Aviraj...

I was mute witness to a tragic 'bargain' today.
Aviraj, a plump, innocent looking ten years old child was torn from his maternal grandmother's lap and handed over to his 'Appa', his father's father in the presence of four witnesses - so called renowned members of Society - and the sinister long shadow of the police sub inspector , who was not visible but lurked in the car just outside our gate.

Clearly, he did not want to go, but still he went queitly with tears in his eyes that he tried to supress and not one backward glance. At ten, he knows the reality of Society and that he has no choice.

Neither did his mother; is that the last lesson she taught him by example - that what is ordained in life happens, you can't fight it?

He lost saw her on the night of 13th October, when he was suddenly packed off to " study and spend the night " at his cousin's house. In his house full of father, grand parents and great grandmother he had a feeling that he was leaving his mother desolate and alone - she hadn't eaten the whole day, her eyes were swollen with crying and everyone seemed angry with her. Some telepathy made the child run back to her and ask " are you so fed up with life and being constantly beaten by papa that you will do something?" NO she looked him the eye and promised him, I will never commit suicide, I will live for you and for your nana - nani; I will not leave you in the hands of these 'darindas'.

Next morning he was brought back by his uncle and aunt and saw a few hundred people gathered outside his house. His mother had NOT broken her promise he was sure, but his father had NEVER promised him anything, had he?

His beautiful mother was lying there, peaceful at last. She has consumed poison and killed herself, said his father and his grandparents, but he knew better. He knows better - he does not need to know about the post mortem report which says that his mother died of suffocation/ asyphyxation ,there was poison in her mouth but none in her stomach. That was not the only thing missing in her stomach - chemical analysis clearly showed that she had not eaten in two days. there were scratch marks on some parts of her body too...

Her father and mother - when they were eventually told of their daughter's demise a few hours later - shouted and were telling anyone who would listen - " our daughter was murdered... I gave 4 lakh rupees to this man, her HUSBAND but he still beat her and abused her... he took money from me and spent on his other woman, his rakhel, called Pushpa Patil." Yes, the in laws will tell you, this woman exists - this man DID go to her.

Cut and dried case - right?? Aviraj's father should be arrested and should be in jail.

Sure - the father spent some hours in the jail and had to run away to Nagpur and get anticipatory bail. Aviraj's mother's father - that is! His uncle was not so lucky - he spent a week behind the bars in Amravathi, his mausi's husband, who was only present on the scene because he had come to Amravathi from Wardha to pay condolences to his wife's parents on losing their eldest daughter.

How come? What had they done?

Well - they, the parents at least - commited a lot of wrongs in my book.

First - they had an intercaste love marriage all those years ago because of which no one in the 'samaj' would agree to an alliance with their daughter.

Second - When they finally found a guy who would say yes, they married her off to him not taking into consideration the fact that HE was 10th pass while she was M.A. B.Ed. So what ? they said. He comes from a respectable, rich family and has a flourishing business with his father. Our daughter will live well. ( the flourishing business was a myth, as it later turned out

Third - when she told them he beats her and asks her to get money from her parents and her in laws don't let her work and earn herself - they don't even FEED her for days though she cooks for everyone, they still left her with her in laws. " She insisted she would not leave him" they now say. " Instead of walking out, I will try to reform him and make him work, he is not a bad person" she used to say.

But her father did not get arrested for these crimes ofcourse...

He got arrested because he supposedly 'stole money from his daughter's in laws' on the same day that he also did his daughter's last rites' - yes, he did them, not her husband.

Further, in the presence of a few hundred of their relatives, he also managed to 'kidnap his grandson and run away with him'. (If any of the witnesses were to be truthful they would affirm that the boy cried out to his nana nani " please take me with you, otherwise my father will kill me like he killed my mother")

Yes - my dears. That is the state of law and order in our country which is fast hurtling into a bright techno future and is soon going to be a top world economy!

That the police, AFTER noting down his statement about his daughter's ill treatment and his son in law's wayward ways and threats and fleasing of them, registered an FIR against him.

That the sub inspector accompanied the father in law to Nagpur to re claim the grandson.
"Better let him go" everyone advised the man. " you are already supposed to have kidnapped him - tommorow if they play foul and harm the child in any way, the blame will come on you - and why do YOU want to take the liability - he is THEIR grandson, a 'Chargan' ( that's their name) like them, let them look after him!"

The nana's logic is different - he suffers from mysenthia gravis and is constantly on costly medication - his wife has BP and heart problem - " what future can two sick old people offer him?"

So might, political clout and money power has won again. As Aviraj consoled his grandparents before leaving them " my mother is gone...what has happened has happened...don't cry please... I will get an education, grow up and look after you, I promise..." and then a fearful look comes into his face and they can guess he is thinking " if I live that long ofcourse..."

Please pray for Aviraj's long life... and hope the gods look out for him like they never did for his mother... can we do anything else?

p.s. jutice in not completely dead, may be. When he - the nana - applied for anticipatory bail in Nagpur, the High court judge quashed the FIR against him and noted - " it is nothing but a counterBLAST by the parties who stand to be potentially accused of murder" But even he advised, informally, that till otherwise proved, the boy HAS to be in the custody of his father . He is the only legal guardian now.