Story written for Write India contest by me

                                                               Ilaa

Close to the city of Paithan, in a small village called Sauviragram, which lay along the banks of the great river Godavari, lived a woman named Ilaa. Being cotton farmers, her family was well to do, but not among the richest in their area. It was the harvest season, and cotton had to be picked from the plants. The wholesalers and traders from Paithan would be arriving in just a few weeks, carrying gold and goods for barter. They would exchange what they carried for the cotton that the farmers grew. The bales of cotton had to be ready in time! Work was at its peak!

But Ilaa was not to be found in the fields. She wasn't working. Instead, she was sitting by the banks of the great river Godavari.

'I am sick of this!' she grunted loudly.






Ilaa is the most desirable woman in her village. She is a rare-breed of intelligence and charm. Everyone in her family except her is happy of seeing her getting married. She is a flapper girl in the minds of the people in her village. When every girls in the village are busy in taking care of their babies, she even hates the talk of marriage. Till now, she has driven away at least ten marriage proposals which had came to her. She would cheat her fiancé simply by saying that she has lost her virginity. What to say, who would accept. Her plans always had gone well.


Let’s return to the bank of Godavari.



“What’s the ‘matter’?” a soft but masculine voice seems to be coming from behind. It was Jaggu’s. A pleasing human whom with she travelled since her childhood. He is the only hope for her in this land of inequity. He is a relative to her, in some way. He is an orphan which hurts Ilaa a lot. They both were a Private lagoon in this ocean of bias.



Turning back, Ilaa offered a lopsided smile towards Jaggu. He was perspiring, due to the heavy work in the fields. “What happened?” continued Jaggu, “I haven’t seen you out for a few days” sitting beside her.




Ilaa thought ‘Not all men are mean’ giving a tight-lipped smile. “Come on, say something” nibbled Jaggu. “Oh… You wouldn’t say that to me, right?” nagged his anxiety. She responded with a widened smile “It’s not me but you who need help”, grabbing his hand walking towards the river. “Go. Drink some water otherwise you would die of perspiration” continued with a hint of care in her face.



“Okay, tell. What’s your problem?” asked Jaggu after washing his face in the river.



“Nothing, I just can’t bear this Barter system” said Ilaa in an irritated tone.




A clearly surprised Jaggu asked “Why are you saying like that? This system is giving food for us to eat!” with an innocent face.



“I am not speaking about that” sneered Ilaa .

“Umm..….Then what is it?” Jaggu questioned like a child.



“I don’t like this barter system of selling woman in the name of marriage!”


"It’s not even a gentleman’s agreement!” she added.


Jaggu broke down into laughter hearing this.



She continued “If I was born as a male, I would demolish the men who are a part of this barter system” finishing her speech with an angry mixed fantasy.



“Ahh… Someone is having an idea of becoming the Ilaa of Sauvigaram” a playful smile crossed his face.



Both of them broke down into laughter.



Jaggu paved his way towards his hut.





Legends are always inspiring.


Ilaa the king of Bahlika, accidentally stepped into the forest of Shiva during his hunting trip. Cursed to become a woman, Ilaa prayed to ‘Parvathi’ Shiva’s passionate companion. With her blessing Ilaa lived a life as a man and woman alternatively every month. Memories of one stage wouldn’t be passed on to the other. Ilaa married Budha while he was a woman. Budha is one the nine planets, ‘The Mercury’. Budha knowing his mate’s unspeakable situation helped Ilaa by pleasing Shiva through ‘Ashwamedha Yagna’. This horse sacrifice gave Ilaa his former self. Budha and Ilaa had a son named ‘Pururavas’. Ilaa established the city Prathisthana and ruled it , after leaving Budha. Later, Pururavas became the king of Prathisthana which is now so called as ‘Paithan’.




