SHASTI-The Punishment

By Rabindranath Tagore

Characters:

Upendra : Younger brother

Mini: Younger sister in law

Devendra : Elder Brother

Radha: Elder sister in law

Judge: 1

Jailors & Police: 2

Villagers

Story:

The period is situated in Bengal’s dark times when poverty induced by

permanent settlement had a larger ramification on social ,economic and
political life of people. Minu’s married life starts happily in a poor
family, with her loving husband, Upendra who always takes care of her
and promises to be at her side at all times. However, Mini’s elder co-
sister, Radha, complains about her poverty and her brothers wealth to
her husband, Devendra. The changing situation makes Radha more
spiteful against Mini and she sells Mini’s jewellery for money.
Devendra, who is always supportive of Mini, is enraged when he learns
about Minu jewellery sale and picks up a fight with his wife. Soon, the
verbal fight reaches a crescendo and Devendra, in a fit of rage,
delivers a ghastly blow with the sickle on Radha’s head, which causes
her death.

This sudden change of events puts the family in a vague situation.

When the police arrives, Upendra assures Mini that he will set things
right and asks her to remain quiet. Upon questioning, Upendra tells the
police that it was Mini with whom his boudi (sister-in-law) had had a
fight and that she had ghastly blow with the sickle on her head. Mini is
shocked to hear that, but remains quiet .. After the police take her
away, Upendra confesses to her brother that he could always get
another wife, but he would not be able to get another brother. As
the trial go on, Minu continues to remain quiet. She confesses to the
murder.Meanwhile, Devendra repentent of his doing, tries to take the
blame of the murder during the court proceedings. Upon which,
Upendra owns up about committing the crime. The judge, confused
about the subsequent confessions, asks Mini to say something in her
defence and she confirms the incident . Soon, taking Minu’s confession
to the crime, the court gives her capital punishment. Later, when she is
being taken to the gallows, her last wish is to meet upendra . She
delivers a stinging sermon to upendra and happily goes to the gallows
for her husband to get shasti or punishment throughout his life

Background Narrator :

Yeh kahani hain bangal ki ek gaon ki jahan pe do bhai hain devendra and
upendra .Bangal sarkar ke sada keliye bhugtaan waleyojana ke tahet
(permanent settle ment) Garibi main doobe do bhaiyon ki. in Dono ka
pyar dekh ke pata nahin chal raha ki zindagi unko iss tarah imtihan legi
joh ki kabhi na dekha ho na suna ho……unke patni radha aaur minu …
radha joh bade ghar ki hain aaur garibi bardaasht nahin hoti…minu joh
garib ghar ki hain aaur jise apne pati upendra ke pyaar ke bina kuch
chahiye hin nahin….

Scene 1:opening scene

Small romance between minu and upendra

Upendra(teasing tone) :eei minu ! tere parivaar ko mujh jaise ganwar

main kya dikha ki tujh jaisi rani ko biha diye mujhe….
Minu(with a smile): aisa mat boliye aap jaisa pati mujhe 100 janmo main
nahin milege …yeh meri khushnasibi hain ….

Upendra(with a worried look) :Kahan khushnasibi jab se yeh angrez

sarkar ne sada keliye bhugtaan wala kaam kiya hain …… sab kuch girwi
hogaya hain tere liye chudi bhi nahin kharid paya …upar se bhbahi ne
teri bachi kuchi jewar bhi bech diye …bhaiyya janenge toh bahut gussa
honge

Minu(smilingly) :kisiko kuch bolne ki zaroorat nahin….Aisa mat socho

….chudi ki kya zarrorat aap hin mera gehna ho.

Scene 2

Noise of huge quarrel between elder brother Devendra and his wife …
Radha

Devendra : Maine paise diye thay kya hua ? aaur tune chutki ke jewar
girwi rakhwa diye mujhe bina pooche …kya sochegi who apne jeth ke
baarein main

Radha(mockingly) : arrey jyada sona nahin thamaine chudi karid li aaur

baaki sab se ek nayi saree….mere kaunse jewar tumne chode hain ki ab
apni chutki ki itni fikaar horahi hain…garreb ho aaur garreb rahoge

Devendra : hum do bhai khet main kaam kar ke ek ek rupaiya jama

karrahein hain yeh …ghar aur khet joh girwi hain zamindar ke pass
chudane ke liye aaur tuu paise se chudi aaur saree kharidrahi hai…..chi
dhitkaar hain tujhpe!!!!!

Radha:Gadhe Pasina bahate hain….. mere bhai …zamindar ratan ko

dekho …binakaam kiye kaisa paisa kama rahein hain…. Mujhe tumko yeh
soch kar ke shaadi karwa diya ki dono bhai ke paas bahut paisa hain
lekin tumhari halaat aisi hain ki Tum bhi unke khet main kaam karlo do
paise jyaada miljayenge
Devendra :Itni majaal teri….apne bhai ke yaha naukarr banayegi…
(hissing angrily)

Radha :Kutta bannene se behtar hain naukar banjao

Devendra : holding the sickle from the field …. Gives her a fatal blow…
radha collapses dead on the floor with a shriek

Upendra and Minu come rushing into the room and both give out cries
of anguish….

Upendra :Boudi ! boudi uth jao ….. dada yeh kya kardiya

Devendra : standing motionless with a stunned expression sinks to the

floor besides the dead body….and looks pensively at the dead body

Upendra:Dada aap fikar mat karo kuch nahin hoga …. Kya karun kya
karun ab police aayegi …. Eei minu eei minu tuu yeh khoon apne sar pe
lele …main aaur dada tujhe baad main nikal denge…and makes her hold
the sickle

Devendra :Pagal hain kya maine mara hain main hin iski zimmedari
loonga…

Upendra : Bhai biwi toh bahut milegi …bhai ek hin milega minu ko yeh
abhi qubool karne do…hum daroga ko paisa dekar isse bahar nikal denge

Minu:expression of shock and disbeleief towards her husband tears

rolling down her eyes

Police arrives with villagers:

Daroga :kisne kiya yeh khoon…..

