Unforbidden -Part 1

Rupi woke up at the sound of a thud. It was her 5 year old daughter, Bitti. She had fallen down while trying to chase a mouse. She was a jovial girl, always happy and playful. She got up and smiled at her mother. Rupi got down from the leaf-bed and hugged her lovingly, while playing with her long brown hair. She was the apple of her eyes. 

At dawn both of them went to the nearby river to get water for cooking and drinking. It was their daily task. Women from their community had to fetch water before anyone from the upper caste woke. They should not see eye to eye. Even their shadow was considered to be untouchable. Every time Rupi looked at Bitti, she trembled at the thought of the fate of her friend Lipu's son, a few months back. The poor boy was a bit feeble-minded and unaware of the differences, do's and don'ts of their caste and went to play with his dog by the river banks, when the women and children of the upper caste were taking bath. The boy ran to those kids to play with them. The women started shouting and some even threw stones at him, while their kids held his hands and legs. The poor boy was only 8 and succumbed to the injuries. Lipu lost her only child. But no one uttered a word. It was afterall the little boy's fault, how dare he was to have tried to play with the kids of the upper caste! Killings and torture of people from their caste was common in their land. They were known as the forbiddens.

It was a very hot day and Rupi was sweating while she was collecting dry leaves for making fire. Bitti was playing nearby. The sound of horse hoofs made both cautious. Bitti, even at her age was smart enough to know horses were for the upper caste and they had to hide before someone approaches. Both she and her mother ran behind a huge tree. Moments later the horse approached and they peeped from behind the tree at the horseman. He was a man in his 20s, wearing fine clothes. Rupi has never seen anybody to be so good-looking. But the man was hurt and bleeding profusely from his left foot, He stopped his horse and started panting. He reached out for his water bottle, only to find it empty. Rupi was carrying her pot of water and looking at the man's distress could not stop herself from asking behind the tree, "Water?". The man was startled and faintly responded with a yes. Rupi came out from behind the tree and gave the man 

her pot of water. He drank the whole pot at one go and thankfully looked at her. 

                                                                                                                To be continued