He was about to move towards his bike when he saw some one passing by him, the lady looked like some one he knew, but the resemblance was too little. The lady he knew and loved was as vivacious as a small brook and the woman passing by him was silent, subdued and grim. He called out Parna, the lady stopped, recognition flashed in her eyes, Deb, she responded with a faint smile.

Deb was Parna’s best friend in school and college, they have been like body and shadow, always clinging to each other, it was tough to separate them, Parna was the only child of her parents, his father was a teacher in the same school in which Parna and Deb studied, Parna got married to an engineer and shifted to Australia, and her parents moved back to their village soon after her marriage. Deb tried to maintain the friendship initially, but slowly it took the backseat. It was ten years since he has last set his eyes on her. He never heard that Parna was making any plan to visit India, or else he sure would have tried to meet her, such was their affection.

They started to talk, Parna told him that she has returned to India four years ago, and is working in a small organization as office manager, Deb accompanied her to her home, a simple, single storied house, occupied with her and her parents. Her parents looked as depressed as her, as if some black magic has wiped off their happiness. Something stung in his heart, because he has always seen them laughing and joking throughout his childhood and the days they were together.

Parna offered Deb a seat and went inside to fix some snacks for him.

After a while Deb asked her father about her husband indirectly and the story he heard shook him up, Parna’s parents got her married without investigating much about Rakesh, because the matchmaker was of the same village. All they knew that Rakesh lived with his parents in Australia. They liked Rakesh so much that they did not felt the urge to enquire deeply. He and his parents were warm, sweet and very refined. His father Mr. Gupta told Parna’s father that they want a girl with Indian values, enough education, beauty and elegance for their son, who earns enough for the entire family, and wants to settle down with some one of his own mindset.

The marriage was a hasty affair because Gupta family could arrange only three months leave, they finished every formality within that time span, Parna’s parents went to bid farewell to their darling daughter with tears of joy in their eyes, not even imagining that they were seeing her off to a journey to hell. After reaching Australia Rakesh was brimming with affection, his parents left for USA within a month on the pretext of visiting their second son, Parna never saw them again.

Parna was overwhelmed by affection Rakesh showered her with, she gave him the good news after six months, Rakesh was overwhelmed with joy, he said that he will call his parents over there, so Parna could have some one to stay with her during these special months. He left for office next day brimming with joy, he was supposed to be back home early, but came back very late, his dress was torn, there were bruises on his face, he had a crest fallen expression on his face, he told Parna that he has lost all his savings in a share market cash and now owes the agent a huge sum of money, he has threatened to kill him, and his henchmen were following him, he showed her a car with three or four suspicious looking strong built person waiting outside their premises.

The next day he came back and sat down beside her with tears in his eyes, he begged her that only she can save him but she will have to give up her child to a childless couple, he has requested the agent to give him 5 years to return the 1,00,000 dollar he owes him, and he suggested him about an illegal organization which connects childless couples with surrogate mothers, all she will have to do is make this great sacrifice of giving away their first five children to save her husband’s life. These couples, he said, cant have their own children, but their Indian values prevent them from adopting children from orphanages, hence they look for poverty ridden couples of good families, who wont mind giving away their children for a hefty sum, the minimum they offer is 25000 dollar, and the expenses of maternity, but all the affairs are to be kept under extreme cover, and the mother never comes to know any thing about the couple which adopted the child, to avoid future complications. Finishing his words he held her hand in both of his hands and begged before her with tears in his eyes, that if she does not helps him he will have to kill himself. She hugged him hard and said she will do any thing for him.

So, a nightmarish journey began, Parna gave birth to five children, but was not allowed to touch a single one, they were taken away from her before she opened her eyes at the hospital. She hid the story of her plight from her parents, because the entire thing was extremely confidential, it was clear understanding that if any one comes to know but the people directly involved would have cancelled the agreement then and there.

Rakesh used to cancel his family member’s visit to their home on various excuses and Parna used to do the same in case her visit to India was pressurized from her family. Five years dragged by, her health was seriously hampered, giving away her children ruined her psychologically, but they could not think of any other way out, because wherever they went the stalkers were right at their heel. Constantly reminding them of their presence in their life, to let them know each and every moment that their movements are monitored.

