HANSDEV & HIS QUEEN
Once upon a time, there was a man named Hansdev. He used to live in a small village in northern Himalayas with his mother and six younger brothers. They were Brahmins. He used to perform ritual practices in occasions of marriages, birthdays and in many other ceremonies performed in Indian customs. He was renowned and respectable person in the society. People from far away villages would call him for performing rituals. However, the thing that made him different from everyone was that he had four golden hairs on back of his head. He was only educated and earning man in the family. His brothers being illiterate used to work in the fields. His mother was a widow and used to cook for all of them while they were out in the fields. This is how they were earning their daily bread. Being an elder one, he married his younger brothers first.
One day he was going to the next village for his ritual work. While passing by a water spring he thought of resting for a while. He lied on a stone nearby. Suddenly he heard a voice. He went little closer to water source where he saw a beautiful girl washing her father’s turban. He was very impressed by how she washed the turban, as there was a very narrow stream of water coming out of the rock. At first sight, he fell in love with her. He went to her and asked her name. She told her name was Chayla. He smiled and said that like her name she was very smart and creative. He proposed her for marriage. She blushed, smiled and told him that she lived with her father in the nearby village. He understood what she was trying to say. He asked her father’s name. His name was Hari Singh and he was a small businessperson. Hansdev told her he would meet her father then. She smiled and ran away. Hansdev after performing his ritual in the villager house he went to Chayla’s father. He asked few men in way where Hari Singh lived. Then walking by some houses, he saw a small shop of rice and grains. He went in and joined his hands in Namaste. Chayla’s father greeted him and asked what he wanted to buy. Hansdev smiled and said I am not here to buy anything sir, but I would be heartily grateful to you if you would allow me to have owner of marrying your beautiful daughter. He told everything about himself. Chayla’s father was very happy and agreed to offer him his daughter’s hand. They married in a small temple nearby. Hansdev and Chayla bowed to father and walked back to village. Hari Singh blessed them for happy life with wet eyes. In those days after marrying girl never used to come back to her parents. Only her brother or father could pay visit to her in family where she was married.
By the evening, they both were home. His mother saw them coming through the window. She opened the door and went in. Chayla was little annoyed as she got such a cold welcome from the family. He asked Chayla to take rest and he headed to mother. As he entered in the kitchen, his mother burst out that why he married without her concern. He tried to explain but did not hear a word. He told her that he loved Chayla and he loved her too. Mother did not reply anything. He sighed and left the room. Chayla sitting on chatai(mat) saw Hansdev coming. She asked what happened but he consoled her saying that everything would be fine. It was the beginning there were a lot ahead that Chayla had to face. Her in laws used to talk so politely in front of her husband and when he was out, they used to behave differently. She was sad but decided not to say anything to Hansdev as he was already having so many problems with the family. She was very beautiful. All the villagers used to appreciate her beauty and her excellence in household work. On the other hand, the younger brother’s wives abhor her but could not show because they feared Hansdev. She was going through so much hatred but for her husband’s sake, she made herself strong.
