Suhaag Raat

A woman who gets widowed on her wedding night creates a scandal by becoming pregnant. Rajjo, one of two children in Engineer Harsukh Rai's Uttar Pradesh-based family, is in love with Flight Lieutenant Jeetendra, and their marriage is arranged. On the day of the wedding, war is declared, the marriage gets canceled and he goes to combat. He is gravely injured, becomes crippled, and hospitalized. Rajjo's family perishes in aerial bombardment and she re-locates to live with her cousin. Jeetendra does return and is devastated when told that everyone has been killed. A wealthy woman takes pity on him, hires him as Manager, and confides that her son, Thakur Uday Singh, is a womanizer and alcoholic. Jeetendra counsels her to compel him to get married, and he agrees to do so. The marriage is arranged with none other than Rajjo herself, but the duo maintain their silence. On the wedding night Uday goes to the brothel, gets into a physical altercation with Nawab Ladan, kills him, and goes on the run. Police subsequently find his body, his mother identifies it, and Rajjo becomes a widow. After a few months the entire community will be shocked and scandalized when they find Rajjo pregnant - and refusing to name the male responsible for her plight. —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)