Reading Time: 10 minutes
Two college friends, Reena and Minu, were lesbian lovers. They wanted to remain together. Reena was brutalised and married off in a distant state to a doctor. Could marriage separate the two girls, deeply in love? What triggered the crime of passion? Sunita takes a look at the grim reality of same sex love, a taboo in Indian society, in the weekly column, exclusively for Different Truths.
Sanjay woke up at the middle of the night hearing strange sounds. He sat on the bed and saw that Reena, his newly wed wife, was not in bed. He was shocked. He waited for few minutes thinking that she must be in the washroom. But after ten minutes he got up. Reena had not returned to their bed. He went out of the room, searched throughout the house, tiptoed downstairs, carefully trying to make the lowest sound possible so as not awake his mother and sister.
Sanjay had lost his father at the age of five and since then his mother took the responsibility of bringing him and his younger sister up, as a single parent. Their mother immersed herself in the world of her two little children with her heart and soul. She was successful in her duties. Now, Sanjay, 28 years old, is a well-established doctor in a corporate hospital, while his younger sister, a government school teacher, was married in a very good family. Her husband is also a renowned surgeon. Shalini, Sanjay’s sister has come to her parent’s place for her brother’s marriage, which was a week ago. She’s in the family way and she, therefore, had stayed back till her child’s delivery.
Sanjay found Reena nowhere in the house. He was worried. To his dismay he found that the main door of the house was unlocked. He stepped out softly. He was taken aback and was shocked to see his wife in a passionate embrace with someone. His world was shattered. How could his newly-wed wife betray him? Seething with rage he ran towards them and caught hold of Reena’s hand. He was about to slap her, when the other person caught his hand and said, “Jeejaji, why are you hitting my saheli, my sister?” On hearing a female voice, Sanjay was perplexed. He looked carefully at the stranger. The stranger, dressed like a man, with a cap, took off the cap. Her shoulder-length tresses escaped from under the cap. He was surprised to see it was a young girl, about Reena’s age.
He looked at Reena confused and embarrassed. “Who is she? Where has she come from?” Reena was scared because she saw Sanjay was about to hit her. She was shaking and had turned pale. On behalf of her, the stranger answered, “Jeejaji, I am Minu, Reena’s childhood buddy. We are inseparable souls. But since I am poor, Reena’s parents despise me. I was not able to attend your marriage. I came here to wish Reena and you a happy married life. My train was very late. I did not want to disturb you all at this unearthly hour. I called. Possibly you didn’t hear the phone or Reena talking.”
Sanjay was ashamed that he had doubted his wife. Minu added, “It was late night. You were in deep sleep. Reena didn’t wake you up. If you don’t have any problems and if you allow me to stay here in your place, I will do all your household work and also will be able to take care of my saheli? I am a poor orphan girl.”
Reena was still in a state of shock. She never expected Sanjay to hit her. Her husband never cared to find out the truth. She was scared of domestic violence. Something within her snapped. Could she ever trust and love him? Theirs was an arranged marriage.
Sanjay was extremely ashamed that he suspected his wife. To make amends, he readily agreed to Minu’s pleas. Reena’s friend came inside the house with her bag of clothes. She was given a room to stay and when in the morning Sanjay’s mother and sister heard what had happened in the wee hours of the night, they laughed and teased Sanjay and Reena.
Reena fled the room, blushing. Sanjay followed her. He went inside, caught her in a tight embrace from behind. He kissed her nape, fondled her firm shapely breasts and sought forgiveness for misbehaving. He explained that in the middle of the night, he was not in the best frame of mind. His deep love for her made him insecure and he acted silly. Reena forgave him. But, she never kissed or hugged him. She wished to talk with Minu. There was so much to share.
Sanjay, sad and embarrassed, left for the hospital. Reena called Minu to her room and closed the door. But, before that she went downstairs to check if her sister-in- law had gone to the clinic along with Sanjay. Her mother in law was busy cooking. She sought permission from her to chat with Minu, her childhood friend for a while, to which she readily agreed.
As soon as Reena, closed the door, Minu hugged her tightly and was in a deep lip lock. She was going to tell Reena something, but they were lost in passion. Reena closed her eyes. She was enjoying Minu’s caresses and fondling. Reena, more voluptuous of the two, was a sub, a doll. Minu was the dyke. Minu undressed her friend, slow and easy. She was savouring every bit of Reena. Reena stripped her ‘lover’. They made wild, savage love. Soon they were lost in a deep loving embrace.
