Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
The story starts with Deepika who comes with her family from her village Darbhanga to Mumbai city and received by her father’s childhood friend Ravi. Deepika feels shy when her parents speak about the friend’s son Sandeep. Deepika Srivatsav is a 19-years old girl and she speaks about her story going back by six months when she came to Mumbai from Darbhanga. She speaks that when she was just 7-years old, her marriage alliance with Sandeep (her father’s friend son) was arranged and since many years she haven’t seen or met him. Because of which she was excited to meet him, and wonders how does he look ? what is his work ? Will he like her ? All these questions were there in Deepika’s mind.
Theme of the Episode: Fight Against Sexual Harassment; Have your say – for a brighter future and choosing your life partner; Keep your self-respect intact within your family, and with yourself by respecting and honoring the dignity of all Women.
At Sandeep’s home, he informs his mother that he is going out and will come in evening. She informs that Deepika and her family are coming home and he has to stay back. He calls Deepika a Behenji and calls her family not educated and from village like Darbhanga but decides to stay at his home. Deepika comes with her family. Sandeep’s father Ravi speaks with his friend Anil (Deepika’s father) that in order to live in the city, he suggests him to drive his Taxi so as to earn some money for covering the costs of accommodation (at Chawl) and living. Deepika’s mother thinks it as a big favour from Ravi, and then speaks that very soon they will become relatives apart from their friendship. Ravi becomes elated on hearing it and shows his pleasure. On the other hand, Deepika smiles and also feels shy to hear that development regarding her marriage.
Next day, she speaks with her mother about her college admission, and asks whether she would get one ? Her mother speaks that Sandeep will help her in admission forms, and she then asks her daughter whether she likes Sandeep ? Deepika feels shy. Deepika’s father speaks about the promise he made to Ravi long time back, and she asks what-if she doesn’t like him ? Sooner, Sandeep comes there and wants to take Deepika out and show the city. She goes out with Sandeep, and he eats at an outside a cola joint. She asks him when he will take her for filling the college admission forms ? He responds that very soon they will marry so she doesn’t need to attend college and instead she can take care of his mother at home. He also suggests her to not go out in nights alone as people speaks different things about her. Deepika becomes a bit uncomfortable after realizing Sandeep’s thinking.
Next morning, a neighborhood boy Rahul comes to meet Deepika’s father (Anil) at her home, and he comes there to fix the tube-light. They thank him for helping out, and he calls her Mausi (Aunty). She speaks that Rahul was from the same village like her but was working in Mumbai since many years and she haven’t seen him since long time. But now, Rahul is visiting their home quite often, and helps his mother and father in their daily activities and was also mingled with her family very well. She regards him as her the first and best friend in Mumbai, and even she has shared with him everything about Sandeep (and the arranged marriage alliance). During one night, she meets Rahul and he tells that he will help her in getting college admission. She speaks that Sandeep is not helping her regarding the admission, and making excuses of not having time. He suggests that’s not a problem because the key is to get admission and doesn’t matter who brings the form. When he asked her what she wants to do after her college. She responds that she wants to become a school teacher after studying Bachelor in Education (B.Ed) and suggests that she knows that he is preparing for an IAS exam, but says she opted for teaching as her career.
He appreciates and then adds that for the first time he saw a girl speaking about work/career as most girls wants to marry after completing their college. He then leaves from there as it was getting late and he needs to catch a bus. She then asks him whether he doesn’t have scooter or bike ? He responds that he didn’t got the need for them so didn’t have until now, but when the time comes will definitely buy them, and speaks that as of now he is working to save money. She gets impressed with his thinking and wants to drop him at the bus stop, and he agrees. When she walks out with Rahul outside, Sandeep’s friends sees her, and calls out different lusty comments towards her. Meanwhile, Sandeep also comes there, and informs his friends that he will be going to marry her (Deepika) and tells his friends to call her as their Bhabhi (sister-in law). At first, the friends didn’t listen to him, and thereafter Sandeep calls Deepika, and she comes to him after excusing from Rahul. Sandeep informs her why she came out in night as he has already informed her to not roam in the night. She speaks about college admission as the reason, but he sticks to his words, and says that it is the last time he is informing her and if it happens again then things will be bad. He then wants to drop at her home on his bike and after his continuous insistence, she decides to go with him, and his friends speak that he got a lottery making Deepika very uncomfortable.
Deepika speaks that her heart and mind were saying very different things. On one hand, Rahul have oneness/affinity attribute while Sandeep was very stubborn and thinks that she is entitled only to him and also he has the right over her during all their meetings. But he used to behave differently in front of his parents and she used to wonder what Sandeep really wants. Some other day, Sandeep comes with her mother, and she gives Deepika’s mother an old sewing machine after knowing from Deepika that her mother is very good at tailoring. Deepika asks for leave from her mother and goes outside. Sandeep then also leaves from there and follows Deepika. He then interrupts her at the stairs and holds her hand, and asks where is she going ? And makes a taunt about her words that she will come in the night which she spoke with her mother short while back. She speaks about going to meet Rahul, and he informs that he has already told her to not meet Boys or to have friendship with them. She feels pain as he hold her hands tightly. She shrugs off his hand, and goes away from him, and he speaks of putting a watch on her whereabouts and wants her to remember it.
