told the girl who had accompanied her to go home and inform them about everything. That girl went home to report. She went and said that someone was being swept away in the canal water, and Shyama didi had jumped into the water to save him. Hearing all this, everyone from the house immediately rushed towards the canal.
Meanwhile, Shyama was trying her best to save Vinod Srivastava. Shyama had succeeded in saving Vinod. She dragged him by his kurta and somehow brought him to the bank of the canal, but now she sat there, holding Vinod's kurta, because she too was tired from swimming and waited there for everyone to arrive.
And then, by the grace of God, two people were passing by. Shyama saw them and called out to them, explaining the whole situation. Those two people then helped Vinod out of the canal, laid him on dry ground, and tried to make him expel the water from his stomach. In a short while, Vinod Srivastava regained consciousness. Meanwhile, all the villagers had also arrived. Vinod's friend Pankaj Srivastava had also arrived, as had Shyama's father. Everyone thanked those two people. Then those two people said that the real credit belongs to this girl; this girl saved him; they themselves had done nothing. At the right time, this girl used her intelligence and jumped into the water with the help of the sarees and saved him in time. She is a very brave girl.
Vinod Srivastava, lying on the ground, heard all this and said, "Child, if you weren't here today, I wouldn't be alive; I would have gone to God."
"Thank God a million times that Shyama saw you drowning at the right time and saved you," said Shyama's father.
"Yes, Shyama, my child! Today you have saved our honor. They were our guests. If anything had happened to them today, I would have been disgraced for life and wouldn't have been able to face their family. Thank you very much, child," said Vinod Srivastava's friend Pankaj Srivastava to Shyama.
"Well done, Shyama, child! You have done a very brave deed," said one of the elders among them.
And then Vinod Srivastava was helped home. That day, amidst everyone, Shyama's bravery was being discussed. There was talk of Shyama everywhere. Then the child's naming ceremony also took place, and everyone got busy with the preparations for the feast. By evening, everyone had finished their meals. When everyone gathered, the stories of Shyama's bravery started again, and then everyone went to sleep.
The next day, out of fear, arrangements were made for Vinod Srivastava to bathe at home. Vinod Srivastava bathed at home and got ready quickly. All the other men from the house had gone to the canal to bathe. Only Vinod Srivastava was at home; besides him, there were no other men. No one had returned from the canal yet.
No man had yet returned from the canal after bathing. Pankaj's wife had prepared breakfast at home, but she was confused about whom to ask to serve it to Vinod. Just then, Shyama passed by the kitchen.
"Shyama, come here, dear..." Pankaj's wife called out to Shyama.
"Yes, Auntie! Did you call me?" Shyama asked Pankaj's wife.
"Yes, dear... You go and serve food to Vinod ji... Your uncle hasn't returned from the canal bath yet, otherwise, I would have asked him," Pankaj's wife said, assigning Shyama the task of serving food to Vinod.
"Wow! These hot jalebis, pakoras, and yogurt, go and give them to Vinod ji."
"I won't go, Auntie...!" Shyama refused to serve the food, making a face.
"Why! Why won't you go to serve breakfast?" Shyama's mother asked Shyama.
"They tease me... that's why I won't go," Shyama said, refusing again.
"But yesterday you saved them from drowning..." Pankaj's wife said to Shyama.
"Auntie! I saved them out of humanity... If it had been someone else in their place, I would have saved them too..." Shyama said, still making a face.
"Such a humanitarian! Don't act so proud. Go quickly and give Vinod ji his food," Shyama's mother told Shyama.
"Since you are asking, I'll go give them breakfast, otherwise, I wouldn't even speak to them..." Shyama said.
"Come on! Now go quickly..." Shyama's aunt told her.
Shyama went to serve food to Vinod ji.
"Auntie has sent food for you..." Shyama said while giving food to Vinod ji.
Then, after placing the food on the table, she started to leave, but Vinod spoke...
"You won't eat!..." Vinod said to Shyama.
"I'm not hungry..." Shyama said, making a face.
"Alright! If you don't want to eat, don't, but don't make such a face..." Vinod said to Shyama.
And with that, Vinod ji started eating breakfast.
"I wanted to ask you something..." Shyama said to Vinod.
"Yes! Ask what you want to ask..." Vinod said to Shyama while eating.
"You are such a big police officer, yet you don't know how to swim... If someone holds a grudge against you someday and throws you into a drain to take revenge, what will you do... Or if they throw you into the sea and no one is there to save you, what will you do... You'll be completely stunned."
Hearing Shyama's words, Vinod burst out laughing, and the pakora he had in his mouth got stuck in his throat with his laughter, and Vinod started coughing from laughing so hard. When the coughing intensified, Shyama rushed to bring him water and made him drink it, then patted his back vigorously... It was only then that Vinod felt he could breathe again.
Then Shyama said to him...
"That was a great act of yours."
"What act!" Vinod asked.
"This act, that ever since you came here, I have had to save your life every time."
As soon as Shyama said this, Vinod Srivastava burst into loud laughter.
When Vinod ji laughed, Shyama said, "What's so funny about this..."
"I'm laughing at your innocence..." Vinod said to Shyama.
"Why! Am I that naive..." Shyama asked Vinod.
"Yes Shyama, you are very naive..." Vinod said to Shyama.
"Then what should I do so that I don't appear naive..." Shyama asked Vinod Srivastava curiously.
"Stay as you are... You don't need to change," Vinod said to Shyama.
And then Shyama and Vinod continued talking like this all day... and they didn't even realize when the day passed. After dinner, when everyone was sitting together and talking, Vinod said to his friend Pankaj and Shyama's father, Umesh, "I'm leaving for home tomorrow... I have a morning train ticket..."
Hearing this, Vinod's friend Pankaj said, "Buddy, it would have been nice if you had stayed for a day or two more."
Hearing their conversation, Vinod said...
"Buddy, I also really want to stay... but duty is also calling me there... Next time I come, I'll come for many days... We'll chat leisurely..." Vinod Srivastava said to his friend Pankaj Srivastava.
"If it's about duty, then I won't stop you, Vinod," Pankaj said to Vinod.
Then Shyama's father, Umesh Srivastava, said, "It was nice meeting a noble person like you... This meeting will always be remembered..."
"You can continue this series of meetings..." Vinod Srivastava said to Umesh Srivastava.
"Oh, how so! Is your posting going to be around our village..." Umesh Srivastava asked.
"No! I had found another excuse... to continue our meetings..." Vinod ji said.
"An excuse! Which excuse..." Umesh asked Vinod with a smile.
"Well, the thing is... I have a younger brother named Rajiv... He has just completed his BSc and is looking for a job... If I had recommended him, his job would have been secured long ago... But he is a proud boy... He says whatever I do, I will do on my own merit... I will do it without anyone's recommendation... That's why I didn't get his job by recommending him... I have full faith in him..." Vinod Srivastava said.
"Yes! That's all fine, but why are you telling me this..., why are you telling me your brother's story?" Shyama's father Umesh Srivastava asked.
"Yes! She's of marriageable age now," says Vinod Shrivastava.
"So...!" Umesh Shrivastava says innocently.
Then Vinodji's friend Pankaj laughs and says, "Oh brother! You still haven't understood? Vinod means he is asking for your daughter Shyama's hand for his brother."
"Oh! I didn't understand you properly... What were you saying..." Umeshji says to Vinodji.
