The city of Jhang, situated on the banks of the Chenab River in the Punjab province of Pakistan, was a small town, inhabited by the Sial Tribe during the Mughal rule in the Indo-Pak subcontinent and Mir Chuchak was their chief. The heroine of the story “Heer” was his only daughter.
On the other hand, the chief of Takht Hazara town in Sargodha district of the Punjab was Maujo Chaudhry who was a landlord and Ranjha Jat by caste. The hero of the story “Ranjha” whose real name was Dheedo was the youngest of his eight sons. That is why everyone loved him. Being a pampered young man, he led a carefree life—played the flute all day and wandered the streets of the town.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6pXx_bgq4g
After the death of Ranjha’s father, the situation changed drastically. One day, the brothers divided the land among themselves and gave Ranjha the barren tract. Farming was not Ranjha’s forte. Soon he was tired of it. As long as the father was alive, his brothers and sisters-in-law continued to put up with his arrogance. For a while, they were proud of him also, but when they saw that he was only interested in his hairdo and playing the flute, they started mocking him for being gone for nothing. One day his youngest sister-in-law even made this sarcasm:
“If you don’t care about us at all, go and marry the Heer Sial.”
Her rebuke made Ranjha’s heart restless.
Fed up with the daily taunts, he set out for Jhang to get Heer. As the night fell, he stopped at a mosque in a nearby village to spend the night. In those days, people used to stay in mosques as well as inns.
Shortly after arriving at the mosque, he took out his flute to pass time before sleep and started playing. When Imam[1] of the mosque heard the sound of the flute, he immediately rushed to the mosque and cursed Ranjha. He said that playing music is forbidden in religion. He allowed Ranjha to spend the night after much discussion firstly because of the incident of playing flute and secondly his flamboyant mannerism and least religious appearance.
Moreover, when Ranjha reached near the mosque, the girls of the village had come to fetch water from the well of the mosque. They were enamored by his beauty and youth. The Imam had seen it with his own eyes. One of them was so infatuated that she told her mother that she would marry the same boy. Forced by her daughter’s plight, the mother approached Ranjha with a marriage proposal, which Ranjha rejected.
Early next morning he got up and started his journey in search of Heer. Anyway, the village was his abode, not the destination. Traveling some distance, he reached the bank of the river Chenab. Luddan, the boatman, was about to anchor the boat when Ranjha signaled him to stop. He tried to sit in the boat but Luddan demanded the fare. “I don’t have any money,” said Ranjha because he had left home without preparation. Luddan refused to allow him into the boat without money. Ranjha begged him but he did not agree, instead pushed Ranjha hard which caused him to fall to the ground, and pushed the boat into the water. Luddan‘s wives, who were with him in the boat were also enchanted by Ranjha’s personality. They forced their husband, Luddan, to let Ranjha in the boat.
Reaching the other side of the river, the passengers got off the boat, but Ranjha asked Luddan that he was tired and wanted to rest for a while in the boat. Luddan was forced to allow it. After a few moments of sleep, Ranjha got up and started playing a melodious tune on the flute. Immediately, all the men and women standing by the ford gathered around him. Luddan’s wives were so enamored with Ranjha that they dragged him to Heer’s boat. Inside the silk curtains was a Heer’s bed. He was tired after a long walk. As soon as he lay down on the bed, he fell into a deep sleep. Heer was furious when she learned that Luddan had allowed a stranger to sleep on her bed. She reached there with her companions as fast as the wind. They all beat Luddan with sticks and made him bleed. Then she jumped into her boat. When she saw a stranger sleeping on her bed, she lost her temper and threw a stick at him. Ranjha opened his eyes and began to look at her with love.
A unique gleam appeared in Heer’s eyes. She lowered the curtains of the boat and sat down on the bed next to Ranjha. They kept looking at each other for a while. When Heer expressed her love to him, Ranjha said: when you get busy spinning the wheel and swinging with your companions, you will forget me. So think now that you will have to fulfill your vows of love for me. Heer replied seriously:
O Ranjha, I swear by my father that if I disassociate myself from you, my mother may pass away from this mortal world. If I desire a husband other than you, I may fall blind because I got you directly from heavens. Therefore, if I break the vows of love, may God make me a pig in the next life?