Upendra:sahib …dono patniyon main jhagda hogaya …gusse main choti ne
badi ko maardiya …. Galti hogayi huzoor

Daroga: lelo isko aaur yeh laash ko karwaai ke liye bhejdo …. Scene ends

Scene 2:

Devendra :Chotu tui pagal hogaya hain ….. bahu ko bina soche samjhe
maut ke munh main dhakel diya…. Gunaah maine kiya hain mujhe iska
bhugtan karna chahiye… main jaaraha hun police ko sab sach batane

Upendra: Nahin dada … aap chale gaye toh mera kya hoga ……mujhe iss
paap ke bojh se mukt hona hain…. Main hin saara ilzaam lelunga…. Phool
se minu ko maine bola tha yeh jurm apne sir pe lenekeliye

Devendra: Nahin chote…. Joh galti maine ki apni biwi ke upar tuu woh
mat kar ….biwi lakhsmi hoti hain … parayi ghar se aati hain aaur humko
apna bana leti hain… bhai toh khoon ke rishtey ki wajah se bhai hain
lekin patni apna sab tyag karke aake tujhe apnati hain bina kisi swarth
ke ….dekh maine radha ke saath kya kiya(starts sobbing) yeh galti tuu
mat kar

Upendra :(with a cry ) bhaiyaa mujhe pata chal gaya …chalo bhaiyaa hum
court chalte hain..aaj minu ki paishi hain sab sach boldenge….

Scene ends

Courtroom scene:

Lawyer starts concludion of defence: is tarah aapsi ranjish ke wajeh se

minu ne apni devrani radha ka behrehmi se qatl kardiya …isliye inhe
shakth se shakth sajaa milni chahiye…. Dafaa 402 ke tahed sajaye maut

Then Upendra and devendra arrive:

Devendra : maibaap….main sach kehraha hun… maine hin gusse main akar
meri biwi ka khoon kardiya ….bahu rani ko chod dijiye….judge sahab
Judge :lekin yeh ladki apna jurm qubool karrahi hain

Devendra :nahin sarkar mere chote bhai ne yeh sab bataya tha isko
mujhe bachane keliye

Minu:judgesahab maine bola tha aur bol rahi hun maine hin bhabhi ka
khoon kiya hain

Devendra:pagal hain kya ….bahuriya sach bolde….main tere gunehghar

hun mere chotu ko iski sajaa mat de

Minu: judgesahab maine bola tha aur bol rahi hun maine hin bhabhi ka
khoon kiya hain

Upendra:Judge sahab yeh dono jhooth bol rahein hain maine hin bhabi
ka khoon kiya hain …in the meanwhile minu looks at everyone with anger
emanating from her eyes

Judge :Order Order ….yeh kya horahahahain….tum sab iss ladki ko

bachane ki koshish karrahe ho…. Dafa 402 ke tahed hum iss ladki minu
mukherjee ko radha mukherjee ke khoon ke jurm main sajaye maut
dete hain to be hanged till death

Upendra and dvenedra cry incosolably police beat them away…. Minu
walks dejectedly with policewala

Scene ends:

Narrator :

As per minu’slast wish who ek baar upendra se milna chahti hain phaasi
se pehle

Upendra: starts crying …..minu eei minu aisa mat karre …main marjaunga
daya kar abhi bhi bolde sach mujhe marjaane dijiye …
Scene of minu in chains upon seeing upendra gives 3 types of
emotions….first looks at him lovingly then cries then spits on him……

Upendra:eei minu main janta hun tuu gussa hain tuu shasti kyun
lerahihain…. Mujhe dand de maine tujhe dhokha diya hain

Minu(with anger on her face): Dand toh tumhe derahi hun….mere maut
se tumhari zindagi maut se battar hojayegi… sadiyon se tumlogon ne
aurat ko ek khilona samajh ke rakha hain aaur istemaal kiya hain…agar
tumhare bhai ko bachana tha …. Toh khud pe lelete zimmedari mujhe
kyun baali chadhaya….draupadi ko bhi yudhisthir ne aise hin dao pe
lagaya tha bina uski marzi jaane… lekin bahut hogaye draupadi aaur minu
….. abhi aisa shasti main tumhe de rahin hun ki aaur koi upendra kisi
minu ko istemaal na kaarein…. Aapka dharm kehta hain pati parmeshwar
hota hain aaur uski aagyan ka palan karna chahiye …aaj main bhi aapka
agyan ka palan kar rahi hun….Yeh phaasi mere liye mukti hogi aaur
tumhare aaur aanewale peedhi ke liye sabak ki aurat ko khilona mat
samjho hain…..usko kamzor naa samjho… durga maa ki puja karte ho
aaur usiko bali chadha dete ho apne swarth ke liye thik kaha tha
upendra babu bhai toh ek hain biwi bahut ajayengi … ek aaur minu le aao
toh maanjaungi …yaad rakho joh sita hain who hin durga hain…joh
shristhi karsakti hain who vinaash bhi karsakti hain… aaur tumhara toh
main kalian kar rahi hun

Upendra(crying) : nahin minu…..nahin minu maaf kardo kardo

Minu:laughs hyesterically and jailors and janitors take her away

Scene ends

Narrator….Yeh ek minu ki kahaani nahin hain…bharat desh main aise

lakhon minu apni zindagi qurbaan kardeti hain ek upendra aaur devendre
ko samjhane ke liye…lekin kya hum samjah paye…..???????????