Vimukta By Dadasaheb More

Satya was disturbed. He felt that Dhamnya had insulted the `panchayat`. All the people gathered there were murmuring among themselves. The women and the kids were giving horrible looks to Lachchi, as if she was a vamp. But Lachchi was looking satisfied with herself. Santya cleared his throat, he shifted in his seat, and started his speech; "the work Dhamnya and Lachchi have done is very disgusting. They have insulted our community. They took Gulab`s money and then very conveniently he kept his wife with him. What if this practice prevails? Then nobody will believe anything, the word faith will have no meaning at all! It will be against the interest of our community if all the men and women start behaving in a way to please only themselves. So, I hereby order that Dhamnya should give his tent with all the belongings to Gulab and should leave at once with his wife and family without carrying anything else but the clothes that they are wearing. They are free to go anywhere. Hereafter Dhamnya, his wife and his children are forbidden to have any contact in any form with our community. After hearing Santya`s decision, everyone rose to go home. Lachchi and Dhamnya fold hands of their children and started in the direction of the city. All the men and women, children watched them, they were thunderstruck. But Lachchi and Dhamnya had other thoughts in their minds, they were having certain shine on their faces. Their children were walking very close to them. Lachchi and Dhamnya did not cast even a glance at the people gathered there. Now they were free from the worn out traditions of their community. They bid their final good bye to the culture, the tradition and the people. They stepped forward towards dawn, they lurched forward a step toward humanity, towards being human.