"Oh! You both are useless... One is beating around the bush... not directly saying that we should arrange the marriage between his brother Rajiv and Shyama... And this girl's father, who is not understanding their hint... You fool..." Pankaj says, teasing both of them.
"So now you understand what I mean, right? What do you say! How do you like my proposal? Is this alliance acceptable to you?" Vinodji says to Shyama's father.
"Yes, first I will ask at home... Until I see the boy and am satisfied, I cannot say anything, after all, I am a daughter's father!
And the most important thing is what Shyama says about this alliance! If she agrees to this alliance, only then will I get her married... If she doesn't agree, I will not marry her against her will..." Shyama's father tells Vinodji.
"Yes! You first check everything, get satisfied, and also ask Bhabhiji and Shyama for their consent, and then tell me your decision..." Vinod Shrivastava says to Shyama's father.
"Yes! You have seen the daughter... Now it would be good if you also see our home and family..." Umesh Shrivastava says.
"Yes! You write down your address for me... When I come to your house with my wife and brother, I will write to you before coming..." Vinod Shrivastava says to Shyama's father.
"Yes! One more thing, our daughter has studied up to the fifth grade... and your brother is educated... Will he like our daughter..." Shyama's father says with some concern.
"Yes, yes, absolutely... why wouldn't he like Shyama? Even though she is less educated... she is beautiful, cultured, and virtuous..." Vinodji says, easing Shyama's father's concern.
"Yes! On top of that, she is so brave that she saved a drowning person..." Pankaj says, laughing.
Hearing this from Pankaj, everyone bursts into laughter.
Then, the next day, Vinod Shrivastava gets Shyama's father's address and returns to Lucknow. Upon reaching home, he shares the good news with Sudha and Rajiv. Sudha is very happy to hear this, and Rajiv also has no objection to his brother's decision.
The process of meeting the boy and the girl begins... Both families approve of the alliance, and Shyama likes Rajiv, and Rajiv likes Shyama too.
So, the alliance was finalized from both sides, and the wedding preparations began with great fanfare in both families.
Just four months after the alliance was finalized, a propitious date for the wedding was set, and exactly four months later, Shyama, dressed as a bride, entered Vinod Shrivastava's house with Rajiv, and the ceremony of Shyama's housewarming was being performed. Shyama had now become the daughter-in-law of Vinodji's house.
Shyama's arrival brought even more radiance to the home. Rajiv was overjoyed to have such a lively and cheerful wife.
As soon as Shyama arrived, she took over all the household responsibilities, which gave Sudha a lot of relief. Sudha was also incredibly happy to have such a sister-in-law. Sometimes, seeing so much happiness in the house, Sudha feared that no evil eye would fall upon the house and their happiness.
It had only been four months since the wedding when Rajiv got a job as a cashier in a bank. The only problem was that Rajiv's job was in another city, and he couldn't take Shyama with him yet because he was looking for a good house, which he hadn't found. Diwali was approaching, and it was Rajiv and Shyama's first Diwali, so Rajiv took a ten-day leave from the bank to celebrate Diwali with Shyama and came home.
Meanwhile, Jones Devil had planned to take revenge on Vinod Shrivastava. He was just waiting for an opportunity to escape from jail.
He had been preparing for this for a long time. Jones Devil's other friends were out of jail and used to visit Jones.
One day, when Jones's friends came to see him, Jones seized the opportunity and asked, "Has the arrangement been made?"
"Not yet, brother! These jailers and guards are not willing to be bribed. They all fear that wretched scoundrel Vinod Shrivastava," one of his friends, Kaliya, says.
"Kaliya! Do whatever you have to do to get me out. Just get me out of this jail. I want to drink the blood of that sub-inspector Vinod Shrivastava," Jones Devil tells Kaliya.
"Yes, brother! Don't worry. We are trying our best. It will not take more than a few days for you to get out. We are all working day and night to dig a tunnel from behind your cell," Kaliya says to Jones Devil.
"Well done, my lions! Just once I get out of jail, then Vinod's child will be in trouble," Jones Devil says, turning red with anger.
"Why there??" Sudha asks Vinod.
"We're having dinner there today, and we'll watch a movie together... I've heard it's a very good film... everyone from my office has seen it... so I thought we should go see the film too... to see if it's as good as everyone is praising it... so I thought we should go see the film today... and I've already booked tickets for all four of us..." Vinod tells Sudha.
"Hey.... listen! Tell me the name of the film we're going to see...?" Sudha asks Rajiv at that moment.
"Oh baba..... it's your favorite hero's film...... Mughal-e-Azam.." Vinod tells Sudha.
"Oh..... why don't you say you're going to see your favorite actress Madhubala...., you're getting me a bad name for no reason," Sudha says to Vinod Srivastava, making a face.
"Brother and Sister-in-law!!! Will you two keep fighting now... have lunch now... you forgot to eat while talking," Rajiv says, laughing.
"Today our dear daughter Shyama has made a lot of different kinds of food..." and then Vinod and Sudha finish their lunch.
After lunch, Vinod Srivastava went back to his duty. Sudha and Shyama finished all their chores and all three of them went out for shopping in the market by three or four o'clock... and when all the shopping was done..., they all reached World Restaurant. Vinod Srivastava was already there... That day Shyama wore a red Banarasi saree... and colorful bangles... with the pallu over her head... Shyama respected Vinod Srivastava a lot as his elder brother... and she always covered her head in front of him.
And then they all had dinner together, and there was a cinema hall in the mall, where they all went and watched the film... When they came out of the cinema hall, it was quite late.
Vinod Srivastava did not know that Jones Devil had got information about his arrival at the cinema hall....
Outside the cinema hall, Jones Devil was standing with his companions, carrying pistols, daggers, and sticks... he was just waiting for an opportunity....
Meanwhile, Vinod Srivastava, unaware of this, stood by the roadside with his family waiting for a taxi... Jones Devil had stopped until then because the crowd had just come out of the cinema hall... And after a while, when the crowd thinned, Jones Devil tells his companions...
"Let's go!!!!
Today, let's end the game of this Vinod Srivastava and his entire family...."
As he started to move towards them, a car passed by, and the light of that car's headlights fell on Shyama's face.
As soon as the light fell on Shyama's face... Jones Devil saw her, and upon seeing Shyama, he lost his senses....
And he suddenly tells his companions, "Stop, we don't have to attack yet," and comes back with his companions.
Just then, his friend Kalia says, "Brother, why did you leave them alive? We should have finished him today..."
Hearing this, Jones says, "I said not now... we will finish this Vinod some other day."
"But why, brother?" Kalia asks Jones.
"You go back now, I'll tell you everything later." Saying this, Jones Devil goes back with his companions.
Meanwhile, Vinod Srivastava returned home with his family by taxi from the cinema hall.
And Jones Devil also went to his hideout with his companions... As soon as he reached his hideout... his companion Billu says, "Brother! Today we should have riddled that Vinod with bullets, it was a good opportunity to take revenge..."
"I have to take revenge on that Vinod's child... but not like this..." Jones Devil says.
"Then how, brother??????..... How will we take revenge on him.... today he was with his whole family..., so we should have put them all to sleep at once....,,, but I don't know why you refused at the last moment..." Jones's friend Kalia tells him.
"As soon as I saw her, my eyes were dazzled by her beauty, seeing her dark eyes, I went crazy instantly, and then I removed the thought of killing them all from my heart..." Jones Devil says.
Just then Billu speaks up, "Who are you talking about, brother!!!!... Whose beauty did you see....."
