Fire Festival of Kulgera

Celebrated after a year of the massacre in honor of...

Sep 12, 2024

Consider reading Deaths of Kulgera before this for better experience.

Karmetha celebrated the festival of fire a year after the deaths of Rewa.

The only survivor of the incident went into a coma while the investigation ran. All the evidence was collected. Bodies were sent for postmortem despite the remaining relatives’ protest, and the matter was handed to higher authorities once the national newspaper ran an article on it.

The Doctors had never seen anything like it in their careers.

They all died of extreme dehydration, their bodies left with no water, dead within minutes, the luckier one in seconds.

The hawan kund was sent to Delhi and then to London after ten months along with the bodies of a male, female and a child. They sent back the same reports. Nothing but burnt wood in the former, and parched ones for the latter.

Prithvi Sindh didn’t let go of the case even when he was removed from it. He had the help of Balu in getting testimonies of everyone outside the Pandal. His community, Karmetha, was not allowed inside. But they were more than happy to stay outside and be a part of the Maha Pujo, at attention to serve the people inside.

Prithvi’s wife had the firm belief that it was the wrath of Gods. The villagers must have angered them in some way. Balu’s people were of the similar opinion, the upper caste Rewa had angered the higher powers.

“How is Jatin, Sir?” Balu asked the question while everyone else pretended to be busy serving other guests, their ears perking for the answer. The officer had been invited for the celebration and people were curious to know about the ongoing investigation. They milked everything out of Balu every day when they could, but a senior’s word held more weight.

Prithvi gulped down the pakora and shook his head in negative, “He still hasn’t woken up.” He was shifted to a hospital in Delhi on government expense after a month.

“And the hand?” Balu’s voice lowered and the surrounding ears went up at attention.

The senior officer pursed his lips together, “They can’t check anything till he has woken up. But they think the hand is dead. They would have cut it off by now if his mother weren’t there with him.” She was spared from the same fate as her family because of a trip she had taken to her hometown.

Prithvi had been reading the reports and the letter Jatin’s mother had sent him when Balu came to remind him of the invitation. He would have forgotten otherwise, disappointing both his junior and Shobha.

“Balu, May I ask what this is about? I thought your people were not fond of the Rewa.” He gestured to the celebration around him.

“It is not for them.” Balu said looking at the fire in the middle with empty eyes, “Our Karma” Prithvi had to strain his ear to listen.

The sound of Shobha’s laughter stopped the men from continuing their conversation. The women were on the other side of the huge bonfire in the center. Hot snacks, cold sharbat and loud laughter flowed freely through the space as women sang songs in glee.

Balu was shocked when Prithvi brought his wife along with him to their celebration too. It was unheard of, and made some elders whisper in each other’s ears. The couple, dressed in finery, had brought sweets and fruits along with them.

Balu’s chest had puffed out and he made sure she was well served while his mother made the best girl apply henna on her hands.

“It all looks so beautiful.” Shobha had marveled at the decoration of flowers and diyas, all around the huge courtyard framed with huts. Now she was dancing in an elegant way to the dholkis that older women beat with their hands while singing geet about the way he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Shobha laughed at their teasing; they knew he couldn’t understand the local language.

Prithvi excused himself to walk towards her when he saw movements at the entrance. His brows furrowed, and he marched forward to look. Balu followed, “Is something the matter, Sir?”

“I saw a little girl here. She can’t be safe there in the woods at this time.”

Balu chuckled with embarrassment, “You must be mistaken, Sir!” He pointed to the opposite side where a large swing was tied on the branches of a sturdy tree, “They are all there.” They had dragged Shobha to the swing too, making her grin.

Prithvi let out a breath at the sight, placing his right hand in the pocket. Balu used to mimick this style amongst his friends and cousins, feeling important when he advised them on something.

“Everything is good, now?” Prithvi motioned his head towards the people enjoying food and stories. There were problems with long lost relatives and businessmen that came and blamed the poor people for their losses.

He had been called on more than one occasion to deal with the matter. The population of the area had significantly reduced, yet there was no dearth of drama.

