Rudra reached the station and nodded in greeting at the officers who got up in respect. He was the ACP of the Delhi Police’s Crime Unit.

He was reading the files kept on his table when one of the officers knocked and entered.

“Sir!”

He saluted and Rudra nodded asking him to take a seat.

“Sir subha ek file receive huyi hai. DCP sir ke orders hai. Ye aapko dene ko kaha tha.”

(Sir we have received a file this morning. DCP sir’s orders. We are asked to give this to you.)

Rudra looked at the officer and then at the file in his hands. He took the file and read it.

“Bhujwadi gaao (Imaginary name)? Ye kaha padta hai?”

(Bhujwadi village? Where is it?)

He asked not aware of the the village. 

“Uttar Pradesh ek chhota sa gaao hai sir. 200 log bhi nhi hai gaao mai. Isliye koi district government bhi dhyan nhi deti.”

(It’s a small village in Uttar Pradesh sir. There are not even 200 people in this village. So no district government pays attention.)

The officer answered and Rudra read further.  His brows furrowed and he further questioned.

“Forced to marry older men?”

“Jee sir. Gaao ki betiyon ka bura haal hai. 16-17 saal ki nabaalik ladkio ki shaadi kra dete hai 60-65 saal ke buzurgo se. Unse zabardasti kri jaati hai. Rape krte hai, bache paida karwate hai aur puri zindagi narak ki tarah jeeti hai wo ladkia.”

(Yes sir. The village girls are in bad condition. 16-17 years old girls are married off to 60-65 years old men. They are forced. Raped, forced to give birth to kids and they live their whole life as hell.)

Rudra clenched his fists. He couldn’t believe there were still places like this which existed in the 21st century.

“Ye Varendra Chandoli kaun hai?”

(Who is Varendra Chandoli?)

Rudra asked further and the officer immediately remembering what he was told, spoke.

“Sir, waha ka bhut bada gunda ha. Gaao ka sabse ameer aadmi. Ussi ne ye sab gandi machayi hui hai. Ladkio ko paao ki dhul samajhta hai aur iske khudke beto pr gaao ki kitni ladkio ko chhedne aur rape kr accusations hai. Par koi kuch kar hi nhi pata iski takaat aur paise ke aage.”

(Sir he is a big goon of the village. The most influential man in the village. He is responsible for this dirty mess. He considers girls equal to his shoe and his own sons have accusations of molestation and rape. But no one could do anything in front of his money and power.)

Rudra got up from his seat and said.

“Ek team taiyar kro, Kunal. Uss Chandoli aur uske beto ko uthana hai.”

(Prepare a team, Kunal. We have to arrest Chandoli and his sons.)

The team was prepared and disbursed by the next day. They were travelling via road and reached the village in 5 hours. 

Rudra was in his uniform. He removed his aviators and looked at the board ahead.

Bhujwadi

The board read. Rudra nodded to the officers and they drove inside. The entire village seemed quiet. 

Rudra saw a boy of around 8 running around and asked.

“Ye sab log kaha hai?”

(Where is everyone?)

“Aaj didi ka byah hai na. Sab log gaao ke mandir mai hai.”

(It’s didi’s wedding today. Everyone is at the temple.)

Rudra asked for directions and immediately ran towards the direction the boy pointed towards along with his team.

Aadya was sitting in the bridal attire. The new red attire, red bangles and makeup represented the event. But the tears in her eyes, sadness on her face and fear in her body language screamed the reality. 

“Samay ho gaya hai, Aadya.”

(It’s time, Aadya.)

Her mother’s soft voice called and Aadya looked at her with a tear stricken face.

“Nhi kro na aise amma. Rok lo baapu ko. Kaise rahungi mai? Tau bulati thi mai unhe.”

(Don’t do this mom. Stop father. How will I survive? I called him uncle.)

She said referring to the man she was being forced to marry. She had called his tauji her entire life and was suddenly being thrown into marriage with him. Her mother caressed her face with tears in her eyes and said.

