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PRAKRITI SRIVASTAVA

Drama

4.1  

PRAKRITI SRIVASTAVA

Drama

Sheelwati

Sheelwati

6 mins
16.1K


Stress on celibacy has been given in our country. Celibacy means to observe order and restraint to avoid telling a lie, to take exercise, to remain occupied with one's own work, to deceive none, and to respect teachers. All respect the man observing celibacy. Here, we tell you the story of a man who observed celibacy.

In olden days, there was a city of Nandpur. There lived a merchant named Ratnakar. The name of his son was Ajit Sen. The name of the wife of Ajit Sen was Sheelwati. Sheelwati was truthful, and religious. She was well versed in all arts. She knew the languages of birds and animals.

One day, both husband and wife were sleeping in their room. Suddenly, hearing the howling of jackal Sheelwati awoke. She stood before the outer window of the room. She saw a corpse floating in the river. There was a bale tied in its left foot. Seeing that corpse, the jackal was howling.

Sheelwati saw this sight. She thought something and returned. She went to her bed and lay down for a while.

Ajit Sen awoke, He became suspicious. He thought that Sheelwati wanted to go somewhere, but, due to his fear, she was not going. Thinking this, he kept on lying with his eyes closed. Sheelwati could not understand this guile of her husband. She stood silently and taking something to eat reached the bank of the river.

Sheelwati kept the food before the jackal and took the bale from the foot of the corpse. There were pearls and diamonds in the bale. Seeing this, Sheelwati became overjoyed. Taking the bale she returned home. She saw that Ajit Sen was sleeping. She kept the bale under the pillow and slept on the bed.

Seeing all this, Ajit Sen felt shocked. He thought that Sheelwati was a corrupt lady otherwise how could she dare go to the bank of the river in the night.

In the morning, Ajit Sen told everything to his father. Then he said, “Father, I do not want to see the face of such a corrupt lady. Turn her out of the house”. The merchant was very clever. He thought that it would be in famous to turn out the daughter-in-law from the house. So, she should be sent to her mother.

Thinking this, the merchant said to Sheelwati, “Daughter-in-law ! A letter from your father has come. So, I wish to take you to your father’s house.

Sheelwati was a lady of foresight. She understood that her husband had seen the incident of that night silently. Probably, doubt had crept in his mind. Sheelwati silently accompanied her father-in-law. In those days Sheelwati’s chariot came before a green field. Seeing it the merchant said, “This farmer will become immensely rich. See what fine crop it is!”

Hearing her father-in-law, Sheelwati began to say, “No father ! the farmer of this field will remain starving.”

Seeing the face of Sheelwati, the merchant became silent. At some distance, a man wounded with arrows, was seen lying on the way.

The merchant said, “He seems to be very brave man,”

Sheelwati said, “No father! He is the chief of the cowards.”

The evening approached. Due to the fear of the night the merchant ordered the charioteer to stop before a temple. He said to Sheelwati, “Daughter-in-law !” we should stay here in the night and take rest.”

Sheelwati said, “Father, this temple is like a hell. We should not stay here. At some some distance, my maternal uncle lives. We will stay there to night.” The merchant was fretting in his mind. “What type of woman is she? She is not ready to accept any of my suggestion.”

Somehow the merchant reached the house of her maternal uncle. That night passed happily.

In the morning both of them proceeded.

These were hot days. The heat of the sun was piercing the body. The merchant became restless because of heat. He ordered his charioteer to stay under a tree and said, “After taking rest, we will proceed.”

Then, the merchant sat under the shade of a tree. But, Sheelwati did not sit there. She sat under the shade of the chariot. Seeing the self willed nature of Sheelwati, the merchant became inflamed. He began to think, “I did not see such an obstinate lady anywhere. Well, as she sows, so she will reap.”

While the merchant was thinking this, a crow who was sitting on the tree, began to crow.

Hearing the crow, Sheelwati said, “Brother Crow, I obeyed the jackal and I was forced to leave home. Now, if I obey you, God knows, what will happen then. I have no need of gold coins and I have no food to give you.”

When the merchant heard the words of Sheelwati, he felt amazed. He said to Sheelwati, “With whom are you talking like a mad person ?”

Sheelwati said, “Father, this crow is saying that under the root of this tree, four pitchers filled with gold coins, are kept. Provide me food, then, I may tell you about the pitchers where they are hidden.”

The merchant at once gave food to crow. Then at a fixed place excavation was done. The merchant got four pitchers full of gold coins.

Filled with amazement the merchant asked Sheelwati about the weeping of the jackal.

Sheelwati showed the merchant a bale full of gems and told him the whole story.

The ideas of the merchant changed. He began to consider Sheelwati wise. Still he asked to remove his doubt, “All is well daughter. But, why did you argue with me throughout the way ?”

Sheelwati began to say, “I was not the least interested in argument. In fact you did not know the secret of those things and I knew the reality. So, considering them right I had opposed you.”

“How was that ?”, said the merchant. Sheelwati said, “Father, the owner of that field was so much in debt that in spite of selling all, he could not get rid of the debt. So, I had said that he would starve. The arrows had called him coward. If he had been brave, the arrows would have struck him in the chest. I forbade you to stay in the temple because it was the resort of the ruffians.

Hearing the strange talks of Sheelwati, the merchant became surprised. He begged forgiveness from her and ordered the charioteer to return home.

Reaching home the merchant told everything to Ajit Sen. Ajit Sen became happy but he could not face Sheelwati. Sheelwati realised it. She said, “To err is human and he can correct it. I have no grudge for you in my mind.”

MORAL OF STORY

Nothing should be done without prior reflection otherwise one has to repent.


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