Infidel Bride

“Who are you waiting for?” Meera asked her cousin brother Varun.

Varun did not reply. He was standing in front of the entrance gate of their house. He was murmuring something. He was tensed and angry as well but why so that Meera could not figure out.

Today was Meera’s 18^th birthday. She was very excited about the fact that from today she would be considered as an adult and her opinions would be valued. Little did she know that adults also had this choice not to value other adults or their opinion. She could not learn it because she grew up seeing Varun as a pampered child in her family. Long before he became an adult, his opinions were valued by the members of the family. Though Meera had no objection for that, Varun hardly mattered to her. Varun and Meera always maintained a sweet and sour relationship. Varun was five years elder to her. Meera was taught to respect her big brother but Varun was very adamant and dominant in nature and this bothered Meera. Meera always hurt Varun’s male ego by living with her liberal thoughts. Hence Meera was considered a disobedient girl and people claimed that only because of her mother’s indulgence. Again Meera had no issue with it, if people did not find Varun a spoiled brat but Meera, she was convinced with their blindness.

“Let her come today, I will kill that bitch”, Varun murmured.

“Who?” Meera asked “Who do you want to kill? Why? Varun today is my birthday, don’t talk nor do anything rubbish”, Meera warned Varun. She knew how her cousin brother was, a jerk who loved to pick up fights every now and then.

“Will you please shut your mouth? Birthday, birthday, so what? There that bitch is roaming around with that Mohammedan. Our reputation is in grave threat; this girl only cares for her birthday. Your birthday will come and go every year, if reputation is gone once, it will never come back. Now leave”, Varun yelled at Mira.

“Do not talk to me like that, today is my birthday, you jerk!  For a Mohammedan you are cursing your sister in this way on her birthday! Shame on you! Go to hell”, Meera cursed her brother and left the place.

Meera went to the kitchen where her mother and aunt were cooking some delicious food to celebrate her birthday. Meera’s mother took a day off from her school to be with Meera. Meera’s mother, Mrs. Medha was a school teacher, who for her job, could never secure a space in her mother in law’s heart. Meera’s grandmother, Mrs. Yashodhara Roy Chowdhury always blamed Mrs. Medha for Meera’s out going nature. She reckoned Meera’s aunt, Mrs. Gauri as an ideal daughter in law who could always be found busy with house chore activities. Meera’s grandmother was dominant, conservative and robust in nature. It is said that after husband’s death, his wife becomes a parasite in her own family. But in Mrs. Yashodhara Roy Chowdhury’s case it never happened. She was always in-charge of the house, a decision maker since she stepped in the house after her marriage. Her husband Mr. Roy Chowdhury passed away long before, but nothing changed. Her younger son’s decision to marry Medha actually put her in an insecure zone. She knew that she could not treat Gauri, her elder son’s wife and Medha in a same way. Hence she consciously used to put effort to prove her decision right.

“Varun is so rude, Jemma. He does not care for my birthday”, Meera complained to her aunt, Gauri.

“Stop complaining, Meera”, Mrs. Medha said.

“No, no, it’s okay Medha, let her speak. Varun must have done something wrong. What is it Meera?” Mrs. Gauri tenderly asked Meera.

“He got abusive with me because of a Mohammedan”, Meera casually told. Gauri and Medha exchanged a quick look.

“Meera, do not call a person in such manner. What Mohammedan? Call him by his name”, Mrs. Medha said.

“Oh! Mohammedan is not his name! I thought someone’s name is Mohammedan. Then what is Mohammedan?” Meera exclaimed.  

“Muslims are called Mohammedans”, Mrs. Medha answered, “But what happened Meera?”

“Varun was saying that Radha was roaming around with a Mohammedan, sorry, a Muslim guy. He is very angry for that. He told that Mohammedan, sorry, Muslim guy would put our reputation under grave”, Meera answered.

The kitchen filled with an awkward silence. Meera did not know that Mohammedan but rest of her family members were aware of him. Radha, Meera’s cousin sister who was just a year elder to her was in love with a Muslim guy, Arshad Nesar. Radha and Meera were very close to each other. Their relationship was like two bodies, one soul. But Radha never discussed her love life with Meera. It was merely out of fear. She feared that her love life might influence Meera’s perspective of life or she might judge her and stop talking to her just like others. Meera, as a person, was never religiously conscious. That was Medha’s upbringing and that was why Radha always respected her aunt. But the bitterness, torture she had been going through in her life for her relationship, might scare and make Meera conscious about religion which was not at all expected to Radha. She endured everything behind the closed door.