"The one who was wearing the Banarasi saree and colorful bangles..." Jones Devil tells them.
"Oh, what is that...! She is the wife of Vinod Srivastava's younger brother, Rajiv," Kalia tells Jones.
"Oh, that beautiful firecracker belongs to his brother! Then listen!!!! Now we will go to his house, kill him there, and abduct his brother's wife..." Jones Devil tells his companions.
"But brother, this work is very dangerous..." Billu says.
"Jones Devil is not afraid of any danger... and I want that girl here at any cost... I am ready to take any risk for her... I want her at my hideout at all costs..." Jones Devil says angrily.
"Brother, don't get angry... let's go to that inspector's house today and finish him off and come back..." Kalia says.
"And the one in the Banarasi saree????? " Jones Devil says angrily.
"Yes brother, we will kidnap her and bring her too..." Billu says then.
"Brother, I heard... that inspector's brother got married... and his brother also got a job in the bank... His posting is from this city to another city..." Kaliya tells Jones Devil.
"Yes, alright. You arrange for me to get out of here... Once I'm out, I'll see that inspector's child..." Jones Devil said to Kaliya.
It had only been two days since Rajiv returned home. The atmosphere at home was filled with laughter and joy. Just then, Vinod Srivastava learns that Jones Devil has escaped from jail through a tunnel. The news of Jones Devil's escape sent shockwaves through the entire police administration. Even senior police officers were gripped by fear. The DIG advised Vinod Srivastava to be more cautious, as Vinod was the one who had put Jones in jail, and Jones had now become Vinod's biggest enemy. Everyone knew that if Jones escaped from jail, he would surely become Vinod's sworn enemy. Therefore, Vinod was warned from all sides to be careful, and the security at Vinod's house was increased again.
After listening to everyone, Vinod Srivastava says, "Sir! If I start getting scared like this, the common public won't be able to trust the police. And then I won't be able to do my job if I'm always scared."
Hearing Vinod's words, the senior officers say, "Inspector Vinod, we agree you're right, but what's the harm in being cautious?"
"Sir! You are right, there's nothing wrong with being cautious, but Sir, I can't live in fear..." Vinod tells the senior officer.
"Alright! But wherever you go, you will have one or two constables with you..." the senior officer tells Vinod.
"Yes! I have to obey your order," Vinod says to the senior officer with a smile.
Now, plans to catch Jones began to form between the senior officers and Vinod. After discussing many plans, both agreed on one. The senior officer had assigned this task to Vinod because Vinod knew his hideout well.
After agreeing on this plan, they chose the day after Diwali to execute it.
"Alright, Sir, I will start working on this operation after Diwali," saying this, Vinod heads home.
Now Diwali had arrived, and everyone celebrated it together with great joy. Shyam's presence added to the festive spirit of Diwali.
It had been two days since Diwali passed, and Rajiv's holidays were still remaining. Rajiv says to his sister-in-law, Sudha,
"Bhabhi, I wanted to say something!"
"Yes! Tell me, Rajiv, what is it?" Sudha says to Rajiv.
"Bhabhi, I was saying that I've found a nice house there. The landlady of that house is also very good. So, I was thinking of taking Shyam with me this time," Rajiv says to Sudha, scratching his head.
"Oh, really! So, a conspiracy is being hatched to take your wife along?" Sudha says to Rajiv.
"Oh Bhabhi, if you don't mind, it's fine. I won't take Shyam with me," Rajiv says to Sudha after hearing her.
"Oh, come on! Your wife is yours. Take her wherever you want. Who am I to stop you?" Sudha says to Rajiv, laughing.
"Oh Bhabhi, you're getting upset," Rajiv says, flustered.
"No, dear! I'm not getting upset. Take Shyam with you. You must be having trouble cooking and washing clothes there. It will be convenient for you, and you both will get time together..." Sudha says to Rajiv.
"But Bhabhi, if Shyam goes with me, you will be alone here," Rajiv tells his sister-in-law.
"You both have just gotten married recently. You both should spend time together. And when I feel lonely, I will come and stay with you both," Sudha says to her brother-in-law, Rajiv.
"You are so good, Bhabhi..." Rajiv sits at Sudha's feet and starts pressing her feet.
"Oh! Stop it, don't be so flattering. Go tell Shyam to get ready to go with you and ask her to bring me a cup of tea."
"Yes Bhabhi, I'll tell her now." As Rajiv was about to leave, Sudha speaks,
"Rajiv, listen! Tell Shyam to come to the market with me in the evening and buy a few pairs of kurta-salwar fabric and get them stitched there."
"Yes Bhabhi! Alright, I'll tell her now." Saying this, Rajiv leaves from there and goes to Shyam, tells her what Bhabhi said, and asks her to make tea for them.
Meanwhile, Vinod ji also arrives from the police station.
Shyam prepares lunch, and everyone has lunch together.
After lunch, Sudha asks Vinod for some money and says,
"I need to buy some things for Shyam. She is going to another city with Rajiv, and she doesn't know anything about the new city. So, she'll take all the necessary items from here. She won't know anything there and will get unnecessarily troubled. That's why I'm getting everything bought from here." Vinod gives Sudha the money.
While giving the money, he says, "You three go for shopping in the evening, and after shopping, come straight to World Mall. I'll meet you three there."
"Come on...!! What's the delay...?" Jones says to his companions.
And then he and his companions, armed with guns, sticks, and sharp weapons, set out to kill Vinod Shrivastava. Jones, Devil, and his companions arrive at Vinod's house and look for a way to get inside. Since it's nighttime, the house door is closed, so they jump over the wall and enter the house. Everyone in the house is asleep.
When Jones and his companions jump into the house, Shyama senses some movement and wakes Rajiv up, saying, "Listen!! Someone has entered the house."
But Rajiv tells her in his sleep, "No one is there, go back to sleep."
However, Shyama senses movement in the house again and thinks that they are not waking up, so she decides to go and inform Sutha Bhabi. As she gets out of bed and heads towards Sutha Bhabi's room, she sees a shadow. Seeing the shadow, Shyama starts shouting loudly, "Thief, thief."
Hearing Shyama's voice, everyone quickly wakes up and comes out of their rooms with all the lights on in the house.
"What happened, Shyama beta... why are you shouting, where is the thief?" Vinod asks Shyama.
Then Jones says, "Why are you asking her, Inspector!!!!!... Look, your father is standing right in front of you..." and Jones and his companions point their pistols at them.
"Jones, what are you doing here... and what did you come here to do?" Vinod Shrivastava says to Jones Devil.
"Your life...," Jones Devil says to Vinod, laughing.
"You should stop dreaming, Jones," Vinod Shrivastava says to Jones Devil in a stern voice.
"Today you're finished, Inspector... and it's a bonus that your whole family is here... now you don't have anyone to save you," Jones says, laughing wickedly.
As he says this, Jones fires a bullet at Vinod, but Rajiv pushes Vinod and saves him. Seeing Vinod safe, Jones becomes enraged and decides to finish Rajiv off first, firing several bullets directly at Rajiv. The bullets hit Rajiv's chest, and he stumbles and falls to the ground, covered in blood. When Vinod sees his brother fall to the ground, he becomes enraged and tries to snatch the pistol from Jones. As soon as Vinod tries to snatch the pistol, Jones pulls out a knife from his pocket and stabs Vinod in the stomach. Vinod also falls to the ground, covered in blood. Sutha comes forward to save him, but gets hit by bullets and becomes a victim. Now only Shyama is left.
