SURVIVING ( Part 3)
09 May 2012 4 Comments
in Love story
Both their families were opposed to the match. So the best part of 1995 and the beginning of 1996 were spent convincing them that they indeed wanted to get married. When they finally exchanged vows in May next year , it was not in a registrar’s office but in her house in the presence of the registrar. Sceptics gave their marriage less than a year!
Despite all their differences the marriage stayed strong and flourished. There was Mini who joined them in 1998 and the sceptics were slowly silenced!
They had visited Tarangampadi just once after that – when Mini was two! Sister Veronica was happy to host them. The visit to Velankanni followed- this time he grudgingly accompanied her inside the church as she gave thanks for the happiness.
January 2005
It took them over six hours to get to Tarangampadi. The entire coast, seemed to have suddenly become omnious. The sea which was a witness to all those romantic evenings had shown a side to itself which they did not know existed.
The beautiful village of Tarangampadi wore a grim look. She looked up at the shore and was glad to see the fort standing strong – though part of the land around it had been washed away.
Sister Veronica was busy with relief work. She did not have time to talk to them much.
As they made their way to the village along the coast, they mentally started looking up people they had met earlier. Renuka and her family were thankfully safe- though their house had had been washed away. They, along with most of the villagers were living in temporary shelters. Pacchaimuthu was alive but he had lost his teenage grand son and his daughter in law. Every body wanted to speak to them telling them again and again about that horrible morning.
She did not want to hear them but as he told her it was important that they listen-that was all that they could do .
The place was filled with NGOs and aid workers- lot of foreigners –people who were professionally moving around the streets!. She had a sense of bitterness about them- “Do you even know these people? Their life as it used to be?” But she realized the futility of such thoughts because their life did not hold memories linked to the place like hers did.
She spoke to Geeta – a young girl who was still in school when they had first met. Geeta had lost her parents and her young baby. Chinnaponnu – another woman in the village had lost two grand children. But what she seemed very bitter about was the fact that the waves had spared the third grand child who was mentally challenged..!
Both of them felt emotionally drained.
“I don’t know what we were expecting when we came here but this is too much” he confessed as they made their way towards the fort! She felt pretty much the same.
She took in the beach beyond the fort – not much of the land remained. There were stones heaped up forming a sort of dam- to prevent the sea from coming inwards.
Interestingly, the ruined house of the governor nearby had been restored by a hotel chain into a very fancy resort- the children no longer played hide and seek there. Rich adults from foreign countries lived there on rent…!
“Everything seems to be changed. Life as we knew it has gone with the waves” she muttered sitting down near the entrance to the fort wiping away her tears.
At some level, they realized that they had associated this little village with their life together. He was not superstitious but he was glad that at least this fort remained standing strong.. he could not have taken it had it succumbed to the waves.
“ Why did it all end like this? ” she asked suddenly.
“ Nothing has ended. Many people have survived just like this fort. And think back .. the memories will never die. It is for us to keep them alive” he said softly.
The sun was setting, bathing the sea red. Was it the colour of blood she wondered? Why was the colour suggesting these thoughts today when eight years ago it looked like the blush on a bride’s cheek…!
“It is all a state of our mind and our reality” he continued holding out his hand to help her up. They made their way slowly towards the convent. They had to hand in their cheque to sister and start for Chennai- dark coastal roads were not something that he fancied now , clamoring as they must be with the spirits of lives gone long before their time.
“ The guilt of survival” was something that she had read in psychology books about disaster survivors. “Are we guilty that our life is going strong while theirs has been ruined?” she asked him as they started on their journey.
“I am not guilty.. I feel a sense of great respect for the survivors- people who are standing strong like that fort there. People who will eventually bounce back and rebuild their life. Learn to have faith in human kind” he said squeezing her hand gently before starting the car.
( concluded)
( The trouble with presenting fact as fiction is that things get a big long winded. And when the fact in question is a lived experience one loses control over words 
Thank you readers for your patience)
SURVIVING – Part 2
08 May 2012 9 Comments
in Love story
The ride to Tarangampadi was an adventure so to speak! The roads were narrow and pot holed and the bus very crowded. She occupied the ladies seat and drew more attention from the other passengers than she deserved. But then girls wearing jeans and a khadi kurta were not common those days in those parts.
