This real life story goes back to the 1940's, when a rich and influential industrialist, Seth Durga Prashad, lived with his wife, Laxmi, and their only child, a 15-year-old daughter, Hema, in a palatial bungalow in Delhi. Their life was a bed of roses, till prickly thorns appeared in the form of a dosha in Hema’s horoscope, predicting her death before her eighteenth birthday.

Hema’s parents spent anxious and sleepless nights, whilst the days were spent in seeking the blessings of the Almighty through havans, pujas and visits to temples and shrines. Finally, a well known astrologer suggested, “If Hema can be married soon, perhaps the evil omen can be warded off.”

The Prashads hesitatingly agreed to this proposition. Anxious that their daughter should continue to stay with them after marriage, their search began for an educated, middle-class groom, who would have no qualms in being a ghar jamai. The bait that the groom would initially run, and ultimately inherit, their vast business empire was sufficient to elicit several positive responses.

Their choice narrowed down to an educated, unemployed youth from a cultured but modest background, who despite initial trepidations, was finally persuaded by his parents to marry Hema.

Although the marriage was solemnised on an auspicious time and date, it did not click from the word go. Soon, problems began to surface in a mismatched marriage of convenience. Sudhir’s inelegant dress sense, lack of social etiquette and complete financial dependence on the Prashads led to conflicts and bitter fights between the young couple.

The final straw came when Sudhir expressed his desire to start his own business, and live independently with Hema. Hema strongly opposed this, causing a further rift in their relationship. 

The unhappy wedlock continued for two years, during which period Hema gave birth to a baby boy, after a premature and difficult delivery, from which she never recouped. In spite of their best efforts, and financial resources at their command, the Prashads were unable to save Hema from the clutches of death, and she passed away leaving behind a new-born baby, a shattered husband, and devastated parents.

Scapegoat

In their heart of hearts, the Prashads were convinced that Hema was destined to die. However, in their grief and anguish in losing their only child, they unwittingly made Sudhir the scapegoat. 

In no uncertain terms, the shattered parents asked Sudhir to pack his bags and leave. Sudhir had no choice but to leave his son behind, for he neither had the resources to bring him up, nor fight for his legal custody. One could not help but feel sorry at his plight as he walked out of the Prasad mansion for the last time, never to look back, whilst they rained the vilest of abuses and curses on him.

Life moved on for Sudhir as he left his unhappy and unfortunate past behind. He prospered with a thriving business, a loving life partner and two daughters who grew up into beautiful and educated girls. But in his lonely moments, the bitter memories of his final parting with the Prashads haunted and tormented him. Often, he would break out in a cold sweat from a restless and disturbed sleep, for the dormant fear of their curse, hanging like a noose around his neck, still lurked at the back of his mind.

The curse followed him like a shadow, and grim tragedy struck Sudhir once again. His younger daughter, settled in USA, was diagnosed with aggressive and advanced stage of bone marrow cancer.

As Sudhir gazed at his daughter’s pale and ashen face and her still body, his mind went back nearly five decades. He could still hear the shrill words of the parting curse, “We curse you, we curse you. You too, shall suffer a child’s death!”