One Day at the Fair

The village was holding the annual mela or fair. It was a unique fair where every single item of human consumption was bought and sold. From cattle to harvesters and local artisan work to rural handicrafts all was up for sale. Even there was counters where local match making and matrimony arrangements were done. Of late the matrimony counters were point of intense scrutiny and interest. Both girls and boys were dressed up in all finery and decked up and given tags and displayed like other commodities. Prospective bride and groom hunters would hound these counters and then there would be heavy chaos and full activity. The bride and groom were traded live and marriage contracts would be fixed. Later on the function would be held as per the convenience of the interested parties.

In one such mela Anuj met Radha and they fell in love instantly. Their families then got together to discuss the dowry proceeds. Unfortunately, the discussion got deadlocked with disagreement over dowry settlement. But Anuj and Radha had taken a deep liking for one another and couldn't think of not living their lives together. So while animated discussions were on, Anuj held Radha's hand and they quietly sneaked away. They had stealthily moved out on the outskirts of the Fair ground when their absence was noticed. Then a search party got active and began their quest of bringing the couple and put them on trial in the village Court where panchayat would give judgement. Beyond the village was a river and away ahead a deep forest. Anuj and Radha hardly knew each other but an unknown chemistry had bonded them together. They had run away together with their hands joined and they were enjoying the moment under the sun. There was a wooden bridge over the river which they crossed easily before they could see a mass of moving heads. A big crowd had sighted them and were charging ahead towards the wooden bridge.

Little later when the humongous human milieu treaded over the wooden bridge, the bridge gave a huge bang and it caved in the river, taking along with it a large number of the village people. Then there was pandemonium all around and loud cries and shouting. The river was full of people trying with all their means to get to safety of the river bank. Some of the people however crossed over to the other end towards the forest and continued their chase for Anuj and Radha. Eventually, Anuj and Radha entered the deep forest without them getting caught.

The men who had crossed over to the forest side of the river, had sighted the runaway couple and were about to enter the deep forest. Then suddenly a tiger appeared from nowhere and blocked the entry to the forest for the villagers. Those who were about to enter the forest were paralysed with fear sighting the tiger. The tiger was acting as a sentinel to the runaway couple and guarding them as an angel.

The presence of the tiger prompted the villagers to retreat their steps. The crowd started moving back with their faces turned towards the tiger for fear of an attack if they turn their back. But strangely, the tiger didn't move any step ahead. Slowly all the villagers moved back away from danger. This gave the new couple much time to get away and escape.

The fair was now in a shambles. All the stalls were disorganised and their wares strewn here and there. There was hardly any custodian to guard their wares.

Never in the annals of the fair had such an incident happened.

Anuj and Radha were now far away from the fair and deep in the forest. Further deep inside they were surrounded by a group of people who looked like tribals, a native of the forest. At first the couple panicked seeing the tribals. But slowly they calmed down seeing the tribals who were not meaning any harm. They surrounded the couple and started dancing and beating drums. Then all kneeled down and bent forward in a supine position and showed their obessiance to the couple. With the help of a translator Ajay and Radha were told that they were destined by the almighty to be the king and queen of the tribe because they had seen the king of the jungle had guarded their entry into the forest. For many years nothing of the sort happened in the history of the tribe. But the condition was that the couple could never return to the civilisation from where they had come. Anuj and Radha were hearing and seeing the events spell bound but were enjoying the adulation.

Next morning, Anuj and Radha woke to a rude shock of their lives. They woke up to find themselves on the bank of the river where they had been lying unconscious and now they were surrounded by the villagers who had come to take them to put them up for trial.