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Sample Copy. Not For Distribution.

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Curse of a Broken Soul


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EDUCREATION PUBLISHING

RZ 94, Sector - 6, Dwarka, New Delhi - 110075 Shubham Vihar, Mangla, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh - 495001

Website: www.educreation.in __________________________________________________

© Copyright, 2018, Surendra Singh

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored inA retrieval system, or transmitted, in Any form byAny means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of its writer.

ISBN: 978-1-5457-2425-5

Price: ` 315.00

The opinions/ contents expressed in this bookAre solely of theAuthorAnd do not represent the opinions/ standings/ thoughts of Educreation.

Printed in India


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Surendra Singh

EDUCREATION PUBLISHING (Since 2011)

www.educreation.in


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Disclaimer

This novel is a work of fiction. All names,

characters, business, places, events and incidents

are product of the author’s imaginations. Any

resemblances to actual persons-living or dead, or

actual events, is purely coincidental.

ST


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Dedication

This novel is dedicated to Late Lallan [Lallu] Singh

and Late Annpurna Devi, Late Ishwar Dayal Singh

and Late Tati Devi for their support in my education

in difficult time.

Late Murari Singh and Late Kumari Devi, my

parents , Late Sadho Singh and Late Janasa Devi, my

grandparents & Late Vishwanath Singh and Late Baso

Devi, my maternal grandparents and all those who

helped me in shaping my future in my childhood and

beyond.

ST


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Author’s Note

Jyoti was unfortunate daughter of her own

grandfather, who dumped her pregnant mother in a

prostitution house at Banaras, India. A god man fell in

love with her mother and married, adopting Jyoti as

his own daughter. He gave good education to Jyoti.

Jyoti married Rajan, an ambitious business man

from Thailand. He started creating big empire in

world and kept many keeps abroad. Neglected Jyoti

came to know about it. She kept Sohan, a small

Jamindar from Banaras, and her hero of university

days, as Yoga trainer and seduced him. She planed of

creating a big memorial in Bangkok.

Sohan started extracting money from Jyoti and

created big Jamindari at his village. Rajan died early

and Jyoti appointed Sohan as Vice President with aim

to marry him. They could not manage business and it

collapsed .Sohan deserted her and fled to India. She

also came to India to marry Sohan, but he disowned

her. The next man came in her life, cheated and made

her beggar. She approached Sohan again but his

family badly misbehaved with her. She cursed Sohan

and family with her broken soul.

What happened to Sohan and family after her

curse?

What happened to her life in India?

Was her dream of a memorial got fulfilled?


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This book takes the readers deep into the lanes of

Jyoti’s tragic love stories and effect of her “curse”

with her broken soul.

ST


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Acknowledgments

I express my thanks to wife Beena for her continued

support in writing this novel.

Daughter Nidhi and Son -in- Law Pankaj for

editing the manuscript and typing support. Sons Nikhil

and Nitesh, Daughter in Laws Sneha and Tanya for

their encouragement for completing this novel.

Thanks are also due to Arpita in suggesting title

of this novel.

K K Prasad and S K Sharma for providing Hindi

Doha (couplet).Thanks are also due to Ajeet, Shikha,

Ayushi and all others for their suggestions and

support.

And finally to my grandchildren Sparsh, Eshaan

and Ahaan for being source of my energy.

ST


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1

June 1902 - Phulpur, Banaras, UP, India

Grand Village Marriage

Thakur Baldev Singh is tense as his elder daughter

Rajani is getting married today. His younger brothers

and son Shyam are busy in making arrangements.

Phulpur village is beautifully decorated and there is

happiness all over the village. Sahnai (Musical

instrument) is being played on door of house. Hindi

popular songs are being played loudly. Rajani’s

younger sisters Puja and Lata are happy and full of

dreams for their marriage in coming years. Ladies are

performing their traditional functions moving in group

along with traditional musical group. Ladies are

dressed up in best of makeup, dresses and ornaments.

Their faces are partially covered under veil. Girls of

village are dancing and moving without veil.

Boy’s side marriage procession is coming from

village Bhok. Variety of foods and sweats are being

prepared by village people. Cots, blankets have been

collected from various houses for comfort of guests.

Relatives of Baldev and friends started arriving with

gifts, swords, gun on elephants, Bagghies (Horse cart)

and in cars.

Primary school is brightly decorated. A big tent

has been erected by groom party in playground of

school. Marriage party arrived with huge fanfare

exploding crackers with 10 elephants, 20 horses, 10

camels and 10 cars. They are served with cold drinks

and sweets. Children surrounded the groom.


Surendra Singh

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Rajani and her sisters are eager to see groom. In

those days in India, bride and groom do not meet or

see photographs of each other, before marriage.