Minu and Reena were lesbian friends since their college days. They were deeply in love. They wished to marry and live together, always. When Reena’s parents found out, they had unleashed brutality on her. She was starved, beaten up and locked in a room. But, nothing could dissuade Reena. Her love was strengthened. Reena’s grandmother suggested that they should marry her off. Marriage would ‘cure’ her and she would forget Minu, the witch. For them, Minu was the culprit, who had spoiled the innocent, naïve girl.
They were afraid of the censure of the society and bad name of the family. To protect their family’s honour, it was decided that they would get their single child, Reena married off to a person in a distant state. Minu could never get in touch with her.
To them, like many, same sex relationship was perversion. But little did they know that Reena and Minu were very seriously involved. Though Reena had bi-sexual inclinations, Minu was a hard-core lesbian. She truly loved Reena and was in obsessed with her. She gave permission to Reena to get married to be able to keep their relationship safe and secure. Minu did not want Reena to face brutalities in her family.
Reena was scared of the torture and violence. She knew that it always began with slaps. And that was the reason why she had withdrawn into a shell when Sanjay was about to hit her.
Reena was a ‘toy’ in the hands of crafty and scheming Minu. She could scarcely see through her diabolical plans.
On Minu’s instructions, Reena coyly declined to consummate their marriage even after a week of their marriage. She said that she was a virgin and was afraid of sex and pain. Sanjay, being a doctor, understood it. He was patient with her. He felt that perhaps it was associated with some deep rooted childhood trauma, which Reena might not know consciously. Meanwhile, Reena had made up a story that she was fasting for a month for the long life of Sanjay. During this time she had to be celibate and worship Lord Shiva. Sanjay, though hesitant, agreed to it for their happiness. Reena was his wife. He could wait another month.
However, they agreed to fondling and non-penetrative sex. They enjoyed caressing and oral sex instead. Had Sanjay been a little more observant, he would have seen through the game that Reena, a putty in Minu’s hand, was playing with him.
Minu had already planned to make up a story and stay back in Reena’s house. Since they were both girls no one doubted them. The love life of these two girls was blooming amidst physical intimacies, love, cuddles, laughter and giggles. Reena was glowing. But, her mother-in-law thought that this was because of her conjugal bliss and her happiness with her childhood friend.
Often Sanjay’s mother and sister heard the two friends laugh and thought to themselves that Reena, in these few days, had never come and chat with them, nor did Minu help in any household work, as she had promised. But they never bothered to tell Sanjay all these petty things.
Sanjay was pleasantly surprised to see his wife happy, which he wanted to for quite some time – her smiles and blushes. But he never realised that Minu was the cause of her sudden happiness.
All was going well when one day, when Reena’s mother-in- law went to the temple to offer prayers and Sanjay was in his hospital, Reena and Minu were lost in their amorous games. They were so engrossed that they forgot to lock the door. It was then that her sister-in- law, Shalini opened the door suddenly and saw them both nude in a compromising position. She was taken aback, shocked, and was at a loss what to do. She stood transfixed for couple of minutes, frozen and shamed. She turned to run downstairs. But, she was late. Reena and Minu saw her, hurriedly wore clothes and took hasty decision.
Reena ran towards Shalini and tried to stop her from going down, but Shalini was boiling in rage. She blurted out that she would call her brother immediately and tell him everything she had seen. Minu also tried to stop but Shalini was adamant. When she was running downstairs, Minu hit Shalini with an iron rod kept in the balcony. Shalini’s head was smashed with the fatal blow.
The sudden attack made Shalini collapse and she rolled down the stairs and lay at the bottom of the staircase in a pool of blood. Reena and Minu ran down and checked to see if she was alive and to their relief found her dead.
They had to dispose-off the body. Minu though leaner, was taller and muscular. She dragged the body to the backyard. Reena quickly cleaned the blood from the staircase, the landing and from the bottom of the flight of stairs where most of her sister-in- law’s blood had spilled.
In the backyard, Minu dug a deep pit. Reena was thinking of her mother-in- law’s arrival, planning what to tell her next.
As both were busy in burying Shalini in the pit, Reena heard the main gate open and she ran inside the house. To her dismay she saw her mother-in- law entering the house, she was nervous but quickly gathered herself. She greeted her mother-in- law and gave her water and some eatables. But Savitri, her mother-in- law was looking for Shalini to give her the prasad (offerings of puja). Reena quickly cooked up a story that Shalini received an urgent call from her husband that her mother-in- law was ill and that he had sent a car to take her home. Savitri was anxious and wanted to call her daughter but Reena cunningly convinced and comforted her to take rest and talk to her daughter, later. Savitri was tired. She needed to sleep for a while. She told Reena to cook for the day.
