Tara- A Tale of her Childhood

Year: 1942

It happened on a Monday. It must have because Tara remembered that she had been restless and absorbed. That day was special as if some festivity is taking place. Conversations carried a cheerful tone. Children were chasing their mates around the house. The celebration was obvious, the first boy in Devesh’s house was born. Tara was quite happy too to see her little brother staring at her with those big brown eyes like his mother’s. They named the newborn Arun.

In a remote area of Awadh-United Provinces was her village Nawabpur. Hardly in the past 10 years, had she gone outside the village border. She was always busy helping her mother with household work. She was not educated, as people of that period preferred girls to learn the household work as soon as possible then having a formal education. Savitri (Tara's mother) taught her to cook rice, knead the dough, milk the cows and boil tea. The only school was 54 kilometres away from Nawabpur. Interestingly, only Devesh was fortunate to have a formal education in his entire village. He was a clerk at the District Government Office. As his working place was far from the village, it was only on weekends that he could visit his family.

As was usual after dinner, Tara would sit in the backyard and Devesh would tell them the stories of his childhood and about what's happening in the outside world- to which Tara was mostly unfamiliar. During the pre-harvest season, he would take Tara to the fields walking patiently through grasses and showing her how to cut weeds. In monsoon, he would let her hop on stones across small streams and help her catch frogs. And in the summers, he would give her the first seasonal mangoes to taste.

Devesh’s love for his daughter was obvious as she was his first child. But though being educated, he always wanted his daughter to marry off at early age. He prided himself on being a traditionalist. On other hand he wanted Arun (who was too small at that time) to study well. He dreamed of seeing him as a civil servant.

Year: 1946

Devesh and his whole family arrived at Arvind Shukla’s house, her father’s friend who lived in the nearby village. He and Devesh had been good friends since childhood, and he was there for some special reason. And it was to give Tara’s hand to his 18-year boy- Madan. Devesh knew the nature of Madan- He accepts whatever his father says without argument. An ‘adashvadi’ of that time. And it was true, he accepted the proposal though he was not happy.

Tara has seen the marriages of her friends. Some even were married off as early as 10 years. She was unaware of what education plays a role in her life. Knowing less about after-marriage customs, she thought of it as a ritual some or other day a girl has to perform with an unknown, whom she would spend the rest of her life with. She was very fond of decorating Brides for marriage. And this time it was her turn. She had no traits like a typical bride, who cry while leaving their house, she would rather laugh and enjoy her wedding. Why not? It was going to be the first step in exploring the big world out of her small village.

On the other hand, the night before the marriage. Madan was not able to sleep. Something in his mind was not allowing him to sleep. He stood up and went outside. The guests were already asleep. Madan's thoughts about his past life were swirling inside his head. He knew it was already late but if he had one chance more to ask- he would say no to the marriage. He did not want his freedom to go and to take responsibility for raising his family with Tara- a 14-year-old- about whom he knew nothing. Inside he loved someone else, who he never revealed or had no courage to do so. She was Indrani- his friend who now shifted to Sialkot. There was no way he could reach out, no reason to abandon the marriage taking place the next day. He blamed Devesh for manipulating his father's mind to make him agree to this.

“Idiot! What a big deal is, marrying her daughter for his sake. Is he so blinded by the facts?”- Someone from behind the house said in a low-pitched voice.

Madan's mind reversed and was now on the words said by the unknown man.

“Janab! He is quite rich. Who are we to talk about him? Better we sleep for now”- another voice echoed.

“I’m just expressing my views. Devesh Ji is rich and educated but see what he is doing to his daughter. I heard him in the office speaking that girls should marry off early. Can an educated person say this? And I heard he wants to give his boy the best education. Sadly, these thoughts are not for his daughter!”-the first voice said in raged manner.

As they were talking. Madan glanced- Both of them were the workers in the same District office, where Devesh was working. They hired them to look after Arvind Ji’s accounting and bills for the marriage.

Madan was silent for a few seconds. He came back to bed. He understood Devesh's plan. The marriage was not for ethics but for someone’s interest. He made it clear- that he will ruin Devesh desires.

The next morning, he ran off. He never returned. Anxious about the situation Arvind sent out search parties. The last time he was seen by one of the relatives going somewhere before the sunrise. Little did they know that it was the last time any one of them would see him again.