Family of bride will meet would be groom and

approves marriage based upon family status and

reputation. In case if boy or any of his family member

sees would be bride, knowingly or by deceit from

girl’s family then boy was forced to marry that girl by

caste Panchayat of area . People used to enquiring

from secret sources. Afterwards a team of Pandit and

Nau (Barber) goes to the house of bride family and

girl just passes in arena, in veil, from one room to

another room of house so that they can see physical

fitness and little exposed hands for complexion. Boy

imagines features of girl, based upon features of her

father and brothers. Many mismatch marriages were

taking place but still surviving. In few cases boy was

getting re-married and both wives were living

together.

Groom side came with famous Nautanki (drama)

party of Tadi Nevada village of Jaunpur district which

is very popular in Eastern U.P. and Bihar, Bhajpuri

language belt of India. Party performs with 4 young

male dancers in female attire, drama artists and jokers.

Girls are not part of Nautanki Mandali due to law and

order issues. Boy dancers are much more attractive

than girl dancers in entertainment. People throw huge

money on them. Pamphlets were distributed in

advance. Groom and Sahaballa (3 to 5 years boy from

groom family) sits in front of stage as king.

Famous female dancer Rama Bai was hired for

next day’s program, to be held in front of bride’s

house. She was brought by boy’s side on special

request from Baldev, who used to often visit her in

Dalmandi area of Banaras. Rich people often visit



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these houses, called Kotha and return empty handed.

Rama Bai was very attractive and many rich people

including Baldev had offered to marry her as mistress

but she refused. A lioness cannot be happy in a golden

cage.

Puja and Lata were eagerly waiting for the arrival

of Barat. Girls watch Barat from balcony. These

Occasions are good source of entertainment. Marriage

procession from groom side started with elephants,

horses, camels, etc., decorated in best way. Almost

equivalent number of elephants, camels and horses

came from bride side. A war like scene was created.

This tradition started long back when rich boys of

Rajput family used to attack girl’s family and taking

away girls for marriage. Rajputs started killing their

daughters, just after birth, to avoid humiliation later on.

System changed but show of strength remained as

tradition. Horses, camels and elephants perform race,

parallel to each other. Gun firing is done in huge

quantity from both sides. Cracker shows are also

organized on the pathway by groom side. Bride party

welcomes groom party and they proceed for

“Dwarpuja”, which is performed at main door of bride

house. Marriage was performed at night in arena of

house while public enjoyed dance and drama.

Second day was occasion of picnic for groom

side. In morning knowledgeable people of both sides

gathered in tent for question and answer session. A

special folk singer party sang bravery deeds of Alha

and Udal, young warrior kings of Bundelkhand region

of Madhya Pradesh. It fills people with bravery and

national feelings. In evening, Rama Bai did special

dance performances at door of bride’s house where all

arrangements were made by groom side. Groom’s


Surendra Singh

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family welcomes people from bride’s side with gifts.

Dowry system was not there.

Barat departed on third day. Eyes of villagers

were wet, while seeing off Rajani.On 7th day, family

members of bride went to house of groom to see

welfare of girl. They judge her happiness by glow on

her face. They visit girl on various religious occasions

with good gifts and things get normalized soon.

Lata and Puja were very happy thinking that now

their turns will come. Puja was eldest and hoped for

marriage next year, as Baldev was saying. Wife of

Baldev fell ill and expired after six months of

marriage. Her last rites preparation started in great

way. Rajani was not called as per tradition. New

relatives are first invited in happy occasion only. It is

very torturous for a girl who could not see face of her

diseased mother. Another bad tradition that existed

was to destroy all photographs and gift all belongings

except ornaments of the dead. Infant children could

not see even photograph of dead parent.

Family affairs returned to normal but Baldev

went into isolation. He asked his younger brothers to

take care of family matters. His son Shyam became

busy in his studies. Baldev stopped visiting house.

They had two bungalows, one at a distance of 15

meters from house and another at a distance of 100

meters, close to fields. Most men were living at distant

bungalow for field work supervision. Baldev started

living in the closer bungalow alone. He was served

food etc. there itself, by one or other family members.

Baldev decided to wait for one year after wife’s

death. He was only 44, healthy, smart and rich man.

Proposals for his marriage also started coming from

poor Rajput families. Poor families offer their girls to

rich people and get some money for their house



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expenses. Poor girls are sold to man of almost father’s

age. In villages, girls rarely revolt and take it as their

fate. By the time they become young enough, their

husbands become old. This creates a peculiar problem

in society, as they start searching other young men.

Baldev refused to marry young girl. He was ready to

marry a widow but Hindu social customs prohibited it.

Baldev started going to Rama Bai. She started

giving good treatment to Baldev, as lover. Prostitutes

and dancers earn so much money for what? They start

this oldest business under some compulsions like

daughter of a prostitute or thrown in by force. They

become habitual to this life under influence of drug,

sex and false feeling of getting attraction from so

many people. In spite of all the bad name, it is doing

roaring business world over. These visits of Baldev

were noted by brothers. They advised to restrict it, as

their image was getting tarnished. He also realized

same and refrained from Rama. He started looking

groom for Puja.

ST


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