Me and my husband live in Potherikancham village. This is not our own village. Years ago we lived in Tharumba village of Guhar district. We were thrown out of the village because my husband accidentally ran his truck over a cow in the night when he was returning home after 18 hours of continuous driving. Cows are considered as mothers according to hinduism so no one forgave him when he asked for forgiveness.
The panchayat called him a shame for hinduism and drunkyard whose senses were all asleep while driving.
Listening to all this was not enough, they asked us to call a priest and worship the soul of the cow for its departure in peace,feed the beggars for seven days, donate grains and clothing to the priest,fast till the prayers and offerings to the cows soul is over and then feed the villagers eleven days after the worship.
My husband was not a man of millions that it would cost us nothing. It was too much but there was no choice. We sold the small plot of land we had but it did not give us enough for all these. I sold the bangles that my father gave me during my marriage, still it didn't do,the money was yet not enough but we thought to go on with what we have.My husband said that atleast the soul should be worshipped properly so that we are not cursed.We bought the long list of things that that the priest had listed.We could not sleep that night, it was not the fear of curse thst kept us awake but the tension was about money, wherefrom will we bring such huge amount of money? The landlord's not going to give any money.It was sure.I had worked there for four years but he never paid an ounce more than what he gave every month. He had never even gifted me a thing during ceremonies and occasions. Me and my husband decided to sell the five goats and four chickens we had.We loved them dearly.We had no children, they were like our children.I had protested about it at first but when i saw there was no way left I had to agree.Everything went well. The panchayat and the villagers forgave us but then that night an unearthly spirit surrounded the village, heavy downpour started. Hailstorms hit the rooftops and the long coconut trees waved terrifying the area.This downpour didnot stop till two days. The straw roofs, the mud houses broke............. And it were we who were said to be the reason.When the rain stopped after two days the panchayat was called.My husband was blamed for not offering the prayers and gifts properly. The disaster was called the anger of the soul and we were thrown out of the village......
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