Strange Stories - 2

The college I joined when I was 20 was a bit unique and different since they preferred a more holistic approach to education and for those who were prepared to spend an extra year, the students got exposure to various aspects of life. Students spent a couple of months each in industries, hospitals, villages, etc so that we become more rounded human beings. The most interesting and often toughest segment was when sent to live in a village. You drew your village name in a lottery draw and I landed up with a remote place that was at least 2.5 km from the nearest highway.

I was to stay in a room within the compound of the richest and powerful landlord in that area where he had a mansion. I was to use the toilet that was outside in the compound but would be given food in the landlord's house and also allowed to have a bath in their mansion. The landlord was a powerful politician and stayed in the city. He had 3 sons who stayed in the mansion and managed the agricultural business where they had huge lands available. The family though powerful was also known to be very kind and helpful and so the villagers and all other nearby villages liked them and respected them.

On the first day, I landed there and walked into the mansion to be introduced to the landlord. As I was led into the sitting area a lady passed by and she was rather startled to look at me and I was surprised what happened. Later when I was introduced to the eldest son, he looked at me for long before speaking. I was intrigued. Later I was told that I resembled the youngest son and when I got to meet him, I didn't think I was seeing myself, but I guess he looked like a brother. In fact, we did later get a picture taken together just for fun.

I was also introduced to the 3 ladies of the house, the wives of the 3 sons. The eldest was around 40+, the second may be in her late 30's and the last one in her mid-30's. They all looked decent and nice, not some buxom village beauties that you see in movies, rather plain but they were very pleasant, courteous, and so attractive in that sense.

The eldest daughter in law ran the household. However, nice she ran it like a boss and demanded discipline and obedience from people. She also was like the elderly grandmother who loved and cared for all including the younger two DIL's of the house. Soon after I landed, I was told that while I could use the toilet in the compound any time, I could come into the house only by 0830 hrs in the morning after everybody had left and I could have a bath and later breakfast before I left for my training and village life exposure. Lunch and dinner were fixed times and one of the three DIL's served me just outside their kitchen. Barring for small talk I did not really talk much with any of the ladies.

The mansion seemed to have just the 3 couples because their children studied in the city and stayed with the grandparents. Much later I got to know that the youngest son was yet to become a father. Life continued for about a month and a half, all was bliss and in the next week, I was to finish and return home. Towards the end, on a couple of occasions, I noticed that the eldest DIL used to stare or look intently at me briefly and while that unnerved me, I did not give it much thought.

On a Saturday evening, I was having dinner when I could hear voices from the adjacent room. There were heated words and the issue seemed to be the fact that the youngest son was yet to become a father. Apparently, they had got husband and wife tested, everything was fine, yet the wife was not conceiving, and as it happens often the wife was getting the lions to share of the blame. Soon the eldest DIL spoke up in a stern voice.

Listen, we have had enough of this. Either we find a solution or accept the reality. We have tried enough of this modern medicine, tried those poojas and havans. Now listen to me. You Chotey devar, tomorrow when these two go to the city you go with them. I want you to spend the next 5 days in the city and forget everything about this. Just go to the cinema, shopping, drink with friends and relax. Stop thinking about work. I will ensure that Choti bahu is also relaxed and give her some home-made remedies. Next weekend when you come back both of you spend time in a relaxed manner as husband and wife. If after that you still can't get a child, then learn to accept that. If you get, that is good but who knows maybe you can't get a second child. Do I make myself clear?

Obviously, everybody listened to her since the discussions seemed to end and before they came out to where I was eating I left quickly back to my room. I would be leaving by the weekend before they returned and as it happens, I was planning to take it easy for the rest of the week. The next day I wished them all and thanked them saying that I would be gone by the time they returned before all three brothers left for the city. The wife of the second brother was also going with them. So, for the rest of the week, just the two DIL's would be at home.

That evening as I went for coffee, the eldest DIL met me and said and that I should shift to the guest room within their mansion for the rest of the week since the two ladies would be alone. She did not give me a choice. The way she spoke, you just obeyed. She sat with me having coffee for the first time in my stay and spoke enquiring about me, my education, parents, etc and we generally chit chatted.