Thus, when the two had exchanged solemn pledges, Heer cleverly persuaded his parents and hired Ranjha to herd the cattle. “I find this young man very easy-going and delicate, and he will not be useful for grazing buffaloes,” said her father Chuchak. It will mix our buffaloes with other people’s buffaloes and will not be able to bear the troubles of the forest where even wild animals roam freely. But Heer reassured her father by saying:
This young man is very intelligent, smart and a man of intellect. I have heard that he feeds the buffaloes so carefully that he herds them with his lovely voice and never strikes the horns of any cattle with a stick.
Heer’s strong recommendation forced Chuchak to consult his wife, Malki, Heer’s mother, after which the two unanimously decided to hire Ranjha to graze their buffaloes. As a result of discussions with Ranjha, it was also decided that they would provide Ranjha with accommodation and food and would not pay any compensation for his work.
Ranjha grazed Sial’s buffaloes for twelve years. Every morning he would take the cattle to the forest and in the evening would bring them back to the tune of his flute. Heer would go to the forest every day with sweet bread. The two lovers would enjoy the meal together and share the job of love. In the darkness of the dense trees of the forest, they would enjoy for hours the dance of the rippling waves of the river shimmering from time to time—but love and musk cannot be hidden. Soon the love of Heer and Ranjha became a talk of the town. However, since the pair of Heer and Ranjha presented a suitable match, some people did not think it was bad but tried to cover it up by making plausible excuses.
Unfortunately, a riot broke out in the love drama caused by Heer’s lame uncle Kaido. Heer’s youth did not bring him any comfort. He was ridiculed by everyone for Heer Heer youthful ways. Eventually, he became fed up with these taunts and became a faqir (Mendicant), and mostly stayed outside the village in a hut built for him by Chuchak. He was keen on raising parrots, partridges, and chicken. Given that, he was a half-Jat and a half-faqir who had spent his life drinking cannabis in monasteries, having been deprived of the pleasures of married life and it was natural for him to be offended by the love and affection among others. The joys of others seemed to poison him. If anyone laughed, Kaido’s innerself would be injured. If people hugged each other in front of him, his throat would choke and he would feel difficulty in breathing. Hiding one’s happiness from Kaido became an important issue for everyone. How could he bear to have Heer and her companions enjoy a meal together with Ranjha and then play love in the dense forest? So one day, Kaido chased Heer and reached the meeting place in the forest.
When Heer had gone to the river to fetch water and Ranjha was sitting alone eating choori[2], Kaido took the opportunity to humbly beg some choori from Ranjha. Ranjha pushed the bowl forward and said: “Take it, fill it with your fist”. Kaido grabbed the choori in his hand and limped towards the village. When Heer returned with water, she felt sorry for Ranjha’s simplicity. She knew that her lame uncle would gossip and tell the villagers an exaggerated account. She immediately ran after Kaido and caught him before he would reach the village. She broke his hat, rosary, etc., pushed him away and beat him severely. The choori got mixed with the dust, but as soon as Heer returned to the forest, he got up and picked up the remains of choori from the dust and went to the village elders and started chanting. He told them that Heer used to take Choori for Ranjha every day at lunch and the two ate happily together, which is against the norms and culture of the society. If you don’t take any action, it would be matter of wonder for me. Chuchak and Malki became silent out of embarrassment but Heer’s brother Sultan brandished his sword and said that he would tear the servant into pieces. In order to placate the elders, they kicked Ranjha out of the house. Even at such a critical time, Heer did not give up, but boldly addressed her brother Sultan:
I will sacrifice myself for you, my dear brother. Once someone’s eyes meet, then it’s hard to ignore them. No matter how many strong dams are built, it is not possible to stop the flow of river water. In the same way, it is difficult to control the blood coming out of the place where there is a deep wound of the sword.
