You did not get mangoes for me this year?this was my first complaint to Haider who takes care of our garden and happens to be from Bengal. There is one thing I like about these Bengali people; they are very hardworking and determined. Haider has been working with us for the last six years and he is just like a member of the family. When he told me about his educational background, it gave me goose bumps. Haider was a graduate and also worked as a teacher in one of the schools, but due to some debts, he had to leave his further studies and work as a laborer in this disputed part of the country. Knowing that he was very smart in political matters, I often used to talk about the traditions in Bengal and how the judicial system worked there. Knowing that I plan to write a book on gender based issues, he came up with one of the stories he had known about women violence in his state. I immediately showed interest and he narrated the story.
Konkana was born in Murshidabad, a city in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state in India. The city of Murshidabad is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi, a tributary of the Ganges River. Hasina was the eldest daughter of her parents and was a very passionate architect. She completed her degree from one of the reputed colleges in Bengal and thus ended up getting a good job. Her family was very proud of her, besides being a good architect; she was a good sportsperson too. She had won a national level badminton championship and thus was a rising star. She mostly worked on projects that needed her utmost attention and time and thus had to remain outside her home for frequent visits.
Her work was famous and all the major construction companies wanted her to be a part of the project. She was selected in one of such projects and was quite happy about it. She used to dedicate most of her time in the project and was very much excited about the results.
One day she received a phone call and she was told to report at one of the construction sites for design improvisations. She left for the place and reached within an hour or so. The place looked very eerie with no one around and cemented buildings all around. She called on the number she had earlier received call from but no one picked up her call. She got inside the building and saw two men standing in front of her. They uttered a cunning laugh and shouted loudly, in no time few men came out of nowhere and now the total number of men enveloping her as nine. She tried to make an exit but they circled around her laughing and making noises. She told them what they wanted but they did not answer her questions. She was blindfolded by one of the men and taken by force. What followed next was totally inhuman and barbaric.
One by one, nine of these monsters raped her and shut her eyes and mouth. One of the men received a call and said,Kaamhogaya sir”, it made million things cross her mind. Who could this be? Was it any of her rivals? Had it anything to do with her rejected proposals? But the pain and shock she was going through could not help her dig answers for her questions. She was taken by one of the men and he left her at a deserted place. She had left her phone somewhere and could not even move her hands. Few hours ago she was seen by some people who helped her gain consciousness and was taken to the hospital. The next day she was taken home and this time her parents were not happy to see her. The shining star of their life had lost all her sheen in a day and their hopes were dashed by the grisly act of monsters that had played truancy with her for few bucks!
She left her job and now remains stuck in her room with no interest in the outside world and thus world lost one of its promising architects!
An excerpt from Azra Mufti’s TEARFUL PAGES.
