Umar Marvi / Marui

Umar Marvi  / Marui

It is a folk tale from Sindh, Pakisthan  from the poem Shah Jo Risalo written by Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.

Marvi Maraich was a young Thari Girl from Tharparkar, Pakistan. Marvi was the daughter of Palini / Piliani and Maduee. She was from a small village named Maleer in Thar Desert.  Her fathers had a farmland sufficient for agriculture and also herd of cattles. They had a farm hand named Phogsen/ Foghsen who helped in farmwork. Marvi was a very beautiful child and as she grew up her beauty also grew by leaps and bounds.

 Phogsen also fell in love with Marvi beauty and asked her father for her hand. Piliani/Palini was angry and refused Phogsen proposal and fixed her engagement to another person from her village.She was committed to a person name Khet/ Khesten from the same village. Phogsen was humiliated by refusal and wanted to seek revenge on Marvi’s family. He approached the Ruler of Amarkot, Umar who was in search for a bride and told him that in his kingdom there is a beautiful girl whose beauty would surpass maidens of royal birth. Umar was eager to see Marvi of whose beauty he had heard.

Umar   was the ruler of Amarkot. Umar set out to Maleer which was a part of his kingdom to meet Marvi.  Umar asks her hand from her father but is denied by him as Maarvi is already engaged to another person named khet/ Khesten. Umar was a hedonistic and wanted to make her his won by hook or crook. He abducts her when she goes to the well to take water and takes her to his palace. Marvi Maraich is a woman from a small village but she is courageous enough to reject the offer of marriage from Ruler of Amarkot and she was loyal to remind Umar of her engagement with Khet/ Khesten and she was faithful and loyal to the pledge that her father has given. Umar gave her the enticement of pleasure living, costly silks, Gold Jewelry but she was resolute that she would wed only Khet/ Khesten. She was kept imprisoned in the fort of Amarkot for several years but still her answer was same. Umar was at ends of his patience with Marvi. Umar hears from his wet nurse that he and Marvi are milk siblings so he is like a brother to her and there is no possibility of marriage between them. Just when Marvi was about to lose hope that someone will rescue her news about wet nurse reaches her ears and she is filled with hope that she will return to her people and her soil. Umar freed Marvi from her imprisonment and also sent lots of money with her as a means of asking forgiveness for the sins he committed

On returning to the village Marvi finds that her would be husband Khet/Khesten and her villagers are suspecting her chastity and purity. Marvi feels that their affection for her is gone and their behavior is indifferent to her from the past. Umar hears about the trouble of Marvi in Maleer and rushes there to prove her innocence. Umar agrees to the trial of holding red hot iron and walking through fire and if his hands are not scalded it proves their purity. Marvi and Umar hold each end of the hot iron rod and walk through fire. Umar and Marvi come out unharmed. People believe Umar’s confession and forgive him for his mistake. They then proceed with Marvi and Khet/Khesten marriage.Marvi lives in her homeland with her people as she wanted.