Although Ranjha had been fired, he slept in a monastery outside the village instead of returning to his home town. Meanwhile, Heer became distressed and upset. Her health began to deteriorate day by day and her beauty began to wane.
Eventually, Heer’s mother, seeing her daughter’s condition, persuaded Chuchak to re-employ Ranjha with an excuse that the buffaloes were not eating fodder as they had become accustomed to listening to Ranjha’s flute. On the other hand, Chuchak also could not get such an obedient worker for free. He was still skeptical of this love story, so he hired Ranjha again, but now her parents kept a close eye on both of them.
On the complaint of Kaido and other telltales like him, over the disrespect towards village elders, Chuchak was very vigilant. One day, he himself saw Heer and Ranjha talking lovingly in the forest. Now the matter was beyond his patience. He strictly forbade Heer from going to Ranjha in the forest after such a notoriety. Inside, however, they also decided that they would marry off Heer as soon as possible. In this way the trouble of the servant will be averted automatically.
Since Heer was more brave and shrewed compared to Ranjha, she conspired with an acquaintance of the village, Mithee Nain, and by greasing her palm she persuaded her to allow her and Ranjha meet at her house. Very next day, they made Mithee Nain’s house their meeting place. Leaving the buffaloes in the forest, Ranjha would come to Mithee Nain’s house and the two would talk to each other. Sometimes, if there was a program to bathe in the river, Heer would go to bathe with Ranjha along with her companions.
When Heer and Ranjha did not stop meeting despite restrictions, the issue of Heer’s marriage was settled with Khairras[3]. A few days later, Khairras of Rangpur reached Jhang with great fanfare. Fireworks were set off and a variety of dishes were cooked. There was a lot of commotion around the village but for Ranjha, this activity was very disturbing. In a state of helplessness and distress, he would sometimes go to the river and drink cannabis, and sometimes put his arms around the necks of cattle and cry. If any of Heer’s companions tried to talk to him for consolation, he would burst into tears.
Meanwhile, Heer’s wedding rituals had begun, but she knew of Ranjha’s heartbreak well. She told her companions that she wanted to talk to Ranjha one last time so they should bring him to her in any way, even in the guise of a girl. It was late at night. Heer’s aunt, uncle, etc., all had gone. When only some of her close companions were left with Heer, Ranjha was brought to Heer in female disguise. Women’s clothing added more beauty to Ranjha. The predicament made the atmosphere even sadder. Flowing with emotion, Heer said to Ranjha:
“Obey me now and kidnap me without delay and take me somewhere. Otherwise, tomorrow my father will put me in a dolly[4] and hand me over to my husband, Saida Khairra.”
But Ranjha’s intention was to marry Heer properly instead of kidnapping her. So he said:
O Heer, the pleasure of love is lost by secretly meeting and kidnapping.
Heer tried to convince him but Ranjha persisted. The next day, Khairras fetched Heer in a bridal palanquin and left for Rangpur[5]. Heer’s father gave jewels as well as expensive buffaloes and cows as dowry. But the problem was that without Ranjha, the cattle refused to move. Ranjha was forced to go along. Rangpur was about seventy miles from Jhang. Khairras camped on the way back and enjoyed hunting.
A short distance away, Ranjha was also accompanying the procession oversaw Heer. When Heer saw him, she broke her necklace and scattered the pearls and beckoned Ranjha under the pretext of picking the pearls. Filling a handful of picked pearls, when he started giving them to Heer, strings of tears were dripped from Ranjha’s eyes. Seeing them, Heer said:
O Ranjha, I lost my strength. Now it’s out of my control. How unjust it is that my parents and the judge forcibly sent me away with a man whom I don’t know. If I survive my love, we will meet again, but for now, consider that our friendship is over.
