A MALE DESCENDENT AND MOKSHA

(Eternal Liberation of Soul)

Rathore family was happy when Shakuntala was born as the first child of Rajbir Singh Rathore. After religious rituals and havan- a sacrificial oblation to the fire god, the family took the newly born to the village temple and prayed before the goddess for her good fortune and a male sibling after her.

Unfortunately, Rajbir Singh had four more girls after Shakuntala. He was disappointed and so was his octogenarian father, Choudhary Dharambir Singh Rathore.

Rajbir and his father wanted the family name to continue and that was possible only if Rajbir had a male descendent. Besides, the old patriarch also believed that to attain moksha – eternal liberation of soul, the last rites of a deceased ought to be performed by a male descendent. Choudhary Dharambir Singh therefore insisted that Rajbir married again and had a male child from his new wife. Rajbir was reluctant. All his daughters other than Shakuntala were happily settled and financially well off. Rajbir was grateful to god for it.

Unfortunately, Shakuntala’s husband, Shyam Singh turned out to be a habitual gambler and an alcoholic. He squandered his ancestral property, remained mostly idle and was dependent on his in-laws. Two years after her marriage, Shakuntala gave birth to a girl child. They named her Seema. Shakuntala, Shyam Singh and their daughter, Seema lived with Rajbir Singh in the ancestral haveli.

Seema grew tall, beautiful and a bright student. She wanted to be a nurse. After completion of her schooling, Choudhary Dharambir Singh got her a seat in the State Nursing Institute.

Rajbir was over fifty but constantly under pressure from his father to remarry. He finally yielded and married Anita, thirty years his junior. Even though the marriage rituals were hastened, the old bridegroom could not avoid scornful comments of the guests.

“At his age, he should have thought of marrying his granddaughter rather than getting married himself,” someone said derisively.

“This is just to ensure that the property remains within the family,” the other quipped.

“Perhaps he thinks a male child will ensure his moksha,” yet another guest mocked.

Rajbir and Choudhary Dharambir Singh were mute listeners.

A year later, Anita gave birth to a male child. Choudhary Dharambir Singh was overjoyed and wanted large scale celebrations on the occasion. Entire village was invited to a feast. Dharambir Singh ensured lavish supply of liquor to the guests. He wanted them to rejoice and to rejoice himself. “Let this be the all-time best,” he told his munimji, the manager. The child was named Rajbaran Singh Rathore.

Rajbaran was three when Choudhary Dharambir Singh left the earthly world after brief illness. In his dying moments, the Choudhary felt assured of a heavenly berth for he knew his son Rajbir was there to perform his last rites.

Rajbir Singh was now old with indifferent health. Anita, the second wife of Rajbir Sigh became the de facto head of the family, which owned a large tract of land and several buildings. But her task of managing the estate was getting difficult with rising demur from Shakuntala and her mother, the first wife of Rajbir Singh..

Soon trouble brewed within the family and finally came to surface with the three women coming at loggerheads over the controlling of the property. Shyam Singh, who never liked Anita, instigated Shakuntala to ask for her share of the property.

Anita opposed the move vehemently.

“You are no longer a part of Rathore family. In fact, you are lucky that you have not been thrown out of the haveli,” she shouted at Shakuntala.

Rajbir was a hapless onlooker. He tried to pacify the two camps but his voice was lost in the din.

A week later, Anita asked Shakuntala to leave the haveli and shift to an adjoining house. “I have told the estate manager to give you two thousand rupees every month to run your household. That is the best you can expect from Rathore family.” She added contemptuously.

“You can’t do that to me. Daughters too have equal right over father’s property. I will take you to the court of law,” Shakuntala protested though she knew she needed someone to assist her in the matter and that her husband was thoroughly incompetent and unreliable.

The family finally split. Shakuntala shifted to the small house given to her by Anita along with Shyam Singh. Seema was still in the Nursing Institute.

Rajbir Singh was sad to see his daughter go but could not withstand Anita’s vehemence.

Seema after successful completion of her training joined the District Hospital. She shifted to a staff quarter of the hospital. Rajbir spent most of his evenings with Seema who had kept herself aloof from the family feud.

Young Rajbaran was the most cared and valued person of Rathore family. Anita took care of him personally and engaged a pair of security guards to protect him whenever he went out of the haveli.

Rajbaran was growing impudent for he got whatever he demanded. He was insolent towards his teachers and misbehaved with his friends. He had acquired the reputation of a rowdy and a bully having no interest in his studies. He always had plentiful of money, which he spent recklessly on his cronies.