Vinod, lying on the ground, tells Shyama, "Shyama, run away from here......."
"No, Babuji, I won't leave you," Shyama says.
"Shyama, don't be stubborn... run away and save your life... I beg of you," Vinod says.
Shyama then runs towards the door, thinking about where to go, and then starts running towards the road. But how far can she run?... Eventually, Jones' companions catch her.
Kaliya hits Shyama on the head with the butt of his pistol, and she faints.
In her unconscious state, they take her as a captive to their hideout.
When they take Shyama there, one of their companions is present.
"What have you brought here...?" he asks.
"This is the wife of Shrivastava's younger brother," Kaliya replies.
"Which Shrivastava?... Are you talking about that Inspector?" his companion asks.
"Yes... his brother's wife," Kaliya says.
"Hey, have you people gone crazy?... That Inspector Shrivastava will tear you all apart... Now the police will be on your tail like dogs... No one can save you now," the man says.
"We've already done that... He was killed without even dying," Kaliya says.
"What are you saying?... You killed that Inspector...!!!!!! Now the police will be on your tail like dogs... No one can save you now," the man says.
"Hey, Jaggu, shut up... We're still finishing off those people... Brother, don't go crazy," Kaliya says.
"Go, arrange some liquor and snacks for us... We'll have a party and enjoy ourselves," Billu says to Jaggu.
"What did you say?... Enjoy ourselves?" Jaggu asks.
"Yes, that's why we brought this girl here," Kaliya says, laughing.
"Enjoy yourself?..." Jones says, arriving there.
"I've taken a liking to this girl... She's only mine... I'll enjoy myself with her... not you, understand?!!!" Jones says loudly.
"Yes, brother, we understand!" Billu says to Jones.
"What are you saying, brother!... You've already killed her family members... Now have mercy on her and spare her dignity... What did she do to you people?" Jaggu says after hearing Jones.
"Shut up, you eunuch, Jaggu...!!!" Jones says to Jaggu.
"Hey, Billu and Kaliya, you two bastards take Jaggu out of here... Don't let him appear around this hideout for two or three days... understand?... You're a big saint, a dog... We made a big mistake by including him in our gang," Jones says to them.
"I'm telling you again, brother! What you're planning to do with the inspector's brother's wife is absolutely not right. It was okay up to the business, but you are committing a terrible sin. Don't get involved with the girl, you will regret it immensely," Jaggu tells them.
"Kalia! Didn't you hear? I told you to throw this wretch out. You scoundrel... he's ruined my entire mood," Jones tells Ballu and Kalia.
And then Jaggu is thrown out of the den, and then Jones Devil drinks a lot of alcohol and sits next to Shyama, waiting for her to regain consciousness.
After a long time, Shyama regained consciousness, and as soon as she opened her eyes, seeing Jones Devil in front of her, she said, "You dog, you scoundrel, let me go. You did wrong by killing my family, now I won't spare you."
"My life! Don't say that. Don't be so angry, it doesn't suit you. Such bitter words don't suit such a beautiful girl," saying this, Jones Devil starts to go near Shyama.
Shyama's hands and feet were tied, and she was trying her best to free herself from their clutches, but alas, it was the turn of fate, all her efforts were in vain, and Jones Devil was getting closer to her. As soon as he reached very close to Shyama, Shyama spat on his face and said, "Dog!!!!! What did my family do to you that you did this to them?"
"You wicked woman!!! You spit on my face? Now your fate will be the same as what happened to your family. That scoundrel Inspector Srivastava sent me to jail, so he had to meet that fate, and now your fate will be the same as what happened to your family, now you too cannot escape my wrath," Jones Devil shouts at Shyama.
"God will never forgive you, you will see yourself die writhing in agony with maggots," Shyama curses him with all her heart.
"I am not afraid of any God, I don't need anyone's forgiveness, and you are barking so much, now I will shut your mouth too, you spit on my face, now wait, I will show you, you won't be capable of anything anymore," Jones Devil tells Shyama.
And saying this, Jones Devil attacks Shyama, Shyama kept crying, pleading, holding her hands together, but Jones did not listen to her at all and continued to torment her. Kalia and Billu, who were guarding outside, enjoyed watching the atrocity being committed on Shyama. As soon as Jones did as he pleased, he stopped, then after violating Shyama's dignity, he came out and said to Kalia and Billu, who were guarding outside, "That slut fainted, leave her in this room, hungry and thirsty, I will come again in a while and listen, neither of you will touch her, she is only my prey and will remain my prey."
"Okay brother, as you say, so it will be," Kalia says.
"Alright! I am leaving now, I will come later, till then you keep an eye on this girl, make sure she doesn't escape from here, do you understand both of you!"
"Yes brother, we understand," Kalia tells Jones Devil.
Saying this, Jones Devil leaves from there. As soon as Jones Devil leaves, Jaggu arrives there again and asks Ballu, "How is that girl?"
"Why!! What business do you have with that girl?" Ballu says, irritating Jaggu.
"Humanity is also something in this world, it is only out of that that I am asking you about that girl," Jaggu tells Billu.
"Oh Jaggu! You are unnecessarily after that girl, whatever was to happen with her, Brother Jones has already done it and left from here, there is no point now," Kalia tells Jaggu.
Jaggu, shocked, says, "What are you people saying?"
"What you heard, that's what I'm saying," Kalia tells Jaggu.
"Now don't worry so much, when Jones Devil is done with her, she will be ours, then we will have fun with her," Kalia tells Jaggu.
Jaggu got very angry listening to Kalia and Billu's words, he felt like finishing them off right there, but what could he do?
Then Jaggu says to them, "Oh, she must be someone's sister and daughter too, when Jones Devil was doing all this to her, didn't your hearts melt seeing that happen to her?"
"Hey Oye Jaggu... Don't preach humanity to us, get out of here. Don't force us to do something nobody would accept," Billu tells Jaggu.
"Billu, I don't want to argue with you... I just want you to know that Jones Devil isn't here right now. Show mercy to that girl and let her go. Let her leave from here," Jaggu tells them.
"No! We cannot let that girl leave from here without Jones Bhai's permission... She can only leave if Jones Bhai allows it, otherwise not," Kaliya tells Jaggu.
"I beg you, I plead with you... For God's sake, leave that girl. Have mercy on that poor soul... You haven't left anyone in this world for her. Now this happening to her... For God's sake, let her go," Jaggu kneels on the ground and begs them to release the girl.
"No! We will not let this girl go at any cost," Billu tells Jaggu.
Jaggu gets up from the ground and says,
"So you won't agree like this."
"Why! What will you do? Kill us?" Kaliya asks, looking at Jaggu.
"Yes! If she can only escape by taking your lives, then I will do it right here. Right now."
And with that, Jaggu pulled out a knife and stabbed Billu in the stomach... As soon as he was stabbed, Billu stumbled and fell to the ground, writhing...
Seeing Billu's condition, how could Kaliya sit still? He pulled out his knife and ran towards Jaggu to kill him... But Jaggu moved aside in self-defense, and his hand hit an iron rod lying there. Jaggu picked up the rod and hit Kaliya hard on the head... A fight broke out between them. Jaggu also didn't hold back, and Kaliya's head was now filled with the desire for Jaggu's blood.