He was extremely amused by the stares she was getting – “Are you a part time film star? Everyone is staring at you!” . “They are staring because you are with me! A rare specimen like you obviously attracts a lot of attention” she shouted back loudly.
Thus they went on with their conversation shouting to be heard above the noise of the rattling bus. She had become so used to the din that when they got off at Tarangampadi she found the silence deafening!
They made their way through the beautiful arch into what could only be described as the past. The streets were cobbled and she felt that she had walked into some small town in Europe.
At the convent. Sister Veronica instructed one of the workers to take their luggage upstairs. The boy made the embarrassing mistake of assuming that they were married and put both their luggage in a single room!! He explained the mistake and the fellow opened another room opposite hers!
“Just imagine.. this chap thinks that I am your husband! What a fate to condemn me to!” he said as he closed the door to his room! She was fuming with anger!
But it was difficult to stay angry – the place was so beautiful and so picturesque!
They trudged along the roads towards the beach and from there eastwards to the fishing hamlets- small shacks or tiled houses almost touching the coast. The men were coming back from fishing and there was a shore auction of fish going on.
“Come and look” he said gently pushing her towards the centre of the circle. He picked up a fish and told her the scientific name and then the English name. She asked the women standing there the Tamil name.
The rest of the day passed by very quickly. They realized that there were a lot of women who were involved in the small fish trade. Some of them were not going to the market that day and so they stayed behind chatting with them. Renuka, a thirty something woman became their guide- she had twin daughters –identical little girls each with a huge black bindi and an equally large beauty spot on their cheek! She offered them lunch- rice and fish curry. He ate it with relish while she explained in embarrassment her vegetarian preferences
The afternoon passed into evening- they met many others- old men like Pachaimuthu the traditional head who was a living encyclopaedia on the fish varieties on the coast.
The sun began its movement down the horizon painting the western sky red. They were done for the day! “Shall we go to the fort” she asked?
He nodded as they made their way out to what could only be called a deserted building standing on the cliff. The sole government employee in charge of the management was already part intoxicated. He gave them out the two entry tickets as they made their way up the ramparts of the fort.
There was a wonderful sea breeze blowing. The catamarans going for night fishing were bobbing about with only a lantern on them to indicate their location on the dark sea.
She felt very much at peace with herself and somehow his presence there next to her seemed to be the most natural thing on this earth! The wind was blowing more strongly now and her hair was flying all over her face. She secured it firmly with two strong clips on top of her head!
“You have beautiful hair” he said. She looked at him surprised. This was the first time he had said anything like that. It felt strange …She was glad that he could not see her blush in the darkness
A church bell was ringing somewhere. “Come let us go.” She said gathering her things. “Scared?” he asked her
“Of what? Ghosts?” she laughed. “You know very well what I mean” he said cryptically. She kept thinking about this all through the night preferring to eat in her room rather than face him over dinner.
The next morning they boarded another bus and went southwards towards Velankanni – the place known as the Lourdes of India- to the Shrine of the Virgin Mary revered by all in the region – irrespective of religion!
She found it strange that despite being a Christian he was not interested in coming inside the church. “ I am not into religion. I get enough of it when I am with my mother” he grumbled. She went in alone and lit some candles. “Did you pray for a husband like the hero of the novel” he teased her when she came out.
There was a wedding going on inside the church. She stared at the bride resplendent in a white and gold sari. “Beautiful isn’t she” she asked him without realizing it! “Too fat if you ask me” he replied ! She punched him on his arm as he yelled out saying “Oh my god .. my wife is beating me !”
“Shhh.. idiot what are you saying” she glared at him. People passing by stopped and smiled. She was feeling very embarrassed now.
As they went back to Tarangampadi that evening she went alone to the fort.
“ Would you like to get married in a church ?” she heard him ask. She started! She had not realized that he was standing behind her.
“Why do you want to know? Anyway, considering I am not a Christian it is highly unlikely” she replied
“Supposing you were to marry a Christian?” he asked looking at her intensely. “No!” she said
“No to what? Marrying a Christian or getting married inside a church” he persisted.
