Part -3 (Trial of the Rapist)
It's scary. Is it a common thing to go and feed a chained madman? Or do they sometimes kill them?
Just today, Pratul killed everyone while trying to bathe them and ran away. No one was home at the time. It's not clear where he went. They searched everywhere. Finally, he was found in the forest. Many such incidents happen.
She served rice in the middle of a plate with a few kinds of curry on the sides. Everything was homemade. Fried fish, fried eggs, fried eggplant, potato stew, fish soup, chutney, etc.
And Savitri Devi is a very good cook. She still manages to cook for so many people every day because she loves cooking. No one in this house likes anyone else's cooking except hers.
I wanted to explore the place a little. After eating, I slept for a while. My body felt so tired. When I woke up, it was already afternoon.
I went out for a while after being told to go home. Pratul is calm now. He is sleeping in his own room due to the medicine. When he is asleep, it seems like everyone is at peace. When he wakes up, it is everyone's problem! He annoys everyone in the house.
I did not go to the southern side of the village. It seemed to be a very peaceful environment there. From a distance, it seemed like there was a lot of forest land. The afternoon sun was shining brightly in the forests.
The chirping of birds seemed to have awakened nature. I passed the children playing in the fields and the lotuses bobbing their heads on the water and gradually moved south.
After a while, there was nothing behind me. I stopped for a moment and looked back, and I saw that there was as much forest in front of me as there was behind me.
A narrow river flows through it. And this narrow path runs alongside it. A little further on the river. The water was very cold because the sunlight did not fall well. The small stones under the water were very clear.
Fish were seen swimming in the moss. I leaned down and looked at it for a long time. It was as if I had escaped from this noisy and restless nature and entered another world for a while.
- "Who?"
I was shocked to hear that. The voice sounded like it belonged to a very young girl. But how did a young girl come to this deserted place?
I turned my face. But I couldn't see anyone around. Just bushes and jungle and a huge tree standing tall in the middle. I clearly heard a girl's voice! Did I hear it wrong? No, I won't hear it wrong then? Where is she?
A bird was still calling in a low voice. And just then, behind me, I heard the laughter of a young girl.
I looked back in surprise. My father was standing behind me. He must have been about fifteen years old.
A tuft of curly hair hung down the sides of her neck and back. Two brown eyes in the middle of her extraordinarily beautiful face seemed to enhance her appearance even more.
A smile still lingered on her pale pink lips. She was wearing a torn, discolored red-and-green cotton sari that reached above her knees.
-"You? Who are you? And in this forest at such a time?"
-"I am Suniti. This forest is my home. I live here."
-"What! Could anyone live in this forest? Who are you?"
The girl said with a wider smile.
-"Me? Who am I again? I live alone."
-"Alone?"
-"Why? Can't you live alone? It's much better to live alone than in those people's village! If only I had understood this earlier..."
If only I had understood more before... Suniti said this in a very low voice. I was very surprised by her words. I asked again,
-"Where is your house?"
-"Under a tree. It's not your business to know. I don't want anyone to know about my safe place. I don't trust anyone. Humans are very strange creatures.
They can do anything to anyone for their own good. They never back down! So I don't want anyone to have any contact with my safe place."
The girl can say strange things. What else can I say? But how curious I am about her. Does the girl want to be different from everyone? So much so.....
A beautiful girl in such a jungle?
It's far from the village, and if she really wants to be away from everyone, what does she eat?
What does she eat or live here?
It was then that she understood what I was thinking, and said,
-"I eat forest fruits. I also grow vegetables, etc. It's like eating twice a day."
This girl seems to be quite strong. She can understand anyone's thoughts. Then she spoke again,
-"Well, is it wrong to punish someone for their wrongdoing? I hope you, a wise man, will give the right answer."
He was talking like an adult. I was really surprised. I said
-"What is wrong? What is the punishment?"
Suniti smiled a little. Then in a strange tone said,
-"The crime of killing someone can be punished with death, right?"
-"What! Who killed whom? And who punished him?"
-"Whoever it is. The death penalty should be death, right? This is what gives the people of the world a lot of headaches. You go back to the village."
- "Why?"
I was shocked to hear the answer!
To be continued.......
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