Jaggu kept winning every fight, and during one of these fights, the knife slipped from Kaliya's hand and fell down. Jaggu seized this opportunity... Jaggu quickly picked up the knife and stabbed Kaliya repeatedly 2-4 times... As soon as he was stabbed, Kaliya fell to the ground... As Kaliya fell, Jaggu picked up the rod and hit Kaliya on the head many times, until blood started flowing. Due to the bleeding, Kaliya became unconscious.
Then Jaggu went into the room where Shyama was tied up... Shyama's condition was not good at that time, and she was unconscious... The condition of her clothes was also not good; her clothes were in disarray.
First, Jaggu fixed her clothes and then splashed water from a nearby pot onto Shyama's face. After the splash of water, Shyama regained consciousness... and looking at Jaggu with anger, she said...
"Who are you? Have you also come to tear me apart?"
Hearing Shyama's words, Jaggu said...
"No sister! Don't say that... I have come to save you... I would have saved you earlier, but I didn't get a chance... I was just looking for an opportunity, and now that I've found one, I've come to save you."
"You've come to save me?" Shyama asked Jaggu, lowering her voice.
"Sister, get up quickly! There's no time for talking now... Jones Devil could arrive here anytime... We need to escape from here before he arrives... You quickly put on this sheet and let's run away from here together," Then Jaggu draped the sheet spread on the bed over Shyama, at which point Shyama said,
"I'm very thirsty..."
Hearing this, Jaggu gave Shyama water to drink. Shyama drank two glasses of water in one go; she was very thirsty.
After drinking the water, both of them started to run away from there... Both of them managed to escape.
After some time, when Jones Devil arrived at the hideout, he became furious seeing the state of the place. Then he went to Kaliya and Billu lying on the ground and saw that both of them were dead by then...
Jones Devil understood that this must have been Jaggu's doing... He had rescued that girl from here. But Jones Devil didn't know where he had taken Shyama... Now he was determined to find Shyama and Jaggu at any cost...
It was nightfall by the time Jaggu and Shyama were running... Now both of them were walking on a road... Then Shyama said to Jaggu...
"You have done me a great favor by saving me... Thank you."
"No sister! There's no need for thanks... It was my duty," Jaggu said to Shyama, hearing her words.
"Whatever it is, but my honor is stained now... That dog has destroyed my entire family, my whole life is ruined," Shyama said to Jaggu in anger and grief over losing her family.
"Don't say that, sister! Don't let your courage and spirit break... That God above, He sometimes tests us so much that our very soul trembles," Jaggu said, trying to boost Shyama's morale.
"What kind of test was this, brother! My family is gone... And that scoundrel played with my honor. Was this the test the God above had written for me?" Shyama cried brokenly, saying this to Jaggu.
Now what do I say sister! Whatever happened to you only you know, only you understand that pain. No one can understand it better than you. I can only be your sympathizer, nothing else. Jaggu says looking at Shyama with sadness.
"You have done so much for me, that's enough for me, brother," and saying so, Shyama starts sobbing. Then Jaggu makes her drink water and tries to calm her down and says,
"Wipe your tears, sister. The world is very cruel, it makes those who cry even more tears."
"But brother, now I cry and what do I do? My whole world has been destroyed and my modesty has also been looted, brother." Shyama says to Jaggu after listening to Jaggu's words.
"Sister! Just have patience, your wounds are still fresh, they need a lot of sympathy and these wounds can help you heal yourself, only you can put ointment on your wounds." Jaggu says to Shyama while consoling her.
"Yes, brother! I want to go to my parents, I want to go to them and maybe I can get out of this sorrow, brother." Shyama says to Jaggu.
"Yes! We will go to them, sister, but for now, change your appearance. I don't have money right now, I will arrange it quickly and as soon as I arrange it, we will go to your parents." Jaggu tells Shyama to change her appearance for now.
"I can never repay this debt of yours! How can I repay such a big debt of yours?" Shyama says looking at Jaggu.
"By calling me brother," Jaggu says.
"If there are people like you in this world, then this world will change." Shyama says to Jaggu.
"Sister! I am not that good, if I were that good, I would not have worked with people like Jones." Jaggu says to Shyama.
"Brother! Working with him must have been your compulsion." Shyama says to Jaggu.
"Yes, sister! Poverty and hunger make people do anything." Jaggu says to Shyama.
"Brother! Where are we going now?" Shyama asks Jaggu.
"We are going to someone we know," Jaggu replies.
And then the two of them continue talking and walking. Jaggu takes Shyama to a safe place and reaches an old house and knocks on the door. As soon as Jaggu knocks on the door, a feminine voice comes from inside and says, "I'm coming, I'm coming."
And she comes and opens the door, and as soon as she sees Jaggu, she is shocked and says, "You?! Why have you come here, and who is this girl with you?"
"I will tell you everything, Sheena Begum, first let us come in." Jaggu says to Sheena Begum.
"My husband is at home now, I cannot let you in right now." Sheena Begum says to Jaggu.
"Have mercy on this girl, Sheena Begum, she has been treated very badly, she is in a miserable condition, I have brought her to your doorstep with great hope." Jaggu says to Sheena Begum, folding his hands.
"Okay, you come in through the back door, I will go and open the door, and do not make any noise until 8 o'clock, my husband is here until 8 o'clock, and he leaves for work at 8 o'clock." Sheena Begum says to Jaggu.
"Okay," Jaggu says.
Then Sheena Begum goes inside and opens the back door, and both Shyama and Jaggu go inside and sit quietly.
As soon as Sheena Begum closes the door, her husband asks her, "Who was at the door?"
"He was the vegetable seller, but I did not buy vegetables from him, he insisted that I take the vegetables, but I still did not buy them, nowadays he does not keep fresh vegetables, so I asked him to go." Sheena Begum says.
"Then you did well, Begum." Sheena Begum's husband says to her.
Then the vegetable seller knocks on the door again and says, "Bibi! Take the vegetables, you asked me to bring the jackfruit yesterday, see I have brought it today."
"Sheena Begum, didn't you say you sent the vegetable seller away?" Sheena Begum's husband asks her.
"Yes, he is not the same vegetable seller, he is another one, from whom I asked to bring the jackfruit." Sheena Begum lies to her husband again.
"Okay, fine! You buy the jackfruit quickly and pack my tiffin and also prepare the breakfast, then I will get ready and go to work." Sheena Begum's husband tells her and goes to get ready.
Then Sheena Begum quickly buys the jackfruit and packs her husband's tiffin, prepares the breakfast, and as soon as her husband leaves for work, she immediately reaches Jaggu. "Now tell me! Who is this girl?"
Then Jaggu tells Sheena Begum everything about Shyama, how so much happened to her in just one moment. Sheena Begum's eyes fill with tears as she listens to Shyama's story from Jaggu. Then Sheena Begum hugs Shyama and Shyama also hugs her and cries her heart out, and then Sheena Begum consoles Shyama while wiping her tears...
"Be quiet, Shyama. This is how our lives as women are. Someone else does the deed, and then we women have to bear the consequences."
"Sheena jiji, what wrong did I ever do to deserve this? Such a huge stigma has been placed on my forehead... How will I be able to live my entire life with this stigma, jiji..." Saying this, Shyama starts crying again, hugging Sheena Begum.
"Quiet, Shyama!!!! It's not your fault at all... Don't blame yourself..." Sheena Begum says, comforting Shyama.
"But jiji! The world will never understand my helplessness... They will call me guilty, they will point fingers at me," Shyama tells Sheena Begum.
