{"id":1314,"date":"2024-04-05T06:19:34","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T06:19:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/?page_id=1314"},"modified":"2024-04-05T06:23:56","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T06:23:56","slug":"the-pied-piper-revisits-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-pied-piper-revisits-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pied Piper Revisits"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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<\/a>The Pied Piper Revisits<\/u><\/h2>

An old lady, aged between 65\u201068, is running away from the city.\u00a0 Her face is fear stricken. She often turns back to ensure that no one is following her. Amid her dishevelled hair, disarrayed clothes, and teary cheeks, her genteel mien shines that proves that she is rich and urbane. She leaves the city behind and comes to a large open field and then reaches a place where theforest starts. She slows down, looks here and there as she finds herself lost without a trace. Her face turns pale in fear.<\/p>

She stumbles with tired steps. She picks herself up and runs. At a distance her eyes fall upon a person from behind. The person has long hair and has donned a long white robe. From behind, the person seems to be a woman. She approaches the person.<\/p>

\u201cE\u2026ex\u2026excuse me.\u201d<\/p>

The person does not turn.<\/p>

\u201cExcuse\u2026 me,\u201d repeats the old lady.<\/p>

No response!<\/p>

\u201cHey, ex\u2026excuse me. Would you\u2026 please help\u2026me?\u201d<\/p>

The person turns to the lady. The lady is scared more than before. The person is a man, with a long beard, long locks combed backward, and is about fifty years old. She takes a few steps back.<\/p>

\u201cYes, tell me,\u201d the person says in a meek voice, as if waking from trance.<\/p>

\u201cEh\u2026eh\u2026ok\u2026sorry.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid. Tell me what help you want.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cEh\u2026 eh \u2026, \u2026,\u201d the lady fumbles for a word.<\/p>

\u201cYou need help. Have faith. Don\u2019t be afraid of me. I\u2019m the Pied Piper.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cThe same Pied Piper\u2026 about whom\u2026 we read when\u2026 we\u2019re young?\u201d The old lady asks.<\/p>

\u201cConsider so. I\u2019m one of the descendants of that Pied Piper.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cActually I don\u2019t know where to start ? I feel sh\u2026sh\u2026shame in saying anything.\u201d She bears a hangdog face.<\/p>

The Pied Piper stands, thinks and brings one bowl of water.<\/p>

\u201cHave some water.\u201d<\/p>

The lady drinks water in one breath and thanks him.<\/p>

\u201cYeah, tell me now. Let me see how I can help you.\u201d<\/p>

The lady says that she was raped by two persons and when her husband tried to save her, he was killed by the rogues. Now she has run away but fears they might come again and kill her also.<\/p>

The Pied Piper closes his eyes.<\/p>

\u201cHave you reported about this to the police?\u201d<\/p>

\u201cYes,\u201d replies the lady. \u201cFor some years\u00a0 both my husband and I had noticed that the rogues were following us. We reported about this to the police. But they did not take any action. And now this happened.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cOk. Don\u2019t worry I will take your complaint to the police and fight for you,\u201d assures the Pied Piper. \u201cI\u2019ll go along with you to the place where you live. Where are you from?\u201d<\/p>

\u201cThere, from that city\u201d. The lady points to the city she ran away from.<\/p>

The Pied Piper prepares a big bag. He puts a bowl, a plate, some clothes and a piper in his bag. He also takes some food with him. Both the Pied Piper and the lady walk back to the city.<\/p>

After walking a long distance they enter the city. They pass by the houses, buildings, roads and streets. As they turn to an area, they see a mob of people circling and making a noise. Both the Pied Piper and the lady stride towards the mob and check\u00a0 what was going on. To their horror, they see people pelting stones on a woman who is in her late forties. She is bleeding and crying for help but none seems to listen to her. Her clothes have torn apart and she is half-naked.<\/p>

The Pied Piper and the lady plead for mercy for the lady but no one listens.<\/p>

\u201cThis witch has killed my husband,\u201d one woman cries out while throwing a stone.<\/p>

\u201cShe killed my seven\u2010year old son also,\u201d a man adds.<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019m a poor and weak woman. How can I kill anyone?\u201d The victim cries with folded hands.<\/p>

\u201cWe don\u2019t know anything. She killed many people. We\u2019ll kill her. You leave from here. This is none of your business.\u201d The people cry out at the Pied Piper and the lady.<\/p>