One day Hansdev told her that had to go out of village for two days. He asked Chayla to take care and he left. That night after completing all of the work she was about to enter in her room, she suddenly heard some whispering. She moved back and gazed through the window of the next room where all the six brothers, their wives and mother were discussing something. She moved bit closer. One of them asked mother that why was only Hansdev allowed to perform the rituals. One of the wife said that Hansdev now only was interested in listening to his wife and used to discuss about money with her only. Chayla was listening to them and her heart cried in grief after knowing how much his family hated him. After a long discussion, one of them said why not we kill him. If he would die, we would be able to do what we want. Chayla was shocked to hear that, this thing made her uneasy. Suddenly the youngest one refused to be with them in that act of inhumanity. They all ignored him and were very happy with what they decided. Chayla moved from there before they could notice her. She cried whole night, twisted here and there thinking that Hansdev would not believe her, as he loved them all so much. She could not sleep whole night. Next evening Hansdev was home. She was finding the way to tell him the entire thing. After dinner when Hansdev was about to go for sleep, his younger brother approached him. He said brother why only they all have to go to the fields for looking out for animals. He asked him to go that night. Hansdev smiled and agreed without asking anything. When he was about to leave his wife stopped him and told him all things she heard. Hansdev got angry and said that she was trying to traduce him against his brothers. She begged him for not going out that night. Finally, he left by saying that if she proved out to be wrong then he would leave her. She cried and prayed god to save his life. Hansdev reached the field and he made a shelter for himself with dry grass and bricks. Each word of his wife was striking in his mind like a prick. He in spite of sleeping there in shed put some stones, grass and his over coat under the blanket and sat on a tree nearby. He waited to see if it all was true. It was about midnight and no one came. His anger for his wife was on its peak and suddenly he heard a voice. He tried to look deeply into the dark behind the trees. His brothers were coming with axes and knives silently towards the shed. His body shivered with fear. They came closely to the shed and looked into it. They thought that Hansdev was sleeping there. Without saying a word, they started stabbing the blanket. They did not look under, as it was very dark. They left thinking that he was dead. Hansdev witnessed the whole scene. This broke him deep inside. He cried whole night thinking that for whom he gave his whole life how can they turn out so against him. At home, Chayla with crossed fingers was praying. Suddenly she heard the brothers coming and laughing. It did not take time for her to figure out that they had killed him. She sat on ground and cried and cried and cried. Early morning Hansdev was home. He saw his wife lying on floor. He could see the tears dried on her cheeks. He was sure that she cried whole night. He held her up and tried to wake her. He called her name and with warm hands cleared her tears. She slowly opened her eyes, and could not believe what she was looking at. She cried and asked how he was alive. He told her everything. He said now he could not live in that house. He was leaving. She cried in pain and asked how she would live without him. She asked him to take her with him. He sadly refused and said that he did not know where life would take him, whether he would have anything to eat or not, if he would have shelter to hide. However, here she at least would have home to survive. His mother was awake by that time. He told her that he is leaving the house. She did not stop him but said take something to eat. She made roti for him. They walked out of house. Before leaving, he gave his ring as a remembrance to Chayla and asked her to give anything that would remind him of her. She took mud from ground and said she had nothing but this hand full of mud. She gave that mud to him. They departed with wet eyes. She kept looking at him until he disappeared in the forest.
Chayla moved back to home. Until then mother has informed others about Hansdev. They were stunned that how he survived, but forgetting that they were easy then because he had left the house forever. For Chayla tough time was ahead. Hansdev moved on. At night, he was crossing the forest. He was very tired and thought of taking rest. He was starving and then he realized that his mother had given him some roti. He took out one and was about to eat, suddenly a fox came in front of him. He grew pale and thought of what to do then. He threw that roti to fox and was about to run but what he saw shocked him. The fox after eating that roti fall on the ground. He was frightened but slowly went to check it. It was dead. He sat on ground and realized that his mother gave him poison. How could she do that to him? He was completely heartbroken. He put his bag back on shoulder and moved on. He was at the end of the territory of the kingdom in which he lived by the next morning. He looked back and thought of his wife. He thought if she would come to find him how she would be able to do so. He got an idea. He kept writing on the stones by the side of road, “dense shadow, and water cool. Hansdev and his queen rule”. He wrote that rhyme every path he crossed. He moved villages. He used to do small work to earn daily food.