Radha and Arshad’s affair was known to all in the family except Meera. Everyone consciously maintained the secrecy from her. Meera found Radha beaten sometime but why she could never understand. Even after being beaten up black and blue Radha appeared to be a happy child with a big smile on her face in front of Meera as if nothing had happened.

Everyone heard noise outside. Varun and Yashodhara were screaming ferociously. Meera, Mrs. Medha and Gauri came out of kitchen hurriedly.

“You bitch! Why did you come back? Where were you loitering? People respect us, your family for a reason. You forgot which family you belong to! You ruined everything. Why don’t you go and drown yourself? Bitch, die! Die!” Mrs. Yashodhara was at her top level of ferociousness. Varun was beating Radha mercilessly. Radha was bleeding. Mrs. Medha shouted, “What did you people plan for her? Would you want to kill her? Leave her right now.”

Meera was so shocked. For the first time Radha was being beaten up in front of her. Mrs. Gauri did not come forward for her daughter’s rescue rather she was encouraging her son to teach Radha an appropriate lesson that should help her to forget Arshad.

Meera realized that her birthday was perfectly spoiled. In evening she went out for dinner with her friends. Radha did not join her. Meera was not feeling good. If her mother did not rescue Radha, they would have killed her. But who was this Arshad? Meera unveiled the mystery behind Radha’s misery today.

Radha and Meera were lying on bed quietly. The room was so silent that they could hear the sound of their breathing and the sound of ceiling fan seemed so noisy.

“How was your birthday, Meera?” Radha asked gently keeping her eyes fixed on the ceiling fan.

“Perfect”, Meera sighed. Meera also did not look at Radha. The scars on her body made her bluish. Radha was fair, so a simple scar on her body used to be quite noticeable. Again both became quiet.

“Radha, I want to tell you something”, Meera sounded so desperate.

“Hmm, say” Radha replied. She was assuming that Meera would ask her about Arshad.

“Radha, there’s a boy”, Meera paused.

“Hm! So?” Radha asked.

“Radha, everyone says, I mean my classmates that… that… Adnan probably likes me”, Meera fumbled. She quickly closed her eyes. She did not want to see Radha’s reaction. Radha skipped a heartbeat. She did not look at Meera either. She kept mum.

“I know that I will be beaten up to death. That’s why I do not listen to them. I try to restrict myself so that this rumor gets buried quickly”, Meera said.

“Do you like him?” Radha asked Meera.

“How does it matter? I don’t want to give any thought to it. I don’t understand though but I know people see it as crime...” Meera could not finish talking, while Radha gave her shortest firm reply, “NO” and she turned on her left side and fell asleep or she was pretending to be sleepy just to avoid any further conversation on it. Meera continued gazing at the ceiling fan. This time the sound of its swirl did not seem noisy compared to the sound of Meera’s heartbeat.

“Hello! How are you? Oh after such a long time I am hearing your voice Sanket! I guess you have forgotten your aunt”, Yashodhara was speaking over phone.

Sanket was Meera’s cousin uncle who lived in Bangladesh. Meera’s family actually belonged to Bangladesh. It was a long tragic story hearing which Meera grew up. Bangladesh was then India when Meera’s grandfather, Brijmohan Roy Chowdhury came to West India for business purpose. He was merely 23yr old then who recently got married to 13yr old Yashodhara. Brijmohan was educated; it did not take him much struggle to settle down in West India. When he was actually thinking to shift his family from eastern to western, partition took place. Amid of chaos Brijmohan successfully brought her parents, wife and four siblings among others in India. Rest members were left behind in East Pakistan. Roy Chowdhury family could not digest the fact to be called a Pakistani. Brijmohan and his father put several efforts to bring their huge family in India. But it was not so easy. In 1971 when finally Bangladesh got independence, Brijmohan’s family decided to stay back there as they had property over there. Yashodhara developed immense hatred since then for Muslims. In partition Yshaodhara had been the witness how Pakistani people looted her house, broke her temple and same repeated when Bangladesh war took place. In both massacres Muslims confiscated most of their property. Yashodhara would never forget those nightmares.

