THE NAVARATHRI MURDERS

Prologue

How it all began....
"Aigiri nandini nanditha medhini...." were chanted along the streets housing huts of farmers and other commoners living in the village of srishtipur.

As the hymns chanted by women, clad mostly in red signifying a reflection of Maa Durga, a pinch of vermillion smeared across their foreheads above their bindi/Pottu and, pridefully showing off their nuptial string a symbol of, a married woman in Indian culture. The beauty of their marriages were clear as their smiles as they channeled their devotion of, Goddess Durga into their minds and hearts praying for a long live for their beloved other half.

The belief of Durga, a feminine cosmic energy who fought many centuries to live with her male counterpart adorning different forms and uniting with him. Both were venerated with equal status and, never viewed less of each other in the eyes of both hypocritic, ignorant males and docile and abused wives. However, the widespread worship of Shiva and Shakti wasn't limited to this people only but, to both feminists and men who treated their wives as their significant other half too.

Geetha, a women who used to enjoy the fruits of her childhood and possessing a happy go lucky attitude towards life went the opposite direction when she was married to Ram Lal a fish monger whose alcohol is twice as his daily sales.

Geetha, became the typically abused and battered wife of a man who firmly believed strongly that women should abide to concept of 'pati parmeshwar' an idea conceived by the male faction of society that, influenced the daily lives of women, especially married women.

Her in-laws did not view her as a daughter-in-law rather, as what their son saw in her, Slave. Her life became confined to the hut and serving to the needs of both her husband and his parents.

She put up to the chores and the tantrums of her husband and her in-laws. Things came to a heat when her husband publicly humiliated in the marketplace when she was purchasing vegetables from Gopal a 17 year old teenager selling vegetables to feed his family dying daily from pangs of hunger.

Ram's fish stall was beside Gopal's stall without any walls to block views of other grocery and provision seller's and their products. Geetha, after making a final bargain, paid him for the price he was selling the vegetables to her. When her hand was stretched out to pay him Gopal reached for it when a gust of wind hit and,the wrinkled 15 rupee note fell to the ground. Geetha bend down to pick the cash up and unknowingly her purdah, (the other end of saree, flowing down the left shoulder used to cover a woman's head,mostly a married woman), came off her head. When, Ram saw this he was boiling with anger as her head and face were exposed to other men.

He got up from his counter and, stormed in anger to her. He dragged her by her tresses and gave a tight slap that made her dizzy. Soon, he started abusing her with vulgarities accusing of having an extra marital affair and seducing other men. Lastly, labeling as a whore and, an immoral womean.

With tears blurring her vision Geetha could sense the people around her questioning her virtues and, her chastity. With a heavy heart she returned back to hell which called home.

With the daily dosage of alcohol, Ram raped her every night or, hit her with his belt inflicting pain on the side of her cheek, back and arms that were visible in the morning with streaks of red smeared across her pale white skin.

Geetha, wanted to contemplate suicide by myriad of factors,the spotlight of gossip amongst women, her parents knew of her plight but, to save the little honour and respect that the village had for them after the public debacle of their abusive son-in-law, they told her clearly if she ever returned here without Ram and just her kids they would both set themselves ablaze or hang themselves to death. Her in-laws were awaiting for her death even to the extent of killing her and, marry their son off to another woman who can afford to give a large amount of dowry in the forms of machinery, cash and jewellery.

The thing that stopped her from thinking of suicide were her kids thinking of the plight they will end up in with her ascending to afterlife.

She heard of a education and well being sponsored orphanage and admitted her kids there a month back to an orphanage.

When, Ram questioned the kids whereabouts she lied by saying her rich uncle wanted to spend his time with them at his mansion for a month as he had not seen them for a month. Ram kept his mouth clamped shut as, the mention of the rich uncle his mind was racing towards money only.

The last day of, Navarathri with the chants and hymns of Durga by womenfolk of the village drowned the cries of Ram Lal as, Geetha took an iron rod and sunk it with deep force into, his heartless heart. She repeated the motion several times before knowing he had passed on.

Immediately, she used his blood as paint to, write the words "pati parmeshwar" and then, jamming the rod into the word 'pati' she painted on the wall.

She stripped herself of anything depicting her as a married woman on her body and, discarded it near his body and ran away to the nearby river situated at far end of the village.

That was the last sight of her by anyone till this day.