Late past mid-night, four men were sitting around a well outside a village in Ludhiana District. Considering the broad axes with long helves in their hands, it seems they are thieves gathered to execute a robbery plan. Their silence further suggested their wait for someone's arrival. They had waited only a few minutes when two men emerged out of the village. Seeing them the men immediately stood up.
"Who is there?" Shouted, one among them.
"Myself," one of the approaching man responded.
The first group of men sat down while the approaching men simply stood by after catching up with them.
"What news have you brought for me?" One of the sitting man inquired.
"They are asleep?" One of the approaching man responded.
"Explain clearly?" Question is raised again.
"Everything is fine, as I said. The old man has gone on a court date since yesterday and has not returned as yet. Harnaam Singh and Ram Singh, both left this morning for Taran Taaran to attend the Masia observance. The field is wide open." came the answer.
"Then who is at home?"
"The same girl, Harnaam Kaur, and his mother."
"You are telling me that the God has opened the flood gates. Is that right, Kalia! Only yesterday Harnaam Singh brought home four thousand rupees. That's ours now. Any additional stuff we find is just surplus." A man with thick mustache said.
"Why four thousand rupees only? There must be four thousand rupee worth of Harnaam Kaur's jewels?" One among the sitting man questioned.
"Really!"
"What other information have you brought Ustad?"
"Consider it a real catch." Everyone's face brightened with joy.
Hearing this conversation, it was self-evident that these men were thieves or gangsters, gathered to execute a planned robbery. Kala is a member of the area's famous gang, Sundar's gang. And this is Sundar's gang. Who is the unfortunate target of their evil plans? This was unclear. Yes they had mentioned the names of Harnaam Singh, Ram Singh, and Harnaam Kaur, but who are they? Suddenly, the group stood up and moved towards the village.
It was well past mid-night by now. It was pitch dark. So dark that one could not see their own hand. The thieves used a torch-light to find their way.
(2)
"Mother!"
"Yes daughter, why aren't you asleep."
"Mother, I do not know why I am not sleepy today. Lets talk about something."
"No daughter, I am sleepy. Go to sleep."
Mother and daughter are conversing in the same house that we heard mentioned previously in the gang's conversation.
Between mother and daughter, for some reason Harnaam Kaur is having difficulty putting herself to sleep. After this conversation, the mother fell sleep, while Harnaam Kaur remained wide awake. She lighted a small oil lamp and started reciting Kirtan Sohila from a Gutka. She completed the Kirtan Sohila Paath but still did not feel sleepy. She put off the oil lamp and lied in bed covering herself with a comforter. It was peaceful all around. She had been in bed only for a short period when she heard some disturbance around the outer walls of the back room.
Her intuition suggested that the rats must be causing the disturbance. However it soon became clear that the disturbance could not be caused by the rats. Instead thieves were breaking in through the wall. She was deeply disturbed. There were thousands of rupees in cash. Plus, there was no one else beside her mother and her in the house.
During the winter night, she did not expect anyone to respond to her call for help. She was in deep thoughts by now while the thieves were breaking in. This is all but certain by now. Besides the noise of their tools, one could clearly hear their muffed conversation.
"Will the hard-earned income of my brother be looted this way?" Harnaam Kaur was questioning herself. Suddenly, "No" spewed out of her mouth with determination. "What if I am a woman. For sure I am a Sikh's daughter."
"Yes, VaahGuru, you are the only one to keep my honor." She collected herself and prayed to VaahGuru in AkalPurakh's court.
The thieves had broken in by now. Harnaam Kaur could clearly sense this from the nearing sound of disturbance. The thieves were moving the inner bricks by now.
There was no time left to think. She had determined her plan. All she had was a small, foot long, kirpan. Her brothers had taken the longer kirpans with them. She removed the battery light from under her pillow. Her brother, an army personal, had brought it along just yesterday. Using the dim light, she started moving towards the area where the thieves had broken in. She did not want to trip over something in the darkness and raise alarm to make thieves aware of her presence. Walking around in the dim light she saw the chaff-cutter. Now she replaced her kirpan in its sheath. Holding the chaff-cutter in her right hand and the battery light in her left hand, she advanced and moved next to the break-in location. The final bricks were being removed to ease the break-in. The thieves were conversing among themselves.
"Why? Is this the room with the money bag?"
"Yes."
"Well then four men should go inside and me and Kala will stand guard here." This was Sundar's voice.
One thieve tried to move inside, with his head first, through the hole they had created in the wall. Before he could move in, Harnaam Kaur raised the chaff-cutter and forcibly hit it on the thief's head. Harnaam Kaur felt the eruption of blood fountain. But before she could see anything, the head disappeared. It had been pulled back. Harnaam Kaur was still standing confidently.