Overcome with despair and helplessness, she added:
There is no need to panic so much. I will never accept the Khairra. You should soon reach Rangpur in the guise of a Yogi (ascetic). You have already suffered for not accepting my plan of kidnapping. Don’t delay now and don’t miss this opportunity.
The wedding procession (Baaraat) entered Rangpur Khairra. Saida’s father, Ajjo, celebrated the occasion with great fanfare. The beauty of Heer was astounding; and the whole village was overwhelmed to see a glimpse of her beauty, but only an extraordinary eye of Sehti (the sister of Saida) could see that behind the immense beauty of the Heer lay not the joy but a mountain of sorrows. Sehti first tried to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Although she seemed happy yet inwardly her condition was even more painful. She herself was so worried about her lover Murad Baloch. Thanks to this feeling, she began to share Heer’s grief.
Saida Khairra made many arrangements to get close to Heer and talk to her somehow but Heer was aloof—she had been entrusted to Ranjha since times immemorial. Whenever Saida stepped towards Heer, she would push him away. So, much so that he gradually gave up the idea of Heer.
Since Ranjha had returned after the arrival of baraat at Rangpur,
Heer did not get any news of Ranjha for several days, so her uneasiness increased day by day. She lay on a broken bed all day. It became known throughout the village that there was a shadow of demons on Heer. No one knew that there was no shadow of demons, but she was stricken by Ranjha’s love.
When she did not receive any news of Ranjha for several days, she became very upset. Coincidentally, a girl from her village was married in Rangpur. She was going to visit her parents. Through her, Heer urged Ranjha not to betray her anymore and become a Yogi (ascetic) immediately. On the other hand, Heer’s companions also persuaded Ranjha to do this, so he went to Yogi Balnath’s abode at Tilla Jogian[6] to become a Yogi.
When he reached Tilla Jogian, Guru Balnath was amazed at his youth and beauty. Many other disciples had been serving the Guru for years to become Yogies, but seeing Ranjha, Guru Balnath’s heart pounded and he soon became kind to Ranjha. He ordered his disciples to make ear-rings for Ranjha. Jealousy ignited in the hearts of the disciples who had been waiting for years, but the sincerity of Ranjha, convinced the Guru. He knew from his spiritual knowledge that Ranjha had reached the highest levels of yoga even before the exercise of true love. All he needed now was a Yogi attire.
Shedding light on the rules of jog, Guru Balnath formally instructed Ranjha that in the case of women, the elder should be considered equal to the mother and the younger to the sister, but Ranjha made it clear to the Guru that he was taking Jog for the sake of Heer, so he would not accept that condition. With Ranjha’s clear speech, Balnath’s hard heart melted even more in favor of him and he bid farewell to Ranjha from the Tilla by giving him a comfortable hat of Yogis, a garland of Munj, Mundra, Kasa[7], Sangi,[8] etc. When Ranjha disappeared from sight, Balnath saluted the stone pillar on which Ranjha was seated. It is said that this sign is still present on this mound of Yogis and is still revered by devout pilgrims.
When Ranjha came down from Tilla Jogian in this new disguise, his glorious face could not be restrained. He crossed Rangpur boundary in a short period of time. A shepherd who was grazing sheep, recognized Ranjha, but he did not overreact. When the shepherd told him his love story, Ranjha was amazed and wondered how the secret of their love had spread. Finally, after getting the necessary acquaintance with Rangpur from the shepherd, Ranjha entered the village. When he stopped at the village well to drink water, the girls of the village fell in love with him seeing his beautiful face. Not to mention the virgins even married women formed a crowd around Ranjha. Among the girls was Heer’s sister-in-law Sehti. Coming home, she mentioned to his sister-in-law Heer that a new Yogi has come to the village. “He has a noticeable necklace and a unique thorn around his neck, but he is wandering around as if he has lost something precious.”
As soon as she heard Sehti’s words, Heer’s heart-beat became faster. She thought, Ranjha would have become a Yogi. Her heart throbbed like a whirlpool. She began to yearn for Ranjha.
