Column | Gulkhand and a clouded mind

Not all ‘curses’ should be ignored, as Phuphee proves — this time with medical help and a bowl of ice cream

A young woman named Haneefa lived in Phuphee’s village. She was a gentle mannered girl who excelled at everything she did. After she started working as a teacher in the local school, a marriage was organised. The groom, too, was a teacher and lived in the same village.

Her marriage took place on a beautiful day in June. Everyone talked about how pretty the bride looked, how dashing the groom was, and how delicious the wedding feast had been, but a week later all hell broke loose.

The word around the village was that one morning, a few days after her marriage, Haneefa had left her in-laws’ house without telling anyone, gone into town and bought all manner of things they didn’t need — utensils, clothes, jewellery, new bedding. She had spent an exorbitant amount of money. And she hadn’t stopped there. It had carried on the next day and the next.

In between, she had gotten angry when confronted by her husband and proceeded to trash the whole house and tried to beat him with a copper pot she had just bought. The whole family was in a state of shock, and had sent her back to her parents.

Her parents were beside themselves with worry because Haneefa had always been gentle and well behaved. It was finally concluded that someone had put a curse on her and she had been possessed by an evil spirit. She was labelled as being mad. Haneefa’s parents took her to the local medicine man and all the famous peers (faith healers), but she remained as she was. When everything else failed, they brought her to Phuphee.

Phuphee had known Haneefa for a long time. She took the girl into her room and closed the door. Every once in a while, I would go and stand outside but all I could hear were sobs. On the second day, Dr. Hameed arrived. I don’t know what his speciality was, but I knew Phuphee relied on him a great deal. He stayed an hour or so and then left. Haneefa stayed confined to the room for nearly two weeks. One day after school, I saw Haneefa watering the plants in the kitchen garden. She didn’t speak but she seemed more like the person we had all known.

A few days later, Phuphee asked her parents to come and see her. They were happy that their daughter seemed to be doing well, but they were heartbroken too because Haneefa’s husband had asked for a divorce. Her in-laws had accused the family of hiding the curse on their daughter. Phuphee told them not to worry and let Haneefa stay with her a few more days.