Anita was a worried mother realizing that Rajbaran was becoming ill-tempered, arrogant and perfidious.  He would never give fair account of monies given to him; instead he would raise tantrums if persisted. Despite all his angularities, Anita had no heart to deny him anything. Her woes peaked when Rajbaran demanded a sports car. Anita’s appeal and counselling by aging Rajbir Singh were of no avail.

Rajbaran got a car even before he was eligible for a driving licence. Rash driving became his passion. Soon he dropped out of school, joined a political outfit and formed a gang of his own.  He spent most of his time away from home, caring least about his ancestral estate. His mother’s fervent appeals to share her burden in managing the estate didn’t impact him.

Soon Rajbaran was known for his notoriety. The money his mother gave him was not enough to meet his demands. One day he called the estate manager and asked him to remit half of the estate revenues in to his bank account.

The manager was dumbfounded; Anita was deeply distressed but Rajbaran had his way. “You shouldn’t forget. Soon I am going to inherit this property and your future will rest in my hands,” he scolded the manager in front of his mother.

One day the estate manager told Anita that Rajbaran was spending a lot of money on a woman of ill-repute.  Anita was dismayed when she learnt that the woman was several years senior to Rajbaran and had a son from her previous husband. She was desperate to wean Rajbaran away from his new found love but failed. No pleas, no entreaties and no adulations worked.

“Son, think over it again. Your marrying this woman will sully the name of the family. I will find you a beautiful bride,” Anita implored.  

Rajbaran was a possessed man; he ignored his mother’s en5A MALE DESCENDENT AND MOKSHA

(Eternal Liberation of Soul)

Rathore family was happy when Shakuntala was born as the first child of Rajbir Singh Rathore. After religious rituals and havan- a sacrificial oblation to the fire god, the family took the newly born to the village temple and prayed before the goddess for her good fortune and a male sibling after her.

Unfortunately, Rajbir Singh had four more girls after Shakuntala. He was disappointed and so was his octogenarian father, Choudhary Dharambir Singh Rathore.

Rajbir and his father wanted the family name to continue and that was possible only if Rajbir had a male descendent. Besides, the old patriarch also believed that to attain moksha – eternal liberation of soul, the last rites of a deceased ought to be performed by a male descendent. Choudhary Dharambir Singh therefore insisted that Rajbir married again and had a male child from his new wife. Rajbir was reluctant. All his daughters other than Shakuntala were happily settled and financially well off. Rajbir was grateful to god for it.

Unfortunately, Shakuntala’s husband, Shyam Singh turned to be a habitual gambler and an alcoholic. He squandered his ancestral property, remained mostly idle and was dependent on his in-laws. Two years after her marriage, Shakuntala gave birth to a girl child. They named her Seema. Shakuntala, Shyam Singh and their daughter, Seema lived with Rajbir Singh in the ancestral haveli.

Seema grew tall, beautiful and a bright student. She wanted to be a nurse. After completion of her schooling, Choudhary Dharambir Singh got her a seat in the State Nursing Institute.

Rajbir was over fifty but constantly under pressure from his father to remarry. He finally yielded and married Anita, thirty years his junior. Even though the marriage rituals were hastened, the old bridegroom could not avoid scornful comments of the guests.

“At his age, he should have thought of marrying his granddaughter rather than getting married himself,” someone said derisively.

“This is just to ensure that the property remains within the family,” the other quipped.

“Perhaps he thinks a male child will ensure his moksha,” yet another guest mocked.

Rajbir and Choudhary Dharambir Singh were mute listeners.

A year later, Anita gave birth to a male child. Choudhary Dharambir Singh was overjoyed and wanted large scale celebrations on the occasion. Entire village was invited to a feast. Dharambir Singh ensured lavish supply of liquor to the guests. He wanted them to rejoice and to rejoice himself. “Let this be the all-time best,” he told his munimji, the manager. The child was named Rajbaran Singh Rathore.

Rajbaran was three when Choudhary Dharambir Singh left the earthly world after brief illness. In his dying moments, the Choudhary felt assured of a heavenly berth for he knew his son Rajbir was there to perform his last rites.

Rajbir Singh was now old with indifferent health. Anita, the second wife of Rajbir Sigh became the de facto head of the family, which owned a large tract of land and several buildings. But her task of managing the estate was getting difficult with rising demur from Shakuntala and her mother, the first wife of Rajbir Singh..

