I never thought my parents would come down to this.
i had come back to my house crying. i thought they wouldn't let me in after the heinous act i had committed.
"Please take me back, i have realized my mistake, i had gone crazy," i sniveled at the door step.
"Running away with a dalit, how could you," my mother screamed.
i went down on my knees and put my palms together to apologize for my mistake. tears were flowing down my cheeks and falling on my shirt and jeans.
my younger sisters had also started crying. the whole family was standing at the door step.
it was becoming a scene outside the house when my mother thought it would be good to take it in.
there i was made to stand in the middle of the living room, while everyone was sitting on the sofa, my parents, my grandmother, my two younger sisters and my teenage brother.
my mother didn't want to take me back, but my grandmother and father were of the view that i should be given another chance. thank God my father and grandmother convinced my mother that i could stay, but my mother said she must be punished SEVERELY.
i was sentenced to becoming murga for my mistake. this was really awkward. we hail from Kolkata but i have lived my entire life in London. Being sentenced to a desi punishment was really peculiar. i am 31 years old by the way.
but i went into the murga pose as i was willing to do anything to get back into the family. right in the middle of the living room i was in murga. i had no idea how long it would be. if my mother had told me how long i had to stay in this i would have at least worn my yoga pants so that it would have been more easier. but i was in my jeans and t-shirt.
"you will remain in this position until i tell you to get back up." my mother said.
almost an eternity passed when my grandmother asked if i was hungry or thirsty.
i said i was thirsty, my voice sounding like a murgi.
"give her something to drink, meghna." she told my mother.
my mother was not willing to even pause my punishment for a drink, so she told my younger sister to bring some water in a bottle with a straw. i was made to drink water right in the murga pose.
"dont you dare leave your ears for a single second." my mother ordered.
i dare not. my sister put the bottle in front of me so that the straw went into my mouth. it was so humiliating that i was in murga pose and my younger sister was making me drink.
then it was dinner time. that meant i was in murga for more than 2 hours now. now it would not have been possible for a normal person to be in position for very long. but for me it was. because a was a yoga buff. i could hold myself in stressful poses for very long. in fact i could even hold my buttocks up in murga pose for an hour without moving it. it was the humiliation that was killing me.
"end it now, meghna, let her have dinner." my grandmother said to me mother.
i looked at my mother by lifting my head and turning it a little bit towards, my ears getting an extra pull because of it.
"she will have her dinner in this pose only. ritu, bring a plate and feed her."
i was shocked. drinking water was so humiliating, now eating.
"i am not hungry, i will eat after my punishment is adjourned." i said squealed.
"you better eat, because your punishment is not ending anytime soon. you have to remain like this all night."
"whaaaatttt?!!!"
mother did not want to hear anything. she said i must do it. so i did. i did not want to spoil the only chance i had at returning. my young sister fed me dinner. she was smiling while doing it, making it even more humiliating.
when it was time to go to bed, my mother took out the handicam and placed it right in front me on the sofa.
"this will keep playing all night. you mustn't leave your ears for a single second, otherwise your are marching right out of the house."
so all night i was in murga pose. being recorded by our family camera.
to be continued.....
