TRANSLATED FROM KANNADA BY SAHANA PRASAD
“There is a saying in the tale of Sankhyaayana, my dear daughter, that… when the impermanent body perishes, the soul remains unaffected! This has been beautifully conveyed in the rhythm of association. Rhythm here means the pace and movement of sound.”
“Appa… please! I don’t have the mind to listen to rhythm, metaphysics etc. Just close that book.”
“Why do you say that dear? You used to listen with so much interest before. Why this change now?”
“I don’t know, Appa… In this society, there’s no place for noble words anymore. We follow all these ideals, but others don’t… Why should only we be good? We’re far behind, reading pure grammar… Today’s society follows a different kind of grammar.”
“There are no restrictions for anything, dear. It’s just about our choices… Our choices follow our heart.”
“Still, Appa, you haven’t changed with time. You’re always talking about justice, morals, dharma, and ideals! You still read those old poems and Puranas… You haven’t even changed your lifestyle. Still using grinding stones, iron stoves… even when I ask you to get a mixer, you refuse. The world has changed so much, Appa… but you’re still stuck in the 1960s. Look at new inventions… use them. Make life easier.”
“When the time comes, even strong ideologies can change… I’m not an exception, dear… I’ve changed too when the time called for it!”
“Okay, there’s no point telling you. I’m getting sleepy now. Just hum a lullaby and help me fall asleep.”
“Ahaa, very cute you are! Even though you go to college, you still act like a little child… You want to sleep on my lap, don’t you?”
“Of course… No matter how grown-up I am, I’ll always be your little girl!”
(Next Day)
“There’s a case today. We need to go to court… Come quickly, dear… I’ll serve you breakfast and then get ready.”
“What’s for breakfast, Appa?”
“Gojjavalakki, my dear…”
“Wow! Your signature dish! Please… can you feed me, Appa?”
“Oh… it’s getting late… but what can I do? Now that you’ve asked, how can I not feed you… open your mouth…”
“Oh my God! This is amazing, Appa… You’re like Annapoorneshwari!”
“Haha… Smart girl you are… You’ve learned how to flatter me well. Alright, or else we’ll b
late for court. Lock the door properly and stay inside. I’ll get your favourite jilebi on my way back. Top it with lemon juice and lick it up, okay?”
“Sweet, Appa… Go ahead. I’ll be waiting.”
“Take this… hot, crispy jalebi. Wait, I’ll go get a lemon.”
“Thank you, Appa.”
“So, what did you do at home… bored being alone? Is that much lemon juice enough, or should I add more?”
“That’s enough, Appa… Wow, do you know how tasty this is? It’s divine… So, what happened at court?”
“What else, dear… the hearing has been postponed again to next month…”
“Did those three boys come, Appa?”
“Only two showed up. One of them was apparently unwell and didn’t attend.”
“Did they talk to you, Appa?”
“Talk?! They didn’t even have the courage to look me in the eye. They just stood there with their heads bowed. Whatever happens, dear… we will win. Be brave.”
“Of course, Appa… You stay strong too. Justice will prevail.”
“Correct… now you keep eating the jalebi. I’ll go finish the kitchen work. There are clothes to wash too.”
“No Appa, do you have to do all the work alone? You don’t even let me help with anything. At least hire someone to help with household chores?”
“Let it be, dear… What this work anyways? It’s just the two of us. If I don’t do even this much, I’ll become lazy… haha.”
“I love you, Appa… muah muah muah”.
“Enough, enough… if you shower this much love, I’ll burst with pride… You little rascal.”
(A few days later)
“What happened in court today, Appa?”
“All three of those boys came today, dear. Our lawyer gave them a good thrashing in court. You should’ve seen their faces! The judge said he will give the verdict next month.”
“Oh good. But why does your face look pale, Appa?”
“Nothing, dear… When the opposing lawyer cross-examined me, he asked such embarrassing questions… I felt so humiliated. You’re as pure as crystal, they have no right to question your character… But you weren’t there right now.”
“Oh… I’m sorry, Appa.”
“Why are you saying sorry, dear…? The ones who should feel ashamed and guilty are those wicked boys.”
“Still, Appa… I should have just listened to you that day and stayed quiet.”
