Under the guise of tragedy... .

- Crimewatch-Mahesh Yagnik

- Nagin threatened Aarti by baring his teeth. 'I have come here to respect your faith, I treat you well enough to show everyone, but going to Amreli will change everything. I did not have the foolishness to complain to these people. If you open the door by mistake, I will reach Amreli and break your bones. Neither your mother nor this mother will come to save you. Got it?'

(Today's crime fiction is 100 percent fictional)

'I'm hooked, Madi! After suffering this man's torture for twenty months, I can hardly bear it anymore. I'm running out of patience. Every night falls and thoughts of suicide come. Amreli used to speak aarti in a voice choked with tears. In Timbadi village, his widowed mother Kanku did not have telephone or mobile facility. The neighbor Radha was good so Aarti would call her whenever she wanted. Radha used to call out to Kankuba. Kankuba, sitting in Radha's house, was listening to her daughter's complaint with wet eyes. 'Madi, you didn't do any investigation before marrying me to this monster? Instead of marrying such a man, if I had pushed him into a well and killed him, I would have died at once - I don't like to be beaten and die like this every day.'

'Trust in God, son! Pouring water on stones will not change anything. Even if you unite the sky to fix it, there will be no change. No one is reformed by preaching, time alone convinces all.' Janeta explained to her daughter. "There will come a time - when he stumbles like this, his match will be straightened out. Until then, be patient.' A sudden thought came to him and he added. 'Do a thing. Sharadpoonam is over today. Both of you come here on Diwali. Come stay here for a week or so. When he stays here, I will explain to him by touching him. If you are lucky, he will agree with my words. The rest is green! Talk to him today and arrange to come here.' Daughter accepted mother's advice.

Kankuba sighed as she handed the mobile to Radha. 'This is my girl's baby!' Kankuba gasped looking at Radha. 'You have been here for two years, so you don't know about our condition. When Mari Aarti was four years old, her father passed away. No other uncles support. Khoba is a field, which has been allowed to be plowed by Bhagia, where will our mother-daughter's bread for twelve months come from? I have raised it by cleaning people's houses. Studied up to seven books in the Nishal of the village. He wanted to study further, but I did not have the strength. After leaving education, she also started working like me..'

Radha's husband had not yet come from the farm. As she was alone, Kankuba was talking about her life struggle to lighten her mind.

'When Aarti turned sixteen, she looked so beautiful that I became worried. She should not be sent to work alone in such a house. She used to send Aarti to work in only three houses considered noble.'

'Was Aarti clever in studies?' Radha asked curiously.

'Aarti was clever but at the same time extremely self-righteous and stingy. When she was studying in sixth grade, the teacher beat her. The master got angry as the other girl misbehaved... O girl, stand up and come here and hold your toes.. looking at Aarti he ordered. Aarti said sir, I did not mischief. Punish the one who did it. As the daughter of a poor widow, Aarti didn't have much power to speak... speaking against? Saying that, the angry master kicked Aarti's feet and Aarti had to stand holding her toes for an hour in front of the whole class!'

'Then?' Radha asked as Kankuba stopped.

That gentleman used to come to Nishal everyday with a bicycle from the neighboring village. A devastated Aarti took revenge on the fifth day. Tens of acacia roots penetrated both the wheels of the sir's bicycle! His car was not caught. The master had an idea, but no proof. That's why he called me and scolded me and said that this daughter of yours is very stingy!'

Speaking lightly of this mischief, Kankuba became serious. 'When Aarti turned seventeen, I had the courage to marry her after seeing a good house. There was poverty at home but Aarti was smart and clever in her work. A distant maternal uncle of mine lives in Morbi. He pointed his finger. Nagin owns a stationery shop in Amreli. His parents passed away four years ago. Nagin Timbadi came with uncle and aunt. Seeing Aarti, he immediately said yes.' Kankuba added remembering. 'Twenty months ago Jan came to the village and my aarti reached Amreli.'

'What's wrong with him now? Why is Naginkumar annoying?'

'That vanthel has a relationship with another outsider. Instead of giving money to Aarti at home, Pelli Vantari flies back. As soon as Dhani is wandering around with the other Bairi, Aarti gets flustered and says something, then lifts that hand. In Adhura, Puru has also climbed the ramparts of alcohol.' Kankuba's voice trailed off. 'My daughter is absorbed in the mind after being beaten by the master. My life burns to see its condition. This Diwali, when he comes, I will call those morbi parents. He showed this sample. As an intermediary elder, it is also his duty to straighten Nagin or not?'

Radha nodded. At the same time her husband came home so Kankuba left.

Nagin and Radha came to Timbadi on the day of Diwali. Kankuba did not keep any cash in the son-in-law's allowance. Aarti called Morbiwala Mama. He had a very big cutlery shop in Morbi. Mama refused to come to Timbadi and said that you have not come to my house after our marriage, so it will be fun if you stay for four or five days and come to Morbi like that. With sincere insistence, he said that how far is Morbi from Timbadi? The road is seven kilometers and the ST bus will deliver within an hour.

Aarti knew that Mama was strong enough to threaten Nagin legitimately, so she accepted Mama's invitation.