“I believe that love is beyond religion. So marrying a person of any other religion is not the issue. But I think such marriages should begin on neutral ground. Religion should never be imposed on either party” she replied softly.
“So will you agree to marry me at a registrar’s office?” he asked with a smile
“What..” she whispered.. and started walking away towards the beach. The kids playing there surrounded her clamouring for her attention.
“Hey leave her alone. I was talking to her” he said trying to pull her away from the brats.
“I don’t know.. But Why me?” she asked finally facing him
“Why not? You are the nicest person I have met in my life. You are intelligent and smart and you are…” he said.
“You forgot about the nice hair” she said with smile.
“Does that mean a yes?” he asked. She nodded!
The waves danced around them joining in their joy!
( to be concluded in part 3)
SURVIVING… ( Part 1)
07 May 2012 7 Comments
in Love story
She looked at the clock. It was past 9.00 AM. The cool December air was making her too lazy to leave the bed. She closed her eyes and snuggled back into the blanket. “What the hell..! It is one day after Christmas and I have atleast six days to laze around like this before routine takes over” she told herself mentally as she tried to get back to sleep.
“ Hello sleepy head” he whispered into her ears. She smiled with her eyes closed and tried to get back to sleep.
“ Hey stop it..” she murmured as her husband tried to entice her into wakefulness.
“Stop what ?” he whispered again.
“Amma, wake up. Priya akka is here. She has a strange story to tell” shouted Mini as she barged into the room.
She got up. The moment was lost.. ! She slowly made her way to the bathroom, passing Priya, their domestic help on the way.
Priya was agog with information. “Akka, you know there is something strange happening. I heard that the sea waves have washed away the buildings around the Marina beach”
“Don’t be crazy” she muttered as she continued brushing her teeth.
“Amma can we go to the Marina and see what is happening” asked Mini jumping up and down with excitement.
“I don’t know please ask Appa” she said as she wiped her face
When she emerged from the bathroom she found her husband in front of the television watching the news. There seemed to have been an earthquake in Indonesia which had caused some tidal action along the east coast of India.
“What is this all about” she asked as she poured out the coffee from the flask into her cup.
“Tsunami” ! he said grimly.
“Tsunami..? But isn’t that a Japanese thing?” she asked puzzled.
“Well apparently, it is also an Indian reality. Huge killer waves have caused havoc along the east coast. Nagapattinam is the worst hit” he said.
“Nagapattinam.. don’t tell me!” she said, her eyes widening with horror
“ I tried calling Sister Veronica in Tranquebar. Unable to get her” he said before she could ask ..
Tranquebar or Tarangampadi.. the beautiful little Danish settlement on the east coast. A fort on a cliff , some lovely period buildings, a convent, a printing press and a school, besides a ruined bungalow belonging to a former Danish governor.
When they had first visited the place in 1995, she had absolutely fallen under its spell!
1995..
He was a fisheries economist who had approached the NGO she was working with to help him gather data on fish catches along the east coast of India. A NRI, he could only speak halting Tamil. She was deputed by her boss to help him with translation.
After spending about two weeks with him traipsing along the various fishing villages, she was ready to quit the assignment. She spoke to her boss about it “ he is so pompous and sarcastic! Is it my fault that I am vegetarian? And anyway, who said that only people who eat fish can understand fisheries and fishing communities”
Her boss, a former Jesuit Priest was a very wise man. He had selected her to accompany this man because he felt that this would be a good opportunity for her to understand the fishing community. She was still fresh from college and few could orient her better than this visiting scholar from abroad. He decided to have a word with this fellow to be kind to the girl.
When they boarded the train at Egmore railway station that evening, she was preparing herself for another round of sarcastic conversation. She had decided that she would not rise to the bait this time. She looked at the reservation chart. “Arrived” he had scribbled against his name! “What an ass! Is there no better way to let me know that he has reached the station” she muttered to herself as she got into the first class compartment. She dumped her back pack on the lower berth , took out a novel and started reading it.
She looked out on to the platform – the idiot was getting into the coach with two cups of coffee in his hands “What is this great book that you are reading” he asked her with a grin offering her a cup of coffee. “Umm let me see.. who is the writer – Penny Jordan. Is she related to Jane Austen?”