Meanwhile, at the backyard, Minu had buried the body and was exhausted. Both Reena and Minu went upstairs to discuss their next moves. They had planned to elope after some days but after today’s incident could not take risk doing so anymore.
Reena shut her room and both started packing bags, took all the valuables, some money from the safe, clothes, etc. and were done. While doing all these, Minu on seeing the navel of Reena was terribly excited and wanted to make love before they left the house.
Both went to the washroom and fondled, hugged, kissed and soaped each other passionately. They made love.
Today’s murder had proved their love for one another was obsessive and nothing could break it. They had no remorse or guilt. They were crazy lovers, who could demolish any hurdles or obstructions that came their way. Nothing could part them, ever. Their anger against the society was intense. So also their hatred.
Reena wanted to live in with Minu, though she knew her husband was the best one could ever ask for. But 
Minu’s obsession and passionate love made her forget everything.
Both were stark naked in the room, touching and playing with each other’s jewels, when Reena’s mother-in- law knocked the door. First, it was gentle, then it was hard and urgent knocking. She was angry and was yelling.
Reena was shocked. She wrapped herself in a towel and half opened the door. Savitri pushed her and came inside the room. She was shocked to see both Reena and Minu half nude. She asked them to dress themselves because she had something to show.
They went downstairs hurriedly and to their horror Savitri took them to the washroom and showed some rags in a bucket stained with blood. She also took them to the drain at the backyard to show red water running, which she was very sure was blood. Minu looked angrily at Reena. She had botched up the cleaning. It was a grim mistake. She forgot to destroy the clenching evidences of their crime. But she tried to make some stories that it was red coloured water, not blood. Savitri was not convinced. She said she wanted to call her son and rushed inside her room.
Minu and Reena were in a great danger because if Sanjay, a doctor, returned home and saw the rags, he would surely understand it was blood.
Minu ran hastily inside and tried to stop Savitri from calling. But, she was late. Savitri had already dialled Sanjay’s number and was trying to tell him the details, when Reena disconnected the landline phone plug and to Savitri’s shock, Minu strangled her to death with the telephone wire. They were now relieved that there were no proofs of the murder. It gave them ample time to clean up the mess. They felt that if both ran away with the valuables and money, the police would doubt it to be a case of robbery, loot and double murder. Also, that Reena and Minu were kidnapped.
They were pleased at their quick planning. It was time for them to flee. Quickly both ran upstairs, took their luggage, and opened the main door to escape, forever. They held each other’s hands and were looking determined. But to their utter shock, as they opened the main gate and stepped out, they saw Sanjay standing with the police.
Sanjay was at first shocked to see his wife, Reena, and her friend, Minu, coming out with suitcases and bags. Then the sight of his mother’s corpse on the sofa shattered him totally. He had heard his mother’s cry for help on the phone and he felt that some danger has happened because Reena did not answer his calls either. He felt everyone at home were in danger. He, therefore, called the police before reaching home. He never knew he would come home and see this awful massacre. The police immediately arrested Reena and Minu and took them in their custody.
Under coercion and threat, Reena and Minu confessed their crimes. They narrated the incidents, their relationship, and the unfortunate killings. Sanjay couldn’t believe his ears. He lost his mother and his only sister and the cause of their deaths was his wife, whom he had loved so dearly. She too would be sent to the prison. He would be left, forsaken and forlorn, locked in the deep abyss of grief. Forever.
In rage, he was murderous and wished to kill Reena. But, the police did not allow him to touch her. She was in police custody and would be tried by the courts. They dug up Shalini’s body from the backyard, as Reena and Minu showed them the place. The murder weapon, the iron rod, telephone cord and bloodstained rugs were taken as vital proofs.
Shalini’s husband, her in-laws and Reena’s parents all had arrived. Everyone wanted that the severest of punishment should be given to the two murderers. They were shocked and disgusted at pervert crime of passion.
But Reena and Minu, remained unfazed. They stood with confidence, without any guilt or repentance on their faces. They knew what they had done and they justified themselves as lovers, who could do anything to for their love.
They were ready for the prison and death sentences. They would remain united in death, as in life!
©Nitasu aka Sunita Paul
Pix from Net.