Then Sheena Begum says to Shyama, "This is how the world is, Shyama. These people can only point fingers at the weak and helpless. Patriarchy has been dominating us women for centuries. That's why men consider us women their property... All the abuses meant to insult women were created against us women. The fight is between two men, but the mother, sisters, and daughters of his house are insulted, and women like you and me are sacrificed."
"Perhaps you are right, jiji!" Shyama says to Sheena Begum.
"Come on, get up now and wipe your tears. Bathe and come, and quickly have a hot breakfast... and then you can rest," Sheena Begum tells Shyama.
"Alright, jiji!" Shyama says to Sheena Begum.
After this, Shyama and Jaggu both bathe and come, and have breakfast.
Sheena Begum had given Shyama her clothes to wear. They were a bit loose for her, but they served Shyama's purpose. Then they both had breakfast and rested for a while. After some time, Jaggu goes into the courtyard. Sheena Begum is working there. Jaggu goes to her and says, "Sheena! I need your help again."
"If you could arrange some money, I would be even more indebted to you. I can drop Shyama back home," Jaggu says to Sheena Begum.
"Money! No, I don't have money at home. But I have gold earrings. You can sell them and get money in return to manage your work," Sheena Begum tells Jaggu.
"Yes! My and Shyama's staying here could cause you trouble too... I want to take her away from here as soon as possible, and if I can get her to her home, my responsibility will also be fulfilled," Jaggu says.
"Alright then, when do you two want to leave from here?" Sheena Begum asks.
"Sheena! Once Shyama wakes up after resting, we will leave from here, before evening, because your husband will be back home from work in the evening," Jaggu says to Sheena Begum.
"Okay," Sheena Begum tells him with a sad heart.
And then, when Shyama wakes up after resting, Jaggu makes all the preparations for their departure. Sheena Begum packs puris and pickle for their journey.
And she also gave the gold earrings to Jaggu. As they were leaving, Sheena Begum hugged Jaggu and cried heartily. Shyama found this a little strange, but Shyama didn't say anything at that moment, and the two left from there.
On the way, Jaggu sold the earrings given by Sheena at a shop and took the money.
And then both reach the railway station.
There was still some time before the train arrived, so they both sat on a side bench and started waiting for the train to arrive. Then Shyama says to Jaggu, "Jaggu bhai! Can I ask you something?"
"I know what you want to ask, Shyama..." Jaggu says after hearing Shyama.
"Jaggu bhai! How did you guess what I wanted to ask you?" Shyama asks Jaggu.
"If I'm not mistaken, you probably want to ask who Sheena Begum is to me, what my relationship is with her?" Jaggu says, catching Shyama's thought.
"Yes, brother! I was going to ask you about Sheena jiji," Shyama says.
"Sheena Begum is nothing to me, and if you consider it, she is my everything..." Jaggu says, answering Shyama's question.
"Brother! What kind of relationship is that?" Shyama says.
"Sister! Between me and Sheena, there is a nameless relationship... this relationship has no name," Jaggu says.
"Sister Shyama! Sheena was my neighbor," Jaggu said.
"Then what happened, brother!" Shyama asks further.
"Then what happened was what neither of us ever wanted... time and circumstances separated us from each other," Jaggu says with a sad heart.
"Meaning! Brother Jaggu, tell me the whole story," Shyama says.
"Sister Shyama! This was in the days when India was divided into two parts, and at that time, Sheena and her family had come to Delhi to meet some relative, and I lived in the house next to Sheena's relative. At that time, there was a very fearful atmosphere, so everyone was hiding in their homes, no one was coming out. At that time, keeping oneself safe was the first priority. At that time, I must have been about seventeen years old, and Sheena must have been sixteen years old.
At that time, I had also fled from Lahore and come to Delhi to my aunt's husband. All my family members were killed by rioters. I somehow saved myself and came to Delhi to my aunt's husband's place from Lahore in an injured condition. Because of this, my aunt's husband did not let me leave the house at all."
Fufujan was afraid that I might also fall a prey to death, so she used to do all the work outside the house herself. She was a poor widow and childless. When I reached Fufujan's place, she seemed to have found a new lease of life. Fufujan took care of me with her life and made me completely fine. And when she heard the news of her brother and sister-in-law, my parents, passing away, she was beside herself and started crying uncontrollably. Then she regained her composure and began to thank God that I was safe and sound and was with her.
My first meeting with Sheena was quite amusing. It was a very humid evening. The heat was so intense that I couldn't find peace even inside the house, and Fufujan wouldn't let me step out. On that particular day, Fufujan had gone out to fetch some items, so I took the opportunity to go up to the terrace for some fresh air. Fufujan's house had a lot of books lying around, which belonged to her late husband. He was an avid reader, but after his passing, no one had touched those books. When I moved in with Fufujan, I started reading those books to pass the time. On that day too, I had taken a book with me to the terrace.
The air on the terrace was very pleasant, and it soothed my heart. I was engrossed in the book when suddenly a dupatta (scarf) blew in, landed on my face, and fell to my feet. As I was trying to remove it from my face, a voice from the adjacent terrace called out:
"Sir! That's my dupatta. If it's not too much trouble, could you return it?"
"Yes! It's quite a task to return it, it's so heavy," I joked.
"Look, stop joking and return it quickly. If someone sees me without it, I'll be in trouble," she said.
"Okay, I'll return it now," I replied.
As I went to return the dupatta, she blushed and whispered:
"Just give it to me, I don't feel comfortable like this."
"Masha'Allah! Your beauty is truly breathtaking. I'm forever grateful to this dupatta for giving me a glimpse of your beauty," I teased.
"Hey! You're a grown-up, and you're talking like this to an unknown girl? Who does that?" she said.
"I'm a shameless creature by birth. I don't even know what shame and modesty are," I joked again.
"Look, you're crossing limits now. Give me my dupatta," she said.
"I won't give it that easily," I replied stubbornly.
"What do you want then?" she asked.
"I want your friendship. If you're willing, then you can take your dupatta," I said.
"You're a flirtatious kind of person. I'm being polite with you, and you're taking advantage," she replied.
"Oh! I seem like a flirt to you? Don't worry, I won't give you the dupatta," I said with a grin.
"You're very straightforward, aren't you? Please return my dupatta. My mom is waiting downstairs. If she sees me without it, she'll scold me. Do you want that to happen?" she asked with big, pleading eyes.
"You're playing with my emotions now. Don't do that. I'm not someone who's swayed by emotions," I said.
"For God's sake, return the dupatta. I'll do whatever you say," she requested.
"You don't have to do anything. I was just teasing you. Here, take your dupatta," I said, handing it back.
She was overjoyed to get her dupatta back and wrapped it around herself happily before heading downstairs.
As she was leaving, I called out:
"Until we meet again?"
"It seems we'll be meeting often," she replied before disappearing into the downstairs.
I went to the terrace again that evening, but she didn't show up. I waited for a while, but she didn't come. As it started getting dark, I realized she wasn't coming, and I reluctantly came down. Fufujan called out for dinner, and I ate half-heartedly before retiring to my bed. However, I couldn't sleep; I was still thinking about the girl and wondering why she hadn't come. A strange attraction had taken hold of me, and I kept thinking about her until sleep finally overcame me.
The next day, I went to the rooftop in the evening, carrying a book with me. I sat on the rooftop and started reading. Then, she came to the rooftop and approached me.