Until then, it was just a guess. She kept thinking about the possibility. Even Sehti did not know that he was Ranjha. The next day, when Ranjha came to Khairra mansion to beg for alms, he had a bout of arguments with Sehti. Heer turned her back and listened to everything. Finally, Sehti challenged Ranjha to tell her the disease of her sister-in-law (Heer) if he was really a Yogi. Ranjha started telling the story of Heer and her servant and implicitly hinted at a love affair of Sehti and Murad.
Hearing all this, Sehti’s heart softened. Still, to show off, she called out to her maid and said: “Give him alms, so that he may save our lives.” Maid Raiman brought rice for him in a precious bowl. When she started giving the bowl to Ranjha, he deliberately dropped the bowl from his hand. As soon as the bowl fell to the ground, the rice got scattered all over. Ranjha had created this pretense to steal an opportunity for a dialogue with Heer. So when Heer turned towards the Yogi, seeing Ranjha in front of him, she got the whole plan.
After Ranjha Yogi left, Heer told Sehti everything about her love. She also told her that she had asked Ranjha to come in the disguise of a Yogi. After hearing her love story, Sehti also confided her love for Murad Baloch and said that she too is sad day and night in Murad’s memory. So, both got united and started making plans to cultivate their own love.
Ranjha set up a camp in Kala Bagh, a place near Rangpur. Like ordinary yogis, he sometimes was very gentle with people and sometimes became very angry and impulsive. He would fulfill the desires of some people and would scare some of them away. Hundreds of women shared their heartache and asked him for healing. Even Heer came to see Ranjha under the pretext of seeking treatment for her pain. Ranjha was sitting with ashes on his body and smoke was rising around him:
At first Heer touched Ranjha’s feet with great faith and then the next moment she hugged him. What an extraordinary miracle was unfolding itself that the fire was burning the moth to death. This strange meeting flashed a spark that caused a stir all over the world. It was announced that Heer Jati, the leader of thugs, had robbed the patience of the Yogi by showing a single glimpse of herself. The fire that used to burn the fireplace of Yogis, had burnt to down their huts.
Returning home from Kala Bagh, Heer said to Sehti, “Since our youth is passing away, think of a plan that will help you find your “Murad” and me my beloved.” It is not appropriate for me to go to Kala Bagh every day. Why not spread a trap of deception so that the friend can be seen while sitting at home. So both Heer and Sehti prepared a scheme. Sehti persuaded her mother that it was important for Heer to go for a walk outside the house to recover from her decease. So the next day when Sehti, Heer and their companions went for a walk towards the well, Heer pricked herself with acacia thorn in her leg. Sehti and her companions started shouting that Heer had been bitten by a snake. Heer also cleverly gritted her teeth and lay down on the ground. It started turning blue and yellow. The whole village came around in an instant. Heer was brought home lying on a bed. Many sages and practitioners were called. When nothing worked and it was obvious that nothing will work because it was not a snake that bit her rather it was the snake of love, meeting with her beloved was the only remedy. Sehti said that a Yogi had come to Kala Bagh who seemed to be accomplished and God-fearing. The girls sent Saida to a Yogi who picked up his stick and ran after Saida so that he ran home trembling helplessly. Finally, Saida’s father, Ajju, had to go and plead to Yogi. Seeing him, the yogi came to his senses and his slight request, agreed to go with him.
Sehti took over the management of this assignment. Outside the village, a Yogi Camp was set up in a hut. Now Yogi ordered that it was better to keep the bride alone in the room. If that was not possible then she could have only one virgin girl with her. Let everyone else go home. The bride had been bitten by a very venomous snake.
When the people heard this, they were afraid and went home. Now only Yogi, Sehti and Heer were there. According to the plan, it was decided that Heer & Ranjha would run away from there at midnight while Murad Baloch would reach the place and take Sehti away to his abode.