\u201cHow can it be so? How can she kill so many people?\u201d The Pied Piper pleads. \u201cFor God\u2019s sake, leave her. Have mercy.\u201d<\/p>

But the mob threatens them away and throngs the hapless woman and continues pelting stones.<\/p>

\u201cAh\u2026 ah\u2026help \u2026save me.\u201d<\/p>

They both feel dejected and find themselves helpless. They have no option but to resume their journey. They walk and walk until the evening. They decide to rest for the night and resume their journey in the morning. They look around for shelter. They find a big house, apparently abandoned. The doors and windows are locked and the large verandah is full with dust and leaves fallen from the trees around the house. They stealthily move into the verandah. The Pied Piper takes out a sheet and offers it to the lady. The lady clears an area on the verandah to make room for them and spreads the sheet and lies down. The Pied Piper spreads a small cloth a little away from the lady and sits on it and leans onto the wall, resting.<\/p>

It is late into the night and the moon is just ascending with dim shaft of cool light, as if it is the twentieth night of the lunar month. The night is silent except for the chirps of crickets from the grass and bushes. The old lady has fallen asleep and the Pied Piper is in his early slumber. Suddenly the Pied Piper hears steps of some persons. He jerks out of his slumber and looks around to check. In the dim light, he sees two persons, a man and a woman coming out from the house opposite to where they were resting.<\/p>

The man is holding a big plastic bag in his hand.<\/p>

They come to a large dustbin placed by the municipality.<\/p>

\u201cSon, throw the bag in the dustbin,\u201d the woman whispers. \u201cAre you sure that the child is dead?\u201d<\/p>

\u201cYes, mom. Don\u2019t worry. I\u2019ve strangulated the child myself.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cGood. Now ensure that your wife does not disclose about this to anyone,\u201d she instructs her son. \u201cBitch. She is giving birth to female babies only. Bitch.\u201d She murmurs.<\/p>

\u201cOk. I will.\u201d Saying this, the man throws the bag in the dustbin, and they enter their house back and close the doors with great caution so that no one sees them.<\/p>

With the break of dawn, the Pied Piper and the lady wake up. The Pied Piper tells all about the incident he saw the last night to the lady. She says that they should complain about this also to the police and expose the culprits.<\/p>

The Pied Piper agrees with the lady. They both take out the dead child from the dustbin and finding a central place in the city, they make call to the people. In the beginning people are reluctant to listen to them but slowly they start\u00a0 stopping by and listen to them. They narrate about the rape, stoning of the woman to death, and strang ulation of the female child who was killed within a few hours after she was born.<\/p>

Soon a large number of people begin to gather, the crowd grows by the hours\u00a0 and soon turns into a sea of people. The wave could be easily felt.<\/p>

Seeing the strength of the people, the government, the police, the political leaders, the religious leaders and the court deign to come to them. They arrange for a discussion where all people are allowed to raise their concerns and it is decided that whatever comes out unanimously will become a law.<\/p>

The Pied Piper lays the dead body of the newly born child who was killed for no fault of hers. He narrates how her father and grandmother killed the baby, a hapless lady is stoned to death and an old lady is raped. But none gets justice.<\/p>

\u201cBut no one lodged any complaint,\u201d one of the policemen says. \u201cHow can we take any action and against whom?\u201d<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019m making the complaint. Why don\u2019t you take my complaint?\u201d Says the Pied Piper.<\/p>

\u201cYou seem to be from some other place. Where are you from?\u201d The policeman asks.<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019m from the jungle which is at the end of this city.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cSee, you are an outsider. You should better not say anything,\u201d the policeman retorts. \u201cHow can you talk about a right here? Stop instigating people narrating these types of emotional stories. It\u2019d be better for you.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWhat? You\u2019re threatening me?\u201d<\/p>

\u201cI lodged a complaint against those who used to tease me,\u201d the old lady speaks in a harsh voice. \u201cSee, what happened to me?\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWhat happened to you?\u201d Another policeman says frivolously. Policemen and others smile.<\/p>

\u201cYou\u2019re smiling? Shame on you?\u201d One person from the crowd says.<\/p>

\u201cWhere\u2019s your husband?\u201d A religious leader speaks up. \u201cThis is the responsibility of your husband to protect you. And not the policemen\u2019s or anyone else\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cHe was killed by those rascals,\u201d says the lady in broken words.<\/p>

