Strange turn

Belonging to a middle-class family, Somesh was employed by a private company in the city. He had admitted his 19-year-old son Shankar to an engineering college through a donation fee. Somesh's wife, Meena, had a brother named Mohan. He had farmed in a village near the same city. He has only one daughter, Rupa. She is two years younger than Shankar. By the time Shankar was in high school, Somesh was in a job where he was getting transferred frequently. So he had to leave Shankar at Mohan's house for three years to study. Thus, Shankar became close to his maternal uncle and his family. Since Rupa was studying at his school, they used to go to school together. The rivalry between the two has grown even more since childhood. All the relatives who saw both of them said that you two are a very good couple. Immediately after hearing this, both of them were blushing.

After finishing high school, Shankar returned to his father's house and joined college. Every week, he used to go to his maternal uncle’s house and spend several hours with Rupa. Over time, both of them realized that they were deeply in love. Their situation was such that they could not spend a single day apart from each other. Both started talking on the phone for hours every day. Shankar's parents did not resist his behavior but instead encouraged the young couple. But Rupa's love affair with Shankar was not okay with Mohan. He restricted Rupa from talking to Shankar on the phone anymore.

 Meanwhile, this young couple kept meeting without anyone knowing. Somesh and Meena wanted Rupa to be their daughter-in-law, so they encouraged their son. Mohan realizes that Roopa is meeting Shankar against his orders. He took her out of college and kept her at home. Rupa obeyed her father's words for a few days and then started meeting Shankar again. Realizing this, Mohan locked her up in the house and beat her. However, she did not budge and said that if she were to marry, it would be Shankar. So Mohan started sending a maid with her when she was going to college. As the maid was leaving after she went to class, Rupa would skip her classes and meet Shankar.

When Mohan realized this, he was shocked and warned, 'If you meet Shankar again and I know anything, I will kill you and bury your body in our field’. She was expelled from the college the very next day. Rupa passed this information on to Shankar through her girlfriend. He wondered what to do next. He told this to his parents and asked for their advice. His parents said they would discuss the matter with Mohan. One day, when Rupa's parents went to another town for marriage, Rupa came to Shankar's college and met him. Then Shankar took her to his house. There, his parents consoled Rupa.

 Meena called her brother Mohan and said, Rupa has come, and my son and your daughter love each other; making them one is our duty as elders. We accept Rupa as our daughter-in-law, and like a queen, we will take care. Don't break this relationship,' she said. Mohan didn't say anything. After about an hour, he rushed to Shankar's house with his wife. He scolded Somesh and Meena. Shankar, who was standing in front of him, beat him up and dragged Rupa away, saying, 'If you come after my daughter, I will kill you. Be careful. Insulted, the Somesh and Meena instructed their son to forget Rupa.

A month later, Shankar was standing at the bus stand, waiting for the bus with his friends. A van stopped in front of him. One of them from the van asked Shankar where this address was. As Shankar was telling the address, someone opened the door of the van, pulled him into the van, and locked the door. Shankar's friends thought that he had gone to show the address to his acquaintance. There were five people, including Mohan, in the van. They beat up Shankar inside the van. Van moved 20 kilometers and stopped near a forest area. "You have never left Rupa's affair, so you must be punished," Mohan said, pulling Shankar out of the van with his friends and knocking him to the ground. Everyone beat Shankar again.

Mohan brought a can from the van and poured petrol on Shankar. Someone threw a stick. Shankar's clothes, which were wet with petrol, immediately caught fire. Mohan and others left there laughing. Shankar rolled on the floor and put out the fire that was on his body. But by then, his body was very burned, and it was hurting badly. However, without losing his temper, he made a video call to his father and told him what had happened. Immediately, Somesh rushed there on a bike with one of his friends. Based on the location of Shankar's phone, he reached Shankar's place in half an hour while on the way and called an ambulance and told him to come to the place. By the time Somesh reached the spot, Shankar had fainted. Meanwhile, the ambulance came there. Shankar was rushed to a nearby hospital. When he was examined in the emergency department, he was found to have burns on 70% of his body. Due to the medico-legal case, the police were called.

After regaining consciousness, Shankar told the police what had happened. A case of kidnapping, fatal assault, and attempted murder by fire was registered against Mohan and his accomplices. On the same evening, police arrested the absconding Mohan and arrested the rest of the accused on his information. Shankar struggled with death in the hospital for three days and died on the fourth day. A charge of murder was added to the case registered then. After the completion of the investigation, all the accused were charged in court. Each convict was sentenced to life imprisonment. Hearing this, Rupa's mother committed suicide. Shankar's parents accepted Rupa, an orphan, as their daughter.(1)

 

 

 

 

 Reference

1] Dr.D.V Guruprasad, 2023 November 26, “ಹೀಗೊಂದು ಲವ್ ಸ್ಟೋರಿ”, A Kshana, Vijayavani, Bengaluru, Page No-6

2] Image from pinterest