The Kidnapping ..

When I reached to my friend’s village, I saw my friend in a meeting. The meeting was going on in my friend’s house. His father ushered me to meeting place, it was the last room of the house. I saw room full of people. I counted the people and they were fifteen. Six people were looking around sixty years old; four people around thirty five - forty and rest all were around twenty. They looked very serious and from their gesture and posture, it was looking as if they were planning for some suspicious activities. I sensed that it was not a normal gathering; it had some special purpose. My friend saw me and told me to wait outside for few minutes. After fifteen minutes, the meeting was over and all participants chanted ‘Jai Ganesh’ in unison.

When my friend came to me after seeing off the people, I was reading the newspaper. He snatched the newspaper my hand and took me to the room. His behavior at that day was looking completely strange. I could not resist my curiosity.  I asked –“Could you tell me, what kind of meeting was going on here”. He laughed and replied- “No. I won’t tell you. I know you are unable to digest anything. It was secret meeting, if I tell you then you will reveal to everybody.”
I felt offended. “Tell me, when I have revealed that you have told not to reveal before anybody?” He looked amused with my protest.
“We were planning to kidnap few people”- he divulged about the secret meeting.
“What! kidnapping?”- I was unable to believe his word.
“Yes. But this kidnapping is something different. We are not kidnapping for ransom, we are going to kidnap bridegrooms.”- He informed me further.
“But kidnapping is illegal, isn’t it?”- I wanted to know, how he would defend this crime.
“Do not lecture me without listening or understanding the complete thing. Such kidnapping is legal in my caste. We have identified three bridegrooms and we will kidnap them within two weeks. After two weeks, there are no auspicious days for marriage. The bridegrooms are educated and from good family. If my villagers go there for marriage alliance, their family would ask hefty dowry. My villagers are unable to pay dowry. Do not you think Dowry is a big crime?”
“So, countering crime with crime”- I laughed. –“Suppose, the bridegroom divorces the bride after marriage”- I expressed my concerned.
“We choose prospective bridegrooms very meticulously. We choose only those families who have never gone to police- kachahry (Police & Court) and those who believe in Indian culture.” – He answered.
“Indian Culture, what Indian culture has to do with it?”- I spoke sarcastically.
He was angry – “Indian culture means who do not believe in divorce and do not go to court for marriage issues. In Indian culture, marriage why not forced one, is once done remain sacred for seven lives”.

Indian culture has been a very misconstrued term. Many times people use it to hide their crime/sin/ wrongdoings. I differed with my friend’s argument – “And that was the Indian culture, when elderly people were planning for criminal activities, planning for kidnapping? That is Indian culture where you force an innocent guy to marry against his will. Do not malign Indian culture for your impious and criminal activities”. I was huffing. Meanwhile, Aunty (my friend’s mother) brought some eatable in the room. Seeing her, both of us stopped discussing. I had some personal work with him and I completed after that.

At that day, when I was leaving his house, my friend asked – “Do you want to see such marriage?”  In fact, I was very keen to observe kidnapped bridegroom’s marriage. I nodded my head in yes. He told he would inform me when such marriage took place in his village.

After ten days, my friend invited me to his village to attend a marriage function. I did not go his village on marriage day; I went next day of the marriage. I saw all villagers gathered at the bride’s house. Everything was looking normal; everyone was looking happy and celebrating the occasion. When I met the bridegroom, I saw his face swollen. It appeared somebody gave him a big punch on his face. He looked calm and obeying all the rituals what priest was telling him to do.

The priest, who was in the meeting too, revealed all the story of previous day. When the bridegroom was kidnapped and brought in the village, he was very adamant. Even he spoke foul language too. Few villagers got infuriated and they beat the bridegroom. Initially bridegroom too fought with them, and then he gave up. During fighting, he got punch on his face but he too injured two people. The story was very humorous.

“How he agreed to marry”- I was amazed to see the successful execution of the plan. The priest disclosed – “When the bridegroom became almost pulp after getting beaten by the youth then the women of the family took charge. The women drove the youths from the house. They made him bath and put turmeric on the body. The bride’s mother wept to see the suffering of bridegroom. The girls of the village took care of him whole night. The girls were at the beck and call of the bridegroom. The bride also spoke to him, as bride looked sensitive and beautiful, he agreed for marriage without making any fuss.

I observed, during rituals the priest was calling the bridegroom, incarnation of lord Shiva. He was equating the bridegroom with lord Shiva and the bridegroom was looking pleased with this comparison. The bridegroom was surrounded by young girls and it appeared he was enjoying their company. Everything was looking normal and controlled.

I thanked my friend for showing me such an entertaining marriage.

~~~ Ramanuj Dubey