On day, he was passing by a village. He was thirsty and very tired. He saw an old house nearby. He called from the door that if anyone was inside. An old woman came out and asked him what he needed. He told her that he was thirsty and wanted a place to hide in that scorching heat. She asked him to come in. she offered him some food. He was so tired that he fell asleep. After few hours, he woke up. He saw old women talking to a boy. She was crying and telling the boy repeatedly to take care and that she loved him very much. Hansdev went to the woman and asked her what the problem was. She cried and told him that the king of kingdom in which there village lied was killed by a tiger and so whole of his family. The people decided that whosoever would kill the tiger he would be the king of the kingdom. Therefore, every day one person from a house had to watch for the tiger. She told that no one came alive until then and that day it was the turn of her son. He was only hope of her living. Hansdev asked her if he could go. She refused as he was also a son of some mother and how could she sacrifice stranger’s life. He did not listen to her. He took his bag and headed towards the palace. He sat on chair and waited for the tiger. Suddenly he heard roaring of the tiger. He got up and followed it. He went to the throne hall and hide behind the throne. Tiger had smelled his fragrance. He came in roaring. He was starring at Hansdev who was behind the throne. It roared and ran towards Hansdev with opened mouth. Hansdev took out that roti poisoned by his mother. He threw one and then second. The tiger unknowingly swallowed it at once. He died at the spot. In the morning, the people saw the tiger lying on the stairs dead. This news spread like fire. Everyone asked whose turn was it, who killed the tiger? They found out that it was the turn of the old woman’s son. Everyone walked to her house. There the woman was worried that the tiger may have killed Hansdev. She was cursing herself why she allowed him to go. She saw the crowd coming towards her house. Her hands started shaking. However, what she heard was much unexpected. They told her that her son had killed the tiger. She made them clear that it was not her son but a stranger who in return of her food went there to risk his life. They all moved towards the palace. Hansdev was sleeping on the throne. They all woke him up. They all greeted him as their king. Hansdev agreed to accept the throne.
He started missing his wife more. He was worried if she was dead or may be his family has made her life hell. He got an idea. He called his ministers and told them that he wants to do big yagya. He asked them to invite every single person. He asked him to invite nearby kings and people in their territory. This was the way he found appropriate. If she would be alive, she would definitely come. After three days was the yagya. People started coming in bulk. Hansdev and their wives also heard the news. They were happy as they were going to have good food after long time. As when Hansdev left the house, they lived in poverty. They allowed Chayla to come so that she could carry their extra clothes. While walking through the path Chayla saw those rhymes written on the stones. The wives started laughing that she was mad as she was staring at the stones. They were illiterate so could not read the words. Chayla was relaxed that Hansdev had walked through this path and he might not be dead. There in the palace Hansdev was waiting. He went to his highest tower. He started looking for his Chayla in crowd. After looking for long he saw his brothers coming. They seemed poor. His eyes were moving fast. Suddenly his eyes stopped on the woman coming at the end. All the clothes were torn, dull face and carrying many things. He looked hard. There she was, his love. Time has made her older than she was. He called out his servant. He told him to bring that woman at the end to him. The servant did the same. As she was walking in the palace, everyone was staring at her. His minister’s were gossiping for what reason he had to call such a poor woman. Hansdev told the pandit (person who performs rituals) that she is going to make him bath before starting yagya. The female servants arranged the things. Hansdev asked Chayla to pour water. While she bent to take the mug she started crying. Hansdev asked her what the problem was, why she was crying. She told him that her husband too had golden hairs on his head. He left her and never returned. Hansdev get up and holds her hands. He told her that he was her husband. It was all just because of her. If that entire thing had not happened, he would not have been a king. He told her everything and she told him how hard life was without him. He asked her female servants to get ready Chayla as queen. As Hansdev and Chayla moved downstairs everyone’s eyes widened big. They were surprised how beautiful she was looking. People greeted them as king and queen. The yagya was executed successfully. People praised king and queen. The brothers realized that he was Hansdev. They were ashamed as their mistake dragged them to extreme poverty. They asked for forgiveness. Hansdev was a kind man he forgive them but did not forget what they did to his wife. He kept them as servant. And their wives as daasi(female servant) of his queen. Everything turned out as bane for both of them. The people of kingdom were very happy in his reign. Hansdev and his queen were together again and they lived happily ever after.
