Scene - 1
The front yard of Dharam Singh’s pucca house was a scene of solemnity, the air heavy with grief as the lifeless form of a woman lay shrouded in white, a stark contrast against the vibrant greenery around the courtyard. Inside, a cacophony of mournful cries echoed through the house, a chorus of anguish that seemed to pierce the very walls. From the winding lane leading to the house, a procession of women approached, their veiled figures moving with solemn grace, their mournful wails echoing in the stillness of the day. Each step seemed to carry the weight of their sorrow, every beat of their chests a testament to the depth of their loss. Amid the sea of sorrow, Chiku, a one-year-old girl, her innocent eyes wide with bewilderment looked around. For her, this was an unfamiliar world of grief and despair, a world she could not yet comprehend. Her innocence was untouched by the wailings, shrieks, and shouts that surrounded her. She was not aware that Dolly, her mother had left this world.
Scene - 2
Karan, Dolly's husband arrived at Agra Fort station aboard the Ashram Express from Ahmedabad. As he disembarked, a group of fifty to sixty people, armed with sticks and pistols, awaited him at the village's primary intersection. Why? They had to avenge Dolly’s death. Karan’s family already anticipated it; hence, the preemptive plan was made. Karan’s cousins and friends had gathered about twenty people, armed, and reached the Agra Fort Railway Station to escort him. They skillfully guided him through an alternate route to the village, ensuring his safety, and finally settled him in a friend’s residence located at the other end of the village.
Scene - 3
The lifeless form sprawled on the ground belonged to Dolly, a vibrant young woman hailing from Motipura, the quaint village. Amid the turmoil stood her father, Bachan Singh, alongside Avtar Singh, her uncle, and Man Singh, her mausa, surrounded by a group of ten others. Their adversary? Dharam Singh, Dolly's father-in-law, is embroiled in a heated altercation.
Tempers flared as accusations flew, reaching a crescendo when Dolly's mausa delivered a resounding slap to Dharam Singh, igniting a brawl. Fists clenched and voices raised, her brother and the others joined the fray, unleashing a torrent of blows on Dharam Singh.
Just when the situation seemed on the brink of spiralling out of control, a venerable village elder intervened, casting a calming influence over the chaos. With measured words, he quelled the violence and prevented further escalation, sparing Dharam Singh from the wrath of Dolly’s parents and his supporters.
Yet, even in death, Dolly found no respite. Her grieving family, resolute in their demand for justice, declared in unison, “We shall not proceed with her cremation until this matter is resolved, or we shall seek the intervention of the authorities.”
In that moment, it became clear that even in her final moments, peace remained elusive for the departed soul.
The story began in the summer of 2021. Dolly, the seventeen -year eldest daughter, tied the nuptial knot with Karan the younger son of Thakur Dharam Singh, a resident of Chitipura, a nondescript village located at the border of Rajasthan adjoining the western border of Uttar Pradesh. Her father gave twelve lakhs rupees in cash and household items worth two lakhs. Karan was a B-tech and he got a job after completing his education. He was earning sixty thousand, his monthly starting salary.
Her union with Karan unravelled at the seams right from the start. Reasons were obvious; Karan’s parent was dissatisfied with the dowry as from the prevalent standard his son deserved fifteen lakhs. Second, Karan was not very happy with the girl as she was from a rural background though she graduated from a college in the nearby town of Shamshabad. She was fair, slim, and supple with sharp features. However, Karan never took her with him to Ahmedabad where he was working; never tried to integrate her into his life in Ahmedabad.
Dolly spent two years in-law’s house and she faced strict rules to follow. She was not allowed to use her mobile and talk to her sister or brother. If they visited to meet her she was not allowed to meet them. After making two -three visits, they stopped such visits. Karan came twice a year. Her stint at her in-laws' was akin to a bird in a cage enduring oppressive rules. Even visits from her kin were tightly controlled, leaving her feeling isolated. She was not allowed to visit the neighbourhood. Two years flew away and she remained behind closed doors.
Amidst this stifling environment, she gave birth to a daughter, Chiku. After the delivery, her health deteriorated rapidly. Dharam Singh insisted Karan take his ailing wife with him as there was no proper medical facility available in the village. Karan took two months to arrange a rented accommodation in the vicinity of his elder brother's locality who was also working in Ahmedabad. Finally, Dolly joined her husband after three years holding the hand of her one-year child. Her jethani Lalita looked after her and Chiku. Lalita took her to a doctor. Dolly strictly followed the prescription. But her health showed no signs of improvement.