"How are you, sir?" she asked.
I removed the book from my face and looked at her.
"I'm fine, thank you. How are you?" I replied.
"I'm fine, praise be to God," she said.
"You didn't tell me your name," I said.
"My name is Sheena, and yours?" she asked.
"My name is Jaggu," I replied.
After that, our meetings on the rooftop became a regular occurrence. We would meet every day, talk, and share stories. She would bring me food, wrapped in her dupatta, and I would enjoy it. I loved her cooking, especially her galouti kebabs, which would melt in my mouth. She would ask me about my food preferences and sometimes bring me my favorite dishes.
During our conversations, she discovered that I wrote poetry, and she would ask me to recite some for her. I would happily oblige, and she would listen with a smile. Our meetings became more frequent, and before we knew it, our friendship turned into something more. I started to develop feelings for her, but I was afraid to express them. Perhaps she felt the same way, but she was also hesitant to speak up.
She seemed happy and content, but sometimes I would notice a hint of sadness and desperation in her eyes. When I asked her about it, she would brush it off with an excuse.
I was drowning in her beauty, and she was blossoming in my love. I had written a love letter for her, filled with poetry, and was waiting for the right moment to give it to her.
That evening, she came to the rooftop, and before I could say anything, she burst into tears. I asked her what was wrong, and she told me that her distant relatives, who she referred to as her uncle, had been trying to take advantage of her. The previous day, he had tried to overpower her, but her mother had intervened, and she had managed to escape.
I asked her if she had told her parents about this, but she was afraid of their reaction. I scolded her for not speaking up, telling her that she should have told her parents about her uncle's behavior.
She explained that if she told her parents, they would likely kick her out of the house, and they would be left with nowhere to go. I realized that she was trapped, and I felt angry and helpless.
In a fit of anger, I told her that if she couldn't stand up for herself, then maybe she shouldn't meet me anymore. I regretted my words as soon as I said them. I realized that she had confided in me because she thought I was her friend and that I would support her.
The next day, I went to the rooftop, hoping to see her, but she didn't show up. I assumed she was upset with me, and I didn't know how to make things right. The letter I had written for her remained in my pocket, unread.
Days turned into weeks, and I would still go to the rooftop, hoping to see her. One day, as I was sitting on the rooftop, I heard her voice from the other side of the wall that separated our rooftops.
"Jaggu, I've killed him," she said.
I looked over and saw that she had a bloody knife in her hand, and her clothes and hair were disheveled. I asked her who she had killed, and she replied, her voice filled with anger and determination.
"I killed my uncle. He wanted to play with my honor..."
"Where were the people at home at that time?" I asked Sheena.
"Abbu and Chachajan had gone to the mosque, Ammi, Chachijan, and Chachijan's children had gone to a relative's place. I was alone at home, and that's when Chachajan came home and tried to misbehave with me. That's when I got the knife and killed him," she said it all in one breath.
"Let's go, I'll see what happened," I told her.
As we went downstairs, I saw the person lying on the ground, covered in blood, but still breathing. So, I took the knife from Sheena's hand and stabbed him twice in the chest. Then, he went completely cold and stopped breathing. I told Sheena to change her clothes and wash her face. She did as I said, and that's when her family members arrived. They saw the knife in my hand and called the police. I was sent to jail for the crime of murder. I told the police that I killed Chachujan for money. I knew that no one would be home, and it was the perfect time to steal. But Chachujan returned home, and I killed him.
After that, I was punished for Chachujan's murder, and my Phoofijan couldn't bear the shock and passed away. Sheena cried a lot after I went to jail, but I made her promise not to tell anyone, or she would see my dead face. I did it because I loved her, and I sacrificed myself for her. I spent five years in jail and then escaped with the help of a fellow inmate. He took me to Jones Devil, and I started working with him.
While working with Jones Devil, I missed Sheena and went to meet her. I found out that she was married. I asked for her address and went to her house to meet her, but no one was home that day. The next day, I went again, and Sheena met me. She fed me with great love.
"Why did you do it, Jaggu? I was the one who committed the murder. Why did you take the blame?" Sheena asked me.
"Because I love you," I told her while eating.
"But Jaggu, you shouldn't have ruined your life..." Sheena said.
"I didn't ruin it! I made it better, Sheena. I loved you, and it was my duty to save you," I told her.
"Did you love me that much, Jaggu?" Sheena's eyes welled up with tears.
"Yes, I do... and I still do... and I always will. You are my first and last love," I said.
"If only we hadn't been separated..." Sheena said.
"Sheena, our meeting was probably not meant to be, but our love will remain like this. If love becomes complete, it's not love anymore. Incomplete love stays in the heart forever, so there's no use grieving about what happened," I said.
"Maybe you're right, Jaggu," Sheena said.
"Should I go now?" I asked her.
"When will we meet again?" she asked.
"Never," I said.
"Why?" Sheena asked.
"Because you're married now, and your husband loves and respects you. It's better for everyone if we don't meet again," I said, looking at her.
"So, you'll never meet me again?" she asked sadly.
"No," I said.
"Okay, won't you hug me one last time?" she asked.
She said that and hugged me, crying. I wasn't a stone-hearted person either, and I cried with her. We both cried our hearts out, and then I said, "If you don't mind, can you pack some kebabs and parathas? You've made them so delicious."
"So, you came here to eat kebabs and parathas, not to meet me?" she said.
"Yes... what did you think? I came to eat," I said, teasing her.
"I'll kill you," Sheena said angrily.
"What will a dead person do to you, Sheena?" I said sadly.
She saw me sad and hugged me again, crying. "You ruined your life because of me, Jaggu."
"No, crazy one! Wipe your tears and pack the food. If you do this, I won't be able to leave," I said.
She separated from me and packed food for me. I don't know what else she packed... She also gave me some money, but I refused to take it. She made me promise, and that day she bid me farewell, crying. I never went to meet her again. If I weren't in a bind now, I wouldn't have come, and I wouldn't have taken you, Shyama...
Jaggu fell silent after telling his story of love. Shyama said, "Your love is very pure, Jaggu Bhai."
Around 4 AM, the train arrived at the town's station, from where Shyama's village was about ten to fifteen kilometers away. Shyama and Jaggu got off the train and came onto the platform.
It was a small platform, with only a few people milling about.
Jaggu told Shyama to cover her face with her dupatta. Shyama tied her face with the dupatta, and they both walked off the platform. There, three or four people were gathered, talking amongst themselves.
"Have you heard what happened, sir! What happened to Master Umesh Srivastava's daughter?" the first man said.
"What happened! I haven't heard any news about them," said the second man.
"Oh, sir! The news just came out in yesterday's newspaper," the third man said.
Now the fourth man asks, "What news came out, please tell us too?"
"Oh, sir!!! That Umesh Srivastava's son-in-law, his elder brother, Sub-Inspector Vinod Srivastava, and his wife, Sudha, were killed by smugglers..." the first man said.
"And Umesh's daughter, what happened to her?" the second man asked.
"Those smugglers took her away... and the police searched for her extensively, but the police couldn't find her either," the first man said again.
"What must Master Umesh Srivastava be going through hearing this news, and then his daughter is also nowhere to be found," the third man said.
"What can be done now! Whatever was written in their daughter's destiny happened. Who can avert fate now," the fourth man said.
"Whatever it is! Something terrible happened to their daughter... poor thing... who knows where she is, in what condition," the third man said.
