Faith, Pain ,and Relief

An elderly man I knew , ( who had no issue) about fifty years ago was well known among the local and neighbouring residents for his knowledge of the native pantheon, evil spirits, and ghosts . Often he conducted rituals to ward off the ghosts and evil spirits from the homes and individuals possessed by them and to cure people of the illnesses primarily attributed to sacrilege. One day, his wife fell ill; yet, he did not call doctors, but performed traditional rituals,, sought guidance from the deities in his somber dreams. Of no avail , she died after prolonged illness. But he did not grieve for long. "What can we the humans do if God already destined her fate ? “ he asked. The old man lived a long life, cared for by a close relative. He never consulted a doctor nor took pharmaceutical drugs, as he did not have faith in their medical efficacy or sanctity. (The poem dramatised under the title FAITH, PAIN( Latter rechristened as Thajabagi Cheina) by People's Arts and Dramatic Association ,and directed by Laishram Randhoni Devi was the Second Best play in the Creative Directors' Short Play Competition 2022 organised by THEATER CENTER under the aegis of SANGEET NATAK ACADEMY,NEW DELHI.In all the play won seven different awards.Among the notable awards are Best,Director,Best Actor,Best Actress and Best Script etc.)