Natural Justice

Sushanto Basak My World March 03, 2024

"She is doing penance", said Deben, a man of 39 years. He said this about a woman whose name was Debi. She was of 80 years old. Tarutola was her village which was nearly 50 Km away from the town Simakha. Debi was born in the year 1253 AD in a village called Shantipur. When she was of 12 years, she was married to Bikash who lived in Tarutola. After marriage, Bikash' parents suddenly died. No one suspected anything.

Within few years Bikash and Debi had two sons and two daughters.Debi had now bad reputation in her village. She used to go to others' house while they were cooking meals. They used to say that though they could cooked rice in a large pot, they could not get enough to eat when Debi came to their house during cooking. But Debi cooked in a small pot and got enough for her family. The villagers knew that Debi practised sorcery, yet they could not tell her anything in fear of much danger. They tried to avoid her.

Days passed. Devi songs and daughters became like her. Her daughters were married to different villages and after marriage they did not keep any contact with their parents. Debi's two sons also got married and her daughter-in-laws were also like her, sorcerers. They did not have any good relation, even any relation with her. The sons got separate after marriage. Almost everyday, there were quarrels in Debi's house.

One day, suddenly Bikash, Debi's husband, died. Bikash was well known as a good man. Dabi's sons had now sons and daughters, but their wives were bad. People disliked them. Debi also continued to practice sorcery against the villagers. Destiny had his Revenge. When Debi's elder son was 50, he died and another son died, when he was 55. Debi wept bitterly for them. She lost her sense when she knew the sad news. She was then 80 years old. People told that instead of her sons, Devi should have died. Besides being old, she was suffering from various age related illness. But Deben, a Frank speaking man, came forward when few men and women were talking and told "She is doing penance."