Chapter 5 - Blood on the Moon

“May be the sacred book says I cannot punish you when you are ill but it says nothing about not pleasing your husband,” said Pachan as he pinned Kalyani down. He had a fairly rewarding day, having been able to earn a few coins in a bridge construction work in the neighbouring village. He had been tired when he got home but was not very pleased to learn the deceit of his wife from his son. However, he deserved a night of pleasure after a day’s work and the news of her illness just felt convenient to postpone the punishment to another day.

Of course, for Kalyani, this had become a mechanical process that she subjected herself to every other night. She however detested his smell, his putrid breath on her neck, his animal grunts to her innermost core. She often imagined herself getting out of her physical body and strangling him. She knew the rhythm so well and presently she knew it was going to be over any moment. However, the unexpected sound of the midnight bugle jolted him and he got up at once and looked out of the window.

“Something is wrong, the night lamp has been lit, the village committee has summoned everyone. Come.” He commanded.

The midnight bugle was sounded usually when there was danger of an attack from the warring tribes or when there was a death penalty to be carried out. Trial hearings and death penalty sentences were carried out in a single hearing. Everyone in the village was to attend the meetings irrespective of age and gender and witness the proceedings.

By the time Kalyani, Pachan, and the sleepy Kanchi and Kesu reached the banyan tree across the river where the meetings were held, a large crowd had already gathered and the head of the committee Madhavan Nambi had begun to speak. Sambhu Asan’s face was crest fallen, for there stood Paru in front of the committee, in the circle of trial.

“We are gathered here to carry out the trial and sentence of Paru, wife of Koran, mother to none. It has been brought to our notice that Paru has brought great disgrace upon the village by engaging in promiscuity and adultery with other men from the village. Evidence in the form of three tolas wrapped in a silk cloth offered to her by the stone merchants Kuberan and Pasavan have been found under her pillow. They have admitted to having engaged in perverse behavior with Paru. Her husband Koran has also borne witness to the incident having walked in after a day’s hard work while Paru was in the company of the two men in question. We ask the perpetrators Kuberan and Pasavan and the witness Koran to bow their heads if they hold the above statements true.”

 Kuberan, Pasavan and Koran bowed their heads in admission.

“As per the rules stated in the sacred text, we now proceed with the sentence. Paru will be hanged from the banyan tree and the people of village will stay watch until her last breath all the while praying for forgiveness for her soul” announced Madhavan Nambi.

Kalyani stifled her scream as she heard the verdict and tried to shield her child’s eyes from the horrendous act that was to follow. Pachan however pushed her hands away as he said, “She needs to see this and know the consequences of wrong choices.”

Kalyani slowly backed out of the crowd with her daughter as the hangman tied the noose around Paru’s neck. Having caught sight of her friend in the crowd, Paru smiled and cried out “Blood on the Moon”. And as her body dangled from the rope, and her body trembled one last time, Kalyani felt Kanchi tug at her arm.

Kanchi turned to look at her weeping child. But it wasn’t the shock of death that had pained her child, what cruel games the Gods indeed play, for the white dove had turned crimson red.

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“Run home quickly Kanchi, don’t breathe a word of this to anyone,” warned Kalyani as they rushed to their home.

She tore up the dress stained with blood and put it on fire. She bathed Kanchi in warm water stored in the kitchen and carefully shaped a thick pad of loin cloth for her daughter.

“No one is to know. For the next few days, you will not bathe in the pond. I will warm water for you every night and your loin clothes will be burnt” instructed Kalyani.

“But mother tomorrow is the feast at Nambi lord’s home. Everyone is going, I want to go too” begged Kanchi.

“No, you may not, it’s too risky. If your father finds out, you will be married off within the next fortnight” explained Kalyani.

“Quickly, go lie down,” said Kalyani as she heard her husband’s footsteps approaching.

“Where were you woman?” asked an angry Pachan following it with a tight slap across her face.

“I..I…I wasn’t keeping well. So I came back as quickly as I could” whimpered Kalyani.

“Go to bed all of you. We have to go to the feast tomorrow at Nambi lord’s home” he bellowed.

“May I and Kanchi stay back, I don’t feel very well” requested Kalyani.

“If you are unwell, you stay back; the girl will come. There will be a lot of young men there and I want to make sure they notice her. God knows, we need all the tolas we can get when the damn day comes” he said.

Kanchi turned from her bed and stole a look at her mother helplessly but before much could be said, Pachan pulled his wife into the room and shut the door on her face.

“You and Amma have a secret and I am going to get to the bottom of this,” smirked devious Kesu having observed the secret glances exchanged, and turned away to sleep with his usual snickering

Kanchi tried hard to fall asleep but the image of Paru hanging from the tree, the tugging cramps in her stomach, her father’s violent grunts from the other room and her brother’s incessant snoring was making it all impossible. I need to see Sambhu Asan, he will know a way to help me, she thought to herself.