Meanwhile, our Ilaa of Sauvigaram reached her home. Ilaa is the pinky in her home. Ilaa has an elder brother and sister. Tomorrow is her elder sister Aadrika’s Godh bharai. Godh bharai is an Indian ceremony which is celebrated during pregnancy. It literally means to ‘fill the lap’ with abundance in HIndi. It is usually held when the mother-to-be is in her seven months. Aadrika was married four years before to Aadit a rich trader. Aadit will be coming to the village in a few weeks with other traders. His house was two streets far from Ilaa’s. Aadit and Aadrika already have a son of two years.



Dawn kicked out the dusk while Godavari’s cold skin felt the warmth and light of the rising sun. Aadit’s home had become the sweet home in their area. The plantain banana had already being planted in front of their house. The house was filled with the aroma of sandalwood and turmeric. Mango leaves heartily welcomed the guests entering the house with giving a slight flow.



“Everybody’s eyes would be on you” delighted Aadrika’s mom after making her dress-up.

“Hmm… Didi is becoming younger after getting pregnant” entered Ilaa with a widened smile in her face.



“Aaaahn … Here comes our princess” teased Aadrika “Our kingdom is waiting for the day to see the princess becoming younger” with a quirky smile.



“Mmmm … Enough. Tit for tat” surrendered Ilaa.



All the people in Sauviragam had been invited for the occasion and nearly every women in the village were present. Traditionally, Godh bharai is an all in all women’s celebration. Only a handful of men were present. The ceremony ended happily with all smiling faces around. Aadit’s absence was the only regret.



'How soft and clean’ thought Ilaa feeling the cotton plants sitting in the fields.



“How was the ceremony yesterday?” asked Jaggu walking towards her with a cheerful smile.




Ilaa “It was awesome. Especially, celebrating a ceremony without men” slipped a mockery line.




Jaggu “Ohh … The work in the fields yesterday was excellent too, without any quarrel and noises” mocked the conversation.



“I didn’t knew till now that you can also mock someone” questioned Ilaa.



“Mocking someone close to the heart is OK for me” replied Jaggu.



‘What is he trying to say?’ Ilaa’s heart drew lines from sea bed to the clouds floating above. The feeling itself gave goose bumps in her mind. She has never experienced this kind of feeling before. First shade of shyness crossed her face for a microsecond. She couldn’t help herself from expressing the feeling which is turbulent like the flood in a dam. With utmost concern, she remained silent. It’s not his words. It’s something from her inner self that made her silence much deeper and unrecoverable. 

Jaggu who is standing near her couldn’t understand what is happening. He has never seen Ilaa like this before. He called her by her name again and again. At last, she turned towards him with a childlike look.



“Is that true?” asked Ilaa with a tone that can’t be portrayed or hidden within this limited words.



“What?” clearly doubted Jaggu replied with a strange look.



Ilaa “What you said before? Is that true?” dragged the point with a feathery touch to it.



“Off course, you always know it” nodded Jaggu.




Ilaa “Then let’s make it more than close…… closer” smiled like a child hiding a chocolate.



“….. Umm… I don’t understand” asked the male child.



“Godavari has a fortune of having these banks as her companion. A companion who stops her cries and caresses her while she is in a sorrow and makes her happier in her happiness. All the way along, from her drops to floods. Even during drought , remembering the sweet kisses given by her saving some of its taste within him , deep in his heart. I want you as my companion in life. It’s you and only you from the beginning. It’s all clear for me now….. Just say that you will never leave me…….” Ilaa stopped after speaking like she had never before. Her charm has become more bright and lovely.


Jaggu hadn’t even imagined this type of conversation from Ilaa. The giggling waters in the river, sunset, an half harvested field, staying with the one who loves him. He pinched himself to believe if it’s true.


Jaggu “Never….” kissed the words with all the love that he has.



Jaggu and Ilaa met everyday sharing their love and memories which they have. Everyone in the village turned a third eye towards them. This news somehow hit the ears of Ilaa’s father. Though he showed an angry face to Ilaa, from inside he was pretty happy. He welcomed her child’s call for marriage. Jaggu may be an orphan but, a great man. He planned of getting the two, married soon.

