A Rapist’s Punishment By Irene Dhar Malik, Mumbai, India

Posted by Team 4indianwoman at 30 July 2007, 3:06 AM and is filed under Short Stories
Abhijeet Sharma stood with head bowed down as the judge read out the sentence.
Thirteen years of RI, and a fine of Rs.50000/-, failure to pay which would lead to an additional year in prison. Abhijeet’s upper lip twitched a bit from time to time. After the judge had finished, Abhijeet raised his head and stared at him. His eyes were blank.

Abhijeet’s family hadn’t come to the court – they were too ashamed of him. But his wife, who was sitting with their three year old daughter, broke down. Before he was taken away, Abhijeet had a few moments with them. His daughter caught his hand and looked on uncomprehendingly as her mother broke down on her father’s chest. Why, why, Suman asked amidst her sobs. As her husband was led away, she picked up her daughter and readied to face the reporters. Suman was from a village, having come to Mumbai only after marriage. She didn’t want to talk to anyone now but as it was impossible to escape the reporters, she stuck to her standard “he is innocent”, “my husband has been framed” lines that she had been taught.

It had happened one afternoon. Abhijeet, a building watchman, had raped Piya, a young girl, who was home alone that afternoon. He had threatened her afterwards but she had told her folks the whole story. The police picked him up from his shack soon afterwards, not paying much heed to his denials. It was not a very difficult case and Abhijeet could not afford a star lawyer; he was soon convicted.

Suman soon realized that her in-laws did not want her around with Abhijeet in jail. There were taunts about what must have driven Abhijeet to rape; maybe his wife didn’t satisfy him... Suman also was at the receiving end of lot of jeers from the neighborhood hooligans and even some so-called ‘decent’ guys. She started feeling scared for her daughter’s safety. Most people liked her though, and one of her friends advised her to go back to her parents’ home. She did that.

Abhijeet never really understood what made his crime so foul that he found himself isolated even in prison. He had come to understand that what he had done had been a momentary lapse of sanity but he thought his punishment was much harsher than his crime. In jail, amidst people who had committed crimes, he had expected some sort of brotherhood... and had found none...

The years passed slowly and he gradually forgot about life outside, about what had got him into jail, and even managed to make a few friends inside. No one ever visited him. He used to think about his wife sometimes, and his sweet little daughter. At times, he felt a dull ache of longing for her, the apple of his eye. He had, in the first years, written a few letters. There had been no replies.

Then one day he finally was out of prison. He was standing outside his home of many years, trying to collect his thoughts for even though he had longed for freedom, he was not too sure about what to do with it. A man who hasn’t been sought out for years knows that he has nowhere to go. He however knew that he had to seek out his wife and daughter.

Abhijeet went to meet his own family to find out the whereabouts of his wife and child. He was not welcome there and for all they knew and cared, his wife and child could be dead. He now set out to look for his wife, thinking that she would probably be with her own family. He had visited her village twice before, once to get married, and once after Suman’s delivery. He found it easy enough to find her village but didn’t know what to do next. Even if he found her place, would Suman too turn her back on him like his family had? And his child? He couldn’t bear to think about it. He spent the night on the station platform, blending easily enough with the few beggars hanging around.

The years hadn’t been easy on Suman. Her family hadn’t exactly welcomed her back with open arms but as she made herself useful in many ways, and helped with the income too by working as a maid, she and her daughter gradually fitted in. The only bone of contention had been her insistence at getting her daughter educated. It was a proud day for her when her Laxmi got a first class in her board examinations, and now attended college in the neighboring town. Suman had to work harder now as the expenses had increased, but she didn’t mind. She had a dream for her daughter, and she waited for the day it would come true.

Suman stopped in her tracks as he blocked her path. She had perhaps known that this day would come but she had chosen not to think about it. But now he was there, standing before her, looking so tired and unhappy that she didn’t quite know how to tell him that he had to go away. She turned around and walked back slowly, knowing he was following her. She sat on the small porch outside her home and looked at him again as he came up to her.

Can I meet her?

She slowly shook her head.

Go away please. She doesn’t know about you. She has forgotten... Go away please.
Her voice broke. She knew he had perhaps been punished enough and had a right to see his own daughter. She longed to have her man back, sharing her responsibilities. He hadn’t been a bad husband…

He looked at her for a long time and then bowed his head and turned away. He walked away slowly, without ever looking back, but feeling her presence all the while. Later, from a well-hidden point, he watched his daughter leave for college. And in her face, he suddenly saw the face of the young girl he had raped...

He knew that this was his punishment.

 

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