Sunil R P Sethi
She looked at the mirror to see face full of wrinkles the time had left. She wondered with which ink her life story had been written by God. Even stones would be in tears and mountains would melt on listening to what she has gone through. What she had lived though was no life , it was Hell, Pure Hell. Looking back at the dead body of her husband lying on bed she looked up in the skies. This moment had come to her way by destiny. How she wished she could have caused it to happen herself . Who had died was the tormentor of her life, the person who made each moment of her life a living hell and then he was father of her children who she loved , though they were born out of hatred. Her life flashed back.
She was born Verranwati to a wealthy and respected landlord and money lander of the Mirpur city . She was eldest child of the family and much pampered . As her name goes, she was followed by two brothers and she was a doting sister especially for youngest Narayan . When Independence happened to the country , her state was a princely state which had a muslim majority but a Hindu king who decided after much deliberations and political upheavals to accede to India which led to a situation which changed her life .
In the events that followed , her peaceful city which had always been taken as symbol of peaceful coexistence of different religious denomination and whose name itself was synthesis of two great religious preachers of the city, was torn apart with large influx of outsiders mostly Tribals. Leaders of the city including her father however felt assured as state forces with arms and ammunition was stationed there and would check any misadventure, as per assurance of head of district administrations Rattan Singh who was relative of the king . Her father gave huge amount to administration to ensure safety and security to all resident and In fact created a small group of persons of both the communities to defend the city from communal backlash as had happened in Punjab . She was 11 years old and her brothers were 5 years and 7 years younger to her.
Then it started one night. Large number of intruders entered city armed with firearms. She heard they include regular army personnel. That night the resistance group created by her father stood up and repulsed the attack with some support from state forces. In morning they counted dead bodies of seven intruders and one village boy. Situation suddenly had become tense and it was obvious that attack would happen again and again. She heard her father telling Rattan Singh in the meeting held at her Haveli to call Indian army which was only 20 miles away in Jhangar. Rattan Singh promised that Indian Army would come next day. While village stood reassured and slept in peace. Nothing happened that night.
She couldn’t however sleep whole night and was looking out of her window of her Haveli, the only three stories building of the town with red flag atop declaring that building owner was a millioner , a big thing those days. Out she saw Drabu Khan the mad man who was always roaming around in the streets and was filthy and abusive who was looked down upon by everyone. She remembered when he followed her for few days some two years back, how mercilessly he was got thrashed by police by her father . He didn’t dare to even look towards her thereafter . But tonight he was staring at her Haveli. She could see a different Drabu who was looking aggressive. She saw many people moving out of town that night discreetly though she couldn’t identify them. Truth came out next morning only .
Town woke up in chilly morning to find to their horror that Rattan Singh and whole contingent of the state forces had run away in the darkness of night abandoning the town and inhabitants to the mercy of invaders. That was act of extreme cowardice and back stabbing otherwise the people would have moved out of town a day before. Now all escape routes were plugged and all inhabitants were holed up . Any chance of outside help had vanished as state forces with Rattan Singh had taken away the single wireless set , the only source of communication with outside world and Indian Army that was only 20 miles away but had not moved an inch towards them even though news of genocide being underway must have reached them . It was no time to curse the leaders who were responsible for keeping the army on hold and looming towards large population of Mirpur as spectators only . Humanity had died. Army could be moved to save Kashmir but not Mirpur. Strange are ways of politics . The whole population had gathered in Haveli of her father who had opened gates of his godowns and provided all needy people whatever was required and whatever was there. Hour of distress had brought brotherhood on the fore.
Next day the invaders entered city and there was total commotion . She hid in her store on top floor. The little resistance guards of her father could provide ended by afternoon and then she saw dance of death. Drabu was moving in her Varandah like a ragged bull. Blood dropping from his sword was testimony to the horrific deeds which must had been performed by the beast. And then what happened hounded her for all her remaining life, if it can called that. To her full view Drabu dragged her father and beheaded him. He then stabbed his brother to death. Thereafter he picked the youngest one by legs and was about to bang him on floor when she ran screaming to save him. Alas the effort failed. Before she could reach him, Drabu had banged head of her best brother on floor and his face was destroyed beyond recognition. She saw her mother being dragged inside room by two demons and then screams of her, before she fell unconscious.
Regaining consciousness she found herself in a dirty hut with hands and feet tied . Drabu entered after sometime . His face was covered in blood and he looked like butcher. She asked weeping ” Where is my mother “. Laughed the demon ” She has been taken whose reward she was. You are my reward “. Then she felt lifeless as life force in her had left . Thereafter what was raped by Drabu was a dead body , cold flesh. She could only remember words of her father ” You will live on “. That was curse for her .
In coming weeks and months her body was tortured by her tormentor Drabu. She forgot numbers . Her town had become part of Pakistan in so called Azad state . Drabu was awarded 18 biggas of land and princely sum of five hundred for act of bravery in killing 13 kafirs and keeping daughter of leader of ladies with him. He built his house and then one day she was converted by Molvi and got married to same demon Drabu. Her consent for Nikkah was never there and now she said yes but her silence was taken as yes by Molvi and she was married to person who she hated most in life .
In the meantime, she became mother to two daughters and three sons . Her two sons died in infancy . The only surviving son was Anwar. Whenever she saw her children she could feel intense hatred for Drabu but then mother in her overcame her intense hatred for father of children and she could feel softening in her burning eyes only when she saw Anwar . He always saw her brother Narayan in him whom Drabu killed in most inhuman way by banging him on the floor. Many a time she thought of putting poison in food of Drabu to take revenge for her family but then face of Anwar always made her to desist as killing Drabu would have lead to her being sent to jail and she couldn’t think of living without Anwar for a moment though never did a moment came when she forgot what happened before eyes on that 28th Nov. 1947.
(The author is senior advocate)
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