Arohan - The Ascent

Courage and Conviction

The auto rickshaw with speakers attached to it's sides, pulled out from the road side, near Narottam's house. As it passed around the mud roads in Padrauna, announcing that Panchayat will assemble under the old Banyan tree and that all villagers were to assemble there at 5:00 PM, the humdrum in the routine life of the village was completely disrupted.

Surely something drastic was going to happen. First the sighting of Vicky in the new teacher's house, then, Narottam Ji & Durgesh ji, themselves, coming to the New teacher's house and now, the Panchayat being convened. The villagers were gearing up for high drama at the Panchayat. May be the Teacher would be questioned for her amoral behavior, in front of the entire village.

"Oh what shame....I would die of shame if I had to go through such a situation," one woman gossiped with her friend, as both of them filled their pots with water.

"How she still walks with her head held high," commented the vegetable seller, to a woman who was haggling to reduce the price.

Despite all the gossip and conundrums about the happenings of the previous evening, Vicky and his gang of friends, remained unaffected. They had all grown think skins, to be even remotely affected by such loose talk.

"That Teacher trumped you with a googly huh?" said Jai, looking at Vicky, mocking him. Vicky's face became unreadable. "I got fooled by her innocent looks. I though she fell for my trick," he said shaking his head. "I didn't think she had such a shrewd brain on her tiny shoulders," he stated, controlling the tremors in his jaw, with great difficulty.

"What do you think will happen now?" asked Minku, observing his friend. 

"I don't know what she wants now. What was the need to call for a Panchayat? Anyway we'll know in some time... what do we care," said Vicky, going to sit on his bike.

"Is it?" asked Jai, immediately. "You realy don't care... or are you acting like you don't care. Admit it, you got beaten by that city dweller. She's too smart for you," he said, spitting out the words at Vicky.

Vicky came over to Jai from his bike, and hauled him up by his collar. "Is that what you think? Then I promise... you... soon... you'll see, how I subjugate her arrogance. I will take her to bed. Record the whole damn thing and show you... for free. It's a promise," he said, his eyes cold, his breath rough.

"You are playing with fire," Warned Jai

"I like playing with fire, it's what men do," said Vicky, arrogantly

5:00 PM – Under the Old Banyan Tree

The entire adult population of Padrauna had assembled in the open ground, in front of the old Banyan Tree. There was a rectangular table, with a white table cloths spread on it, kept in the shade of the Banyan tree and four chairs were placed at this table.

As the villagers sat, murmuring and whispering loudly, they heard the unmissable sound of approaching cars. First Narottam got off his car and rushed to the car behind him, out of which stepped out, Durgesh. Both came walking with great pomp, as they folded their hands in a Namaste, to greeting villagers. 

To Urvashi, who stood some distance away, with Pandit Ji, it all looked very familiar. How many times, had she not witnessed Panchayat's like this in her childhood? But today's Panchayat, would wipe away the bad memories from the past. This Panchayat was not for killing a woman while she was still alive! This Panchayast was for upliftment, for rise, for an ascent. This Panchayat was the begning of the Arohan of the people of Padrauna.

Urvashi looked around, as people sat on the bare floor. Nothing had changed. Her eyes searched the crowd for the face she was looking for. And then they calmed down, as her eyes came to rest on Vicky's face. His unmistakable features, standing out amongst the crowd. If he had not been a goon, he had so much potential. She could gauge, his intelligence, his determination, his tenacity to survive. She needed him for today's Panchayat. She looked away from Vicky, as Narottam and Durgesh came and occupied two of the chairs.