Rahul was a bright and diligent college student, admired by everyone around him. He was also sincere, hardworking, and disciplined.
His parents, who adored him, had high hopes for his future. Everything seemed perfect in Rahul’s life until he met Reshma, a beautiful and intelligent classmate. Their chemistries, their interests and likings were alike. They quickly fell deeply in love, and their relationship blossomed like flowers as their college days drew to a close. Their souls merged in each other’s attraction just as a river was eager to meet the ocean.
Rahul knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Reshma. He proposed to her, and she happily accepted. It was real bondage.
However, their joy was short-lived. Rahul’s parents, who were orthodox and belonged to a higher caste, vehemently opposed the idea of their son marrying a girl from a lower caste.
‘Rahul, whatever you are doing is wrong. The girl with whom you have proposed belongs to a poor- family. And, she comes from a lower cast brood.’ Said his father.
‘But Papa, she is intelligent and well educated. What’s wrong with her? Questioned Rahul.
‘We have to follow our traditions. After all, we are noble man’ Explained him.
‘After all, what do you want? A girl to marry. Yes, Karina is my friend’s daughter. She is the best match for you.’ He tried to pursue me.
‘But I don’t have feelings for Karina. How can I marry her?’ Answered Rahul.
They tried to persuade Rahul to forget about Reshma and marry a girl they chose. But Rahul remained resolute, knowing he couldn’t live without Reshma.
The villagers and the community also opposed the marriage, threatening to ostracize Rahul’s family if they allowed the union. The people of the village who favoured Rahul were in the minority. No one heard their voice.
Undeterred, Rahul and Reshma decide to run away and get married in court. The villagers were furious when they found out and drove the young couple out of the village. Forced to start a new life elsewhere, Rahul and Reshma faced challenges, but their love kept them strong.
Five years passed, and Rahul’s parents finally relented. They realized their son was happy with Reshma. And decided to accept her as their daughter-in-law. Thus, the family was reunited, and Rahul and Reshma returned to their village. Their happiness, however, was short-lived. Reshma gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, but Rahul’s parents were disappointed.
They had hoped for a grandson and blamed Reshma for not delivering a male child.
Rahul’s father, in particular, was distraught. He was concerned about the family’s offsprings believing it was at stake.
Desperate for a solution, he approached a local tantrik baba, who claimed to have the power to solve their problem. The majority of the villagers, being superstitious because of lack of proper education, believed in the baba’s powers.
The tantrik baba told Rahul’s father that Reshma was cursed and would never be able to give birth to a male child. Rahul’s father believed him and began to distance himself from Reshma.
The rest of the family and the community soon followed suit, ostracizing Reshma and urging Rahul to remarry. The poor woman was devastated, having done nothing wrong but being blamed for everything. Rahul was torn between his love for Reshma and the pressure from his family and community. He didn’t know what to do and sank into depression.
Reshma, realizing she was no longer welcome, made the difficult decision to leave Rahul along with their daughter.
As Reshma walked away from the only home she had known for years, Rahul’s heart broke into a million pieces. He knew he had lost the love of his life and didn’t know how to get her back. The village, once full of life and laughter, was filled with sadness and regret.
Rahul’s family had lost their daughter-in-law and granddaughter, and Rahul had lost the love of his life.
As days turned into weeks, Rahul’s depression deepened. He had lost everything that truly mattered to him and didn’t know how to recover. He realized too late that he should have stood up for Reshma and their daughter instead of accepting the pressure from his family and community.
The following video depicts the superstitions and blind traditions in our society, mainly in villages.
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