Few days later when a media team went into the
village;they interviewed the petrified villagers and learned the
news of a young village girl who was raped and left and warned of dire
consequences if she broke her silence.
It angered the masses and there were demonstrations all over the state. The whole state was burning, people had come
out to get his head, but the man was nowhere to be found.
Some believed that he was flown out in a special military helicopter ,and when
he returned was hidden in the state army headquarter for, waiting
for the fury to ebb.
It rose uncontrollably and the whole
place was inflamed, then in another remote corner of the state, five civilians
were lined up and shot dead by the Central Reserve Forces after their convoy was attacked. This diverted
the fury; compelling it to flit between the
recent and just-happened incidents.
Major Ranjit’s crime dwindled but it isn't forgotten
by the short memory of the people. The army sent out a rumour suggesting that
they might try the accused in a military court, the rumour was issued
by some general who was always pictured handing out TV sets and thick shawls to villagers with stunned faces.
Now he is an army officer with a concealed face.
Beneath the helmeted head his face is wrapped in a black strip of cloth, leaving the whiskey-stained eyes. He stands under the garage roof and orders
his men to surround the house and break the heavy carved door. The men rush
forward to encircle the house then stand in front of the house for a few
seconds and without bothering to give a knock two six footers charge against the door but they are sent back.
To accept pain in a defeated condition is painful ,one is almost aware of his condition, but to suffer it when one is bestowed
with immense power only augments the strength and anger. Like some Hollywood action hero flexing his
muscles wielding a heavy machine gun they both draw their Kalashnikov rifles
and fire at the door knob, this has instilled the certainty in them and with certainty
they kick open the door. Inside the house the noise of
people moaning and shrieking can be heard.
The back door
is also brought down by another six-footer bunch, and they have rushed into the
house like floodwater and each room in the house is
occupied. All the sisters, including Sanjit and his parents are brought out to
the living room and made them stand. The
electricity ,like any other day, has excused itself and the room is lit up with
bright flashlights, shining at the horrified faces of the family members.
The
shaking mother asks the armed men in sign language if she can get a lantern. A
tall personnel double her size follows her with his hands maintaining
a reliable grip on his rifle. Sanjit’s frail mother wearing a worn out panek,
pulled up till her chest and a thin shawl
thrown over her bony shoulders, comes out carrying a bright lantern
revealing the faces of the people, the horrified and petrified faces from the
family and that of the jumpy faces of the personnel wielding
sophisticated weapons to defend their democracy.
To be continued.......
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