As instructed, I shifted. This place was like a small house within the house. It consisted of a bedroom and a small living room and a door leading to the main house. I settled down and as usual, returned later and after freshening up waited for dinner time.

A little before dinner time the youngest DIL called me saying that since just the 3 of us were there we could eat dinner together. As we ate, she asked if I like to have a pan after dinner and I said that I loved it. We finished dinner and there was no trace of any pan and I left for my room to read and sleep. A short while later both the DIL's turned up with a plate full of Pan and its stuffings and asked if I minded if they sat in the outer room as we all had Pan together. I had one and then as we spoke the eldest DIL said that she makes some special Pan and if I would like to taste it. I said I do not eat tobacco or such and she said it was free of all such things. So, she made 2 Pan's and gave one to me and the youngest DIL. When I asked why she did not have one she said that she gets up rather early and so didn't want to sleep too soundly.

During all this time the youngest DIL was generally quiet, spoke a bit but it was the eldest that sort of hogged the attention and conversation. She ran the whole thing like a durbar and as if she were the queen. I enjoyed the Pan and it tasted different and had an aromatic flavor, a kind of strong aroma that overpowered the taste, but I loved it. A little later I started to feel a bit funny. It is difficult to describe the feeling because it was not exactly drowsiness, but at the same time, I was in control of myself yet felt that I was not fully in control. I felt hot, my face felt a bit warm and then my whole body felt warm and soon I realized that the feeling was one of sexual desire. I was in control of myself but knew that I badly wanted to have sex.

I did not want to look at them and so said I needed to sleep and got up abruptly and decided to go into my room. I was very much conscious of what was happening but yet had this strange feeling that I was not in control. It was like a twilight mood between being conscious and hypnotized. I remember entering my room and locking the door behind me or did someone lock the room from outside? The desire was now intense and that is all I remember till much later when I woke up. Woke up suddenly and feeling alert and found that I was entangled arms and legs with the youngest DIL and both without a stitch on our body. She was still sleeping, and I was in a horrifying state. The fear and horror of the situation sickened me, my stomach was tied up in knots, my heart was beating so loudly that I could actually hear it.

Suddenly I was sweating all over and I was terrified since I had no clue what had happened, how we ended up in that situation. As I was still thinking what to do, she woke up and looking at me was equally horrified. The sheer panic in her eyes scared me even more. She picked up the bed sheet to cover herself. I jumped out and seeing my naked body she covered her eyes with a scream. I saw all our clothes lying on the floor. I grabbed a towel that was nearby and ran into the toilet and locked myself in. After a while I could hear her trying to open the door and assuming that she had left I stepped out only to find her still standing, dressed up, terror in her eyes and she managed to mumble saying the door was locked from outside. I picked up my clothes, went in, dressed, and stepped out, and tried opening the door to no avail. I was not sure if I could bang on the door so I started looking out the window, the bathroom window to see if I could find someone. But then what do I tell? How do I explain the situation?

By now the youngest DIL started weeping and my panic increased. Suddenly I heard the door being unbolted from outside, the face of the eldest DIL peeped in, and seeing us stepped in and closed the door. The youngest DIL was now shaking with fear and I was having palpitations. The eldest went to the youngest and hugged her closely, as she wept, stroked her hair, her back, held her tightly, and telling her not to cry, not to be afraid. She calmed her down after a while, the tears stopped, the fear remained but somehow held in the arms of the elder, she was feeling secure. I on the other hand was still palpitating and my mind had stopped thinking. I was gripped with a nameless fear and nothing else.

Soon the eldest turned her attention to me and said – "I am sorry but please do not be afraid, nothing will happen. But you, - she then looked at the youngest one – you too, both of you must listen to me. You may not like what you hear, you may judge me harshly, but you can never understand our life, our village, our family, our thought process. I do not expect you to. But one thing I know, you will have to listen to me. I am a desperate woman, I have a duty, this is for you my youngest sister in this house, I will not allow anybody to come in the way. However, I hope you will blindly understand me and obey me. If not, I will be like the cornered rat, I will strike back, I will bite and maybe I will still lose, but everybody will lose with me".