“What to do, dear… what’s done is done. Sometimes, I feel like forgetting everything.”
“Then forget it, Appa… You’ve fought so much all alone. You’re growing old too. We don’t need this court and these cases. The government is handling it now anyway! Just rest. God will punish the wicked in His own way.”
These are the daily conversations between a father and his daughter. From waking up with words in the morning to sleeping wrapped in words at night, their lives revolve around their bond. ShreeHari is the father, and Dhruti is the daughter — the two souls in that household. ShreeHari worked as a clerk in the health department. His wife passed away due to cancer.
One year ago…
Dhruti was studying in Class 12. She was extremely talented. She dreamed of becoming a doctor. Beautiful and bright, she was a favorite among friends and teachers at college. Life was smooth and full of promise.
That day, as usual, Dhruti got ready and left for college. That morning too, ShreeHari had made her favorite Gojjavalakki. Dhruti ate happily and packed the same in her lunch box. She boarded the college bus and soon, her close friend Shrāvya joined. Dhruti called her to sit beside her, and Shrāvya smiled and sat next to her.
“Why didn’t you come to college yesterday, Shrāvya? I saw you board the same bus, but you got down before college and went somewhere else,” Dhruti asked. Shrāvya seemed startled. “Uh… uh… my aunt wasn’t feeling well… I went to her house,” she replied. “Oh, I see. How is your aunt now?” Dhruti asked. “Yeah… she’s fine,” Shrāvya replied and turned her face away to avoid further conversation. Realizing that, Dhruti too went quiet. By then, they had reached college, and everyone got off the bus. As Dhruti reached the college gate, she looked around for Shrāvya but didn’t see her anywhere. “Hey, she got off the bus with me… where did she disappear?” she wondered. That day too, Shrāvya missed classes. Dhruti felt something had changed in her. She didn’t speak freely like before. Her face carried fear and anxiety. Dhruti was certain — Shrāvya had changed.
Shrāvya started skipping college frequently. Whenever asked, she’d say she was taking care of her sick aunt. Dhruti believed her.
One evening, when Dhruti had gone to the market to buy vegetables, she ran into Shrāvya’s mother. While talking, Dhruti said, “I’m sorry to hear about your sister, Aunty. I heard she’s unwell… Poor thing, Shrāvya is taking care of her, right?” Hearing this, Shrāvya’s mother was shocked. “Oh dear, I don’t have a sister… I’m my parents’ only daughter. Shrāvya isn’t taking care of anyone! In fact, she’s been coming home late from college these days. Says they have special classes… maybe that’s why she’s late,” she said. Dhruti was confused. There are no special classes, she thought to herself. She smiled and nodded without saying anything, but her heart was set — Shrāvya was in trouble. She decided to confront her the next day.
The next day, Shrāvya did come to college, but she looked pale. During lunch, Dhruti took her aside and sat her under a tree. She too sat beside her. Shrāvya looked at her questioningly. “Look, Shrāvya, I know something is wrong. You’re facing some problem. Tell me the truth… You don’t even have an aunt! Don’t lie to me,” Dhruti said firmly. “No, really… there’s no problem,” Shrāvya shrugged. But Dhruti didn’t give up. She insisted again and again. At first, Shrāvya kept denying, but then she suddenly hugged Dhruti and broke down crying. Dhruti gently rubbed her back. After sobbing for a while, Shrāvya slowly began to speak: “What can I say, Dhruti… I’ve fallen into a vicious trap… I’ve been doing something I shouldn’t… my life feels disgusting now,” she said in despair. “Please tell me… whatever it is, we’ll try to solve it,” Dhruti assured her.
“Do you remember the day we all had gathered in our friend Sneha’s house? The party to celebrate her father getting a ministerial berth? Well, when all were making merry, I thought I got my periods. I didn’t have a sanitary pad with me, I hesitantly approached Sneha, who asked her maid to hand me one and show me a private room. I went there, wore the pad and rejoined all of you. I did notice that in the next room, there was a men’s party too, hosted by Sneha’s brother. The next day, I was shocked to see a video of the same thing, sent by an unknown number. I was devastated when I realised that though I had bolted the room door, I had forgotten to close the window near the balcony.