“So what made you remember your aunt today?” Yashodhara pretended to be hurt over phone. Rest members were not able to assume what Sanket was speaking to his aunt on the other side of the phone. Anyway everyone was in rush to start their busy day. Yashodhara’s sudden shrill made them astonished.

“What? When? But your parents did not inform me about it. How could you expect my family members there overnight? You can do things overnight but we can’t. I can’t believe this that your parents would do this to me. They did not care to inform me once. Don’t forget that it was your uncle who took care of you and your family even when he was in India. And you! I don’t know, I don’t want to listen to anything.  I won’t ask anyone to visit you. That’s how your family paid to my generosity, motherly love. Suman”, Yashdhara called out her elder son, “Talk to Sanket. I don’t want to talk to him”.

Sanket got married! It happened so quickly that he could not inform anyone. Yashodhara refused to talk to him over phone, hence nobody could figure out why Sanket made such decision in hurry. Suman decided to see them. Yashodhara was not angry but she was upset. Suman assured her that he would solve the matter soon after he reach there. Yashodhara asked him to bring Sanket and his wife here as few rituals needed to be performed and rest members were commanded that nobody would talk to Bangladeshi family members till Suman returned from there.

Suman returned with Sanket and his wife. Rituals were performed. Sanket begged to his aunt to forgive him. He just informed that his family was not happy with his decision to marry Asha. Hence he was compelled to make the decision alone. Suman after returning was not saying a single word as if he should not have brought them here. Yashodhara understood her child’s mind. Such decision might affect children in her home specially Radha. Yashodhara did not want to get into any further explanation hence. The entire reason of Sanket’s sudden marriage should remain as a secret.

The day was Sunday. Everyone gathered on the table to have lunch together. Everyone was recollecting the left behind days. Asha was quiet in the whole conversation just like a new shy bride. She seemed quite nervous. Medha and Gauri tried their best to make her feel comfortable.

“So, won’t you return to uncle?” Sashank, Yashodhara’s younger son asked Sanket.

“Of course I will, someday. May be on that day when they will realize that I have not done anything wrong”, Sanket replied.

“What someday?” Yashodhara interrupted. She had to, as children of the family were present there. Sanket’s such daring step might mislead them. “Of course you have done wrong. Marriage needs consent of the family members. At least you could give it a try”, Yashodhara said.

“What? Do you think I did not try to convince them? Of course I did, but they and their back dated ideologies…” Sanket had to stop here as this statement made Yashodhara furious.

“Back dated! Now your parents’ concern, suggestion became back dated! Is that why we parents put so much effort to bring you up, to get such reward?” Yashodhara's voice was reaching almost at its top level.

“It’s okay, calm down. Let’s not talk about it. Everything will be fine”, Sashank tried to manage the situation.

“Inshallah!” Sanket’s  slip of tongue left everyone dumbfounded. Now Sanket was also left with absolute awkwardness. Asha looked petrified. Nobody could figure out how to react.

“Ah! Bangladesh has Muslim majority. Sanket has to interact with them on a daily basis. Environment impacts…” Medha tried to manage the situation. She did not want any more fight over a single infidel word. But Yashodhara did not let her complete, “Medha that’s not our upbringing. Nothing can impact on our upbringing. What’s the matter Sanket?” Yashodhara asked him in a cold voice. To Meera it seemed at this moment her granny would not think twice before murdering Sanket for his casual approach.

One more mystery was unveiled. Now Yashodhara realized why her elder son was not happy with Sanket’s arrival. Asha’s full name was Asha Khanam. She was a Muslim and for marrying her Sanket had converted to Islam. He was now Aminrul Mohammed Khanam. Meera witnessed a live riot at that very moment. Yashodhara asked them to leave her house immediately. She made it very clear that she would not allow infidelity in her house under any circumstance. She would not mind to poison that person to death. At that very moment Asha and Sanket, no, Aminrul Mohammed Khanam left the house.

“Love has no religion. You should judge a person by her nature, not by her religion. I have not committed any sin. Asha is my wife and will be so till my last breathe”, these were Aminrul Mohammed Khanam’s last words before leaving. In that evening, Radha also left the house, never to come back.

On the same day an infidel bride was driven away from her in law’s house with a broken dream of having a family of her own and a girl left her house for ever with the dream to be an infidel bride.

Meera suddenly discovered her love for Adnan!