After staying at Timbadi for five days, Aarti and Nagin went to Morbi. Mama welcomed them both with love. After the meal, when Mama's son Manoj Nagin was taken out to eat paan, Aarti told everything to Mama-Mami. Placing her hand on Aarti's head, Mama assured that Nagin would be allowed to perform Jalsa in Morbi for four days, after which she would be remanded; I have the ability to make it look straight!

Walked around the market with Manoj and his wife and watched a movie in the theater. Manoj used to manage his uncle's shop. After resting on the ground in the afternoon, after drinking tea in the evening, Nagin and Aarti went to the shop. The lock of the house in Amreli was very complicated, so Aarti's eyes were wandering on different locks. Seeing that, Mama said that this whole shop is yours - eat whatever you like with love. Aarti hesitantly picked a small lock as Mama didn't want to take money, but Manoj very lovingly put a big lock in Aarti's purse. Manoj said after they both sat in the shop for a while. 'I don't want to leave the shop, and tomorrow evening you have to leave, so come see the suspension bridge over the Machhu river. The ticket is seventeen rupees but the money is collected. Right now it will be like a fair there so it will be fun.'

Taking her advice, Aarti and Nagi lifted their feet. Nagi threatened Aarti by baring his teeth while walking on the road. 'I have come here to respect your faith, I treat you well enough to show everyone, but going to Amreli will change everything. I did not have the foolishness to complain to these people. If you open the door by mistake, I will reach Amreli and break your bones. Neither your mother nor this mother will come to save you. Got it?' What will the shaken Aarti say?

There was a huge crowd near the swinging bridge at half past six in the evening. There was a fair-like atmosphere amidst the rosy chill in the air. Nagin took the ticket and both went ahead.

At a quarter to seven, there was an uproar in the whole of Morbi. Hearing the news that the bridge was broken, all the traders closed their shops and rushed there. Manoj and Mama were worried about Aarti and Nagin. They also ran after hailing the shop. The crowd was so large that no one knew who was where. Amidst the chaos, ambulances arrived with sirens blaring. Amidst the searchlights, Manoj saw that the bridge had collapsed in the middle, throwing people thirty-five feet down.

Nothing could be heard amidst the screams and shouts. As he made his way through the crowd, he looked for Aarti and Nagin. The lucky men who were on this side of the bridge were spared. Manoj moved towards them and seeing Aarti sitting in the middle of the crowd, his eyes sparkled. He reached there running. Clinging to him, Aarti started crying.

'Where Naginkumar?' Manoj asked. Aarti said in a shaky voice, pointing to the Macchu water below. 'A was slightly ahead of me. I stayed on the bridge and right in front of my eyes...' Aarti could not speak further, crying in tears.

Manoj identified the body and got the officer to write Aarti's name and Timbadi's address as the heir. After getting the news, Kankuba also came to Morbi. Aarti's eyes were full of tears. Mami and Kankuba took care of him. Mama settled all the rituals in Morbi itself. Mama said to Kankuba as Kankuba and Aarti left for Timbadi. 'Nagin was such a poor man, but while dying, he continued to do the good of Aarti. Aarti will not mind because the government will give a huge compensation.

After reaching Timbadi, the Aarti remained silent for two days. Kankuba's mood was strange. It was sad that a young daughter became a widow, and at the same time it was a relief to be released from the torture of a worthless husband and to receive government compensation.

At two o'clock on the third night, Aarti sat up in bed with a horrible scream. Hearing her scream, Kankuba, startled, went to her with a light. Rebzeb Aarti's eyes were covered with sweat and her whole body was trembling. Putting her on her lap, Kankuba began to rub her hands on her head. 'If son, like a tiger, your mother clings to you. Not at all. what happened? A bad dream?'

'It's in this room!' Aarti's voice was trembling. His eyes, wide with fear, were still scanning the room. 'That bastard came to kill me with a bottle of liquor in his hand! Say I'll kill you!'

'Hey madman! If in front of me.' Kankuba explained it lovingly. 'Here we are in our house and he died weeks ago! Where does it come from?'

'Here it is, Madi!' Aarti's voice was still trembling. He wore only the brown T-shirt and blue pants worn that day. Gritting his teeth, he raised a bottle in front of me and said that he will kill you!'

'Erase this illusion from your mind, daughter, God called him because he lost his sight. What is your fault in that?'

'God did not call him!' Aarti's voice trembled. When we were going over the bridge, he pointed his fingers at my groin and told me that if I complain to your mother or maternal uncle, I will go and burn him alive! As we moved forward, the pool broke. As I was on this side, I stood holding the rope of the bridge. It was slightly ahead of me and the bridge broke from there. He was hanging by the rope of the bridge with both hands, struggling to come up. Seeing the man hanging who had poisoned my life, my arch escaped. Everything that he had tortured me for twenty months appeared in front of my eyes in half a second. The demon was staring at me with pitiful eyes and begging to come up. The lock given by Manojbhai was in my purse. He pulled it out and slapped it on his arm and he fell down with a thud!'

Perseve Rebzeb did not have the strength to speak further in the aarti. Kankuba was stunned and somewhere in the street a dog was crying.