Half Heartedly

It was a doomsday for her. The sky seemed to have come down to the earth and the sun descended to cremate her capability. Clamour surrounded her. She had to hang her face with shame. The incident threw a sinister shadow across their wall. The news spread like wild fire. The small place became famous and the centre of concentration. The Neighbours’ tongues started to wag. Processions were lead towards the collector’s office. The effigy of the man was burnt. Justice was sought.

The noise of the police boots and the sobs of her mother-in-law on the other hand never stopped from yesterday. Her children were panic stricken. They remained at home and were bemused as the newspaper reporters and police officers were frequenting their house. It was the second night. Her children slept early as they couldn’t sleep the previous night. She was sleepless and she kept hearing miserably the noise from the next room. Her dim-witted mother in law uttered her famous last words “I can’t believe it...my son is innocent, there is not a grain of truth in what people say, there is no circumstantial evidence. That bitch might have gone somewhere and my son is blamed”, she screeched acrimoniously.

“Don’t shout nonsense.”...her father-in-law interfered. “I have been objecting over her entry here, because she grew younger and full.”

“Shut up...or go to the police and be a witness. You are a hermit.” Her mother-in-law slurred the last words.         

Shouts and slogans hammered her mind and she was unable to sleep even the second night. It was the third day. Her father-in-law went out somewhere early in the morning. Her children grew normal and went to school. Visits of the police officers and newspaper reporters continued but with less frequency. The third day passed with less chaos. Her father-in-law might have tried every trick in the book and succeeded in bringing him home. It seemed her father-in-law got a bail for him. Joys almost turned up. Her children were happy. Her mother-in-law was on cloud nine.

She was sitting in her dark, silent room. She was breathless when she felt his hands on her left shoulder. She remained unmoved. The grip became firm. She sensed his hands creeping towards her under arm. He was in a tearing hurry to fondle her. She heard him saying, “Only you can understand me my dear, girls except you are my sisters. Do you think I did this?” She unwound his arm and got rid of the grip, she wanted to say, “I know you are a nerd. Am I a prat to accept what you say? You cannot fool me being a sly.” But she was silent. She knew it was of no use even if she said anything. He held her hand; she half-heartedly accepted her fate and came near the children to sleep.

Translated by Rafat Farzana