“Thanks for the coffee but the rest is none of your business. ” she said taking the cup from him and burying her face back into the book.
Meanwhile there was some commotion outside on the corridor. A horde of policemen were getting into the coach. And along with them was an extremely fat woman laden with gold jewellery. She was obviously a VIP-wife of some high ranking police honcho.
“Is she travelling or is she moving house” he asked the girl. She could not help giggling. Meanwhile, the people who had come to see her off began to arrange her luggage across the four berth compartment- pushing to one corner the two back packs that the duo carried with them.
The train started and the lady settled herself comfortably. He was staring at her open mouthed! “Is all that jewellery on her real ?” he whispered into the girl’s ears. She nodded. “ Her husband must be either very rich or very corrupt” he said. “Shh.! “ she said trying not to laugh. She was afraid that the lady would hear them. “Don’t bother I doubt she knows anything other than Tamil” he said with a laugh. “And anyway she is not going to understand this British accent of yours. By the way, where did you pick it up? You have been abroad only for a few years now. You said your parents are in Kerala” she asked him
“ This is Malayali English” he said with mock seriousness. She burst out laughing.
He took hold of her book and started reading aloud from the page she was on “ her heart was beating aloud. She could feel the heat of his body through his shirt” She grabbed the book from him. It felt ridiculous when someone read aloud from a romance novel like this.
The lady on the opposite seat wanted to sleep. She instructed them to stop talking and switched off the lights.
The train was rattling along the quiet countryside. A meter gauge coach, the lower berth was just big enough for both of them to sit comfortably along with their back packs. She looked out of the window. The moon was out and the entire countryside was bathed silver in the light.
“When do we reach Nagapattinam?” he asked her/ “We don’t reach Nagapattinam. This train goes to Mayiladuthurai” she snapped angrily at him. Idiot! He had spoiled the magic of the moon.
“Sorry! I did not mean to disturb your dreams about the handsome hero of your book” he said softly in mock apology/
“How do you know I was dreaming?” she challenged him..
“Oh, I can easily tell. I have spent more than a month in your company” he said with a smile.
“Get on to your berth and go to sleep” she said with mock stern ness
“Madam, this is my berth! Yours is the upper one” he said laughing!
“Then you go up. I want to sit here by the window” she said
“Okay. Your wish. Happy dreaming..” he said as he clamoured up to the top bunk. She looked up to make sure that he was settled so that he would not trouble her again with his annoying remarks. She giggled as she saw his feet dangle from one end of the berth.
“Don’t laugh! If I had known that these berths were designed for midgets like you I would have taken a bus” he grumbled adjusting his six foot something frame on it!
The lady on the opposite berth was snoring very loudly. The moon was still beautiful but the spell was broken. She sighed and stretched herself out using her back pack as a pillow.
Eight more hours to go for Mayiladuthurai. The train was slated to get there by 5 AM. There was a bus for Tarangampadi that left from the railway station by 6.00 AM. Sister Veronica at the convent there had been informed about their visit. She had agreed to let them stay at their training centre.
Tarangampadi.. the place of the dancing waves. She was looking forward to the visit!
( to be continued)
SHATA PUTRAVATI- THE MOTHER OF A HUNDRED SONS( Part 2)
24 Apr 2012 10 Comments
in Respect
But it was not Suresh!
The darkness outside was making it difficult to see clearly. The street had only 2-3 lights and none outside his house.
When a flash of lightning illuminated the sky, Ramakrishnan Iyer could see a bearded man in a white shirt and veshti on the “thinnai”. There was also a white jeep of some sort parked outside the house.
“Yes? What do you want?” asked Ramakrishnan
“I heard Amma was sick. So I came to see if I could do anything” he said
“Who are you?” asked Ramakrishnan reluctant to let this man inside the house.
“I am Selvamani. I am the district secretary of the Makal Puratchi Kazhagam (MPK)” he said
“Look, we don’t know you. I think you have the wrong address” said Ramakrishnan as he tried to shut the door.
“ Please wait sir. You may not know me but our family knows Amma. She also knows us. Infact, she was present during my birth. My father Ayyan, had a small shop near the bus stand repairing shoes” said Selvamani with a smile.
Ayyan.. the cobbler! Amazing! Today his son was a political leader.