Aadrika was going through a critical phase in her seventh month. She was weak , considerably weak to bear a child. She was staying in her father’s house.


"Maa…… “ Aadrika’s voice thundered from the backyard.

Ilaa and her mom rushed to the backyard. Aadrika was lying down there crawling in pain. Ilaa’s heart trembled with pain. Her mom was already mentally absent. Ilaa said good words to her mom and went to the streets to ask someone for help. Within minutes , Ilaa returned home with four to five women. One of the women said that it’s a pregnancy pain. It was only her seventh month of pregnancy. All of them lost their hope. Even though, they were trying hard at least to rescue the mother.



Ilaa’s father and brother arrived there after some time. They were all sunken in sorrows since they heard Aadrika’s condition. They were praying to god to make sure that Aadrika is safe.



Aadrika was crawling in pain in the backyard. Her face showed that she couldn’t endure the pain. Her mom and Ilaa were sitting besides her holding her hands. “Hold on.. Didi, hold on… Everything will be alright” cried Ilaa. Her mom was caught up in loss of words. Aadrika’s eyeballs were going up. Her eyelids began to close without hope. She had lost all her energy that she can’t even speak.




The women from the neighborhood were trying their best. The pain stopped suddenly, when death’s grasp caught her breath. Silence was all over the air.



Ilaa shooked her sister pleading for any movement. Nothing. There was not even a hint of movement. Ilaa sit down with shock. The pain of losing someone close can’t be briefed by anyone.



The house suddenly become upside down. The joy in the house before two weeks in the Godh bharai had diffused in air. No one had any idea of what to say to Aadit who will be returning in the next week. The whole village got stumbled by this incident. Funeral of Aadrika went on in the village with women crying loud and men in silence.

Days passed by. Aadit returned home. No one had guts to speak of the tragedy. He searched for Aadrika in his home and headed straight to Ilaa’s home. In home, Ilaa was pleading her mom to eat the food. All Aadit could see was sorrow dipped faces throughout the home. He looked puzzled when he came near Aadrika’s father who was sitting there in a corner.



Aadit “Uncle, what had happened? Why all are sitting dumb? Where is Aadrika? “ fired questions towards the situation whose depth is unknown.



Everyone became silent like a lizard stuck to the wall. Aadrika’s mother couldn’t control her feelings for long. Tears flooded from her eyes. Aadrika’s father developed his courage to brief the things happened. Aadit mumbled Aadrika’s names a few times before collapsing to the floor. Men in their village are not that much of sentimental. But, Aadit wasn’t one of them. Nobody knows how to relieve him from the pain.




‘Time is a best healer’ they say. Many things had been changed. But, time hasn’t healed the wound. A wound of losing their beloved ones.




A few months after Aadrika’s death, her father had taken a decision. A tough decision for Ilaa. He decided to compensate the unbearable loss by getting her another daughter married to Aadit. A kind of left-handed marriage. When Ilaa came to know this, she couldn’t digest her father’s decision.






She took a stubborn decision. Flood was running in the Godavari. Than to live with one in heart and another in life, she decided to enter into the paradise. However, fate thought to keep her alive. She escaped from the floods by some grace. Her father was shocked. He was frightened. Jaggu promised Ilaa’s father that he will look after her.


Aadit spoke to Ilaa. When he called her child, Ilaa’s heart became as light as feather. Coming to know his feelings for Aadrika, peace retained within her. She pleaded him that she will brought up his son. At last, Aadit accepted her decision.






After these incidents, Ilaa and Jaggu were married. Ilaa conveyed her determination to Jaggu, that they will never bear a child and treat Aadrika’s child as theirs. Jaggu always a man of humanity agreed to this.


Aadit was compelled by his parents to get married again. Unable to resist their parents, he went away from the village and never returned.