INDALI

CHAPTER - 12

INDALI'S P.O.V:-

My hairs were still half braided as I ran down the stairs to open the door. As I neared it I stopped to catch my breath and to compose myself before I can open the door. Taking a deep breath I steadied myself for whatever there was to come.

There were women. All over my verandha. I acknowledged them by folding my hands ,"Please come in" I said as I stepped aside to let them in. But none budged and stayed rooted to their places. I blinked a few times and came out into the verandha instead.

"We don't want you to open the school for our girls" a middle aged women said with a steady voice from the little crowd that has been gathered. There was a moment of pause. All I could hear was the breathing. I slowly shooked my head and said ,"But why? Don't you want your girl child to be educated?" I asked in a composed voice.

"Educated? Then who will marry them? Who will want them as their bride?" Another women questioned me back. "There are men who want their bride to be educated. Yes there are plenty" I said looking right at their eyes.

"No. No one want their bride to be more educated. No one will marry our daughters."

"You don't know anything"

"They will die all alone."

"How will she know!! When her own mother has died.Who will give her this basic knowledge on society?" And that is when the hell broke loose.

The ranting was still going , I slowly walked towards the swing that my father tied for me long back. As I walked towards it the ladies gave me way. I stood infront of it , tugged the rope hard for a few times before I took a seat and looked back at them.

"See how she is sitting all like a maharani. No shame."

"Chi chi. I am sorry for her late husband"

My raged filled eyes met theirs and they all stopped all at once. "I do not care. I do not care if you send your daughter's to the school or not but I will , I repeat , I will open this school. Coming back to what my parents have taught me or not then I am well aware how to manage things on my own.

And my late husband well because of him and my father you're still under the zamindari otherwise you would have been under the Angrez a long ago. And I think what those angrez must have done to you all? Left you starving? Yes."

They all looked at each other but didn't uttered a single word. I continued,"you don't want to send your daughter's to school it is fine by me. I wanted the welfare but if you don't want it then it's okay. I will make the girls who travel all the way to Calcutta to study to come to this village instead for their education." I said as I leaned back on the swing.

"How can you be this besharam? God is not happy with you that is why he took everyone away from you. Do good deeds there is still time." I didn't said anything I stood up and walked up to my door "The hell can break loose and I'll still open that damn thing. You all can leave.The school will open and no one can stop it. When I say no one then I mean it." I said as I closed the door. I stood there listening to all the high pitched murmuring which where penetrating these closed doors and were reaching my ears. I turned around and sat by the doors.

Silent tears fell from my eyes as I recall everything that they said.

"How can you be this besharam? God is not happy with you that is why he took everyone away from you."

"Chi chi. I am sorry for her late husband"

"How will she know!! When her own mother has died."

I fell there and let the tears flow on their own accord. I was too tired to stop them. Too tired to wipe them. Too tired to scream.
I just let them flow.