Daana Paani

'Where you live, where you eat is all God's will.'

'It's God's mercy.'

'It's God's mercy.'

"It's God's mercy."

"It's God's mercy."

"You're the guardian of humans."

"It's God's mercy."

"It's God's mercy."

"He will provide you food, no matter what."

"Don't worry about your livelihood."

"Continue making efforts."

"Your good days aren't too far."

"Continue making efforts."

"Your good days aren't too far."

"Don't give up as long as He's got your back."

'Basant Kaur is a precious gem of Punjabi literature.'

'I'm talking about her novel, The Value of Family.'

'Millions of people are her fans.'

'This has been going on since quite long.'

'Her only daughter lives in Canada while she lives here, in Chandigarh.'

'A few days ago, she published her biography called God's Mercy.'

'I'm going to interview her today.'

Ma'am, Ms. Misha is here.

Please have a seat.

- Greetings, ma'am! - Greetings! How are you?

I'm fine, ma'am. How are you?

I'm great. What's wrong with me?

That's good to know, ma'am.

- Greetings. - Greetings, dear. Greetings.

- Sit, dear. - Yes.

I was quite adamant that you would be the first one..

..to interview me regarding this novel of mine.

If you had allowed someone else to interview you..

..I would have been very upset.

How could I let you get upset?

So, how do you find the cover of this novel?

It's beautiful, ma'am. All your novels always have beautiful covers.

I really liked the title of this one. God's Mercy.

Ma'am, why did you name your biography, God's Mercy?

Guru Nanak has said..

The string through the nose is in the hands of the Lord Master..

..one's own actions drive him on. Wherever his food is, there he eats it

O Nanak, this is the Truth.

The precious lesson that I've learnt from the journey of my life is..

..that God decides your fate beforehand..

..and there's nothing that you can do to change it.

If we surrender to the will of God then life becomes very peaceful.

Life is not that bad, after all.

You have to walk towards the destination that God..

..has planned for you, whether you're happy or not.

Anyway, I don't want to reveal too many details.

Let me tell you about the novel, basically.

My novel is in two parts.

The first is about separation and the second is about union.

Why the separation and then union, ma'am?

I'll tell you.

The first part begins with the year 1948.

In small village called Allowal, near Naba.

We lived in a joint family.

Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and lots of children.

When my mother would cook..

..she would teach me to make small 'Rotis' alongside.

My father was tall and huge.

I used to took tiny in front of him.

My aunt was very protective of me.

My maternal grandfather was a Tax Officer.

He would often visit our village to meet his widowed daughter.

What are you sitting here for?

Who will get the milk?

I'll go in some time, Sister-in-law.

I was feeding Basant.

She was starving.

She starves all the time. Give that to me.

And do what I've asked you to. Give me the plate.

Sister-in-law, what's the big deal if I feed her first?

- She's hungry. - Stand up, I say!

You've been talking too much!

Just because my son-in-law is dead..

..it doesn't mean my daughter can be ill-treated.

I can feed my daughter for the rest of her life.

Such tiffs are common between sisters-in-law.

She never killed her, did she?

She is the daughter of Inder Singh, the Tax Officer.

Let alone killing her, no one can even raise their voice against her.

It's only been two months since her husband died.

If this is how they've been treating her now..

..I wonder what they'll do in the future.

She cannot live there anymore, no matter what.

Pratap has been appointed as a Tax Officer in Sangrur.

It's been four years since his wife passed away.

He has a little child, but no one to look after him.

He's a nice man. They are well-to-do.

But think about the society.

Those who have committed a crime must think about the society.

If half of them oppose this decision the other half will be in favour of it.

India is independent now.

People's thinking about widow remarriage has changed.

It's not the same anymore.

All right. As you all deem fit.

Aunt.

I don't want to remarry.

Look at the way she talks! You're a woman.

Let them get their daughter married if they want to.

But my granddaughter isn't going anywhere.

My granddaughter will be raised in my house.

Aunt, she won't be able to live without me.

I've never separated from her for even a second.

It's okay. Relax. Girls are meant to leave you someday.

We've parted from our daughters too.

But she's a child, Aunt.

She doesn't even ask for food when she's hungry.

Who will understand her over there?

It's a huge family. I'm sure they'll understand.

Anyway, that's their problem.

If only my family could understand my feelings!

All right, then. Do both the councils consent?

All right. Read this.

'Mr. Inder Singh, the Tax Officer..'

'..may get his daughter, Gurdev Kaur, remarried.'

'However, Mr. Kashmira Singh will take custody of his granddaughter.'

'Whatever the girl rightfully deserves..'

'..in terms of the property, will be transferred to her name.'

'Also, at the right time, Mr. Kashmira Singh..'

'..will get his granddaughter married into a good family.'

'Considering the relationship of a mother with her daughter..'

'..it has also been decided that the child will be taken to..'

'..her maternal grandfather's house to meet her mother every six months.'

Mom, who will calm me down when I cry?

Dear, those whose souls are one they reside in one another.

They cannot be separated.

When you laugh, I will laugh within you.

When you cry, I will cry within you.

Dear..

I'm doing this only for your sake.

Be a good girl.

Don't be naughty.

Your aunt really cares for you.

Always obey her, dear.

Also, don't run around bare feet!

Mom..

"The ground has slipped from under my feet."

"My world seems ruined."

"Who will hear my cries?"

"Only you can understand me, O' crow."

"O' crow.. Pass on my message."

"O' crow.. Pass on my message."

"Tell the merciless Lord.."

"Tell the merciless Lord.."

"..never to separate a daughter from her mother."

"O' crow.. Pass on my message."

"O' crow.. Pass on my message."

"When I gave birth to a girl, there was silence all around."

"When we laughed, they were silent. When we cried, they were silent."

"Don't forget the lullabies I sang to you."

"The lullabies I sang to you."

"I would feed you to your heart's content."

"I would feed you to your heart's content."

"Tell the merciless Lord.."

"Tell the merciless Lord, never to separate a daughter from her mother."

"O' crow.. Pass on my message."

"O' crow.. Pass on my message."

Uncle, when will mom come?

I'll come to pick you, dear. Go now.

I kept staring at that path for days together.

Neither did uncle come, nor anyone else.

My mom didn't come either.

Was there no news of your mom?

Upon hearing the conversations of my elders.

I did understand that mom was married into an affluent family.

Dear. When your grandpa comes to take you..

..tell him that you don't want to go with him.

Tell him that you don't miss your mother and that you're happy here. Okay?

Okay, dear? Will you tell him that?

How will you say it?

I don't want to go to my maternal grandpa's house.

I don't miss mom.

I don't want to go to my maternal grandpa's house.

I don't miss mom.

I'm happy in my paternal grandfather's house.

She's a child. She can forget her.

But how can her mother forget her?

Sir, you're right.

But when time has healed her wounds why should we incite it?

Let her be happy here.

By God's grace, if your daughter has a child she'll be occupied with him.

A year later, they decided to get me married while I'm a child.

I'm aging.

I wonder if my children will look after her once I'm gone.

Hence, I want to make sure that she settles down while I'm alive.

Look at the game of destiny, Sister-in-law.

The mother just got married and now, she's going to get married too.

Right. It seems, they'll live quite close by.

It's not too far from her in-laws' house.

The in-laws of the mother and the daughter are neighbours.

God's ways are unique.

Who came to give you the auspicious gifts?

I don't know.

Did you see what you got?

Grandma put it in a box.

But when I get my auspicious gifts I'll eat all the sweets from it.