While I was still in shock, I got a call, from the same number. “You do not know who I am, right? That’s ok, I filmed you wearing your sanitary pad. I guess you want me to delete it?” His words burned me. “Meet me” he said curtly, and I had no option but to follow. I met him in a nearby park, I felt as if I was sinking. He held out hope when he said he would delete it, if I agreed to do something, a small job, as he said. Did I have any say in this? I went along with him the next day. No one in my house suspected anything as I left at the same time as I do daily. But instead of going to college, I went to the airport. We proceeded to Mumbai, where there was a middle-aged politician who was waiting for me in a posh hotel. He ravished me for about two hours, leaving me completely exhausted. Never have experienced that magnitude of sexual abuse! We headed back later and when we landed in our town, he pressed some notes into my hand, and I understood that he was a pimp!
When I came home, I was sick, violated and terrible back that night. I spent an entire hour in the bathroom, trying to wash off the filthy feeling. My skin tore at the ferocity of scrubbing, but I still felt violated and unclean. “I had begged him, and he promised me that the video would be deleted. But another video, of me and the Mumbai guy popped up the next day on my phone. I realised that this fellow was a pimp, and I had completely fallen into a nasty trap. Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore… I do not have the count of cities and the men who used me. There were industrialists, movie stars, politicians and many others who violated me!” Dhruti sat shocked as Shrāvya continued” It’s not just me, but many others too. Some of them are in this voluntarily as the easy money attracts them”.
“Dhruti sat like a stone, unable to think of anything to say. She had even forgotten about going to class. For a few minutes, there was a dreadful silence between the two of them. Then, in a voice filled with sorrow, Dhruti said,
‘Oh Shrāvya, even after all this happened, didn’t you feel like you should tell me at least? What a fool you are! You should have been cautious the first time itself. You shouldn’t have been scared. Tell me, what mistake did you commit, isn’t it the same thing all girls go through? You could have filed a complaint to make sure he didn’t leak that video. You could have reported it to the Cyber Crime department… you could have told Sneha and taken help from her brother. Were you so hesitant to even talk to us about it…?
Trying to escape from it only made you fall into an even bigger trap…
At least now, don’t stay silent… Give me his details… I will file the complaint myself… Don’t be afraid… The more we girls fear, the more they try to scare us. These men are utterly vile— even a woman’s smallest private act becomes a source of perverse pleasure for these beasts. Such people should not be let off easily… they need to be taught a proper lesson,” she said.
From there, the story took a new turn! Dhruti bravely filed a complaint against the pimp with the police department. Her father, ShreeHari, also supported his daughter’s fight and arranged legal help through lawyers they knew.
But the innocent ones didn’t realize that there were people within the police department who supported that criminal. On top of that, he had political backing as well. Sneha too didn’t come forward much to help; she was under pressure from her brother.
As a result, the police just went through the motions of an investigation and quietly closed the case. Even that would have been tolerable — but the real trouble began when that vile man’s eyes turned toward Dhruti for revenge. A fire of hatred began to burn against her in those perpetrator’s minds.
One evening, Dhruti headed out to the tailor. The next morning was the college annual day celebration. All her friends had decided to wear sarees of the same color. Dhruti had given her blouse to a nearby tailor to be stitched.
When she went to collect it, the tailor said, “The hemming is still left, and I also have to attach hooks to the dori. Come back by 8 tonight and collect it.”
Dhruti felt irritated—he had told her over the phone that everything was ready. Why is he saying this now? She wondered. These tailors are all the same, troubling us till the last moment, she thought. She replied, “Fine, I’ll come by 8pm. Don’t tell me then that it’s not ready for any reason,” and returned home.
As it neared 8 o’clock, she got ready to go to the tailor’s shop. ShreeHari (her father) had a strange sense of unease.
“Today is Amavasya… and the lights on that road haven’t been working since yesterday. It’s very dark out there, dear… don’t go alone. I’ll come with you slowly,” he said.
“It’s okay, Appa,” she replied. “Just yesterday you had that accident and hurt your leg falling off the scooter… “That idiot came and deliberately hit you with his vehicle, and because of that, you had to suffer the pain… ugh! The doctor said you need to take rest… so just rest for now. I’ll go quickly and be back,” she said.