As her health plummeted further, she was admitted to the civil hospital in Ahmedabad. Treatment continued. Chiku was being taken care of by Lalita. Dharam Singh and his wife also spent a month with Dolly and when she showed signs of recovery, they returned to their village.
Two more months passed by. Lalita sought the opinion of another doctor and as per his advice, Dolly was admitted to the hospital. Seeing her condition she was immediately put into the ICU ward. She was on the ventilator and after struggling for a week to survive she departed from this world.
At the time of death, Dolly’s father and uncles were present and they took the body of Dolly and reached Dharam Singh’s house in the wee hours. Karan was not allowed to accompany them. The dead body was kept in the front yard. Preparations for the funeral began. Karan was expected to reach any time soon.
Blame swiftly fell upon Dharam Singh and Karan from Dolly's family, who demanded reparation for their loss before consenting to the cremation of Dolly. Her fathers accused Dharam Singh and his son Karan of her death. They alleged that Karan had killed her by not providing her medical treatment; that he had an affair and hence neglected her and somehow he wanted to get rid of Dolly. They demanded Dolly’s death to be duly compensated. ‘Cremation will be allowed only after huge money or they would go to the police.’
Meanwhile, male folks with arms are headed to use the might of muscle. They were waiting to avenge the death of Dolly with Karan. Her illness came to him handy, so he must be eliminated too.
A settlement took place after a whole day of arguments and village elders’ intervention. In the panchayat, Dharam Singh agreed to pay twenty lakh rupees that would be fixed deposited in the bank for twenty years in the name of Chiku. The fixed deposit cannot be broken before the child reaches maturity, ie., after the child completes twenty-one years- the locking period. After the locking period, the deposit could be used only if signed by both, Dharam Singh and Bachan Singh. Panchayat dictated that the child would stay with her maternal grandfather, who consented.
‘I will keep the child. Karan could not provide a happy life to my daughter, how can I trust him in the case of the child.’
Cremation took place only after all the formalities were completed.
But this was not the end. Pandora's box has still more worms to spill over.
Voices were raised, and issues erected; later Bachan Singh declined to raise the child. Again, a tense negotiation ensued, and the question of Chiku's upbringing loomed large, as Dolly’s parents were financially not well off and they were grappling with their challenges. With the grandmother's mental health in question and the grandfather burdened with responsibilities, a new caretaker had to be found.
Enters Lalita, who expressed willingness to adopt Chiku only on one condition: that once the child reached maturity, no claims could be made over her from any quarters.
Meanwhile, plans for Karan's remarriage surfaced, buoyed by the belief that a new wife might provide better care for Chiku.
In this complex web of familial negotiations, it seemed everyone had something to gain, except the innocent Chiku, who had lost her mother and facing an uncertain future. A bleak future, perhaps! Karan would marry this time with the girl of his choice. Dharam Singh would get fat dowry again., Perhaps the child will be adopted by Lalita. Perhaps, she would raise her well, fulfilling the dream of Dolly. And her mother who was no more, perhaps left this world for her good.
This tragic tale, though unique in its details, echoed a broader societal issue. Was it a peculiar case where a married woman’s death led to a financial deal? The startling facts emerged. In an area plagued by the sinister trend of young brides meeting untimely demise paving the way for ransom, justice often took a backseat to avoid police involvement. Villagers and close relatives on account of anonymity disclosed that almost every alternate day a young woman, recently married or after a few years untimely death. This is becoming a breeding ground to fix deals in the form of hefty amounts. Huge money is extracted from the boy’s family. If they refuse to fulfill their demands, they are threatened to face dire consequences- police cases. Case of dowry death can put in-laws and husband for a long time. Boy’s side pay because of they don’t want to get involved in any police case. However, in some cases, the younger girl of the same family was married to the same boy if both parties agreed to. The same happened in this case- Dolly’s father proposed to marry his younger daughter to Karan on the ground that she would rear Chiku like her mother. Perhaps it would happen soon, and Dolly would be erased from the heart and mind of all forever.