I was bewildered and thought I am listening to a madwo

Advertisement

man. But she looked anything but mad. She looked calm, composed, and fully in control of herself. The youngest also looked confused and asked – What are you saying akka, I do not understand at all. The eldest looked resigned and suddenly tired, she went out and sat down in a chair and bade us follow her. She locked the outer door and took a minute to compose herself and spoke.

I will be brief because you cannot understand. But you will do what I say you should do. The youngest here has been married for 12 years and still has no child. The pride of the family, the men, their manhood is at stake. The villager's, others ask questions. These men and the others cannot understand that in life a man can also be barren just as a woman can be. To them only a woman is barren. She is the one to be blamed. It took me years before I could convince the husband and wife to get tested. They did. They went to a doctor the elder father-in-law knows. The doctor is senior, experienced, and knows the family. He can't tell them the truth, so he tells them that nothing is wrong with both. I know her family. Her sisters have had children. She cannot be an exception. Everybody blamed her but could not speak loudly because their own doctor had pronounced her as being alright. The daily fights, irritation as if the world had come to an end was getting tiresome. Even if the villagers did not say anything the family pride was such that they assumed the villagers were laughing at the youngest son.

This family is so nice, caring and all brothers are really loving and caring but thanks to some ancient pride and ego on some issues they are also trapped in this. Left to themselves the brothers would probably go for medical treatment and create a child in the hospital. But their family name, their standing in the village they think will be affected. The situation is so bad that it is not about the youngest brother anymore. It's now about the whole family. You may find this silly and illogical in this age but like it or not, it is the reality.

Anyway, once when I visited the doctor, I got some free time with him and by now you would have known me, - and she smiled – I always get my way. I pushed the doctor into telling me the truth. The youngest has a very low seed (she meant sperm) count, so he cannot get her pregnant. They refuse to even consider creating a baby in the hospital which is so common today. It's a vicious circle and an otherwise happy family is constantly irritated and for me as the eldest who runs the house, it was becoming very tiresome. I was so frustrated that on the day you arrived, I had a huge fight with my husband on this. I could not tell him that I knew the truth because even he does not know it. In anger, I shouted at my husband saying that if you are not willing to consider any solution except sex then get the youngest to sleep with someone else, maybe she will become pregnant. He was so amused that he started laughing and said to me that since I always have my way, I can try to arrange that also and left the room.

As I was walking out after this argument, I saw you and mistook you for the youngest son and I was suddenly afraid whether you had heard our argument. I was very startled looking at you. Over these 2 months, I had occasion to observe you, hear about you and a mad idea came to my mind. What if I could have her sleep with you? I was ashamed of the idea, but it refused to go away. My grandmother is almost 90 but still mentally alert and her wisdom is very practical. So, I went and met her. I told her about my thoughts and if I was wrong to have such thoughts. I did not tell her about you but about my idea which refused to go away even though it was so wrong.

That woman is a saint or a devil I do not know, but she asked me to tell in all honesty whether after being married I had ever been attracted sexually to any man even if momentarily. I felt ashamed as I said yes. She said that was natural. God had created humans with hunger, sleep, sex, sickness, death and as we became civilized, we created rules because humans by nature liked to be possessive. She said the menfolk because of their physical strength and as providers for a family were more flexible with the rules. Don't you know of married men in your own village who sleep with a widow or some such woman? Like you when that woman also has sexual desires what should she do? It's natural. She can't become a prostitute. She still lives a dignified life but gives herself to one man because she has the opportunity. Yes, it is wrong based on the rules we have made but then God gave her the desire to. So, what do you do?

I was confused and asked her what she advised me to do. She said that decision must be mine alone, and I must find a logic, justification for whatever decision I take, and be prepared to face all consequences. But if this idea refuses to go away from your mind, there must be a strong reason for it, so you need to find that reason. I kept thinking and however much I tried the idea refused to go away and only became stronger. I felt that this was the only way I could solve all problems. My only problem was how my youngest will take the idea. So, I suggested it like a joke. Surprisingly, she said that even she was so fed up that she would be willing to try anything just so there was peace. I realized that she did not mean it, she would not willingly do it, but she was not horrified by the idea. I was desperate and my mind soon was convinced to make it a decision and I would live with it. Over the last 2 weeks, I agonized about how to do it till my grandmother told me of some herbs that would create intense desire. I planned things so that everybody left, and I could carry out my plan.

