SILENCED

THE INSURMOUNTABLE WALL

PART SIX

The fire that started as a small spark of love, had now become a full blown inferno razing away the peace from Bichha and Siala's life, as their clandestine meetings became more frequent, and these were facilitated by the assistance of Shabnam and Bichha's close friend Rudu.

With great caution and under the constant fear of being discovered, Bichha and Siala would arrange to meet in the solitude of the graveyard on Fridays or in the open fields at the stroke of midnight or sometimes just before the crack of dawn when Siala would venture outside the house in pitch darkness and after walking a few meters she would take turn to come across a large bush, where she generally would go behind to relieve herself, that Bichha would be waiting for her and while Rudu would keep a watchful eye to ensure their safety.

But it was not enough, the whispers to convey their feelings to each other, under the shroud of midnight and hidden among the concealing bushes, Siala and Bichha's meetings would end often brief and hurried, leaving them yearning for more time together. The fleeting moments when she would slip away to relieve herself provided only a brief respite from the ache of their unfulfilled desires. They longed to openly express their love for each other, to bask in each other's presence without the constraints of time or fear. The rigid societal divisions drawn along religious lines, however, rendered their love a taboo, a forbidden fruit that they could only taste in secret, under the threatening blanket of fear.

There were rare occasions when Siala would steal away to the graveyard on Fridays, her family sending her to light a lamp on the grave of her deceased maternal grandfather. In those stolen moments amidst the silent graves, she would meet Bichha, and their hearts would ache with the weight of unspoken words and their unfulfilled desires. The fear of societal backlash and the rigid boundaries of their respective faith had forced Bichha and Siala Praveen confined to the shadows.

"We cannot continue like this forever, Siala. How long these secret meeting in secluded places will keep us away from prying eyes? They will surely come to know about it one day. Then what?" Bichha asked her in frustration.

"The day they find it out about us, you will never see my face again." Siala looked at him while placing the lamp on the grave. "Then you will be visiting me every Friday to light a lamp on my grave."

And when Siala looked at his face, she saw the tears sluiced across his face as he cried uncontrollably. "I am joking, idiot, nothing will happen to me and then you are around to take care of me. Aren't you?"

In tears, Bichha assured her that he would follow through with his promise.

"I trust you, Bichha." Siala gazed into Bichha's teary eyes, her voice tinged with sorrow as she spoke, "These matters of religion are too big to be in our power to control, Bichha. We are probably not born with a destiny to be together." Her words carried the burden of resignation, the acceptance of a love that seemed destined to remain unfulfilled.

"This world will never accept our love," she continued, her voice filled with anguish. "They won't let us live in peace wherever we go. They will call us sinners." Her heart heavy as she struggled to find hope in the face of a seemingly insurmountable wall of religion.

But Bichha remained unyielding, and he urged her to have courage, to believe. "We will go away. We will live our life together, Siala," he pleaded, his voice filled with conviction. "I will work to buy your every happiness. Do not give up, Siala." He urged her, his eyes searching hers for a glimmer of hope as he looked at her with beseeching eyes, begging her not to give up.

Siala's face etched with pain, her eyes reiterating the unrest within her soul, as she questioned the feasibility of his dreams.

"Do you think it's easier doing what you are thinking to do?" she asked, her voice heavy with doubt.