During the day, Deepika’s father (Anil) meets with an accident and gets injured. Deepika comes home and sees her injured father. Anil speaks with his friend Ravi and apologizes for damaging his car, and Ravi in turn replies that the insurance will incur the damages cost so he doesn’t need to worry. Deepika comes at her home with Rahul and gets some support from him in her hard time. After a while, she leaves with Rahul and on the road again, she is interrupted by Sandeep. Sandeep confronts her and tells her to go home while speaking like an order and showing his command over her. At that point, Rahul steps in and suggests Sandeep to speak in a good way. Sandeep asks Rahul, how does he is related with Deepika ? He then speaks of marrying her, and also threatens to hit her if she doesn’t leave from there. Rahul confronts Sandeep, and he is then pushed by him on the ground. Sandeep speaks to Deepika that she is going to marry him but she is loving some other person – Rahul. She becomes angry at Sandeep and slaps him hard right in-front of Rahul and his friends. She leaves from there with dejection on her face.
At her home, she speaks with her mother about her decision to not marry Sandeep since he was speaking to hit her. She speaks that he wants to control every minute of her life, and her mother asks what’s wrong it ? She responds that her mother is not understanding, and then informs them that they are not compatible and very different. Her father speaks that to know a person it takes time and says that marriage is also later not now. Her mother speaks about their promise that they gave to Sandeep’s parents (Ravi Bhai and Meena Bhabhi) and how can they break that promise so easily ? Deepika feels helpless and gets teary-eyed. Some time later, she goes out in the night, and is interrupted by Sandeep who wants a kiss from her so as to compensate for the slap she inflicted on him. She speaks of informing people of his forced abuse, and he responds that if she does then only people will point fingers at her, and it will not hurt her. He speaks angrily that she is roaming with Rahul, and then suggests that he will spend the Suhaag Raat (wedding night) with her right now before their marriage. He then starts to remove his pants, and Deepika after seeing his actions runs away from there with disgust. She cries on her way back.
Deepika speaks that on that day she learnt two things, (1) Sandeep is not a good person, (2) She was not having the control of her life. She decides to speak about Sandeep’s action to everybody, and because of which she has to speak a lie for the first time in her life. Deepika goes to speak with Sandeep’s parents and informs them that a boy is teasing her repeatedly since some time, and the boy also stays in the same chawl (tenenment, building). She also informs them that Sandeep knows about that boy, and she fears that Sandeep might do something wrong because of his anger. She reiterates of only speaking with them about this matter as her father is recovering from injury and also thinks of them equal to her parents. She wants them to catch the harasser red-handed and suggests them to not inform Sandeep about it at this time.
Later in the night, she walks in the night alone after setting-up a plan with Sandeep’s father to nab the harasser red-handed. He follows her from behind and prepares to catch the harasser without knowing that it would be his own son. Sandeep comes there and confronts her again and wants to realize the incomplete action which he tried to start yesterday and thinks her as his property so he can do anything. He then speaks that his father has done lot of things for her family – home, food and nobody does such things. Rahul’s father Ravi comes there and finds his own son Sandeep as the harasser. He slaps his son hard, and speaks that Sandeep turned out to be a mean, and manner-less person and felt shame in-front of Deepika because of him. Sandeep is stunned with his father’s words. Next day, Ravi comes to meet his friend Anil at his home, and speaks that for a healthy and happy married life cannot start with the burden of a promise or words and suggests that they should have learnt it 12 years ago. He blesses Deepika, and says that though the marriage alliance is broken but their friendship became much stronger.
Deepika speaks the crust of the matter is not that Sandeep is either good or bad, but rather an important decision of her life (plan of marriage alliance) was taken 12 years ago when she was just very small and a child. She further adds that nobody questions parent’s desire to find the best for their children but on that day her parents have realized that she has the right to choose her life partner.
Next Episode (10th June 2014): The story is of Radhika who looks to come from an affluent class. All the boys in her college sees her as the next hottest thing in town. One of her close friends with whom she hangs out in college gets a slap from her. After getting a slap, he speaks that everything is fine if takes out the phone from her pants or touch her shoulders but if he touches her feet then she becomes angry at him. At her college, she is being told by her teacher that because of her dress style, she is teased by boys. Radhika feels like lost after hearing teacher’s words. Soon, some of the girls informs her to visit the boy’s restroom to find out what they think about her. She goes to their restroom and finds some text written on walls there like – Call Me, Firangi along with her photo. Thus, Radhika faced sexual harassment at her college/school and she will be a true hero with her fightback.
Images credit: Official Facebook page of Heroes-the fightback files
Sneak Peek of today’s episode of Heroes:
[youtube id=http://youtu.be/atkiGVMaS0I]
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