Successful Lady Trader of 17th century

Thanks to the earlier two posts that I wrote about Write India campaign one of the person who is also the author of all the short stories on this blog, Ranvir Singh decided to give his story to me and allowed me to publish the story on this blog. Ranvir Singh is the author of all the stories that are here on this blog. So, he once again strikes with his brand new story about a girl who tried hard to overcome the problems faced by her and achieve her dream.

Story was the part of write India campaign and the same story is submitted by our author of short stories in that campaign. He also wanted me to figure out the the headlines or punchline myself after the reading and was able to come up with one and only one heading that was " Success story of a lady trader in 17th century. 

All this brief discussion makes me curious about reading the story again. Yes the story is worth reading so sit back guys here is one another story by the short story writer of this blog.

"Close to the city of Paithan, in a small village called Sauviragram, which lay along the banks of the great river Godavari, lived a woman named Ilaa. Being cotton farmers, her family was well to do, but not among the richest in their area. It was the harvest season, and cotton had to be picked from the plants. The wholesalers and traders from Paithan would be arriving in just a few weeks, carrying gold and goods for barter. They would exchange what they carried for the cotton that the farmers grew. The bales of cotton had to be ready in time! Work was at its peak!

But Ilaa was not to be found in the fields. She wasn't working. Instead, she was sitting by the banks of the great river Godavari.

'I am sick of this!' she grunted loudly

As she said this she picks up a stone. The small stone was round and was black in colour. She threw the stone toward the river with the full swing of her arm. The stone bumped on the surface of the river for four times and then again sank into it. This made Ilaa smile for a moment but she turned back quickly to start her journey back home.

Ilaa was moving quickly toward her village. She always used to go to the village’s temple after coming from the Godavari River. In this way she could pluck flowers for her only friend who always stayed in the temple. Ilaa used to share everything with her one and only friend. She reached the temple in no time. The temple was very big. Despite of the large size of the temple, it was empty. No one was inside the temple as everyone was busy collecting cotton for the traders.

As Ilaa entered the temple she saw no other sculpture then her favourite idol that was Lord Krishana’s idol (He was her only friend too). She went straight to it leaving behind all other sculptures of Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and many more. As she reached their, she bent down and touched the sculpture’s feet and placed some flowers at the foot of the idol.

‘How are you?’

‘You must be fine, but I am not.’

‘You know when I told my mother about my dream to trade as the paithan traders and go to different places for this. She laughed at me and tried to explain me that a woman cannot do this kind of work.’

‘She also asked my father to find a suitable groom for me.’

‘I heard my father saying to my mother that he has a very good friend who is a paithan trader and this friend of him has a son and they are looking for a suitable bride.’

‘He told my mother that he will talk to him.’

‘I have made a plan. I will sell some of the cotton to the traders and then go with them for trading. In this way I will be able to keep behind all this and start a new life. I will make my parents proud by doing some great business.’

‘My friend, give me the power for doing this and give my family members the power to withstand the shock they are going to get in this.’

After that Ilaa went back to her village and started collecting separate cotton for herself. She kept whole of the cotton she had collected in her secret hiding place so nobody can find her cotton.

Finally the day came when the traders from the nearby village paithan came over there on their bullock carts with gold and many things of their need. Ilaa started to count days when the traders will leave the village and she will go with them. She also planned to sell her cotton separately to a trader and earn some separate money.

 

On one of the following days she was walking on her way to the Godavari River when she saw an unknown man walking on the same road some distance ahead from her. She thought to follow the man and find out what was he doing there and who he was.

The man was fully covered from tip to toe with the clothes he was wearing or at least it seemed from back that he was fully covered. He was a long man, walking quickly with his chest up. He was looking here and there to see whether anyone was following him or not.

When he came very near to the river he went off the pass toward the deep forest. Ilaa resisted herself from going behind him but she could not resist herself for long because of her curious nature. She followed the man inside the deep woods.

As soon as she entered the forest she begin to hear the most dreadful voices she could for a moment. Her eyes and ears were wide open to deal with any type of problem she could face there. In the mean time when Ilaa was busy with her fear the man had gone far away from her limits. There was no way she could find him. So she decided to return back.

As she turned back she found a wolf standing in front of her facing the other side. Ilaa got so scared that she was going to cry at that moment only. But she managed her well and stood at her position and waited for the wolf to go from there.

Finally the animal went away without even noticing that there was a woman standing behind it. Ilaa took a long breathe when she found that the animal was gone. She begins to walk with long steps toward the Godavari River. She even ran for few steps so she could reach her destination faster. 

She reached her destination and found herself lot more protected than before. She gave on the idea of going to the river and thought of going back to the temple to meet her friend. She started plucking flowers for that purpose. She spent some time at the temple and then returned back to her home.

When she reached her home she found that there were some guests in her house. She went directly to her mother and asked her, ‘who are they and what are they doing here?’

‘You know I told you about the trader friend of your father.’ Ilaa’s mother said to her.

‘Ye…s and…?’ Ilaa asked her mother.

‘And they are here to watch you. So get ready quickly and come out. You have to serve them the food.’

Ilaa was shocked to hear all that. She had different plans in mind. She thought for some time and went inside her room for dressing. She wore a yellow sari and she was looking as pretty as she was some queen.

She went to her mother and asked her to give her all the food items one by one and she will deliver it to them. Ilaa’s mother was both shocked and happy to see this sudden twist in the behaviour of Ilaa.

Ilaa went out to the guest room and found all the people sitting at their places. She found three unknown people in the house. A couple was sitting in one side of room along with a smart and young man.

Ilaa saw the man once and then lowered her eyes to concentrate towards the plates she was holding in her hands. As Ilaa entered the room her father stood up and introduced everyone with Ilaa. Ilaa was not even interested but greeted all of them with a smile.