“Mere haathon mai hota toh mai tujhe kabka yaha se kahi dur bhej chuki hoti. Par mai kuch nhi kr skti. Maaf krde laado!”

(Had things been in my control, I would have sent you away much earlier. But I cannot do anything. Forgive me!)

Aadya cried and let her tears fall. She then joined her hands in front of God and prayed.

“Ab aap hi kuch krio Kanhaiya! Bacha lijiye mujhe iss narak mai jaane se.”

(You only do something now, Kanhaiya! Save me from going into this hell.)

And then she surrendered herself. She didn’t know when she was taken to the altar and made to sit beside the man who gazed at her with lust. She had closed her eyes and was chanting His name. Praying for her life.

“BAND KRO YE SAB! KOI SHAADI NHI HOGI YAHA!”

(STOP ALL THIS! NO WEDDING WILL HAPPEN HERE!)

They heard a loud voice. Aadya opened her eyes and got up with tears flowing from her eyes. The man in front of her looked like God to her at that moment. Eyes blazing with uncontrolled anger and fists clenched with fury. 

She closed her eyes again and cried in gratitude. Varendra Chandoli came forward and asked in a rough voice.

“Hai kaun tu? Yo rokne wala?”

(Who are you? To stop this?)

“Aankhein kharab hai ya dimaag? Dikhayi nhi de raha?”

(Are you eyes not working or brain? Can you not see?)

Rudra asked with bared controlled anger. He then looked around and asked in a firm voice.

“Varendra Chandoli kaun hai yaha?”

(Who is Varendra Chandoli?)

The man in front of him spoke with his chest puffed out with pride.

“Mai hoon!”

(I am!)

The next second, there was a round of gasps and murmurs because the man was snapped into handcuffs.

“Yo ke badtameeji hai? Chhod mujhe!”

(What is this rudeness? Leave me!)

“Band kro isse gaadi mai! Kaha hai iske bete? Unhe bhi utha ke laao!”

(Put him in the car! Where are his sons? Get them also!)

Rudra ordered and the officers immediately sprang into action. Two other people, his sons, were handcuffed and thrown into separate cars. 

“Aaj ke baad agar mujhe khabar mili ki iss gaao mai kisi bhi ladki ki shaadi zabardasti krayi jaa rhi hai…toh gaao ke ek ek aadmi ko khade khade goli maar dunga.”

(If I get to know that any girl of this village is being forced into marriage…I will shoot each one of you without a second thought.)

He threatened and the men visibly cowered back in fear. Just as Rudra turned to leave with the arrested men, he heard a soft, pleading voice.

“Mujhe yaha se le jaao, sahab!”

(Take me away from here, sir!)

He turned to see the girl who was being married and frowned.

“Aap chinta mat kijiye…wo Chandoli ab aap sab ka kuch nhi bigaad skta.”

(Don’t worry…that Chandoli cannot harm you now.)

Aadya shook her head and said.

“Uss aadmi ne gaao ki bhut si ladkio ki zindagi kharab kri hai, sahab. Yaha jitni bhi shaadiyan hui hai, sab ussi ne karwayi hai. Lekin meri nhi.”

(That man had ruined the lives of many girls in the village, sir. All the marriages that happened here, he organised them. But not mine.)

Rudra was confused and turned to face her completely. Aadya sniffed and spoke, suddenly getting the courage to speak. Something in her gut told her that this man wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

“Mere baapu ne iss aadmi se karz lia tha. Jo wo chuka nhi paaye. Isliye wo karz ke badle meri shaadi isse ho rhi thi sahab. Aap ye shaadi rukwa denge toh baapu meri shaadi kisi aur se kra denge. Ek karz nhi hai inke upar.”

(My father took a loan from this man. Which he could not repay. So in return of that loan, this marriage was happening, sir. If you stop this marriage, my father will fix it with someone else. He doesn’t have only loan on his head.)

Rudra glared at the man sharply and he bowed his head in shame. He then turned to his officers and said.