(All the characters are above 18.)
As we waited for the bus to my husband's home, I was heartbroken. Just six months ago, we had been passionately in love and so full of hope. My husband Raju, a tribal man and me, Radha, an urban girl born and brought up in the city, were not exactly a great match on paper. But, stars crossed and I defied my family (who disowned me) and walked out to Raju with literally clothes on my back. Raju was an artist and we had hoped that his art could sell to sustain us. Unfortunately it was not to be so. As it happens in the art world, suddenly the winds had shifted and we had lost everything. We hadn't even eaten a decent meal in the last month. With all our savings gone, we were now headed back to Raju's tribal village to beg support of his father and to find a livelihood.
Raju seemed very tense throughout the bus ride. Many times I could see he wanted to tell me something but the words couldn't come out. I could even see some tears slipping out. I felt sorry for the man.
"Don't worry darling. I will not have any trouble adjusting to this new life. We just need to save up a little bit and we can come back." Raju only looked at me with a mixture of sadness and fear. I could see his agitation grow as we approached the forest edge where the tribal territories started. Soon we were at his ancestral settlement.
The first shock for me was the bare breasted women walking around carrying water, gathering firewood etc. I knew he was tribal but did not know his village was this backward. Thankfully I could also see some women who wore an upper garment. None of them wore a saree like I did, but a petticoat and blouse. Which was practical. The women were also looking at me with great curiosity. I could understand that being a city girl I must look very strange to them.
First of all the women were dark whereas I was very fair. They were quite tall and well built, muscled due to their hard work in the forest. I was a bit short and on the plump side with a curvy body. I was naturally soft as I was brought up in the comfort of the city. I had soft black flowing hair which I had tied into a bun in an attempt to look older than my eighteen years. I was wearing a soft and comfortable saree for travel.
Slowly more men and women and children came out to greet us. I felt kind of a smirk as I could see men were the same everywhere. Even these tribal men couldn't stop ogling me. Thanks to my ripe young body, I was used to their stares and catcalls. I could see they were whispering eagerly with each other. I turned to my husband and now he seemed not just sad but scared.
Eventually, we reached my husband's Hut. My father in law waited outside. He was an older man but very strong and well built. As we approached I became uncomfortably aware of his eyes roaming over my body taking in my curves and soft skin. Even as my husband introduced me to him, his eyes lingered on my breasts.
The Hut was small. Just a hall and some cooking vessels in a corner. There was a small door that led to the adjoining bathroom. I was thankful for that at least. Raju explained to me that the village head, mukhiya sahib, a very generous man, had built it for all homes. But, hardly anyone used them. I was at least glad for this small mercy.
Later that night one of the next door neighbours brought some food and as we ate dinner she asked my husband,
"Have you thought about the tax?"
Tears rolled out of my husband's eyes as he shook his head in the negative.
"That's unfortunate. But don't worry I have sent a message to your mother's brother in the next village. You can go there and collect the money. You will also have to work for him for a while to clear that."
My husband started crying in relief, "Thank you, thank you. Anything."
"You are leaving me alone here? What tax is this now?" I couldn't wait any more.
"She does not know?" The woman was shocked. And started to explain soon my curiosity turned into disbelief and outrage.
The Breast tax
It was the tribal tradition that women and girls should pay a tax for covering their breasts to the mukhiya, the head of the neighbouring village. As the forest resources had dwindled, tribals were dependent on the employment by this village headman for generations. Some pervert had made this a rule and taken this opportunity to molest and abuse tribal girls.
The basics of the breast tax were that, whenever a girl got married into the tribe, the mukhiya would fix a breast tax which the husband had to pay. Until the husband paid it, the wife could not cover her breasts either with clothing or even with her hands. For the girls of the tribe, breast tax was paid at the time of marriage. So, it was not entirely uncommon to see girls awaiting marriage hiding topless in their homes or moving around with great embarrassment until their family could get the money together and pay the tax. Some women spent years undergoing this humiliation before money could be paid.
The elder had very cleverly used these funds to sponsor a yearly celebration for men where drinks flowed freely. Moreover men enjoyed ogling at women's breasts and opportunities to brush up and fondle them as the poor women tried to do their daily chores. So, this was an arrangement dreaded only by tribal women.
Raju was in tears "That's why I was so reluctant to come back and tried everything I could. Unfortunately I could no longer let us starve. I beg you please just go through tomorrow, don't protest anything, I will get money by the evening and I will protect you."
I was scared and terrified but I nodded my head. I had no options. My parents would never accept me. We would starve and die in the city. We needed to survive.
The neighbouring woman hugged me and told me that it would all soon be over. She also gave me a set of traditional clothes to wear for tomorrow. It was a long night and both Raju and I couldn't sleep. Although we had been married for six months, we had not yet consummated the marriage as Raju felt I was too young and needed time to adjust to this major life change. But as was his custom. He gave me a chaste kiss on the lips from time to time to comfort me.
Next morning I woke up early and took a bath. I dressed up in the clothes given the previous day. It was not as bad as I had imagined. I wore my pink panty under the red mid length skirt. It was lightly frilly and comfortable to move. Blouse was also the same red colour but a little snugly fitted. It had short sleeves and buttons in the front and ended a little above my navel showing off a sliver of my creamy navel and deep belly button. The neckline was low and a little uncomfortable as there was no saree covering it.