Sunday, June 8, 2014

The sound of silence...

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 47; the forty-seventh edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.
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An eerie silence had descended on the village. As the news spread, villagers had started piling up near the old peepal tree. They looked on speechlessly, wiping away a tear that seemed to occasionally flood their eyes. The quiet itself was quite chilling. You could hear a pin drop if you heard closely. Munni’s body hung from the branch of the tree, bearing a testimony to the brutal way she had borne the savage of the beasts.

Munni’s little 4 year old sister looked at her in awe. What was this new game didu was playing? Just yesterday, didu had taught her how to swing on the tyre that hung from the same tree branch. It had been so much fun! She had screamed in delight as the swing kissed the skies. Why was the rope around her neck today? And why wasn’t didu swinging? Maybe it was a new game. She would ask didu when she came down.

The silent protests had done nothing to unnerve the beasts. The beasts had assumed the silence was out of fear. 

Fear of their autocracy. 

Fear of their power. 

They had ravaged the village before and they would do it again. Who would stop them? The arrogance was smug on their faces. Ignorant villagers! Did they think their silence would be heard? Who would hear the silence when the loudest of voices could be easily muffled?

The beasts had been celebrating their victory. After years of protest, the villagers had finally been tamed. There was not one voice of dissent. Their revelry had reached dizzying proportions. But what they had not anticipated was the power of silence. They had not anticipated the entire village to turn up at their den. The din of the crapulous beasts was soon drowned in the cacophony of sharp axes, pitchforks, plows, cudgels and spears. Silence prevailed again, and one could hear nothing except the sound of blood sputtering out of the bodies of the beasts. 

 Munni had been avenged. And with that so many like her had been avenged too. 

The arrogance had been pithed. They and their ilk had been taught that silence must be heard. No one would now dare to de-sanctify their village and its goddesses.

And all that could be heard after that was the sound of silence.

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38 comments:

  1. only moral enlightenment and fear can stop such people ! .. is this inspired by UP incident ?

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  2. A chilling story of silent rage that won't go unheard. I find your narration very powerful in a quiet, subdued sort of way. Maybe that's what makes it have such a strong impact on the reader. Thanks Titli for this amazing read.

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    1. just wanted to get the point across that when silence goes unheard, the common man would not think twice before taking the law into their own hands...

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  3. Very sad story.It is a mirror for the devils who roam about freely with out anf fear. Hope their conscience will arise and stop them from committing such heinous deeds.

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    1. the lawlessness of the place turns people into unbridled beasts...

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  4. brought the images of Badaun Gang Rape alive with post, nice writeup

    Silent Must Be Heard

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  5. The only way to stop such brutal crime against women is violent punishment given TO THE offenders . Very strong post, it really moved me, the way you wrote about the younger sister's thoughts.

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  6. Silence is often mistaken for fear. A very well written, touching post.
    These heinous acts are deeds of mentally deranged people. They need severe punishments, I don't think they have any conscience.

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    1. morals and conscience have almost no value today...

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  7. OMG !!
    Hats off, Tilti.
    So much power in so few words !!
    I love the way you wrote the younger sister's thoughts. Lovely.
    I wish their silence is always heard !!

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  8. *Titli * ( facepalm...spelling mistake oopss )

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  9. Ah! Your understated narration conveys a powerful rage.

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    1. made my blood boil listening to the men in power...

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  10. Ouch, this was chilling! What brilliant narration Titli, I felt goosebumps all over me.

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  11. Powerful narration and relevant in context for present day. Dark realities, the society lives with. The system had to really work hard to overcome such gruesome cruelty.

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  12. as mentioned above silence is a virtue but it needs to used or NOT used depending on what is going on .. we need to know that it can be mistaken for fear too ..

    i hope harseher punishements are given , I would say bring back capital punishment and people who do such heinous crimes need to be taught a lesson so others dont even think of it

    Bikram

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    1. silence is often mistaken for fear...but there's always that calm before every storm...harsher punishments are definitely required....

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  13. Sad state of affairs.... a sensitive topic well handled...

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  14. Powerpacked writing. It is a pity that we have to witness such things in a barbaric society that we live in. My heart goes out for Munni...Hope no Munni ever face this again...

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  15. only I wish it often ends like it did in your post. this is one beautifully power packed writing.

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    1. i wish that silence is heard and it does not have to end this way...i wish people in power do not test the limits of the patience of the common man so much that they take to arms...

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  16. Amazingly written... It was heart wrenching....

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  17. Silence must not only be heard but understood as well, and what a way to convey that. Powerful story :)

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    1. and when that doesn't happen, the outcome can be terrible....

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  18. Very well-written!
    Silence does not mean there's no anger. It doesn't mean the anger has fizzled out. It normally means the anger is stored inside the person(s) and will be released some day.

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    1. yea something like a lull before the storm...how disastrous it would be to misinterpret that silence...

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  19. What a brilliant narration Titli! Touched beyond words. Keep writing for BAT!

    Someone is Special

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At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person..deep gratitude for those who have lighted the flame within me!! your comments will be appreciated..

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