Sundar was a dangerous gangster. When he saw his wounded associate, he shouted that "Now we will not only steal the wealth of this house but the girl's honor as well."
He was sure that the person with such a vicious attack could not be anybody other than Harnaam Kaur. The house was constructed such that its outer portion faced the open area while its entrance door was towards the inner street. From this initial attack, it was clear to the thieves that they will not be able to enter the house through the break-in hole they had so cleverly created in the wall. Leaving their wounded associate to guard the break-in, the rest of the men moved towards the inner street. The very first thing they did was to lock all neighbor's doors from the outside. This was to ensure that no one could reach out for any help. All this was done very cautiously. However, Harnaam Kaur had already determined that they were about to do something else. Her mother was still asleep. She did not feel the need to wake her up. For her fear could become an obstacle in her plans.
She dragged a huge trunk to block the break-in hole. Having secured the break-in hole she moved towards the outer area of the house.
The thieves had opened the front door and entered the courtyard by now. The very first thing Harnaam Kaur did was to remove the cash and jewels from the truck and dump it in corner of the bedroom where dirty laundry had been stored. Next she locked the room that had been broken into. In front of her was another room with a door and an open room. Near the door was a stone grinder. The door opened outward. Harnaam Kaur sat in the space between the stone grinder and the door.
The thieves entered the house from the front door. Using the torch for illumination they moved eagerly towards the room they had broken into. They were certain that Harnaam Kaur was still waiting for them in that room. Their walk seem to project their determination for revenge. No one could tell what they will do. They kept walking while Harnaam Kaur was prepared for her plan. She awaited their entry. As the men went past the door and entered the room, Harnaam Kaur moved swiftly to lock the doors and secure them with a solid lock. Four thieves were captive in the room now.
"Mother! Thieves." Saying she tried to wake her mother. Now the thieve's found themselves in a dangerous position. One of them was wounded who was unconscious outside while four were Harnaam Kaur's captives and Sundar was standing in the courtyard.
As the oil lamp was lighted, Sundar finally realized the true status of his position. But how could he run leaving his associates captive. Now he had also seen for himself that there was no one other than the girl and her mother.
Controlling the two wasn't a difficult task for him. For this he entered the room angrily. Harnaam Kaur was prepared for his challenge by now. He immediately attacked Harnaam Kaur with a heavy blow of his axe. Harnaam Kaur swiftly moved to hit his hand holding that axe with the chaff-cutter. Sundar's hand was wounded now. But he didn't care. He attacked Harnaam Kaur with full force for a second time. This time Harnaam Kaur was hit on her forehead that started bleeding.
Just as a wounded animal retaliates, Harnaam Kaur viciously attacked Sundar, held his hands and started struggling with him. Sundar did not get another opportunity to attack her. In this struggle both lost their weapons.
A tender girl was facing a hardened criminal. What a match? Harnaam Kaur soon feel to the ground while Sundar was on top of her. Still Harnaam Kaur held onto Sundar's hands in such a way that neither could he attack her nor could he get up. Brave girl was fully aware as yet.
Witnessing this sight, mother came to her daughter's aid. She removed her Dupatta and put it around the Sundar's neck and started winding it to tightened her grip. Then she started pulling him away from her daughter. She squeezed his neck so hard that his eyes started to pop-out while his body became numb and his hands lost their grip. Observing this Harnaam Kaur too loosened her grip and stood up. Mother was still squeezing Sundar's neck when Harnaam Kaur moved quickly to remove Sundar's turban and use it to tie his hand and feet.
Having incapacitated Sundar, she asked her mother to go and seek help from the neighbors while she held the chaff- cutter over Sundar's head and guarded him. Mother went into the street, opened everyone's doors from the outside and awoke them. Soon 20 men had gathered. Harnaam Kaur's forehead was still bleeding. Her wound was pretty deep and her facial color had turned pale. Witnessing her in such a condition, the neighbors took charge of guarding the thieves and Harnaam Kaur was made to lie down in bed. She had managed to capture six gangsters. Four were captive inside, one was all tied up in the front room and the sixth was lying wounded outside. Neighbors quickly moved to take control of the gangsters.
Harnaam Kaur had lost so much blood that she was unconscious as she hit the bed. The neighbors tried to dress her wound and stop the bleeding.
Police arrived by sunrise. The police Captain, having heard of the brave Harnaam Kaur, came personally to witness the scene. The gangsters were sent to jail while Harnaam Kaur was moved to the Ludhiana civil hospital.
Soon Harnaam Kaur recovered within a few days. The Punjab Government awarded her Rs. 500 for her bravery. All national newspapers printed her photograph. Praising her deed they suggested that the whole female population need to learn a lesson from her. Although a number of years have elapsed since this event, Harnaam Kaur's deeds are still fresh as ever and serves an exemplary role for the female gender.
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