He looked back inside. Savithri was having another paroxysm of coughing.
Between the two of them they managed to support her and put her into the vehicle. “Strange are the ways of God” muttered Ramakrishnan to himself as he locked the front door.
The drive to the hospital through the rain soaked highway took more than an hour. Selvamani was talking on his mobile as he drove, making Ramakrishnan nervous.
But they managed to reach the hospital without mishap.
They were obviously expecting them because a team of medical personnel rushed out with a stretcher on wheels , putting Savithri on it the moment she got out. Someone was strapping and oxygen mask over her face and yet someone else was guiding him under an umbrella.
Selvamani asked someone called Anbu to “take care of Vadhyar ayya” while he parked the car. They followed the medical team into the lift and then up to the door of the Intensive care unit where a nurse stopped them. “No sir you cannot go in. This is a restricted area” she said.
“But she is my wife. I need to know what is wrong with her” he pleaded
“Don’t worry sir, she is in good hands.” She said asking him to sit down outside in the visitors area.
Selvamani was back. He had a paper cup full of coffee in his hands which he offered him.
Ramakrishnan took it from his hand automatically. He felt like a robot. “Sir, would you like me to get you some dinner” asked Selvamani. Ramakrishnan shook his head. He had already had his dinner. But this coffee was most welcome on a rainy night especially when he was sure that it was going to be a long one.
It was about an hour later when the “specialist” arrived. A middle aged lady who went rushing past him into the ICU. The nurse at the ICU reception smiled at him reassuringly. He bent his head down and started reciting his shlokas silently in his mind. Selvamani and Anbu stood nearby. Selvamani’s ears were glued to his phone as usual.
“Mr. Ramakrishnan?” he heard someone call out to him. It was the nurse from the ICU. “You may go inside now” she said.
Ramakrishnan took off his slippers outside the door of the ICU and tiptoed inside. He went down the corridor until he came to another hall- this one with a glass door. He could see his wife beyond that – connected to a ventilator.
“Don’t worry sir! Her condition is under control” he heard the doctor say as she emerged from the room. “We will keep her on the ventilator until tomorrow morning. I am confident that she can be moved out of the ICU by the afternoon ”
“Thank you… Dr…?” he fumbled looking for her name tag.
“Savithri!” she said smiling sweetly at him. “How can you forget me? I have come to your house so many times on my birthday to meet Amma” she said
Yes, he remembered now- Kuppan’s daughter delivered nearly fifty years ago! He also remembered with shame, his father and grand aunt making Kuppan and this girl wait outside in the backyard and forcing Savithri to bathe after she hugged the girl in blessing on one such occasion. Savithri had refused to do so. There had been a lot of tension around the house where Srinivasa Iyer the Vedic Scholar had not allowed his “polluted daughter in law” to enter the house. Stubborn girl that she was, his wife had stayed outside for two days refusing to eat or drink anything until his mother intermediated the situation bringing her inside. The visits had stopped after that.
Ramakrishnan was feeling very overwhelmed with gratitude. His eyes were filling up with tears. Selvamani was by his side. “Sir is anything wrong”? he asked. He shook his head and sat down on the bench outside. Selvamani continued to look worried.
“Sir don’t worry about the bill payment etc. That will not be necessary. This hospital is owned by a friend of mine. He and his family are very indebted to your wife. You see, she also brought them into this world – just like me and Anbu here”
Ramakrishnan was getting more and more overwhelmed by the minute . He was losing count of the number of children his wife had brought into this world! It looked like she had brought into this world almost all the persons of a certain generation in and around Mayavaram!
He remembered the blessing that had been given by almost everyone in the family and in the agraharam to his newly wed wife on the day she had stepped into their world- “Shata Putravati bhava” – May you be the mother of a hundred sons! Not only was she a mother of a hundred sons, she was also a mother of an equal number of daughters. After all, what else do you call a person who braves a lot of hardships and helps to bring you into this world? And she was not just an ordinary mother –she was a PROUD mother of many children who had grown up into good human beings- people who cared for her and for the good values in life.
His old feelings of vulnerability at the neglect from his two sons suddenly stopped bothering him. He had with him a town full of men and women who were his children too. His wife had delivered many and he had taught almost all of them. So weren’t they together the proud parents living among their children? So what was there to worry about?