At midnight, Ranjha made his way through the hut so that they could escape. When Heer and Ranjha started to leave the hut, Murad Baloch, Sehti’s lover, arrived as planned. Sehti and Murad sat on a camel and rode away while Heer and Ranjha started their journey on foot in another direction.
In the morning, when the Khairras heard that their daughter-in-law and daughter had been abducted by the Yogi, they set out in two groups to pursue them. The first group returned empty-handed from the Baloch side because the people of his tribe arrived in time to help Murad Baloch and they defeated the Khairras but the second group caught Ranjha along-with Heer near Kot Qabula, a town near the present-day tehsil Arif Wala, Pakpattan district of the Punjab. They beat Ranjha severely and took Heer back with them to Rangpur. Ranjha appealed to the Raja of the area, whose name was Adli. He is said to have been a just ruler. Rumors of his mercy and justice were known everywhere. He listened carefully to the voices of the oppressed.
At Ranjha’s request, he immediately sent his men to apprehend the Khairras. They got hold of Heer and brought her back with them. Seeing Ranjha with bruises, Heer started screaming and crying and in front of everyone ran and hugged Ranjha. The Khairras pleaded: “Your Highness, the Yogi is a big traitor and a swindler. We had called him for treatment of our daughter-in-law, but he abducted her. The Khairras presented their witnesses that they had wedded Heer according to the custom of the society.
Then the Raja asked Ranjha and he replied. “It will end with Heer’s denial or confession. Therefore, she should be heard first.”
The Raja told Heer to be fearless and tell the whole story. There was no danger to the truth-teller in his capital. On this, Heer acted boldly and said: When the Khairras brought me, they had tied me up because I was not married in a straight manner. I had loudly told the judge in the presence of my parents that I would not get married to Saida Khairra, as I belonged to Ranjha. Still, the judge read the marriage vows (nikkah)[9] and my parents used cruelty and violence to make me sit in the bridal palanquin and the Khairras took me forcibly. If the marriage without the consent of the girl is permissible according to Shari’ah, then the Khairras are true, and if the first and foremost condition of marriage is to seek consent of the bride, then Ranjha is my husband with whom I fled and left the Khairras. I am married to Ranjha.
Heer’s courage had a profound effect on the Raja and he handed over Heer to Ranjha under the supervision of his army and instructed Ranjha to go home and fulfill the condition of Shariah with a just and well-intentioned Qazi.
Heer advised Ranjha to walk straight to Takht Hazara.
“I want it too, I am the one to go to my sisters-in-law and tell them that in the end I have brought the Heer, but the Raja’s advice has made me think otherwise”, Ranjha replied.
Heer and Ranjha wandered in the mountains for a few days. Eventually, the two decided to return to Jhang. When they reached Jhang, the village shepherds delivered the news to Chuchak’s house. They came and took them both home. They shaved Ranjha’s hair, fed him milk and rice pudding, and laid him on a colorful bed. But it was all a charade. Inside, they were digging in the land of shame. So, playing a beautiful trick of deceit, father of Heer said to Ranjha:
“Disjointed speech does not make you beautiful. Better, go to Takht Hazara and bring the Baraat (wedding procession) with splendor and get married regularly and take Heer with you. Ranjha agreed and immediately left for Takht Hazara.”
When Ranjha reached Takht Hazara and told his brothers the whole story, their hearts were filled with joy. They were listening to Ranjha’s words as if they were traveling through the seven heavens. The sisters-in-law were very happy to see the fulfillment of Ranjha’s love. Now they loved the brother-in-law even more than before. Heer’s words were heard from him again and again.
On the other hand, along with the preparations for the reception of Baraat in the house of Sials, a conspiracy had been hatched. Chuchak and Kaido were sitting sadly. Kaido was saying:
In this village, two Baraats of our daughter will come in our house. Repentance … our face had been blackened forever. We had our noses cut off. It will be impossible to live with dignity in this village anymore.
Chuchak was sitting in a state of rage, listening to the poisionous speech of Kaidu with great attention.
