Khoob Ladhi Mardani : Bhagalpur Ki Rani

'Khoob ladhi mardani woh toh jhansi wali rani thi' . "Manu... ", mother called from the kitchen, rather than watching these daily soaps if you help me in daily chores, it would be fruitful for both of us. Manu ran to the kitchen and told: "mother I was watching the Jhansi ki rani show, she is really brave. Someday I will become like her, 'Bhagalpur ki rani' ". "You crack nice jokes, Manu. If also you become so-called 'Bhagalpur ki rani', whom would you fight with?", asked mother. Manu told " Mother, you think India is free but I don't think so. India is still not free of its evil customs and practices. Every day newspaper headlines tell about evil practices such as corruption, dowry system, and whatnot. Though legally these evil practices are banned you know these rules are only preserved in the constitution like grandma's tales and no one actually follows them. So I will make India independent of these evils ." Mother started laughing loudly and told Manu," The lecture was nice." Manu made her face grumpy and told Maa, you are making fun of your brave daughter, this is so uncool. Mother replied," You are going to marry the very next month Manu, won't your inlaws get hypertension getting the rebellious bahu. So, You better concentrate on learning some household chores, making food, at least to make your inlaws happy. These types of rebellious nature do not suit girls of good families." Manu says, " maa you don't know how talented I am. Let me show you". She puts an already baked chappati into frying pan and acts as if she prepared it showing it to her mother. " Now presenting world-class chappati made by world-class chef ", tells Manu. Mother looked at her slyly and with eyes of disappointment, she tells, " nothing can be done of you, now you better go and continue watching your soaps because you are not going to do any good to the kitchen staying here." Manu laughed and went back to her room. These days Manu's father was very busy arranging all things for the marriage of his only daughter. Not a moment he sat idle. From contacting the sweets stall to the marriage card designer to the tent fixer, Manu's father managed all the work alone but with full of enthusiasm. As the days were passing, the family members were becoming more and more nervous but equally excited waiting for the auspicious event.

Finally, the most awaited day arrived. From morning itself mother was busy preparing food for the guests who had already arrived in flocks to Manu's house to attend the function. Father was very much tensed. Manu asked, "why are you tensed, papa". Father concealed his sorrow from his daughter by putting on a broad smile on the face, he said " my doll will be leaving the house today, don't I have the right to be sad for such a great reason?" Manu replied, " Papa, you are speaking as if I am leaving the world. My in-laws' house is just the next village. Won't I visit you whenever you want to play with your only doll." Father nodded and told " you aren't dressed yet, go to your mother, she will dress you up, your inlaws may be arriving anytime." Manu hugging her father once, left the room. The main reason for the father's sorrow was that he had taken a lot of loans from the bank as well as from relatives for the arrangements of marriage but was still not able to satisfy the dowry demand of the groom's family. Soon, the groom arrived with his family. The marriage was completed with all rituals in front of the sacred fire. It was time for Manu to leave her house and to go to the house of her inlaws. Manu's mother and father sobbed hugging Manu. Manu also cried her heart out. She left with her inlaws in a large car, her inlaws were very rich. Soon the large car reached a large bungalow which seemed to be Manu's new house after marriage. Manu saw the large house with eyes wide open thinking that she had never seen such a large house in her village. After Manu entered the house her mother in law did her aarti. Manu was welcomed in a grand way. Manu became happy thinking that she got good inlaws. 

The true color of inlaws came out the next day when they finally realized that the dowry money and items which had come from Manu's house were less than what they demanded. Manu's mother-in-law called her to the kitchen. When Manu entered, the mother in law slapped her tightly. Unable to know the reason for such an act of her mother in law, Manu cried inconsolably. Her mother in law warned her to bring their demanded dowry or else she will send her back to her parental home . Manu at first decided to return to her parents but later thinking about all the pains her parents had taken for her marriage, she changed her decision. Manu was maltreated by her inlaws every day thereafter. She was treated like the maid of the house with her inlaws thrashing her every day. Her husband who was a good man opposite to his family didn't know about all these matters and Manu's inlaws also tried to keep these all a secret from their son. Once Manu's father visited her inlaw's house. Manu was very happy seeing him but she didn't want her father to know about her condition because she knew that if her father came to know about all this he would think himself responsible for all this. She ran to welcome her father but before she could reach her father-in-law reached the gate first. He told " You beggar, you didn't give the amount of dowry we wanted. How dare you visit our house. Take your daughter from our house now." He pushed Manu's father so hard that he fell on the ground. Manu could not tolerate this insult from her father. She recalled the incident of her telling her mother that she will become the 'Bhagalpur ki rani'. She ran to her father and supported him to stand again. She came near her father in law and told, " Maybe I am your bahu but I am the daughter of my father first. Don't challenge the daughter within me as a daughter will never tolerate the insult of her father. " Manu was raged with anger. Seeing his daughter in law's new side father in law was dumbstruck. Father asked Manu to not misbehave with her father in law because the fathers-in-law are like Gods for every daughter in law. He asked Manu to come with him back to her paternal house. Manu said " if Gods are like this then I better become a demon to protest against such Gods. She denied their father to come with him and asked him to simply return back. She took the blessings of her father.From that day, Manu decided to help every such girl who was facing a problem like her. She found many girls in her neighbor itself who were the victims of such evil customs. She went to every house to inspire the girls to be brave and not tolerate such evils silently. She asked them to raise their voices. At first, the girls were reluctant but witnessing Manu raising her voice against all those inlaws torturing their daughter-in-law, the other girls gained courage. They eventually formed a group and started visiting other villages to preach to other girls to raise their voices. Manu had known that the only way to fight the dowry system was to raise voice against it and it was necessary that victims of this system should first raise their voice. Seeing this courageous side of Manu her inlaws were frightened. They decided to kill her because they thought if their ill motives came in front of the society then their name and pride in the society will be degraded. Manu's mother in law went to her son's room with a sad face. She told " Son your wife doesn't like both of us. She has planned to kill us so that she can take possession of our money and property. I didn't want to strain your relation so I never told you this but today when I overheard her talking to some person on the call about killing us, I felt frightened. " saying this she shedding crocodile tears in front of her son. "She has gone to talk to that assassin whom she has appointed for killing us. I am feeling terrorized. Please protect us." Added mother in law as she cried loudly. Manu's husband fumed with anger listening to the ill motives of her wife from the mouth of his mother. Unaware of the true nature of his parents, he loved them a lot. He believed that his parents are his only God. He is blind with anger decided to kill Manu before she kills his parents. He is a person from the army who had a gun with him. He made the gun ready by loading it with bullets as he set out of the house to find Manu. Manu who had now become a woman activist was heading to a nearby village to preach to the woman of that village regarding the evil customs and to enlighten them to raise their voices against such malpractice. Manu was walking on the road quietly, determined to fulfill her cause of fighting against this system of dowry. Then suddenly a sound of a gunshot was heard. In no time Manu fell on the clutches of mother earth. For the last time her eyes were open she saw her husband holding a gun standing behind her. She smiled but tears came from her eyes as she closed her eye. 

"Ghayal ho giri sinhani , virgati use pani thi, Bundele harbolon ke munh hamne suni kahani thi; khoob ladhi mardani woh toh bhagalpur ki rani thi"

Manu though died, inspired many women to fight against injustice. She taught that every woman who is as sober as Parvati can become powerful Kali when evil tries to dominate them.