Jaggu and Shyama heard all their conversation and then moved forward without saying anything. Hearing all this, tears welled up in Shyama's eyes, and she said to Jaggu, "See, brother Jaggu! My disgrace reached here before I did."
"Oh sister, why are you thinking these useless thoughts now... let's go home quickly, and once the family accepts you, everyone's mouths will be shut, you'll see," Jaggu consoled Shyama.
Then Jaggu and Shyama went outside, and Jaggu stopped a tanga. Both sat in the tanga and headed towards home, and soon they reached the neighborhood.
The tanga stopped in front of the lane of Shyama's house, and both got off.
Jaggu paid the tanga driver the fare and then walked with Shyama towards her house.
It was morning; some people were working, while others were doing other things. Everyone was coming and going.
And as Shyama passed through the neighborhood with Jaggu, everyone's eyes turned towards Shyama, and upon seeing her, they started whispering amongst themselves.
Somehow, enduring their talks and glances, Jaggu and Shyama reached her house. Shyama, with her head covered by the dupatta and a bundle in her hand, stood at her door with her head bowed. At that moment, her mother was sweeping the entrance. Shyama looked at her mother and softly called out, "Mom........." and then tears came to her eyes.
Shyama's mother turned around upon hearing her voice and was stunned to see Shyama, and the broom slipped from her hands and fell.
Shyama stood waiting, hoping her mother would run and hug her, saying, "My child, you're here... come, we are here for you," so she could cry her heart out and forget all her sorrows.
But everything happened the opposite of what Shyama expected.
Shyama's illusion was shattered.
Far from hugging Shyama, her mother shouted at her.
"You wicked witch! What are you doing here with your face held high?"
"Don't say that, Mom! I am your daughter," Shyama said, crying.
"You were a daughter! But now you are dead," Shyama's mother shouted.
"Don't say that, Mom... what is my fault in this?" and Shyama, crying, fell at her feet.
"Get away from here! Be warned, don't even try to touch me... and why are you still alive? If you have any shame left, drown yourself somewhere..." Shyama's mother chastised her.
And then Shyama's father came out from inside and, adjusting his glasses, said to his wife, "Oh, dear, what happened? Why are you shouting so much in the morning?"
And then Umesh ji came out and said, "Oh, Shyama, daughter, you! How are you, daughter!"
"What daughter, and say daughter... she is dead to us... beware if you call her a daughter, and if you even think of letting her inside the house, it won't be good... there are two more daughters inside, they also need to be married, and if this disgraced one enters the house now, what will happen to them?" Shyama's mother shouted.
"Are you a mother or an executioner?" Umesh ji roared at his wife in a stern and loud voice.
"Say whatever you want, but she will not stay here," Shyama's mother said.
Jaggu had been watching this spectacle for a long time and couldn't stay silent any longer. He spoke up, "Please, leave it, Baba ji... if respected mother does not want Shyama here, then she will not stay here... I brought her here thinking that there is no safer place for daughters than their parents' home.
But the situation here says something else entirely... this world doesn't call women enemies of women for nothing... today I have seen this truth, and don't worry, respected mother, her brother Jaggu is still alive... can't I feed my sister a couple of meals? And he says to Shyama, "Let's go, sister, from here."
"Whatever happens in life is written not by us, but by our destiny... therefore, we must accept whatever is happening," Jaggu told Shyama.
"Hmm!! Jaggu Bhai, I'm starting to feel the same way now," Shyama said to Jaggu.
"So sister, don't think too much, whatever happens, we'll see," Jaggu told Shyama.
As they were talking, the signal on the platform turned red, indicating that the train was about to arrive. Shyama and Jaggu stood for the train, and soon the train arrived at their platform, and both boarded it.
When they reached the compartment, other passengers were present. The crowd was thin, so they found seats.
They sat down and started observing the activities of other passengers.
About half an hour had passed since the train started. Shyama peeked out the window and saw that it had gotten dark. It was around 8 PM.
A man was sitting in the train, reading a newspaper, when he exclaimed, "Oh God, what a terrible thing happened... What's the use of such honesty!"
Just then, the person sitting next to him said, "Why brother, what did you read...!"
"Oh, an inspector had caught the city's biggest goon, but as soon as he was released, he eliminated him and his entire family... Poor man."
"And they say he eliminated everyone and abducted his younger brother's wife, and defiled that poor woman."
Just then, the man sitting on the other side said, "Oh... that poor thing, she can't show her face anywhere now, with what face will she come out in front of the world."
Then another man said, "It would be better if she just died now."
At that moment, a lady sitting there spoke up, "Why should that girl die? What is her fault? That scoundrel defiled her, and it's justice for the girl to die!"
"Madam, it's not the girl's fault... but where will society accept her now? Who will respect defiled honor," the man said.
"Your thinking is what has prevented girls from living... everywhere they are made to suffer," the woman replied.
"Why are we all arguing? We don't even know anything about that girl now, where is she," a man piped up.
"Your point is also valid," the lady now agreed with him.
Shyama was listening to all this, and now she felt like tearing herself into two pieces and ending her life.
Jaggu was also listening to their conversation, but he didn't say anything because he didn't want the conversation to escalate and cause Shyama more pain. Therefore, he decided it was best to remain silent. He was afraid that if they found out that Shyama was that girl, they would make her life miserable. Who knew if they would have to get off this train themselves, so it was better to stay quiet.
But hearing everyone's talk, tears started flowing from Shyama's eyes. After all, how long could she hide them? The pain in her heart flowed out like lava, and she started crying. Seeing her cry, an old woman said to her, "Why are you crying, child? What happened? Are you in any trouble?"
"No, Mother!! The poor girl's mother is ill, and she is going to see her... perhaps thinking this, the poor girl's heart is filled with emotion," Jaggu said, defending Shyama.
"Are you married, child? You are wearing anklets on your feet, but there is no sindoor in your hair parting and no mangalsutra around your neck," the old woman said again.
Shyama was stunned by the old woman's words.
In her distress, her attention had not gone to her feet. She had forgotten about the anklets. Her husband was no longer in this world, so she should have taken off these anklets. She had washed away the sindoor from her hair parting, but she had forgotten to take off the anklets. Then Jaggu again intervened, saying, "We are Muslims, Mother... our women wear anklets but not sindoor in their hair parting or mangalsutra around their necks."
"Oh, oh... so you are Muslims," the old woman said. Shyama sat quietly, listening to everything, tears streaming from her eyes.
"Yes!!! Mother," Jaggu said.
"Son, what are you to this girl? What is the relationship between you two?" the old woman asked Jaggu.
"Mother!! I am her paternal cousin brother..." Jaggu told the old woman. Jaggu had lied again.
"Oh!!!" the old woman said.
Then the old woman spoke again, "Oh son!!! Be comforted... nothing will happen to your mother, God will fix everything..."
"Yes!!! Mother, that is the hope," Jaggu said again.
The train stopped at a station, and some passengers disembarked while new passengers boarded. Everyone was talking among themselves like this. It was almost midnight.
All the passengers were dozing off.
Jaggu was also dozing off, leaning his head on his seat, but Shyama's eyes showed no sign of sleep.
She was remembering Rajiv, remembering her beautiful moments spent with him, but in an instant, her happy, vibrant world had ignited, and in an instant, everything was over.
She had never imagined in her life that she would have to live like this, and that this day would come in her life. Thinking all this, tears welled up in Shyama's eyes again, and she wiped her tears with her dupatta.