On the other side unknown with what’s happening at Shukla’s House. Tara was getting ready. Devesh was helping in setting ‘mandap’. Savitri and other ladies were preparing garlands. They expected the groom to arrive anytime soon. But after late evening, no sign of their arrival made everyone worried. While Tara was anxiously waiting in her room alone, one unknown man stepped into her room through the window. She felt someone put a rag on her face and everything went black. He then grabbed her through the window and ran away in his cycle.

Savitri screamed when she found a masked man carrying her daughter away. Till she could raise the alarm, he was gone. They launched a massive search to find the culprit but he was already far from their sight.

On opening her eyes, Tara found Madan smoking. It shocked her that he did all this. She resisted and wanted to know why she was kidnapped. Madan said nothing but smoked and drank. Tara was angry and emotional.

In the morning, after waking up she still found her hands tied. Madan was nowhere to be seen. Later that afternoon, he arrived and threw a packet containing two parathas and chutney. Tara thanked him as she was famished. Madan asked her whether she is fine or not. She angrily said, “Look at my face, do I seem fine?” Madan laughed but said nothing.

2 weeks passed. Nothing much happened. Every time Madan would come and give her parathas. He would stay there for some time, watch her eat the stale parathas and then leave slowly, closing the doors behind him.

Tara’s room was dark and empty. Above her was one roof. A small barred allowed a little light to come in. There was a stale bucket in the corner of her room. Though tap water was not available, Madan would fill the buckets so that Tara could use it. All Tara could do was imagine her life before this ordeal to pass the long days.

On the 16th day, he arrived but with a different purpose. He was drunk, except for providing her food, he did nothing as usual. He sat on a chair, and with a low voice he said, “Do you know why I kidnapped you? Because I want to take revenge on your father.” Tara felt a chill run down her spine. “He was about to ruin my life but I saved myself. I can’t let you go back, or else you would reveal my name. We will move to Sialkot soon after I collect enough money. I will marry whom I love and you can work there as a maid. No one shall find out what happened to us.”

She was shocked after hearing this. This was the person she was about to marry. Even now, she was trapped with him, in an unusual marriage of sorts. She still saw good in him. She thought him to be kind on the first day she met him. He even accepted the proposal as he had no problem with it. All these thoughts made her weaker and weaker, tensed with only one question-Why?. With little courage, she asked where she is now. Madan replied Lucknow.

Year: 1947

It is been 8 Months since Tara shifted from that small room to live with Madan. Madan's plan was failing, obviously because first, he took the decision in one night without giving a second thought about it and second he was not the type of person who had a record of keeping someone hostage. Still, he had not earned enough to buy a house in Sialkot. Half of his earnings went into paying the rent and the rest to serving the food for two. Tara was getting habitual to her new life. Every day she would cook for Madan, wash clothes and clean the house.

A few months passed, and India got independence from British Raj. Unprecedented mass migration began with millions of people making their way across the borders of the newly created States of India and Pakistan. Some days later Madan got the news that Indrani was brought in serious condition to Delhi where she died. She was with her parents while crossing the border from Sialkot to Amritsar. Both of her parents were killed and she got injured to which she succumbed.

On that night, Madan was quite guilty about what he had done. He said to Tara that he accepts her as his wife, though his plan was not fulfilled to marry Indrani, she could be her spouse and they both could return to his home. But Tara turned his proposal. She was not willing to marry a person who had stabbed her in the back. Madan's face was so upset that he left the food and got into his room. For one week, he didn’t go to work nor come from his room. On the 8th day, after returning home after buying groceries, Tara saw Madan, lying on the floor heavily drunk. He did not respond. Tara was shocked to see he was not breathing. She called the doctors who pronounced him dead. She had lived with Madan for an entire year- the same person, she was going to marry. Though she never loved him, she was sad for him. She and him had formed a strange kinship. They both were used to each other’s presence. With help of neighbours, his body was cremated. She cleaned the house after coming back. Tara cried tears of happiness at her freedom. Her life was like a roller coaster. Several ups and downs and finally it is settled. The past year taught her many things about life, that neither her parents nor anyone in her village could explain to her. She was mature now.

She returned to Nawabpur and handed over the remains of his son to Arvind Ji. He was paralysed from the day he went missing. She learned there about her father was now a farmer. He had lost his job after The British Raj fell. Upon returning, Tara kissed the soil and entered her house. She directly went to Devesh's room. He was lying on his bed, Tara knocked on the door. He was surprised to see Tara standing near the door. He stood up and ran towards her. She hugged and both cried.