Here we are and you can judge me in whatever way you want.  Call me evil, call me mad, maybe I am wrong, maybe I am committing a sin but only those who have lived under this roof in the last 4 years can understand me. Now that the event is over, I do not know if I feel happy or horrified, I am just numb like I have crossed a cold river. I cannot manipulate anything further. I cannot make decisions further. So, I am walking out now, leaving the door open. The two of you decide the next steps. You can decide to pack up and leave right now, and I will ensure you have breakfast and go, she smiled with lots of affection. My youngest can decide what she wants to do, she may hate me for the rest of her life but that is a consequence I am prepared for, now that the event is over. But she looked at the youngest and said, remember I love you so much that I am prepared to sacrifice anything for you if you feel I have done something grossly wrong. From here it is your decision.  If you want to live with this decision of mine, and stay till Friday, then close the door, so you both can get ready for breakfast. If not, I will be in my room for you.

Saying this she walked out.

I was stunned. I was numb. I was in a crazy situation. This was madness whether I left or stayed. My whole life would be messed up with this event but then the eldest had thought of everybody except me. She had never thought what my feelings would be, what would happen to me. I was hurt by that, but I could do little. My mind was in a whirl. It would take time to settle down. The youngest spoke.

I am sorry. I am very very sorry. The eldest is so possessive of the family, all of us that she sometimes can-do crazy things. We and even the villagers accept many things she does because she cares for everybody. She never means harm. But this I realize was very wrong because she did not know you, she involved you who was a guest in our home. You will go away, and I do not know what effect this incident will have on your mind. You may be very pained, and I wish I could make that go away. You may also want to know what I think of her decision. Honestly, you may be shocked at this, but I understand her desperation. You have no idea what the last 4 years have been like. There were days when I felt like taking my life but her love and understanding helped me cope. So again, I am very very sorry, but beyond saying sorry there is little I can do.

It was now my turn. I did not know what to say, what to decide. I said – I understand your situation but at the same time I cannot understand. If this sounds confusing, then I am confused. I am at an age where I do not know what is wrong, what is right, and I cannot help it. This seems wrong, but it's already over, so what should I do. It is like I have committed a murder. Whether I kill one or many, I can be punished and hanged only once. So, I know that I have done wrong, even if you say it's not my fault, so I do not know what next. I can walk away now and maybe later I will feel that all of you took such a crazily risky step because of your love and desperation but I had walked away. If I do not, I am unsure what effect this will have emotionally on both of us. So, I am confused, I do not know what to do. At 21 it's difficult, it is a tough age in life even if you are called an adult.

She looked at me with affection, sorrow. At 35 she was far more mature and mentally stronger and said – look at me, and I will tell you what I think. Whatever happened is over. We cannot change that. We must accept that. Life is not a movie where the decision the eldest took will give a result in one day. As you correctly said one murder, many murders what difference it makes for the punishment. I love my husband and family. This extreme love made the eldest do something crazy. I do not want to let her down at this stage. I do not want to get emotionally involved with you or you with me. Please promise to forget this whole thing for the rest of your life, never ever try to find out our future, do not even think about what happened with me and to me even in your dreams. Please understand this is very very difficult for me. They say it's easier for men to decide on such things, so what do you think?

I stayed quiet for a while, my mind in a whirl. This situation was big, very big and I did not know if I could decide. So, I said head bowed down –

I have never even done this before, I mean, now, I had never done this before, I do not even know what I did, so please don't ask me to decide. I am confused beyond all hope. I looked miserable.

She gasped, smiled, eyes wide, and said – Oh god I never even realized that. And suddenly she giggled. I looked up and I smiled and then started giggling too. Soon we were laughing at the situation we were in. The tension, stress that was hanging in the room suddenly vanished.

She got up and went and closed the door.