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JUNE, 1921]
HIR AND RANJHA
15
only goes to the forest to play with her girl friends." But the women of the village mocked at Milki saving :-"Your daughter is a bad girl and our hearts are burnt with shame like roasted meat. The drum of her shame has been beaten throughout the whole valley of the Chenab. If we speak to her she is insolent to us. She has the pride of a princess. She goes to the forest under the pretence of going to the mosque with a Qurån under her arm. People think she is reading in the mosque, but she is getting another leeson from a different chapter. She is a bad example to the village and we are beginning to be anxious about our own daughters."
And Kaidu said to Milki:-"For God's sake get your daughter married. The Qazi always says :-Marry a naughty girl as soon as you can.' Or else break her head and cut her into small pieces, as she is a disgrace to the village. Why do you not plaster her mouth up, as you plaster up your cornbins ?”
And Milki was at last tortured to frenzy by these taunts, and said to Mittu the barber woman: “Go and call that Hussy Hir and say her mother wants her." So Mittu went and called Hîr. And Hir appeared and laughingly said to her mother :-"See, I am here." And Milkî said: “You bad girl. You should be drowned in the deep stream for causing such a scandal. Grown up daughters who venture outside their father's house should be thrown down the well. You are so fond of your lover, Hîr, that we shall have to find & husband for you. If your brother comes to hear of your goings on, he will hurry on your betrothal or he will hack you in pieces with his sword. Why have you cut off the nose of the family and covered us with disgrace ? Come, Mittu, take off her ornaments. What is the good of giving jewellery to a girl like this % She is tarnishing the honor of Jhang Sial. We will dismiss the cowherd to-night. What do we want cowherds for ?"
And Hir replied :-"Mother I am very fortunate in that God has sent this cowherd to your house. All men thank God when they get such a treasure given them. What the Pen of Destiny has written has come to pass. Why do you noise abroad the whole affair? Do you not know that three things should be kept secret, fire, a sword, and Love !"
Thus Hir withstood her parents to their faces and refused to give up Ranjha. And Milli said to Chùchak:-"See how the girl withstands us to our faces. All our kith and kin put their fingers in their mouths with amazement and talk sarcastically about us. She has levelled the pride of the Sials to the dust."
And Chúchak replied :-"Give her away at once. Thrust her out from the village. She is altogether abominable. Why did you not suffocate her when she was born, Milki, or poison her when she was a baby?”
CHAPTER 10. (Scandal spreads in the village and Chúchak dismisses Ranjha and then recalls him.)
So when Ranjha brought the cows back that night. Chachak was wroth, and he called Ranjha and in the presence of all his kinsfolk rebuked him saying "Friend, give up the buffaloes and go away! You have become a subject for scandal and evil tale-bearing. Tell
