Ranjha, alone and heartbroken, takes
to the jungle and joins a group of jogis (yogis). Dressed like a jogi, with ash
rubbed on his body, wearing
large earrings and carrying a begging bowl, he goes from house to house and
village to village seeking alms — and also trying to find the whereabouts of
Heer. Meanwhile, Heer languishes in Rangpur, pining for Ranjha.
Waris Shah uses a lot of
ink and a lot of pages in describing the heartache and anguish that both Heer
and Ranjha suffer during this period. Amrita Pritam (died 2005),
a great Punjabi poet and novelist refers to this pain and anguish, in a
different context, though, in her memorable poem, when she addresses Waris Shah
in these words:
Ik roi si dhee Punjab di,
Toon likh likh maare vaen
Aj lakkhan dheeyan rondiyan,
Tainu Waris Shah noon kehn
When one daughter of the Punjab wept
You penned a thousand dirges of lament
Today a hundred thousand cry out to you
To make another statement
Eventually, Ranjha finds Heer’s
village and Heer also comes to know through her friends that the young handsome
jogi in
town was no one else but Ranjha. The two meet and, with the help of
Heer’s friends and her sister-in-law, Sehti, manage to elope one night.
The Khairras follow them and capture
them in the territory of one Raja Adli (a raja, not to be confused with Ranjha
of the story, is a ruler of a territory or state). The lovers are brought
before the raja. He asks the local Qazi to decide the case according to the
Muslim law. The Qazi, without much ado, declares that Heer belongs to Saida
Khairra, her “lawful” husband.
Heer and Ranjha are both devastated,
but helpless.
When Heer is being forcibly taken
back by the Khairras to Rangpur a forlorn Ranjha, still dressed as a jogi, raises
his hands skywards and begs loudly:
“Oh, Lord, you are also Qahar and
Jabbar. Destroy this town and these cruel people so that justice may be done.”
Coincidentally, a huge fire erupts
in a part of the town. The village folks as well as the raja, being superstitious,
are convinced that the fire was the result of the jogi’s prayer and might
consume the whole town. The raja immediately proceeds to undo the “wrong”
administered by the Qazi, stops the Khairras from taking Heer away and holds
court to hear the case anew. After listening to all the sides he decides to
allow Heer to go with Ranjha.
Joyful, Heer and Ranjha
leave for Jhang Sayal expecting to live happily thereafter. However, the
Sayyals, believing their honor was soiled by the unconventional behavior of
Heer, conspire to “cleanse” their name of this ugly stain. While appearing to
welcome the couple they suggest that Ranjha go home and bring a barat to take
Heer as a wife in a proper conventional manner. Ranjha happily agrees and goes
back to his brothers in Takht Hazara, who by now have forgotten their old
quarrel and are also remorseful. He informs them of his planned marriage.
Preparations begin for taking a colorful barat to Jhang and bring Heer home.
Meanwhile the Sayals quietly poison
Heer. She dies. A messenger is sent to Takht Hazara to inform Ranjha of the
unexpected and sudden death of Heer. On hearing the news Ranjha collapses and
dies there and then. Thus ended the lives of Heer and Ranjha. But they continue
to live in the hearts and hearths of the people across Punjab and elsewhere —
and so does Warish Shah.