Then she was introduced to the man who was there to marry her. She came to know that the man’s name was Ramraj. The man was long and had a very good and well-built physique. Both of them looked toward one another, their eyes met and both of them went deep inside each other’s eyes. But this eyes contact was disturbed by the others present in the room.

After some time both of them were asked to tell about the decision they had made about each other. Both of them agreed for the marriage. After sometime the guest went back to their place. Ilaa’s father was very happy and thanked Ilaa for agreeing to the marriage.

Ilaa smiled to this and went back to her room. Ilaa changed her clothes and went to bed. But the sleep was far away from her eyes. She was only thinking about the adventure that she had on the same day. She was thinking about the person who disappeared into the woods near the river. She kept thinking about it and finally made up her mind that she will find that out tomorrow.

Next day she went to the river and hid herself in the other side of the road and waited for the man to come. Not even half an hour was passed when she was able to see the man coming toward the river. She hid herself properly behind the bushes and waited for man to go on.

Today too this man was covered from head to toe. He looked here and there when he reached the place from where he entered the woods and then went inside quietly. Ilaa waited for two minutes and then went to the woods from the same position from where the man had entered.

She entered the forest but was not able to see him. She walked further into the forest but was not able to find him. So she decided to turn around and go back to her home. When she was just 10 steps away from the road she found a wolf waiting for her.

Ilaa turned around and tried to run as fast as she could into the woods. She saw the wolf chasing her and the distance between both of them was just decreasing. She was crying for the help. When the wolf was just ready to take the foot of Ilaa into her mouth she found the same man waiting for her with his axe that he was using to cut the wood.

The man ran forward to pass Ilaa and with the help of his axe cut the wolf into two pieces. Whole of his body was covered with the blood of the wolf. He turned around toward Ilaa who was still lying down and was trying to tell herself that she was finally saved.

‘What are you doing here, Ilaa?’ The man asked Ilaa. Her name from an unknown person shocked her again.

‘Who are you and how do you know my name.’ Ilaa asked the man. The man removed the cloth off from his face and showed it Ilaa. Ilaa eyes were wide open for some time and she was not able to feel her senses for that interval.

‘Ramraj, what are you doing here with an axe?’ Ilaa asked that and turned back to see a half made boat.

‘So you are building boat. But why are you building a boat?’

‘I am sorry, Ilaa I lied to you. I was never going to marry you. I have a plan to go away from my parents and do something else in the other parts of the country.’ Ramraj told Ilaa.

‘But why do you want to go away.’

‘I want to go because these people are very greedy. My parents know that there is going to be flood in the state where we are headed. But despite of changing the schedule they are forcing everyone to go there. In this way they can grow their sales. As in flood hit area they can sell goods at higher prices.’ Ramraj replied.

‘I am sorry too.’ Ilaa said

‘Why are you sorry now?’ Ramraj asked.

‘Even I was not going to marry you. I had a plan to go with the traders as I wanted to be a trader. But now you had opened my eyes. I will not go with them.’ Ilaa said to Ramraj.

‘Ok good now, you can go home.’ Ramraj told Ilaa. Ramraj was the first person who did not laughed on finding that Ilaa wanted to be a trader.

‘I will not go. I will help you.’ Ilaa said with politeness.

‘Why would you help me?’

‘I will go with you.’ Ilaa said.

‘This is not going to happen. I am not going to take you with me. What are going to do there?’ Ramraj asked Ilaa.

‘I don’t know but I am going with you.’

Ilaa started helping Ramraj in building boat. The boat was complete in two days. They had planned everything for their journey. Ramraj had helped Ilaa to sell her cotton to get some more money.

Ilaa and Ramraj were good friends now. They met each other and sit together for a long time. Even their parents also allowed them as they will be married soon.

Finally the night came when traders were going back to their homes. Ramraj had asked for his father’s permission to go early for arranging their stay so he was hiding in the woods for the whole day and Ilaa was serving him.

In the night Ilaa came out of her house with the money and the other things that were needed in the journey. They put everything into the boat and set the sail.

Ilaa was not looking sad. She was happy that she is going to make her parents proud. Ramraj was happy too.

After 10 years

There was a festival going in the village Sauviragram as a famous trader who trade for the king was coming to the village. The name of the trader was Ilaa. Yes the same Ilaa who went away from her home and now a world known trader. But no one in the village knew that she was the Ilaa of their village.

In the evening Ilaa came to the village by a boat from Godavari River. She was greeted very well by the village members. Then she decided to go to her parent’s house and surprise them. She walked through the same road, plucked flowers and went to the temple.

She was so happy after talking with her friend. Then she reached her home and found out that her mother was busy cooking food and other family members were busy in their works.

‘Ma, I am back.’ Ilaa said from back of her mother.

Her mother turned back and started weeping. The whole family gathered around and started crying.

‘We thought that you were dead with all the other traders.’ Ilaa’s mother said.

‘What, all the traders died?’ Ilaa exclaimed

‘Yes, everyone died in the flood.’

Ilaa become sad to this.

‘You returned and made us proud. So you are the famous Ilaa, Ilaa- The Trader. And he was always with you.’ Ilaa’s mother said as she saw Ramraj coming from a long distance.

Ramraj came and touched the feet of the parents.

‘Beta Ilaa, you have proved that a girl can achieve whatever she wants.’ Ilaa’s father said proudly."

  

When I asked Ranvir about should I ask the readers to find out the mistakes and tell them then he simply replied 'yes off course, I want to improve if their is anyone out their who can help me to improve then it would be very best for me.'

So please tell me all the mistakes that he committed in writing the story and review the story for me.

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