Soon trouble brewed within the family and finally came to surface with the three women coming at loggerheads over the controlling of the property. Shyam Singh, who never liked Anita, instigated Shakuntala to ask for her share of the property.

Anita opposed the move vehemently.

“You are no longer a part of Rathore family. In fact, you are lucky that you have not been thrown out of the haveli,” she shouted at Shakuntala.

Rajbir was a hapless onlooker. He tried to pacify the two camps but his voice was lost in the din.

A week later, Anita asked Shakuntala to leave the haveli and shift to an adjoining house. “I have told the estate manager to give you two thousand rupees every month to run your household. That is the best you can expect from Rathore family.” She added contemptuously.

“You can’t do that to me. Daughters too have equal right over father’s property. I will take you to the court of law,” Shakuntala protested though she knew she needed someone to assist her in the matter and that her husband was thoroughly incompetent and unreliable.

The family finally split. Shakuntala shifted to the small house given to her by Anita along with Shyam Singh. Seema was still in the Nursing Institute.

Rajbir Singh was sad to see his daughter go but could not withstand Anita’s vehemence.

Seema after successful completion of her training joined District Hospital. She shifted to a staff quarter of the hospital. Rajbir spent most of his evenings with Seema who had kept herself aloof from the family feud.

Young Rajbaran was the most cared and valued person of Rathore family. Anita took care of him personally and engaged a pair of security guards to protect him whenever he went out of the haveli.

Rajbaran was growing impudent for he got whatever he demanded. He was insolent towards his teachers and misbehaved with his friends. He had acquired the reputation of a rowdy and a bully having no interest in his studies. He always had plentiful of money, which he spent recklessly on his cronies.

Anita was a worried mother realizing that Rajbaran was becoming ill-tempered, arrogant and perfidious.  He would never give fair account of monies given to him; instead he would raise tantrums if persisted. Despite all his angularities, Anita had no heart to deny him anything. Her woes peaked when Rajbaran demanded a sports car. Anita’s appeal and counselling by aging Rajbir Singh were of no avail.

Rajbaran got a car even before he was eligible for a driving licence. Rash driving became his passion. Soon he dropped out of school, joined a political outfit and formed a gang of his own.  He spent most of his time away from home, caring least about his ancestral estate. His mother’s fervent appeals to share her burden in managing the estate didn’t impact him.

Soon Rajbaran was known for his notoriety. The money his mother gave him was not enough to meet his demands. One day he called the estate manager and asked him to remit half of the estate revenues in to his bank account.

The manager was dumbfounded; Anita was deeply distressed but Rajbaran had his way. “You shouldn’t forget. Soon I am going to inherit this property and your future will rest in my hands,” he scolded the manager in front of his mother.

One day the estate manager told Anita that Rajbaran was spending a lot of money on a woman of ill-repute.  Anita was dismayed when she learnt that the woman was several years senior to Rajbaran and had a son from her previous husband. She was desperate to wean away Rajbaran from his new found love but to no avail. No pleas, no entreaties and no adulations worked.

“Son, think over it again. Your marrying this woman will sully the name of the family. I will find you a beautiful bride,” Anita implored.  

Rajbaran was a possessed man; he ignored his mother’s entreaties.  

“I am going to marry her,” he was emphatic.

Rajbaran mortgaged a property with a local moneylender, married the woman clandestinely and moved away to another town without informing his mother.

When Rajbir came to know of it, he could not bear the shock; he suffered a paralytic attack and was totally immobilised. 

Seema was appalled to see the condition of her grandfather.

“I am taking him to my hospital. It will be easier for me to look after him there,” Seema told Anita who remained a mute onlooker as the former took away Rajbir Singh to the hospital.

Rajbir’s condition kept deteriorating.  Week later, the family was told by the doctors that the end was near. Anita sent couple of her men to locate Rajbaran and luckily they succeeded and returned with him.

Rajbir died the next day.

As Rajbaran was all set to light the pyre of his father, the family lawyer stepped forward and stopped him.

“Sir, you cannot do that,” the lawyer told him politely.

Rajbaran, all family friends and relatives gathered at the cremation ground were shocked.

 Anita was furious. “Don’t you know he is the only male descendent of the deceased? How can you deny him performing his religious obligation?” She shouted at the lawyer.

“Madam, the deceased has named a different person to perform his last rites,” the lawyer replied while opening the will.

Everyone was astonished for the will read: My last rites should be performed by Seema, my granddaughter.treaties.