Arjun and Maithili both were standing in front of the Panchayat . Maithili's head hung low even though she didn't do anything wrong but that's how they rule in the village.
Meanwhile Arjun was standing in a corner, posture rigid , jaw clenched and eyes fixed on the sarpanchs.
The sarpanchs were sitting under the old neem tree discussing something . The cool wind was blowing but it didn't help to calm the heat of the situation.
" Kitni masum dikhti hai par karm dekho toh "
" Besharam"
"Sheher ke log toh hote hi aise hai "
They were talking , they didn't know what happened , they didn't know what the situation was , they just believed what they heard from each other .
They didn't need any proof to believe , just a word from others and they will believe it.
The rumour got spread like a wildfire in the village and everyone came to see the commotion.
Those men who have dragged Arjun and Maithili here forcefully , told the whole matter to the sarpanchs .
How they caught Arjun and Maithili meeting each other in a quiet area and how they caught them red handed and brought them here.
And why ?
Just because they were standing together.
They weren't talking , not smiling.
They weren't touching.
Just standing together . This was their only fault.
So they decided to punish them because according to them it was a crime for a girl to be with a man before marriage.
Their decision still echoed in Arjun's ears " Either Arjun will marry Maithili or we will punish Maithili for crossing her boundaries ." The sarpanch had said with finality.
And villagers , none of them protested , they only nodded in agreement .
But punishment for what ?
For helping?
For saving someone's life?
Yes the villagers were like that , still rooted to their rigid old traditions and beliefs about women and their limits. These beliefs blind them to see the truth .
They just saw Maithili with Arjun and decided to teach her a lesson so that no girl in the village could even dare to think about this.
But Arjun had protested against their false accusations and about their ridiculous beliefs and traditions, he even tried to talk politely to the sarpanchs but no one cared to listen to him.
They were too reserved to protect their absurd beliefs and reputation.
And Maithili that pure soul was terrified.
She was scared that now what would happen to her?
If he didn't agree to marry her she would be punished and if he did then what else she had to go through.
Either way it was her whose life will be ruined.
Her existence was one of unremitting sorrow , that she tried to escape by ending it.
But God even snatched that opportunity.
She knew how cruel their punishment was and that thought alone made her shiver.
She had already heard their disgusting comments about her character and people saying awful things to her.
Yet she stayed silent.
But She wanted to scream , to voice out that she didn't do anything wrong , she is not what village people were saying her but she knew she couldn't say anything to them , she knew no one would believe her instead they would blame her.
So she just stood quietly in a corner like always with tears dripping down her cheeks while people were deciding for her , her future when she did nothing wrong.
She was quiet outside but inside , her thoughts were screaming.
She only wanted to die was that too much she thought?
And now she knew she couldn't do anything so she left it on God , stood there silently and accepted her fate.
But she didn't know one thing
That fate is not always cruel .
_____
Outside the pale crescent moon shone like a silvery claw in the night sky . In the backyard of the house Maithili sat on the cot with her knees being pressed to her chest , her head resting on her knees.
But her eyes , those eyes were fixed on the twinkling stars above her , staring at the sky.
She was not staring to admire the beauty but to hold back her tears.
She could still hear people talking about her , women calling her names , men staring at her with disgust , their filthy comments on her character.
It was echoing in her head continuously.
She thought maybe , just a little hope in her heart that maybe her uncle and aunt would believe her , but no she was wrong they were more cruel than the villagers were.
After they had reached home , her aunt had slapped her till her lips bled and cheeks turned red and her uncle didn't even bother to stop her .
He simply turned his back .
But Maithili was used to it , it was not new for her , they had beaten her many times , starved her and cursed her like there was no tomorrow.
Yet still there was a fragile hope in her heart that they will take her side this time , but it shattered.
This was the reason she had gone to the waterfall to end her life because this was the only way to end her misery but God snatched that opportunity too.
And now Arjun , a stranger whom she didn't know neither did he was forced to marry each other.
She had seen him just twice , first at the tea stall and second when he saved her from taking her life. She had seen him kind and gentle in both the meetings.
But now when he was forced to marry her , she didn't know what his reaction would be.
But she had to bear whatever his reaction would be .
Because she had no choice , she had to do whatever she was told , like always.
And she had not uttered a single word to anyone since the incident because there was no point , she had no one to share her pain , her grief and she had always find her safety in silence.
But now that silence was making her a ghost in her own body , making her invisible in the decision that will change her life completely.
And when the wind had blown her eyes closed itself with tears rolling down her cheeks and a barely audible hiss escaped her mouth with " maa baba " .
And this time she hadn't prayed , not begging just hoped that -
She doesn't get to see tomorrow's sun .
______
Thank you
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