Undying Love |✔

Chapter 41- Closing Our Eyes to a Problem Is Its Only Solution

"Karma says you were provoking other people by protesting."

A man in his mid-forties, wearing the same attire as every other panch- a white crisp dhoti with white Kurta, asked Avni in an intimidating tone.

Every other villager- including children and women, was gathered to see the fate of the girl who had taken a severe step for the justice of a Dalit. The word Dalit rolled off their tongues with loathing as if they had tasted something bitter.

Avni was standing in front of them with her right hand clasping her left wrist in front. Her shehri attire was being looked at curiously as she was the only one who hadn't covered her face with a veil.

"I wasn't provoking anyone. I was just trying to make my voice reach to people. I needed you to do justice." She said looking at the panch straight in the eye. That act itself made the same panch frown. He wasn't habitual of being looked at by women with raised head.

"Karma also says you were trying to manipulate people by blaming the panchs for not doing their jobs correctly."

Every time his name was mentioned, Karma puffed out his chest while sitting amidst the other panchs, and smirked at Amit who was standing inches away from Avni. He was enjoying the attention he was being given.

"I wasn't manipulating anyone. I was trying to do what I thought was right."

Again, Avni's reply was confident and fearless. She wasn't scared of some men who were fulfilling their jobs on the basis of one manipulative witness- Karma.

"What you have done is highly prohibited in our village. We do our jobs impartially, and no third person is allowed to blame us for our decisions as it is taken unanimously. That's why we are called Panch (Five) and not one."

Before Avni could say more on the matter, Amit was called forward for questioning. She was annoyed she wasn't given enough chance to speak. Amit wasn't exaggerating when he warned her about these men. She thought to herself.

Amit came forward when his name was announced and stood beside Avni with resuming the same posture as her.

"Amit, we hear she is...related to you?" The same man asked Amit with a hint of disappointment. He looked like he wanted to say more on this matter; as if he was aware that Avni was somehow related to him in a way he disapproved of. But considering Amit was a man, and considering a man had certain liberties in this village that woman didn't, be a lower class or otherwise, he wasn't questioned more about it.

Amit nodded to this and didn't say anything to elaborate.

"Then why didn't you stop her from doing what she did? Weren't you aware of her protest before? From what Karma has informed us, you were with her yesterday. Were you involved in the protest too?"

Before Amit could reply, Avni piped in. "He wasn't aware of what I did. He arrived when he got to know about my protest from others. He had come to stop me, and that's when Karma saw us. Ask them. Most of them were present when it happened."

"Speak when you're asked to, young lady." The main panch spoke while looking at her pointedly, and then diverted his attention back to Amit and asked, "Amit?"

"It's true. I wasn't aware of it before."

The man nodded and then turned toward other members. They murmured something in low voices; few of them nodded, and few shook their head.

Amit wasn't watching anyone. He was only observing Karma. Seeing the smile on his face, he knew nothing good was going to come out of it. With that realization, his whole demeanor went rigid, and he became tense.