\u201cWho killed?\u201d A third policeman asks.<\/p>

\u201cThose who tried to rape me.\u201d The lady sobs.<\/p>

\u201cTried to rape?\u201d The religious leader mischievously asks.<\/p>

\u201cWho raped me,\u201d The old lady bursts into tears.<\/p>

The Pied Piper tries to say something but the policemen stop him from saying anything.<\/p>

\u201cWhat will be our future then?\u201d Another person from the crowd asks.<\/p>

\u201cWell, we will lodge a complaint,\u201d a religious leader says in a casual way.<\/p>

\u201cWe\u2019ll present the case to the court,\u201d a policeman says.<\/p>

\u201cAnd the court will take its own course,\u201d the lawyers say. \u201cOnly then justice may be done.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cBut it may take too long to give justice,\u201d a third person from the crowd raises the voice.<\/p>

\u201cMaybe. But this is the process of law. What can we do?\u201d<\/p>

Two policemen turn to the Pied Piper. \u201cDo you see that these people who had no voice until now are raising questions after questions? This is only because of you. Go from here immediately or else we\u2019ll put you behind the bars along with the culprits.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019d come here to help people get justice but I see it is too difficult.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWhy you bother about these people?\u201d Cries out a religious leader.<\/p>

\u201cThey\u2019re well and happy.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWe cannot guarantee that no incident takes place,\u201d a policeman says. \u201cIt may happen anywhere.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cAnd what about the lady who was stoned to death.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cYou\u2019re crossing your limit.\u201d A religious leader cries out. \u201cThis is very much in our culture. That when a lady turns a witch, we stone her to death. How dare you say a single word against our culture?\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWhat is all going on?\u201d Pleads the Pied Piper. \u201cI\u2019m trying to make you understand what is wrong and what is right? And you people are objecting\u00a0 again and again.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cYou\u2019re the one who gathered this crowd,\u201d accuse the policemen. \u201cWe had to come down to talk on such nonsense things.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cYou talk against our culture,\u201d a religious leader says.<\/p>

\u201cYou raised people against us. This is illegal,\u201d say the policemen and the lawyers.<\/p>

\u201cYou don\u2019t belong to our community, our city,\u201d cries out a political leader.<\/p>

\u201cYou\u2019re an outsider and you\u2019re fighting for our people? We\u2019ll fight for them. You need not bother.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cLeave from here right now.\u201d They all cry out in one voice.<\/p>

One of them pushes the Pied Piper. A man from the crowd runs to hold the Pied Piper.<\/p>

\u201cIf you do not do justice. You\u2019ll lament one day.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWe say, you leave this place. Immediately!\u201d<\/p>

\u201cYou people will lament. I warn you,\u201d says the Pied Piper.<\/p>

The person holding the Pied Piper takes him away. Tears have dried up in the old lady\u2019s eyes. The mother whose child was killed is in deep grief. Others too are silent and hopeless.\u00a0\u00a0 Slowly the crowd disperses.<\/p>

It\u2019s evening. The sun has just set. Women are putting on the lights in their houses. A slow music is heard from a faraway distance. The music is very lucid and sweet. Gradually the decibel rises. The music fills the whole atmosphere, it creates a strange echo. The music and its echo. Echo and music. Music, echo. Echo, music. The women in their houses stop for a moment to listen to the sweet and magical music. They are hypnotized by the music. They come out of their houses and walk after the Pied Piper. A girl, a teenager, a woman. Many girls, many women. Girls and women. Young and old. Rich and poor. All walk after the Pied Piper. As he passes from streets to streets the female folks come out of their houses. It\u2019s strange that the men folks do not guess what is going on as if they are deaf to the sound and blind to their women going out. The Pied Piper plays the music and takes all the women along with him. He walks away from the city, to the forest from where he came. He enters into the deepest recesses of the forest and vanishes with all female folks forever.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

Khurshid Alam<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Pied Piper Revisits An old lady, aged between 65\u201068, is running away from the city.\u00a0 Her face is fear stricken. She often turns back to ensure that no one is following her. Amid her dishevelled hair, disarrayed clothes, and teary cheeks, her genteel mien shines that proves that she is rich and urbane. She […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1314","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Pied Piper Revisits - Afflatus Creations<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An old lady, aged between 65\u201068, is running away from the city. Her face is fear stricken. 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