The parents searched for a girl with a B. Tech or M.S degree for their son, Subhash, working in the UK as a software engineer. They found Prema with the required qualification.  Since it was her long-cherished dream to settle in the UK, her parents were also in search of a suitable match there for their daughter, Prema.

Parents luckily got the match for their daughter, Prema.  They felt that they were the most fortunate of all in getting the match. Their marriage was settled, and it was due in a fortnight.

Subhash was happy and booked flight tickets to come back to India when his parents settled his marriage to be performed in a fortnight.

The parents invited the girl's parents, informing them of the day of their son Subash’s flight to land at Shamshabad airport.  The girl's parents accepted their invitation to give due regard to their would-be son-in-law and his parents.

The parents of the girl, Prema and those of the boy Subhash were on their way to Shamshabad International Airport by car. They were going to the airport in a happy mood to receive him at the airport.

Subhash was travelling to India in his international flight to arrive soon at the airport. The time for the landing of the flight was fast approaching. His parents and the new relatives, Prema's parents, were eagerly waiting for him at the reception gallery.

In a short time, they saw Subhash coming out from the inside of the airport. His appearance was spectacular for the new relatives, and so they were glad to receive him.  

 Subash was a sincere boy. He was good at studies. He won a scholarship for his academic excellence at all levels. He won encomiums of his teachers for his brilliance in studies in India and abroad.  

By virtue of intelligence in studies and excellence in career, Subash won the chance of working in a company of high reputation in the UK. His handsome features enriched his personality for dignity. He was at the same time a person of qualities of head and heart in all respects.

The parents received Subhash happily. They introduced him to the new relatives, Prema's parents, in a modest way.

Within no time, their journey started to their town, Viswasa Nagar. After reaching the town, the new relatives. Prema’s parents left for their town Prem Nagar.

~*~

              The wedding day approached to welcome the bridegroom and his party to the wedding venue in the girl's town Prema Nagar. Subhash and Prema were boundlessly joyful. Their wedding costumes were rich and grand. All looked at them with love and reverence. They found the bride and the bridegroom made for each other.

All guests were to glimpse the grand scene of the marriage at Kalyan Function Hall. The guests were seated to the capacity of the hall. Some close relatives were found standing to give room for the important guests. The marriage session was to commence, and the priest (Purohit) was chanting mantras in the marriage venue.

Most of the guests who gathered in the hall were talking about the bride and bridegroom, their looks, their costumes, their statuses and so on:

Some guests were talking of the-then politics.

Some guests were busy conversing on the films released recently.

Some guests were talking about their business and profits.

Some guests were discussing the way of the world.

Some guests were narrating the fashions of the day.

Some people were talking about violence in India.

All, especially women, loved the new pair with an expectation that they would lead a fair and happy life, making their marriage a grand success. The wedding music was going on while the priest was busy chanting wedding spells. It was the time for tying the wedding knot, Mangalasutra. Subhash tied the wedding knot in the neck of Prema. When the procedure of their marriage came to end, the newly married couple, the bride and the bridegroom were together with their parents on the dais to seek the blessings of all the elders for their happy married life.

Next, all the guests came to the venue and blessed the newly married couple. Later they had sumptuous dinner with various food items to suit their tastes.

The priest as part of the marriage system showed in the sky the Arundhati Star, the symbol of purity and sanctity. Later he asked the new couple, the new life-partners to take the seven steps together to live together, happier and longer, the rest of their life without causing any harm, loss, or humiliation in the lives of the couple.

In marriage, the new couple took an oath to live together and enjoy the conjugal life so as not to miss any second of its joyful life.

          After the wedding, the new couple came back to the boy's house in Vishvasa Nagar. The people of the town were happy at the reception as they saw the new couple made for each other.

The new guests were happy that they found the groom Subhash sincere and Prema beautiful. Their appearance was special for all guests.  They blessed the new couple on the occasion. The wedding couple were going ahead, taking the early steps in the journey of their married life after the seven steps of their marriage.

Subhash applied for the VISA for his wife, Prema. He did all whatever essential for her to come to the UK.

As Prema was to get the VISA in a month, Subash, her husband was to leave early all alone for the UK.

