Thakur Ramdev Singh was his name. He belonged to a family of land-lords or zamindaars as they are called in India. He was the lone heir to an ancestral property which consisted of hundreds of acres of land in rural India.
Ramdev was married when he was 23 years old to Prabhavati the daughter of another zamindaar family. His father decided his bride for him as was the tradition in their family. Although, Ramdev was educated and had completed his graduation he knew this tradition of their family and never expected anything else for himself but to get married as his family chose and decided for him.
For a few years things continued fine, Ramdev was happily settled and was managing affairs efficiently when tragedy struck their family. The car carrying his parents and pregnant wife met with an accident when they were going on a pilgrimage leaving Ramdev alone at a very young age of 27 years.
Ramdev was woe-struck. His world had collapsed around him. It had taken destiny just one day to bring his world shattering around him. Ramdev managed the last rites with the help of a few well-meaning relatives and village elders who had rushed by his side in his time of grief. Once, all rituals and rites were over all of them left one by one leaving Ramdev alone to face life and his predicament.
Ramdev took months to come out of his anguish, but he was of a sound mind and spirit. He plunged himself into his work and actively involved himself in the village affairs. Soon, he gained popularity as a sound advisor, a rational decision maker and a well-wisher of his own village and surrounding villages. People would come to him from near and far to seek his help and advice on various matters both personal and otherwise, and there was rarely anyone who left his door-step dissatisfied with the help or solution given by Ramdev to their problems.
A couple of years went by. Ramdev would work the whole week and keep a day aside every week when people could come and meet him at his haveli (a big house, like a palatial bungalow) for their problems. One such day towards evening, when he was about to finish his public meeting, he noticed a young woman about 24-26 years of age standing quietly in a corner. She had a young girl with her about 4-5 years of age and a small bag apparently having their clothes.
The woman's appearance struck Ramdev. She was very fair and beautiful, dressed in a sari and blouse but the way she had worn the sari was what struck him. The sari worn by her was like an urban woman and she wasn't dressed like a typical village woman. Further, she looked like she came from a reasonably well to do family. Her clothes were clean and simple and though she had not worn any ornaments yet Ramdev could make out that this woman's body had not gone un-adorned all her life.
After finishing with the last person, Ramdev turned to the woman, folded his hands and asked her politely," How may I help you?"
The woman spoke in a quiet but clear voice,"Thakurji, my name is Shanta. This is my daughter Roopa, I was married into a rich family, but my husband died leaving a lot of debts. All that I had has gone into paying those debts, my husband's family will not accept me and there is no one I have to turn to, because I have no other relatives. Can you help me out Sir?"
"Well! I can give you some money if that is what you want." Ramdev offered.
Shanta said, "Thakurji! I come from a good family. I will not accept charity. I have come to you looking for some work. I wish to educate my daughter too, so that she can grow up to be self-reliant. I am willing to do any work. I have heard that you are a kind just man. Will you accept me into your household, so I can have a shelter over my head and earn enough money to educate my daughter?"
"Do you know that I am a widower? I live alone and I have no female employees in my house-hold. Further, are you not afraid what people will say if you live in my Haveli?"
Shanta was unfazed," Thakurji, I will live in the servant quarters behind the Haveli. I think no one will object then. As far as I am concerned I have a lot of trust in you, so I have no fear in working in your house."
Ramdev was amazed at her confidence in him, he said, "Very well then, I will get your daughter enrolled in the village school tomorrow itself, and you can start working from tomorrow. Have you eaten anything?"
Shanta shook her head. Ramdev immediately asked his servant to give them food and show them the servant quarters which were behind the Haveli.
Ramdev would leave early in the morning each day and return by dusk except for the days he would conduct the public-meeting. Shanta started looking after the Haveli. She would get up early, much before dawn and ensure that Ramdev had a proper breakfast and packed lunch before he left each day. She soon took over the day to day affairs of the haveli and even the servant started looking up to her for instructions instead of Ramdev.
Ramdev too was tired of eating the insipid food cooked by the servant and had almost resigned himself to the fact that the haveli would always be untidy because the servant would do only as much as his limited intelligence would let him. Shanta changed all this and that gave Ramdev a lot of satisfaction.
