Mare Gaye Gulfam is a Short Story in Hindi language written by the Hindi novelist Phanishwarnath Renu. The short story Mare Gaye Gulfam was cinematised as "Teesri Kasam", a 1966 Hindi language drama film directed by Basu Bhattacharya. The film stars Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman. Teesri Kasam is an unconventional film that portrays rural Indian society. It is the story of a naive bullock cart driver, Hiraman who falls in love with a dancer, Hirabai at Nautanki, the popular folk theatre of the Bihar region. The film also deals with the issue of exploitation of women in the performing arts, especially in folk theatre.
Storyline of Mare Gaye Gulfam
Mare Gaye Gulfam is a tale of an un-confessed love between the one who knows too little about the ways of the world and the other who knows too much. Hiraman is a rustic villager, a bullock cart driver, from a remote village in Bihar. He then meets and become friends with Hirabai, a Nautanki dancer.
One night, Hiraman is asked to carry Hirabai, a Nautanki dancer, as a passenger to a village fair 40 miles away. As they travel together, Hiraman sings to pass the time and narrates Hirabai the story of the legend of Mahua. As the journey progresses, Hirabai is fascinated by Hiraman"s innocence and his simple philosophy of life. On the other hand, Hiraman sees Hirabai as an angel of purity.
Once they reach the village fair, Hiraman joins his band of bullock cart drivers and Hirabai joins the Nautanki Company. Hirabai asks Hiraman to stay at the village fair to see her dance. Hirabai arranges free passes for Hiraman and his friends to see the Nautanki.
As Hiraman attends the Nautanki, he becomes aware that other people see Hirabai as a prostitute and this disturbs him. He tries to shield and protect her from society. As the days pass, the bond between Hirabai and Hiraman grows stronger. When Hiraman becomes involved in fights with local people who disparage Hirabai and her profession, Hirabai tries to make him understand that it is the harsh reality of her life. Hiraman asks Hirabai to leave her profession and to start living a respectable life. Hirabai refuses to leave. Feeling depressed, Hiraman leaves the village fair and returns to his own village.
Hirabai meets Hiraman and tells him her secret that she had been sold and she was not a virgin beauty and then leaves. Thus, the story of Mare Gaye Gulfam concludes with the separation of the central characters - Hirabai and Hiraman.
