I was studying in 6th standard,the emergency had just been lifted and our country was in a rare political turmoil,but, our main concern was to make the most of the two month long summer breaks.It was cricket and football during the day followed by hide and seek at night.

All the kids used to join in ,including the girls,though some of them would not be allowed out in the searing afternoon sun of Madhya Bharat by their mothers ,already dreading the matimonial lines of "fair and convented",I guess.Just across the boundary wall of the housing society was the post office ,a dull typically govt building of the seventies, the only touch of colour to this facade was a beautiful garden in front of a Jhopad patti that nestled to the rear of the post office.This was the house of Ameena Bi ,who used to wash clothes,utensils and sweep in a couple of houses.She was assisted by her two daughters,one who was an year elder to us and one who was younger.

At times Ruksana and Fatima used to join our games,especially when we were short of fielders.Looking back I realise that most kids back then were not overly bothered about class distinction and it seemed the most natural thing for these girls to join in.However,come evenings, there used to be a reluctance in them to return home.One could hear Ameena Bi calling with incresing stridency very often.

One day I asked my mother if there was a problem,Mom looked at me with that look in her eyes that Moms get when they are weighing " The How and How Much" of an answer.Their father is a drunkard and beats their mother and,I guess that is why they avoid going in early.Well that was that ,and , being a boy and a carefree one I didn't think about it again till that horrifying May night.

There had been a power cut,and,only the street lights were working and so at about 8 pm we were all gathered playing four corners while our parents chatted.All of a sudden there was the agonised scream a young girl in grave distress,we stood rooted with fear on the spot. A huge commotion issued forth from Ameena Bi's home..the wailing of the girls interspersed with the drunken abusive rantings of a man and the desperate pleas of Ameena Bi.Sharma Uncle and my mom were the first of the block,my mom turned to Sharma Aunty and said "kumud take care of the children and ask Mr Ghose to call the police" ,and then she turned and accompanied Mr Sharma towards Ameena Bi's home.They had barely reached the entrance when we heard the cry of a man in mortal pain,ignoring Sharma Auntie's calls I ran behind my mother who was by now running.

We entered the shanty simultaneously,there in a pool of blood lay the father,his head bashed in with a grinding stone, Ameena Bi was sitting silently on the floor holding her daughters in her bosom.She looked up and stared.. "Main kya karti Memsahib.. Maan hi nahi raha tha..jab aadmi haivan ban jaye to koi ma kya kare"
My mother walked up to her and sat down and said " Koi baat nahin Ameena tumne theek kiya"

The case was over pretty quickly,Ameena Bi was sentenced to life imprisionment.. I believed then and do so till today that it was the biggest miscarriage of justice I have ever seen.

In my book Ameena Bi remains the bravest woman I have come across!!

( The names of all individual have been changed alongwith timings and locations,and,Ameena Bi was released in 1997,her daughters are well settled; Ruksana teaches,she has not married.)










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