Vardaan 1...The Ultimate Boon

Chapter 5: Are Women Also Human? (Part 1)

One morning in the year 1188, Krishna Chandra returned to his birthplace. People started recognizing him as soon as he entered the village.

The reactions of the villagers were mixed. Some were shocked and some were surprised. Smiling Krishna Chandra did saluting everyone and kept going toward the home. He was very happy to reach out of his house. He looked at the house for a while and then went inside.

Beli Rama was going to work and Shakuntala Devi came out to see him off. All of a sudden they saw their lost son. All three looked at each other near the threshold. Despite not wanting to, the parents also gave the same reactions as everyone else.

"Krishna Chandra is looking well. He looks handsome and calm. Look at the smile on his lips, as if nothing had ever happened to him. But how is this possible?" The old eyes said to each other because according to the prophecy of the monk, Krishna Chandra would either die or take renunciation.

In both cases, he was not going to return home ever. Accepting so, the old couple gave up the idea of ​​seeing their son again. But smiling Krishna Chandra was standing in the courtyard.

How could it be?

The reaction of parents did not match the perception of Krishna Chandra.

Krishna Chandra was ready to cry with joy, but his parents were not looking happy.

While Mother and Father were in doubt, Krishna Chandra's smile went off. His parents gave him a great shock. He had not at all imagined that kind of behavior of his parents.

"They would run to see me. They would hug me tight. It will be very difficult to stop them from crying." Those kinds of thoughts were coming into Krishna Chandra's mind throughout the journey.

Reality stunned Krishna Chandra. Parents were behaving like strangers.

The stunned family was standing near the threshold of the house and many villagers were looking at them from the outside of the Beli Rama's house.

After some time Krishna Chandra realized that his parents were thinking of him to be a ghost. The moment he realized it, he laughed out loud.

Where parents were horrified by their son's sudden laughter, some sneaky villagers ran away in fear. Seeing this Krishna Chandra laughed again and kept on laughing while enjoying the funny scene.

After that...

"Maataashiri, this is me, your putara Kishu. Neither a ghost nor a stranger, I am still just an ordinary human. In the past, I did not have any disease and never had any ghost obstruction. Now I am neither going to die nor am I going to renunciation. Look at me, my physical and mental condition is perfect, as it has never been before. The monk's prediction was correct. I have got my goal, but that is not renunciation. That's why I come back to you. Just look at me, do I seem to be saying something untrue?" Krishna Chandra said while explaining to parents.

On hearing this, both of them looked at him from top to bottom. Krishna Chandra indeed seemed infinitely calm and exceedingly happy.

"Pitaashiri, your experienced eyes are right...I...I am healthier than ever. As I mentioned earlier, I feel better than ever. I have also found answers to my difficult and complex questions. Look at these... I have written these books. Pitaashiri, I have found the goal of my life. If I can say in your words, I am cured permanently. May I come near you if you allow? There is a strong desire to touch your feet." Krishna Chandra asked confidently while flowing in infatuation.

Beli Rama did not budge from his place.

There was no change in Beli Rama's facial expressions either. He was observing Krishna Chandra physically with his experienced eyes. He was checking the truthfulness of his words and expressions with his sharp mind.

Shakuntala Devi lost her patience while Beli Rama was carrying out his action. She went ahead and kissed her son's forehead. She hugged him as tight as Krishna Chandra imagined. Feeling his mother's closeness Krishna Chandra also cried with emotion.

After a while, Krishna Chandra looked at Beli Rama who was still stern. He took a deep breath to say something serious.

"Pitaashiri, there lives a beautiful, well-mannered, having many other qualities, and very sweet girl in a township outside the city. Her name is Kumari Rukmini. I like her so that want to marry her." Krishna Chandra said humbly.

Krishna Chandra conveyed his wish to his father without hesitation. The father instantly understood the mannerism of his son who was not taking his permission. In fact, he was telling his decision.

Pundit Beli Rama, who had not yet accepted his son, became furious when he understood his Brahmin son was fully prepared to marry an Achhoot girl.

Krishna Chandra immediately understood his father's body language and guessed what he was going to say.

"I know pitaashiri that you cannot cross the limits of the dignity of the society created in the name of religion and casteism. You would never allow me to do that too. For you, the marriage of an Achhoot and a Brahmin is a great sin. But pitaashiri, a unique truth has come out in my study that casteism has not given any beneficial results in society. On the contrary, the religion-caste has caused deep harm to society. A system that does not benefit society should not be kept in society, while it causes harm. After coming to the fore of this truth, my conscience does not accept the notion of caste." Krishna Chandra said firmly yet politely, explaining everything to his father.

Beli Rama was more shocked to hear his son's new thoughts.

Beli Rama was convinced that "This boy is not my son. It cannot be my son. My son who was one of the most educated as well as wise people of Aryavarta cannot speak something that is beyond the social system."

"So are you a Brahmin now...or not?" Beli Rama asked, trying hard to remain calm.

"No pitaashiri. I haven't since the last three months." Krishna Chandra said firmly and instantly as he already knew that his father going to ask that question for sure.

Krishna Chandra's quick reply was painful to the father who had little hope that his son might give some answer that would comfort him.

The true gentleman Beli Rama felt like slapping his uncivilized son. But since he had not yet accepted that boy as his son, he had no right to do anything like a father can do with his son. He tried harder to control his mixed emotions, while Krishna Chandra closely observed his wise as well as loving father.

Just like the father, the son also had a little belief that maybe his wise as well as loving father would choose him instead of foolish worldliness.

Beli Rama was unaware of his son's expectations as each father is unaware that there is no monopoly of fathers on the expectations. Kids can also expect to form their parents. How many parents are in the world, who thinks so before reacting? Maybe, no one!

"What will your identity be for the rest of your life?" Beli Rama asked the question as a Brahmin instead of a father.

That was the question that indicated to Krishna Chandra that his wise as well as loving father chose worldliness instead of him. At that moment he wanted to cry, but the time was inappropriate because he was in the middle of a revolution that had been started from his home. So he kept his tears.

When Krishna Chandra was controlling his tears Beli Rama became impatient as he did not receive any reply from his new as well as uncivilized son.

"I asked, what will be your identity for the rest of your life?" Beli Rama asked more firmly as he was prepared to give a civilized announcement to that uncivilized boy who was once his dear as well as wise son.

Krishna Chandra was able to feel the harshness in his father's polite words. Just like the father, the son was also fully prepared for his destiny.

"Neither Brahmin nor Achhoot nor anything else...Only humanity will be my religion and humans will be my identity." Krishna Chandra responded firmly with folding hands.

That was the answer that indicated to Beli Rama that his son died forever and this boy was not his son.