A funny story: Prem Pallava

- Coordination: Pratibha Thakkar

- pratibhathakker@yahoo.com

Pallavi and Pratik were showered with congratulations since this morning. And why not, his darling daughter had a resounding success in chess internationally. How crippled was her disability in the face of her daughter's great success. Even in a wheelchair, his confidence seemed to be at an all-time high. Tired of welcoming and entertaining guests all day, Pallavi sat in the gallery with a cup of tea. There was a sad fishing line somewhere in the corner with joy in her eyes. Someone's memory kept wetting her eyes. My daughter Divyanshi, Pallavi speaks in her mind and seems to be lost somewhere.

Years ago, Pallavi came to this city with her husband, Pratik and their twin sons. She used to go and sit in the gallery of the house whenever Navri was her favorite place. In front of her gallery was a small Government Housing Scheme house, and in the house opposite to hers lived Divya. Very smooth body, pale face but also very charming eyes, she used to see Pallavi coming and going, who knows why Pallavi liked that girl. Her pale complexion, and her bare forehead, made her realize that she was a widow. At the same time, peeking through her loose clothes, she saw her abdomen and realized that she was pregnant.

Often the two would exchange smiles in front of each other, sometimes Pallavi would wave her hand in front of him and kiss him. Once in the market the two got together. Pallavi took the bags from his hand and told him that you should not lift weights in such a situation. Then Divya speaks with a faint smile, who will do it, I am alone. The two arrived at his tiny house.

There was a bed named after the furniture. And on the wall hung a picture of Divya and her husband's wedding. In which Divya's cheerful face and shining eyes were preserved like the last sign of her happiness. The question flashed in Pallavi's eyes, he said this is a picture of my and Ramesh's wedding Didi, should I call you Didi? Pallavi lovingly put her hand on his arm and said yes. Divya said I fell in love with Ramesh when I was in my first year of college, he was a peon in our college. I am a Brahmin and an orphan from that Dalit, my parents were strongly against this relationship.

So we ran away and got married. Would it be such a great crime to love someone that your parents would make your living shraddha, defeat the photo of the beloved daughter. Are caste bonds strong enough to sever blood ties? Pallavi quietly let the surge of her mind come out. Her grief continued to flow like tears for a long time. After a while, I did not finish my graduation, so now I am doing a small job in a private company. After that Divya and Pallavi started meeting from time to time, an emotional relationship started to develop between the two.

After a while, Pallavi's mother-in-law fell ill. Pallavi took her two children and went to stay with her mother-in-law. The next day Divya fell unconscious in the office. She gave birth to a baby girl in the eighth month when people took her to a hospital. Since Divya was very weak and malnourished, both the legs of the girl were relatively small and like rags. The doctor told Divya, "Your daughter is eight months old, and your daughter is born with a disability and heart defect due to malnutrition in you. If she has not undergone heart surgery in two years, she cannot be saved." The abyss burst. Divya came home with her daughter two days later, her grief was unbearable, the happiness she had been waiting for after Ramesh's death was also shattered, seeing her daughter's condition, her heart melted, happiness in her life like a vast desert did not seem to be a mirage. Two lakh was required for the operation. Two months later, she went to the boss's office to ask for a loan, but he said that his salary was not enough to get such a large loan.

Divya decided to put her self-esteem at stake and go where she never wanted to go. She stood up with her daughter at the age of Nilkanthbhai Trivedi, but instead of being happy to see her daughter years later, Nilkanthbhai spoke to Taduki, "Beware, don't set foot in our house." In a contemptuous tone, Nilkanthbhai said that Tunto had died for us only when he had married a boy from a lower caste despite our opposition. And now you are just the bride of a Dalit house. With whom we have no relation, and this is your daughter, take this light blood and run away from our ugly house. Divya was now completely broken. One night she made a decision. She brought a bottle of poison from the market. There is nothing I can give. Being in one, I am going to take a very hard step.

He added the poison to some of the milk that fell in the house, divided it into two parts, one he drank and the other he poured into the milk bottle and gave it to his daughter, but immediately Divya became unconscious and the bottle fell down. When Divya found out that her daughter had come, she was very happy, and she left her belongings at home and ran to meet Divya. Pallavi rushed Divya and her daughter to the hospital. After a while, the doctor said that the girl was fine as there was no more poison in her body, but Divya's condition was critical.

Pallavi reached the girl Tedi Divya, Divya had just come to her senses. He told Divya with tears in his eyes and indignation. Divya said forgive me, but my self-esteem was hurt so much that I broke down. Just like every soldier on the frontier fights very bravely but not all can win. I also lost. Tears welled up in his eyes. Today I am ending my long journey of struggle. But one thing is for sure that my daughter's luck is good. Like Lord Krishna, her fate also has two mothers' love. Devaki is leaving his company, but he will always get Yashoda's love and support. Seeing him in your hands I will take my last breath very quietly. As he spoke, the lamp began to flicker and his eyes began to close. Pallavi said to her, I promise you that I will raise your daughter with your name and full respect. And suddenly there was silence on Divya's face. The next day the news came in the press that Divya Maru had tried to commit suicide with her two month old baby in which the daughter was rescued but the mother died.

Neelkanthbhai read the news and stopped his wife from talking to him. He said that our daughters had already died. The end of Divya's life became just four lines of news. But the loneliness and shattered feelings of the man behind taking this step could either be printed in the news, or someone could understand. If there was a hand on her shoulder, if there was a companion, if there was someone to give courage or warmth, then Divya would be alive today. A believer does not have to do cruel things like poisoning his child.

Pallavi woke up from her sleep as the phone rang. He told Divyanshi all his realities, and strengthened his morale like a diamond. So Divyanshi himself, despite being disabled, developed an app to help such women. Accompany and help.

Divya challenged the rigid mentality of caste and caste bonds, maybe this was a crime for the parents but life and its existence was not such a big crime. He started an organization named Prem Pallava after Pallavi so that no Divyanshi would have to take such a step out of compulsion.

- Meghna Joshi (Surat)