           Later Prema joined him in the UK. They lived the conjugal life. After some months of their married life, they learnt that she was conceiving. The neighbours enjoyed the occasion. All the guests nearby blessed the couple duly on the occasion. All were happy to receive the hospitality. The parents in India heard the news and were happy.

When she delivered a charming female baby, all friends blessed them on the happy occasion too.

Subhash was very happy with his cute baby, as he liked daughters very much. He told all lovely things, looking at the baby at leisure. The baby was everything to him.

Pream wanted to purchase certain costumes and other things as per her choice.  Subash made a list of all the costumes and things. He went shopping and purchased them all on Sunday. He showed them to his beloved wife Prema. She was happy for his selection and appreciated him, saying,

“You are good at selection,”

“Thank you,” said Subash.   

~*~

As usual, Subash went to his office the next day. While he was on his duty, he got a phone call from his wife Prema saying,

"The baby is all alone in the bedroom."

"What is that you are talking...? Hello...Hello...," said Subhash.

There was no answer. There was no voice heard from Prema though he had called her several times.

Subhash got ready and came to his house in full tension. To reach the house, it was a forty-minute drive from his office. By the time he reached the house, he found all the neighbours inside and outside his house. They had broken the door of the house open and entered the house.

Subhash rushed to the baby and took it into his arms. He wept bitterly listening to the neighbours. They narrated one after the other as follows:

"Sir, we heard the baby crying constantly in your house."

"We heard the baby gasping for breath and struggling for life."

"The baby got tired of crying. The hoarse voice was coming in breaks."  

"We found the door locked from outside...Inside the baby was crying."

"Immediately we broke the door open."

"Luckily and thoughtfully a woman brought the bottle with milk..."

"The ladies started to feed the baby with bottle milk... The baby slowly started to drink milk."

"Had we come late, the situation would have been different..."

"It was a shocking experience at the sight heart-moving..."

"It's a pity...It's a pity."

Subhash took the baby into his arms and hugged it to his bosom, crying hoarsely. He said to his baby while tears were rolling down his cheeks.

"I can't live without you, my dear…You're my life...my all...You're my breath...You're my heartthrob…You are everything...Your mother left you... I can't leave you…To raise you fondly is my life aim… my sole aim."

They lodged a complaint against Prema to the police for leaving her breastfeeding baby all alone. They felt it essential to lodge a complaint on the advice of someone in the gathering.


Prema went to the court of law, saying that she was subjected to all types of house violence. Subhash was responsible for all those incidents of house violence. He did not like her to beget a female child. He was demanding more dowry and more gifts from her parents. He harassed her cruelly. His mother was a cantankerous woman. She also harassed her on the same lines. In such circumstances, she approached the court as her husband had tortured her and so she was not able to bear all those tortures.

In the court of law, Prema wanted to seek divorce from Subash as early as possible. The court, after a considerable lapse of time, granted divorce to her to lead a life as per her wish.

The people, who heard of the case of Prema as the peculiar one, talked of many things one after the other:

 "The realities never surface. They're hidden facts like the stars shrouded by clouds. The mysteries can never be mysteries as they come to limelight one day like starlight that comes out when clouds are shattered.”

"Prema appears moody...Subhash is admirable and calm-going."

"When the husband is sincere...where is home-violence? There is no room for home-violence…"

"If there is violence, it's hers but not his...never his..."

"This is the verdict of all the neighbours, the people living there, knowing fully well about Subhash."

"This is the people's verdict."

"They ask her why she had preferred to come to the UK... never to the USA...never to Canada...only to the UK. Why the UK? Why had she preferred the UK to the other countries?"

“This is not her good intension…mal intension…Surely mal intension…”

 "Prema depended on Subhash and did all deliberately to fulfill her wish through him... Subash is a scapegoat…a scapegoat…We can’t expect a woman to do so… Prema did it…What a pity!"

“Subash became a victim…What a pity!”

“We wish that such cases should not happen at any cost…”

Though the court pronounced a verdict in favour of Prema, many questions arose from the court of the public for no answer by Prema. People to understand her were able to understand her fully in the course of time.