There is something in this world that we crave, and every day a new craving...some for love, some for lust, some for money, some for small happiness.
Nandini never asked for anything but happiness...her parents died when she was 10 years old, and her aunt and uncle claim to be her adoptive parents...she has a cousin sister, and brother, for them, she is cow sheds dust.
Like every day she was doing morning chores, her aunt asked her to bring milk from the cow shed...her uncle was with his friends on the veranda. one of his friends said,
"Ravinder your daughter is at marriable age right?" to Ravinder.
"yes, but there is a week for her to turn 18...I am searching for a good party to undo this burden" Ravinder said mincing at her silhouette.
"I see, there is a boy, he is 30 years old...his 1st wife died on the first month of their marriage after that he was having affairs with random ladies...his father thought to marry him again and they would not expect a dowry for her...what say?" he asked Ravinder.
Ravinder's brain started to make some plans for her, as he could see that with her property from her parents, there was nothing more to expect from her...on her 18th birthday he could take her property, and the shunting of his wife would be shut down.
"Nandini was useless, and it was never a blessing to us. It was only her inheritance that compelled her to stay here; otherwise, she would have perished after her parents' deaths." Ravinder thought in his head.
"papa give me 1000 rupees, I am going to the movie...amma was scolding me for this small matter," Murali asked his father Ravinder, making a bad face when he saw his father's friends who asked him about his studies.
"yes uncle, it's a holiday today for college...our headmaster is dead" Murali lied to them, if he knew about his lie he would beat him to death.
"jhoote chokhre, aaj tho koi holiday nahi hein, mahro chokhre gayo huwe hein college mein...ravinder ye ladka bigadtha jaarohein, kass ke pakad iski naada bhooljavega sabb cinema winema" said one of ravinders' friend.
"yeh chokhra, jaa apni maa aur didi ko bol ajj ache pakhwaan pakaye...mehmaan learahu" tapping his head ravinder said to murali.
Gritting his teeth murali went to Nandini and spitted whatever his father said, and Madhumati yelled at Nandini for lacking in her work.
"amma ye doodh lene gayithi, sabjiya bhagichese leaoungi" Nandini said twisting her wrist from Madhumatis' hold.
"kitne baar bola tujhe, humesha kaam choriki natak karthi rehtiho...kal pet dukhratha, aaj sabji todrahithi, kal kuch or...kya paap kar gayi tu mahre matth madgayi...aapne maa baap ke saath marjathitho aacha hotha" she spitted venom with her words on Nandini.
Nandini cried for some time and then got ready for cooking. Her studies had been banned since 4th standard, and it felt like she was living for nothing. She overheard her uncle talking with his friends about marrying her off to a pervert. Is this her life? What can she do? Elope from this home? But where would she go? How would she survive with nothing in her hands? Is it even safe for her to go out? These thoughts swirled in her mind at the age of 15.
Finally, the day arrived when they would come to see her. It was late afternoon when a family arrived for the meeting. She was dressed in a ghagra choli, and the boy watched her lustfully, oblivious to her thoughts, behaving like a mannerless pervert. He took a glance towards kiran too but she’s not an apple like Nandini.
"Dad I like her, let me marry her in two days," Viren said to his father, continuously peeking at her body parts.
"dekha mera beta uthavla hora he shaadi ke liye, parr ke ke sambhaloge apni daan thaal me apni beti ke liye,..ye baat to mahri lugayi puchrahihe" Viren's father, being a greedy man, insisted on this dowry.
"mahre paas tho jayda kuch nahi he saheb, mahra bhai ke jaaneke baad isse sambhaleneko sab kharch hogaya, abhi chokhri hein bass thoda bahot sona heiin iske maa ke." Ravinder said acting pitifully on himself.
"papa itne jhooth bolthehein, darr nahi lagtha unhe...tai ji taya ji ka tho sabb kuch hein inke paas...phir bhi apne aap ko dayalu samajhthe hein...kyu amma?" murali whispered to his amma, kiran was laughing inside with her brother and kept a stone face Madhu Mati replied to murali.
"taahre behen ke waasthe karrehe ye sab tahre papa, chup karr...iss kal mohi ko iss ghar se dakhele tab hi yaha sukoon hovega...dekhotho kaise moorath ki tarha baiti he" madhumati nipped Nandini with her nails.
Nandini winced at the sudden push and the pain it caused. After gathering herself, Viren turned to Ravinder and spoke,
"ravinder ji hume koi dahej nahi chahiye, ye ladki teekh he, parr do din me shaadi hojani chahiye meeri isse...iss shart pe hum aage badsakthehe...ke bolo papa?" he asked and said to ravinder and his father.
"teekh hein meri koi apatti nahi, teri amma ki help hojaaye uss ghar me tho teekh" viren father said to him.
At the main door, everyone was heading outside. Nandini sat there, overcome with sadness. Viren approached her and held her in a firm grip, "Do din mein hum aayenge tumhe lene, tayyar rahiyo...humari suhaagrath tho hum manayenge khoob usthah se manayenge" He said to Nandini, his grip on her cheeks causing her to close her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. With a jerk, he released her and left, while Nandini ran to her room, leaning her back against the wall, knees drawn close to her face, silently sobbing.
Outside, her uncle and aunt were discussing arranging her marriage at the nearby temple... Well, enough is enough then.
Enough. Now it's time to leave this place. I don't want anything from my parents' property. To hell with their protection. I just want to escape from this hell, that's it. Today, I'll go from here," she said to herself. Everything she needed was in her aunt's room. All she needed was some money to survive and two dresses. She packed everything she needed. Her aunt was sleeping in her room, so she discreetly stole the key and stuffed her pocket with some money from the locker.
As she made her exit, her uncle caught sight of her emerging from his room and asked her,
"ye chori kya karahihe yaha?" Tapping her head hard, Nandini covered her face with her hands, scared that if she were to get caught, it would be over for her.
Amidst all the shouting coming from outside her room, Madhumati rushed there and saw her husband hitting Nandini "abb kya hogaya, kyu shor karrahe aap?" Irritated by the disturbance, she asked.
"ye humare room see bahar aarahihe, puch rahatho kuch bolnarahihe...tu puch isse" Ravinder kept hitting Nandini continuously.
"haan shayad shaam ke khaneka puchne aayihe, tu bol nahi paari kya, muh me dahi jama rakhhi kya?" She was nipping her nails into Nandini's hand.
Nandini felt somewhat relieved that she hadn't been caught, so she nodded hurriedly and ran back to her room.
All had retired to their rooms. Nandini packed her belongings and anxiously awaited her chance to escape. It was midnight when she cautiously peeked into her aunt and uncle's room; they were fast asleep. Murali tossed and turned in his bed, so she waited patiently for him to settle. When he finally slept on his back, she confirmed that he was asleep and seized her opportunity to escape.
"She bid farewell to the cows from the backdoor, then took the highway, embarking on her journey towards a new life."
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