She went through that hell on the strength of Rakesh’s affection, he was always there for her, to hold her through the dark nights, despairing moments, at the time of fifth pregnancy she hoped that finally she will be able to have a child of her own, every thing went smoothly, when she opened her eyes after delivery she saw that Rakesh was absent from her bedside for the first time, her eyes started to search for Rakesh but she could not found him any where, the nurse told her that he has left with the baby and has not returned.

The morning changed to noon, noon to evening and evening to night but he did not returned, the nurses told her that he has paid the bills before admitting Parna. When three days passed without his return Parna feared for the worse. She tried to call him but he did not picked up the phone, the landlord told her he has not come to the home either. She could not contact the police due to fear of the agent, thinking that they will kill him if she contacts police, so she kept mum. Waiting in vain for his return.

She was lying on her bed when an Indian woman in nurse uniform came to her, and asked what was her relation with Rakesh, when she told her, the woman told her that she has seen him entering with another pregnant woman a couple of times, identifying her as his sister in law, Parna told her that Rakesh’s only brother lives in USA. The nurse softly told her, that most probably Rakesh will not turn up at all, and as if to prove her words Rakesh did not turned up, so , Parna left the hospital alone, hoping against hope that he will be there waiting in the flat for her.

She returned to empty flat, after her return to her flat the flat owner told her that Rakesh has handed over him the notice before admitting her to the nursing home, so she will have to vacate the flat after fifteen days, she felt as if the sky has crashed on her head, she called up her parents and told them the entire story. They came to Australia and brought her back to India.

When the story of her plight became known to the people of her village, they told her parents that they had a suspicion that the matchmaker is an agent of such unscrupulous people, who marry beautiful, healthy girls of good but poor families faking as rich people, take the girls to far away places and manipulate them to sell their children on different pretexts and decamp with the booty.

They also told them that they have a very strong network in India, if some one tries to start some police action against them their agents make the life of that family miserable. As an ominous proof of their words Parna’s father started to receive anonymous calls from forever changing numbers about ruining Parna if a single move was made against them.

Her parents were doubly crushed, first by the tragedy that has befallen on their darling daughter and the second by the manner their own villagers betrayed their faith by hiding the dangerous fact.

Hence, they sold off their property in village and shifted to the anonymous life of Calcutta, hoping Parna will be able to forget her pain and they will be saved from the embarrassment of telling the same painful story again and again.

Deb, listened with deep sadness, he knew that fighting with these rackets without proof was only inviting trouble, and these rackets were so smart that it was tough to gather any evidence against them.

He started to mix them regularly, and started to take Parna out often, one day, he saw her off and when she left he realized that he has left his purse with her, he started to walk towards her home, he saw her walking at a distance, to her surprise a group of flashily dressed guys were following her right at her heels, when he moved forward the guys casually walked away, he asked her what was the matter, she told that she has been stalked since she came back from Australia by groups of people, the members change frequently but the languages are always same, damaging her reputation, calling her names, they don’t even spare her relation with her father. Their activities have increased after Deb’s entry into her life, as they have known that he is a police officer.

Next morning he came to her house and asked for her hand to her father, his father vehemently refused, but Deb stood his ground, he told them that he has always loved them as his own family and Parna first as his friend, then as lover and now he wants her as wife. The animals who are making her life miserable wont dare to bother her any more after she becomes his wife, and he earns enough to take care of all of them. He may not be able to fight these animals but he can protect his family from them.

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I am Sharmishtha Basu, one of Indian citizens who is little perplexed at the direction our society is going. The way we have discarded our old values and taken up stark materialistic lifestyle. Aiming for money blindly, and as a result the society is suffering.

I picked up the pen to share my views on things that pain me and make me happy. To share my views and getting them judged by others. With the hope that we Indians will unite and change the country for better. Wipe out its black spots like dowry, caste system, human trafficking, corruption forever. And I do have the faith that if we the educated and responsible citizen try, we will succeed, sooner or later.

I am an avid reader, though don't get much time any more to read any thing out of internet or newspapers. I love music and good movies. Some of my favourite authors are Maupassant, Somerset Maugham, Arthur Conan Doyle, Rabindranath, saratchandra, Bankimchandra, Bibhutibhushan Bandhopadhyay etc. the list of favourite artiste is too long, some are Kenny Rogers, Don William, Glen Campbell, Md. Rafi, Shamshad Begum etc. So are the movies, like at one side I love all Satyajit Ray movies, on the other side most of Schwazernegger movies. I love painting, sculpture etc.

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