Prisoner Number 101

An old lady, aged around 65 of medium build with dark complexion, named Kalawati, prisoner # 101 said Namaste to me. After resuming charge as Superintendent of the prison, my special attention was given to see the files relating to that of Kalawati. She came to this jail about 25 years back .She had the case for killing her son. As per the police report she had some illegal connection with someone for which she killed her son. She had admitted her offense .For this reason court awarded her life imprisonment. Even after so many years in jail neither anyone had appealed for her release not came to meet her. One day I asked my subordinate Officer to bring her to me.

She sat on the chair after getting a nod from me.

”Kalawati, don't you remember your house?"

"Whose house, Saheb? What is left there, now..My husband had already died. I had the only son whom I killed by my own hand.”, she told taking a deep breath.

“So do you really have remorse for killing your son?"

“No Sir, I don't have any regrets. I did only what I felt was right." ,she said looking straight into my eyes.

I wondered the way she talked with assertion and self confidence. I interrogated her asking, “Do you really not feel guilty for killing your own son?"

She again looked at me straight and said, “Definitely not, I feel happy that I killed him"

"Why, is it to cover your sin?"

She was stunned but controlled herself and said," You are a lady and so you may understand my mind better."

My son, Mahesar had attained the age of twenty. My husband had already died. He had left a good chunk of land and property, by the income of which I wanted to educate Mahesar and make him a good man. But to the destiny it was probably not acceptable .The relatives had an eye on our land so they misguided Mahesar to the wrong path. He started drinking. He started misbehaving with the women of the village, the report of which started reaching my ears. Initially, I thought that due to their jealousy they were trying to defame Mahesar but how long the truth may be concealed. Slowly and slowly the women of the village started bringing their complaints directly to me.

After a while, she started again to speak." One day I went to inspect my farm to see the growth of sugarcane. I was almost near the field when I heard the loud shrieks of a girl coming to me from that direction. Before I could do something, the helpless girl of the neighborhood came out running .After some time I also saw Mahesar coming out from the fields. I could return without inspecting my field and waited for the return of Mahesar. Hours after my return from the field there was uproar in the village. To know the reason when I came out, I could learn that the girl who was found running out from the field had committed suicide by hanging. Mahesar came home late at night deadly drunk. I scolded him for the happenings of the evening. In a drunken state he asked me, "Mother, was she your daughter, for which you are so disturbed. Don’t disturb me, let me sleep.

"His talks enraged me .I made up my mind to do something. When he was fast asleep, I took out a sickle lying nearby and cut his throat.

“But the accusation against you was that to cover up your sins you had killed your son, which you have confessed before the court."

She looked at my eyes and replied calmly, “Police had lodged a case on the hearsay of my relatives. Later I had also confessed on this false charge."

"But why did you do it? To safeguard yourself you could have got the witnesses of those village girls who had complained against your son, Mahesar. This could have reduced your jail term."

"Madam, you are correct. I could have done it. My lawyer also wanted me to do that but my conscience did not prompt me to do so. By accepting the cooked up story of the police, only I got defamed. Had I brought out the names of those girls as witness probably I would have saved my skin and my jail term would have been reduced. But how embarrassing it would have been for those girls to face the court you may well understand being in police department. Would they have been accepted by their relatives or the village folks “Saying this she looked at me questioningly and stood up before getting my answer.”

THE END

Original Story :- Kaidi Number 101- A Short Story In Hindi By Arun Gupta in Your Story Club ( YSC)

https://yourstoryclub.com/short-stories-social-moral/hindi-social-story-kaidi-number-101/index.html