Our Mindset Episode 36
Pradeep never returned. One of my aunt’s hens hatched chicks, while the other left its eggs unattended and wandered off. Aunt wondered who would take care of the chicks daily, and there was no proper place to keep the hens safe at night. So, she said, “I have your work wages with me. Instead of money, take these two hens and the chicks.” The hens wouldn’t lay eggs for at least two months, but I thought, “That’s fine. At least I’m getting something in return.” I placed them behind the house in the dried grass, where they could roost at night.
When I got home from work, I found two stray puppies at my doorstep. No one had been home all day, so I had no idea who had left them there. They didn’t bother me, so I didn’t pay much attention to them. Our own dog had a simple routine—drinking milk twice a day and watching the vehicles pass by. Because of Pradeep’s situation, my sister-in-law and Balu avoided any other topics of conversation. We discussed the same thing every day.
On Sunday morning, my husband left for the village. I told the kids, “I’ll collect money from my sister-in-law and bring some hay back. Stay under the tree and play until I return.” Whenever I had to work all day, I took the children with me. But since they were staying home this time, I simply latched the door and left. My sister-in-law always kept hay ready for me, so I planned to return quickly, knowing the children were alone.
When I came back, the door was open. The children were playing outside. Assuming my husband had returned, I first fed the goats before entering the house.
A man lay completely naked under the old wooden cot inside, staring at me silently.
Terrified, I screamed and ran outside, but he didn’t move. My whole body trembled. Gathering courage, I latched the door from the outside.
I stopped some passersby and sent Aparna to call the elderly neighbor. Soon, her entire family arrived. Using their phone, I called my husband. By then, a large crowd had gathered, peering through the windows, trying to get a glimpse of the man. But he remained hidden under the cot, which was covered with household items.
When my husband arrived, he started crying.
The onlookers were puzzled. “Why is he crying? Call Mangu,” someone suggested.
“No!” my husband objected. He thought the man inside was Pradeep, and that’s why he was crying. He didn’t want to open the door in front of so many people, nor did he want Mangu to know.
At that moment, everyone realized—my husband was weak. He could not protect me. He should not have cried in front of so many people.
A few men grabbed sticks, unlatched the door, and entered. The man inside was from a farm across the river. Everyone except me recognized him. They beat him up and forced him to put on clothes. The women cursed and berated him.
Only after the stranger was dragged outside did my husband realize—this wasn’t Pradeep.
That’s when he decided to act. He suddenly attacked the man. But people had already noticed—first, he was sitting there crying, and now he was suddenly aggressive? The man, holding his slippers in hand, fled through the fields. Even after he was gone, I was shaking.
I had just experienced the biggest shock of my life.