“Who will not say that the daughter of Chuchak had an affair with the shepherd, so she went to the court of Adli Raja after abduction and stubbornly got married to him?
Chuchak said: How can I return the baraat that will come to my door-step? Promises have been made, so what can we do now?
Kaido said angrily, “If so, everyone can still do everything, but it’s a little difficult.” Now we have to wash our hands with Heer’s life blood to save the honor of the family. Explained Kaidu to his brother Chuckak.
On hearing that, Chuchak’s heart became sad.
“Brother, you have to drink this poison. This plan will give you courage. If they take Heer alive to Takht Hazara, our face will be smeared in both the worlds.”
Earlier, the father had sacrificed his daughter’s happiness for the sake of honor. That, he was ready to sacrifice her life for the same honor. He obeyed Kaido. The Heer’s brothers said that Uncle Kaido would do it with his own hands.
The Baraat was scheduled on the third day. When the night fell, Heer’s companions played the drums and went home. Kaido with a smiling face brought a cup of water. “The water is sacred and heals the sick. Heer, may God bless you. My prayers are with you. This is the elixir of life. Drink, it will be a blessing for you.” He made Heer drink the cup of water with his own hands and left immediately.
About midnight, Heer called out to her mother. Mother, mother, bring that box of mine here. I’m struck mom. I am dying. Mother’s hands and feet were numb. She ran and picked up the box. Picking up the Flute from it, Heer gave the flute a long kiss as if it were the last kiss and then placed it on her chest.
O mother, see me one last time. I will not come again. It was not a water of life … it was poison.
Hearing this, the mother fell on the bed and started screaming, sighing and weeping: “Hey my dear daughter.”
“O my dear Ranjhan” saying this, Heer’s eyes closed forever.
Kaido, the cheater and enemy of love, was crying from house to house, saying what a great injustice and tradegy has been done to us. The Heer, our beloved daughter, had been bitten by some poisonous wild insect. Baraat is standing at the door.
When the Baraat trumpets were heard, Kaido, Heer’s father and brother left the village shouting to stop the Baraat. Hearing the news of Heer’s death, everyone’s senses were blown away but Ranjha did not believe at all. Kaido shed crocodile tears and told him all about Heer. Ranjha said that Baraat would go to the grave. I will not return empty handed. I am married to Heer. I will not go back without taking her along. She is my wife.
“This is your beloved’s grave, on which fate did not have mercy.” Chuchak showed the place.
Tears began to fall from the eyes of Ranjha’s brothers but Ranjha kept looking at the grave without blinking, as if the dust of the grave had given his eyes a way to peek into the grave. He lay down by the grave, hugged it, got up and went to the head of the grave. He uprooted the stone and hit it on the forehead with full force. A stream of blood gushed from his forehead and spilled the dry soil of the tomb. When Ranjha fell, a scream came out of his mouth: “O my Heer.”
And it is said that when the hot blood of Ranjha fell onto the fresh grave and started dripping on the chest of the Heer, all the people standing there heard a shout from the grave: “O my Ranjhan”
Heer and Ranjha could not really unite with each other in life but they actually did in death. They lie buried in Jhang, Heer’s hometown. They are visited by lovers and admirers of love in life and life hereafter.
Endnotes:
[1] The religious figure who looks after the mosque and leads the prayers.
[2] The word Choori is derived from the word Choor (چُور) which means pieces, it implies that the Parathas or Rotis are broken down into smaller pieces and mixed with various other ingredients like sugar and butter to make this sweet dish.
[3] Name of a tribe of the Punjab.
[4] A small planguin purposefully decorated to carry the bride.
[5] In Muzzaffargarh region, there was a small town called Rungpur, where Chaudhary Aju was the chief of Khairra clan.
[6] Tilla Jogian is an ancient holy site that sits atop an unassuming little hill north of Jhelum district of the Punjab, Pakistan.
[7] Begging bowl
[8] Stick
[9] Religious obligation of public announcement using the given words bonding man and woman into a new relationship of husband and wife.
