She kept weeping, so much that her body has started struggling for each gasp. Each breath was as if hiccups have increased its extent. Lady Constable was constantly trying to comfort her by rubbing her back and offering glass of water.
‘This is too much sir, we must file this complain and take
those animals to court’ constable said to inspector who was stationed in front
of her, staring at her burned hand and cursing the fate of this poor woman. Society
is still not grown up. They still treat women as if they are their own possession.
Beating their wife is still a matter of manhood for those who are not able to
digest their equality.
‘I thought they would realize, my care for them will change
them one day, but today when they tried to burn me alive. I was left with no
other choice but to come here with my plea’ she said controlling her tears. ‘I have
done all to save my marriage. Today, with no reason at all they all just shot
on me, first my husband kicked me and punched me while my father-in-law was
shouting from the corner of the room and suddenly my mother-in-law came with a
burning stick and kerosene and tried to burn me alive, it was then I ran out of
the house and came here.’ She said and again started crying.
One of the constables was busy scribbling the story on a
paper. Once he was done he came to the lady. She took the paper and signed it
without even reading it.
‘Let’s get them here’ The Inspector signaled other constables
and next moment they left for the address given by the lady.
It was quiet in the police station; only evident sound was sobs
of the lady. There were few people gathered outside the gate to know more about
the case, some of them were media staff as they knew they were going to get something
to fill in tomorrow’s newspaper.
They saw the jeep coming back, this time with extra three
members. They all were almost dragged inside the station, mother crying loudly,
father horrified. They all were pushed in the corner. Inspector stood in front
of them observing. He could see burn marks on her mother-in-law, also bleeding
forehead of her husband.
‘What do you think, you are?’ shouted the inspector, holding
the collar of her husband. ‘Sir, whatever she was saying, is a lie.’ Gulping his
own saliva, her husband started,’ Sir, It’s her who want a separate life. It’s
her who wants my parents to leave the house. It’s her…’ It all went silent, a
huge slap, tearing his skin to bleed was enough to make everything silent. I
drop of tear rolled out of his red turned eye.
Inspector turned to the lady constable, gesturing her to
take the woman to her home. She stood up and started to the door. All three of
them were watching her leave and then from the corner of eye she saw her
husband. As soon as their eyes met, she winked…
Another tear rolled out of his eyes. Only good thing which
happened today was that he was able to save her mother from the fire.
