Title: The story of Inakha and Ghonili

Language: Sumi

Description: INAKHA AND GHONILI
(A Sumi Folk Tale)

Once upon a time in a Shena village, there lived a young rich warrior Inakha and his wife Ghonili. Inakha and Ghonili were one of the outstanding couples of their time until the tragedy of separation hit them. They had a beautiful daughter. Ghonili was known for her intelligence, wisdom and till today for her long beautiful silky hair. In brief, we can call her *’a virtuous woman of her time.” One day as Inakha was on the way to war, he saw an attractive Chevili, daughter of his friend Hoshepu. It was nearing the time for harvest where people had to watch over the grain in the field, Chevili was doing the job, guarding the grain. Inakho couldn’t resist his eyes, so he started visiting her daily, not aware of his enemies, Chevili’s duo brothers Khumtsa and Kiyexe, he endangered his life Unfortunately, one day Inakha and Chevili as usual were meeting, the duo brothers with spear and dao (matchet) approached to kill Inakho, Inakha wisely said to the duo, “‘Brothers-in-law, what can I do for you?” They restrained back and sat down to discuss the matter and Inakha willy-nilly agreed to betroth Chevili. In the evening, Inakha with a long face came home and said to his wife, “Oh! My beloved, to save my life, I’ve dropped a word.” Ghonili replied, “”Oh! Inakha, I understand you, that’s the nature of man.” Inakha then tried to convince Ghonili to love her always and keep them both as his beloved. But Ghonili refused saying. “`Wooden armlet and bangles may wear together, but the elephant tusk necklace or an ivory cannot wear double, as such 1’Il leave.'” In Sumi custom, not everyone can wear double ivory, except those who have double or more fame and Inakha did not deserve to wear double of it.

The time of marriage was nearing as planned and Inakha headed toward Sukomi village for the day. While Ghonili worked day and night tirelessly to make sure that all the guests who came along with Inakha and Chevili should eat and fill enough, She prepared all the food and made the finestrice-beer too. Within nine days, she finished al1 her works and then collected all the finest important ancestral ornaments and put them into the broken bamboo cistern (in Sumi it is called “Azuhu: a bamboo water carrier in olden days).

On the appointed day, she opened all the doors and windows So that she could exit easily. When Inakha turned, he planned to kill Ghonili but cunningly said to her, “‘Oh! Ghonili, I’m back,take whatever you like and go your way as you choose.” Ghonili replied, “`We have a daughter between us how can I take things of my choice and leave, but in respect of your word, [‘1| take an old broken Azuhu.” Having said this, she tried to go away but Inakha, with a spear and dao stopped her way to kill her. She ran to the left, firont, and right but he still was there. Therefore, she ran away from the back door: (There is an ancestral saying in Sumi that if a woman goes out completely from the back door, she dies in delivery). She escaped putting her life in danger.

Some years later, Sumixi, a great warrior of Philimi village came without anour to propose to Ghonili for marriage, but Ghonili refiselas he appeared like an ordinary man and she wanted a husband, whoever,l0 be not less than her first husband Inakha. Sumixi did not give up, and came the second time with full warrior attire. This time, Ghonili accepted him and they vowed as couples. It is said that Ghonili had a gift of riches Herlife with Sumixi became very popular as a wealthy couple, Inakha on the other hand was stricken by poverty becoming poorer every day. One particular year, the two couples happened to cultivate together in the nearby field, where they could see and hear each other . Every day as Ghonili went for lunch, Inakha and Chevili too would go for lunch. Oneday, Ghonili, in their absence, visited Inakha’s hut and checked what they had during lunch for the day. To her surprise, she found nothing but an empty banana leaf wrapped like a package of rice or anagho in Sumi and cane bottle filled with water instead of rice-beer. She felt so sorry for them that the next day she placed rice and rice beer in uniform in Inakha’s hut. When they came for lunch and found all the unexpected gifts. Inakha, having tasted the rice-beer came to know that it was Ghonili’s work. He beat his heart with regret for leaving his first love Ghonili but it was of no use now. In the evening she asked Chevili to ‘hop’ with Ghonili the next day (hop is an ancestral sport played by both men and women, by jumping with both the legs kicking the buttocks, to measure the stamina of a person). In the morning, Chevili invited Ghonili for competition while Inakha hid himself’beside the bush and peeped at them. Ghonili shied away from it, thinking,ifInakha would see, but Chevili insisted that he was not coming that day. Therefore, they began the game. Chevili was very active and did very fast and got tired every soon. While Ghonili hop decently and lasted longer even after Chevili had given up. Inakha watched Chevili defeated, filled his heart with remorse, and questioned himself how could he have been so blind and foolish? With regret, he went back.

Many a time, Inakha came to Sumixi’s house begging for food and Ghonili never sent him empty handed. His frequent visits led Sumixi to suspect that something was brewing again between them. But Ghonili always explained to Inakha that now Sumixi was her husband and nothing could be changed. Later, Ghonili died during delivery thus fulfilling the saying that any woman who goes out from the back door dies at childbirth. Inakha too died from a heart attack.

The moral here is, soul-mates are made by God and He does not desire husband and wife to separate. Divorce never brings blessing. Married couples should honor each other; no matter what, after all the success of married life depends on acceptance, love and sacrifice. May all the married couples honor the vow ” Till Death parts us.

Format & Duration: 5 minutes , 54 sec
Date of Recording: 8/9/2024
Date of Upload: 20 January 2025
Performer: Rebecca Zhimo
Creator: Likivi . K .Zhimo
Publisher: Tetso College, Dimapur
Note: NA

Cite this work

 Likivi . K .Zhimo  . 2025  . The  story of Inakha and Ghonili  (Narrated by Rebecca Zhimo )  . NEIIPA, Tetso College  . (https://neiipa.in/audio/the-story-of-inakha-and-ghonili/)  . Accessed: (04-Feb-2025)