Roopa too joined the village school and would wait for Ramdev to come home in the evenings. When she would see him coming home she would jump up with joy, run to him, hug him and search his pockets for the sweets she knew he never forgot to bring for her. Ramdev also found himself being drawn towards the young girl and began to look forward to coming home in the evenings.
A few months passed and things settled into a routine. Shanta and Ramdev always maintained a respectable distance, but as time went by Shanta found herself drawn towards Ramdev. He was a just and fair man, highly respected and had been nothing but kind to her. Shanta shuddered to think what would have happened to her and her daughter had Ramdev not taken care of them and given her employment and shelter.
Shanta was also visibly shaken and grateful for his kindness. Ramdev would bring gifts for her and Roopa whenever he would go to the nearby city. He was very observant and most of the things that she and Roopa needed were given to them by Ramdev even without her having to mention them or asking for them. Further, he would sit with Roopa in the evenings for her studies and make sure that she was well informed and way ahead of the other students of her age.
The thing that really had touched Shanta was, that Ramdev did it all with no selfish motive and expected no return from her in kind for whatever he did for Roopa and her.
One day Ramdev returned early from his visits and went to his room and lay down. Shanta was surprised because it had never happened before. She was concerned as he was not looking too good and she enquired the reason for this. Ramdev made an excuse that he was not feeling well and that he should be better in a few hours. But, it was when Shanta heard him groaning that she went and touched his forehead and found out that he had high fever.
Shanta immediately summoned the servant and asked him to fetch a doctor and she started applying wet strips of cloth on his forehead to bring down the fever. Ramdev protested against her doing all this, but she would hear none of it. The doctor came and checked Ramdev and said it was nothing to worry about, although the fever would take a few days to subside.
When it started getting dark Ramdev asked Shanta to go to her quarters and leave the servant with him. He had asked the servant to stay the night over in case he needed something. Shanta did not say anything, but Ramdev noticed sadness on her face. The servant stayed back the next 2-3 days by the time Ramdev recovered. Finally, when Ramdev's fever subsided the servant was allowed to go home.
Ramdev was fine now, but the doctor had asked him to rest for at least 15 days because the fever might recur leading to tremendous complications. Ramdev had no option but to stay back and rest. Although, since it was rainy season and the seeds for the year had already been sown he knew that his absence would also not lead to any losses.
After the servant left Shanta came up to Ramdev and asked him if he needed anything. Ramdev replied in the negative to which Shanta burst out in tears. Ramdev was taken aback.
"What is it Shanta? Why are you crying? What happened? Do you need something?" Ramdev asked.
"Thakurji, have I done something to displease you? Why did you ask the servant to stay back the last 2-3 days? Could I not have taken care of you?"
"Look Shanta, I am a widower and you are a widow. There has to be a distance between us, and we both know it."
Shanta was not pacified, "Thakurji, you have done so much for us, can I not do something for you? Am I to be so ungrateful?"
"But Shanta, you already do more than your share for me and the haveli. What more do you want to do?"
"No Thakurji, I have seen you bear the pain in the last few days. The doctor had told me that this fever would give you tremendous body ache and head ache, although never once did you complain about it. Are we strangers to you?"
Ramdev was silent; he did not know what to say. Shanta went on, "I am a very proud woman, and I would not accept charity from anyone, but Thakurji, I am not ungrateful either. What you have done for me and Roopa is something that no one would have ever done for us. I would willingly lay down my life for you, but the distance that you are creating with me is something I cannot bear in life now."
"Shanta, do you know what you are saying?"
"Yes, Thakurji, I know what I am saying and believe me I do not dare to expect anymore from you than what you have already done. But from now on please let me do something for you too. In fact, I will not be happy doing just something. I want to do everything for you." Shanta was saying all this in between sobs.
Shanta went on, "Thakurji, I also promise you, that if you try to distance yourself from me ever in life, I will kill myself. I have no expectations from you, but I wish to be your slave and in your service for a life time now. Never take away that happiness from me."