Despite ShreeHari repeatedly asking her not to go alone, she didn’t listen and set out by herself. She hadn’t even gone halfway when a car sped up and stopped right next to her. Three men stepped out and forced her into the car and when it stopped at a deserted place, they hit her mercilessly with their belts, pounced on her and ravished her multiple times. Later, they pounded her body more with heavy stones and left her there, half dead.
Cut to the present….
“Dear daughter… after enduring all that trauma, God has finally delivered justice. Those wicked people have been punished! Justice is not dead yet… I can’t even express how happy I am. All the struggle these past days has finally been worth it,” said ShreeHari, trembling and gasping as he arrived home. Tears were flowing from his eyes.
“Is that so, Appa… now I feel at peace, Appa…? I don’t even know what to say,” Dhruti replied emotionally.
“Oh dear… words can’t express it. Only we both know the terrible pain we’ve been through all these days. Look, I bought you a new churidar because I’m so happy. The one you’re wearing is old now… I got you one in your favorite marigold color. Come, I’ll help you wear it,” said ShreeHari, as he began helping his daughter into the new dress.
“Hey dear, what is this scratch on your hand… wait, I’ll get it fixed right away,” he said, picking up his mobile and making a call. As soon as someone said ‘Hello’ from the other end, ShreeHari said, “Hello, is this SR Sculpture Studio… Mr. Girish?” When they confirmed, he said, “Mr. Girish, there’s a scratch on my daughter’s wax statue’s hand… could you come take a look? I’ll send a photo on WhatsApp. Let me know what can be done… okay, bye,” and he hung up.
Then, turning to Dhruti, “Sorry, my child, I just called you a statue! But you are always alive to me, dear… as long as I breathe, your breath lives within mine. That’s why… only I can still hear your voice! That day, when you were taking your last breath in the hospital, the last words you said about those cursed men—the pimp of lust and the minister’s son, his partner—those were your final words to this world. That moment is still so fresh in my memory. Some kind soul had brought your half-dead body to the hospital. They also informed the police. When the news reached me, I felt like my life was over. When I saw your condition at the hospital, my heart felt shattered.
Before your last breath, you gave information about those demons to the doctors and police officers. Maybe you stayed alive just to say that. You looked at me lovingly one last time and closed your eyes! What immense willpower you had, dear! After you gave that dying declaration, the government took up your case diligently, as it wasn’t just cruelty against one girl… it was an atrocity against the entire society! So, the police themselves filed the charge sheet in court. The government appointed skilled lawyers to argue on your behalf. Since it was both a rape and murder, they were charged under IPC Sections 376 and 302. I was a key witness for the death statement.
“You were so brave, my dear, that even in such a horrific situation, you pulled out strands of those boys’ hair and held them tightly in your fist. The stains on your clothes, the DNA tests—everything became strong evidence. Yet the case went on for a whole year. I wasn’t required to attend every hearing, but still, I went.
College students put pressure on the government to ensure justice was served for you. Your friend Sneha also insisted that her brother must receive the harshest punishment. And Shrāvya—wept so much… I hadn’t told you all this till now, fearing it would because you more pain. But today, I felt I had to tell you! No matter how painful, I wanted to relive that harsh truth one more time—because today, the Session Court gave the boys a severe sentence. That’s our only solace now! The thought that this punishment might prevent similar tragedies from happening to other girls in the future—that gives us some peace.
I truly feel proud of you, my daughter… You may not be with me physically anymore, but to me, you exist as a living voice within my emotions.
And no, don’t think this is some hallucination or delusion of mine. You are the very rhythm of my life. I now live by imagining your words. I have created your presence in a world of imagination…”
“You were a vibrant soul, my daughter. You were my only source of hope and support. Without you, how am I to live alone? That’s why I gave a physical form to your presence—so I could find peace in feeling that you’re still with me…
To someone like me, who was destined to live in complete darkness, this statue of yours has become like a tiny pinhole letting in light.
Let it be… let the two of us remain like this forever—for each other. You, with me… and you, who now lives within me…”
Glossary
Annapoorneshwari- Goddess of food
Gojjavalakki -spicy beaten rice
PICTURE CREDITS https://pin.it/27TpflQWU
Also, read Poems by Bhaskar Chakraborty, translated from Bengali by Partha Pratim Das, and published by The Antonym.
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