“They find it hard to come all the way here and meet with the barrel of your gun.” Balu laughed teasingly while Prithvi shook his head slightly. He had to use the threat on a gentleman who thought he could terrorize the people of Kulgera.

“Pita Ji has made sure everything is distributed equally amongst all. Bhaiya takes care of the work and money.” After a few weeks, when the smoke of death and greed subsided, the outsiders washed off their hands of the lands, leaving the sprawling estates and farms to the workers who knew it best. There were rumors of the area being cursed with the untimely deaths.

Balu rubbed the back of his head, “We are moving to the main village in a week before the rains start,” He looked at the sky as if willing the clouds to hold still for the festival. Balu had always hated the fact that they had to live in huts while the dead ones lived in pakke ghar. Now that there were no claims on those, his people were going to make use of them. The children had already laid claim to the chowk for their play. The older folks were hesitant to live in the houses they weren’t allowed to step in.

“Shobha is excited to teach the children.” Prithvi’s wife had proposed the idea to teach them regularly since they would be at a walking distance now.

“The children aren’t as glad!” Balu laughed out at the memory of those little rascals running away and crying when they were told by their parents of the same.

Prithvi didn’t join in. His gaze still stuck to the forest. He stumbled in a dried drain covered with leaves and wild flowers on his way to the darkness. Balu’s hand steadied him as he frowned, “Is there a problem of water here?”

Balu’s hand tightened around his elbow as he steered his senior to the middle. He shook his head, and his smile tightened, “No, Sir…”

His excuse was cut off when the holy fire roared in fury. Screaming children and scared women ran away while men sank to their knees.

Balu’s elder brother took out the biggest log, not caring for his hands. The other men bent on their knees, head down, hands folded together as they muttered prayers.

Prithvi and Shobha fought against the people holding them back to aid the family.

“They have it under control.” Balu struggled to hold the towering officer back.

The fire cackled once more, reaching for the skies before it died down.

Prithvi pushed Balu away in anger, “What…”

“You should leave, Sir.” Balu wouldn’t meet his eyes. Shobha had reached the two men by now. Prithvi held her trembling body close.

The younger man left their side without a word. Prithvi made to follow him when a cry rang out in the air.

A scream rattled the woods surrounding them. Of a small girl. In fear.

Prithvi requested for his transfer a month after the case was officially closed. There were more than a few reasons, Shobha insisting on it was at the top. Even though she loved living there, she had noticed how the town was eating away her husband on the night of festival when she saw the frantic version of her husband.

Balu’s niece went mute after the scream that had stunned Prithvi. She had somehow found her way away from the celebration.

The little girl was found unconscious besides the body of an old man, her grandfather, the oldest Karmentha man and their leader. The man had died of a heart attack. Balu’s brother carried her away with his burnt hands as Prithvi investigated the matter.

When asked about her condition, Balu only said, “Amma claims it is the cost we had to pay. For claiming what was never ours to begin with.”

He had to leave his job after a while. Prithvi signed his official resignation with a heavy heart. The reason was his brother getting buried under the village affairs. The people looked up to his family for guidance.

Prithvi lost his support in the department. But it was Jatin’s death that broke his will. Shobha was there when he went to Delhi after the call from Hospital.

Jatin had clawed at his dead hand, wanting to yank it off. Restrained by the guards, he muttered his last words to the horror of the couple and Balu. He had accompanied them without a word.

“You can’t stop…vanished…he…she…”

Shobha knew it was a lost cause. Yet her husband threw himself at the dead end again and again. Till she put her foot down. Balu supported her decision, “You should leave, Sir. There is nothing here.”

Prithvi put his drink down at the straight face of Balu. He was one of the reasons Prithvi still stayed there. Balu had lost himself over the year. It only worsened after his father’s death, even when he got away from the case.

But the Kulgera incident still hung over the three of them.

Shubha still saw her husband pause and take notice whenever the case was brought up in passing. So, she was more than relieved for the letter that was handed to Prithvi on Balu’s funeral.

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