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Done with a single puff on the hookah, Nekbar shrieked, "Ruki, where the hell are you? Bring me some coals from the kiln. Just not having enough fun smoking." Ruki took a few pieces of burning coal from the kiln for her father, filled the chillum, and started blowing. Nekbar forbade his daughter to blow the coals forcefully as it could cause fire to splash on her face and clothes.
Poor Ruki. Just two months after her birth, she lost her mother. She was then taken care of by her grandmother, who, after three years of bringing her up, passed away. Since then, Nekbar has played the role of Ruki's father and mother at the same time. Under his overlord, Nekbar engages himself in reaping paddy, sowing paddy seeds, and planting seedlings. When harvest time is in full swing, Nekbar gets very busy. In these times, sheltering Ruki became a challenge. As he couldn't leave this little girl alone at home, so, while reaping paddy, he kept his daughter sitting on the aisle.
Nearly dark-skinned, Ruki is now on the wrong side of sixteen. A village girl of this age is considered grown up. Motherless, she has to handle all the household chores herself. Besides her romps with other village girls, she has to cook for her father and keep the house spick-and-span. She also likes to consider herself grown up. These days she even attires sarees.
Ruki holds a strong desire for nose rings, maintaining that a girl with a nose ring is a scene itself. She even talked about her passion to one of the aunts next door. That aunt smarted and said, "When you get married, you get to wear a nose ring by default." Shy with the topic of marriage, Ruki got a little bit thrilled. For playing house since childhood, a prototypical family has already been established in her fantasy. Besides, she has started getting some marriage proposals nowadays.
Once, while fetching water from the pond, Ruki's eyes got stuck on the zephyr lilies. The banks were covered with thick grass, which seemed like a carpet laid down on earth. Amid the grass, the zephyr lilies that popped up resembled beautiful nose rings. Ruki caressed the grass carpet, plucked a flower, and put it on her nose. For a moment, she felt like having a family of her own. She had had this feeling sooner than she was filled with a sense of shyness. Suddenly the flower on her nose fell on the grass, which made her remember what her aunt had said: "A nose ring bears the sign of a woman's chastity. A nose ring given by the husband should never fall from the nose of a chaste woman." Ruki was shocked. Hurriedly, she plucked another flower, wetted it with her saliva, and placed it back on the nose. This time it stayed put. With her twinkling eyes, she looked back into the clear water of the pond only to discover a different self. She stared long at the facsimile of her nose ring that showed up on the water.
An older woman from the western suburbs comes to beg in Ruki's village, known as Bogy's mother. Since Ruki's childhood, she has been known to her. A natural flow of compassion for Ruki runs within her veins. Thinking it would benefit Nekbar, Bogi's mother proposed Ruki's marriage to a boy named Nuru mia from her village, who is rickshaw puller by profession. Fatherless Nuru Mia only had an old mother. Nekbar accepts the proposal, thinking the girl will be happy in this small family. The bridegroom party also took a full measure of liking to her. They'd had no demand so far. Nuru mia's only wish was that Ruki would serve his old mother well.
Ruki got married on an auspicious day. When she reached her in-laws before evening, villagers started gathering at Nuru Mia's house to catch a glimpse of the new bride. Ruki looked charming. Especially the silver nose ring given by Nuru Mia perfectly suited her. This nose ring seemed to be the centerpiece of all eyes.
It was a full moon. A wave of moonlight shimmering on the young bride's body seemed like some extra embellishments of her wedding saree. As she sat steadily with her eyes shut, drawing the long veil, Ruki dozed off, unaware. In the morning, she woke up to the rooster's crowing, and then intending to sweep the yard, she left the room. Young girls from the neighborhood flocked to watch Ruki's activities. Older women also visited Nuru Mia's house to see how early the new wife woke up. Bogi's mother, also in this group, caught first sight of the matter: The nose ring on the nose of the bride was missing! "You wretched girl, where is your nose ring?" Bogi's mother shouted. Touching the nose, Ruki was astonished to discover the nose ring missing. Hysterical, she began searching the nose ring among the yard's dust and dirt. Meanwhile, the news had been circulated among the village women: The nose ring was missing!
Belief had it that losing the nose ring on the night of marriage is ominous. It inflicts misfortune on the husband. Thinking of her son's upcoming ordeals, Nuru's mother started whining. Nuru woke up to the screams of his mother. Being informed about everything, he also started searching for the lost nose ring, which was finally found on the unkempt bed of the new couple. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. However, the village wives carried on whispering, throwing affronts at Ruki's, as their innuendoes went, unparallel inanity. Ashamed and humiliated, Ruki stands speechless like a statue holding the pillar on the balcony. Nuru held her by hand and took her into the room.
Somehow Ruki's days were passing by. All of a sudden, Nuru's rickshaw got stolen. As the only source of livelihood was gone, everyone fell into trouble. Ruki felt worried too. "How the family will run now!" she pondered. Taken aback by the sudden outcry of her mother-in-law, her thought came to a halt. " Since this wretched girl came to my house, all our troubles started. The very day she lost her nose ring, I ascertained she was going to destroy the whole family," Nuru's mother shouted. Even Nuru seemed to second his mother. Such an incidence of theft hadn't happened all these days. Why now, then! Exasperated, he suddenly entered the room, dragged Ruki toward the yard, and started punching her breasts and back. Out of pain, Ruki began to yell. But that didn't bother Nuru. " You cursed bitch! I've lost my rickshaw for you, and now you must bring it back from your father," Nuru howled.
Ruki lost all her values in the family. Nuru mia seemed to change since the theft of the rickshaw. He tends to find faults in every step of Ruki. He often tortures her, forcing her to fetch a rickshaw from her father. Even her mother-in-law doesn't spare a single chance to humiliate her. Ruki endures everything in silence, knowing her father cannot afford to fulfill their demand.
One-night Ruki fell asleep, tired. With stealth, Nuru entered the room and slowly unhooked the nose ring from Ruki's nose without letting her feel anything. The following day, Nuru asked Ruki to give him a glass of water. Ruki obeyed, unimpressed. "Where is your nose ring?" Nuru asked with the glass in hand. "Why, it's on my nose." Ruki retorted back. Nuru cried out, "Had it been on your nose, would I have cared to ask? Tell me what you have done with it." Scared, Ruki touched her nose and found the nose ring wasn't there. It might have fallen down, Ruki thought and then looked at the floor. And before she knew it, Nuru splashed the water from the glass on her face. "Damn with your water. I must not take anything from your hand. You're cursed. Even you carry poison in your breath enough to kill me anytime. Just get the hell out of my house," he shouted. Then, he began kicking her and dragged her out of the room. Ruki returned to her father's house, weary. Looking at Ruki's face, Nekbar understood everything. He thought asking anything about what had happened could make the situation worse. So he kept mum, hoping everything would be settled soon.
Nekbar woke up early in the morning. He didn't want to perturb his daughter, thinking she should rest some more. Suddenly his eyes fell on the pond bank. Seeing a huge crowd there this early morning, he got surprised. Nekbar went ahead, pushing his way through the crowd. As soon as he reached the bank, he was thunderstruck. His dearest daughter Ruki was floating on the water, lifeless. Her face was covered with a bunch of zephyr lilies. From Nekbar's eyes, salty water drops found their way in clear rivulets.