He looked out of the window. The clouds had cleared and the sky had a red tinge around it. The sun was rising and a new day was being born!
( This story is dedicated to all those men and women ( usually women) who help a new life travel safely from the mother’s womb into this world. Again some explanations about Tamil words- “Thinnai” refers to the verandah outside traditional houses. “Vadhyar” means teacher.)
SHATA PUTRAVATI- THE MOTHER OF A HUNDRED SONS( part 1)
21 Apr 2012 6 Comments
in Respect
Savithriammal was breathing heavily now. She had been having difficulty in breathing since the afternoon. Her husband Ramakrishna Iyer, was worried . The inhaler was not working. Her breath was coming out in a very laboured way.. He had tried to call both Ramesh and Suresh. Ramesh , his older son who was in the US was not picking up his calls. It was going into the answering machine. And Suresh who was in Bangalore had said that he would try and come by on Sunday..! “Of course if your mother lasts until then” he muttered to himself as he put down the receiver.
He looked outside- it was raining heavily. How on earth was he going to get proper medical help? The nearest hospital was in Tanjore. Mayavaram, or Mayiladuthurai the small town where they lived was a good two to three hours away!
“Do you want some warm water Savithri?” he asked his wife.. She shook her head and closed her eyes. Savithri- his wife of fifty five years was struggling to take breath and here he was an old man of seventy five unable to do anything to help her! He felt frustrated !
He remembered the day they had got married. Savithri was eighteen and he was twenty and just out of college. Savithri was from Trichy – a “town girl” according to Lakshmi Pati his widowed grand aunt. Savithri had completed school and was looked at by the other women in the agraharam as something of a novelty! Ramakrishnan was in awe of her-she was a beautiful girl and he felt like a gawky teenager though he was a good two years older than her.
She settled down soon enough into the humdrum of daily life in the household assisting his mother in the kitchen and humouring Lakshmi Pati’s complaints about this and that!
It took them all about a year to realize that she had a special skill.
His sister Padma was having her delivery and the midwife was in panic. The baby was a breech birth and she was very nervous that it would be fatal for both mother and child. Before anyone could realize it Savithri had found her way into the room and was assisting the midwife with the delivery. It was a miracle –both Padma and the baby were safe! Savithri was a heroine!
Soon, every delivery in the agraharam had Savithri assisting the midwife. Slowly, as she gained confidence she began to handle some of them by herself.
The real trouble came when Kuppan came one day requesting for Savithri Amma’s services as his wife struggled through labour. Srinivasa Iyer, was furious that a person of a low caste could even imagine that the daughter –in –law of a vedic scholar would come into his hut just because his wife was in labour! He yelled at Kuppan and asked him to get out before he polluted the entire agraharam with his low caste presence.
Ramakrishnan, a mild mannered boy had always been very afraid of his father’s wrath. So he was shocked when Savithri suggested that he accompany her after dinner to Kuppan’s hut! He flatly refused. But Savithri obviously had other plans .. In the night when she did not come into their room, he guessed what she might be up to!
All hell had broken loose in the morning. Srinivasa Iyer was yelling at his daughter-in-law who stood quietly in the street outside the house. Lakshmi Pati was calling her a girl of loose morals who was disrespectful to elders. But surprisingly, his gentle mother had eased out the situation, asking her daughter –in –law to come to the backyard where she kept ready the bucket of water for her to remove her pollution and enter the house.
After that it had become a routine. People from all castes in the village would come to Savithri for assistance during the deliveries. Sometimes, she worked with the midwife and sometimes all alone. She never denied anyone her services. The paraiyans , vannans and all the lower castes who were never ever allowed to even step into the agraharam felt overwhelmed as Savithri Amma came into their huts and delivered their babies…When she returned home, it was the same routine- entering the house through the backyard after pouring a bucketful of water over herself to remove the “polluting influence” of the places she had visited.
When the Christian missionaries set up a health centre in the village, it was not surprising that they tracked down Savithri and asked if she would be interested in joining their training program for birth attendants. Head strong girl that she was , she never stopped to ask either him or his father. Amma was her close confidante and silent supporter in this endevor…
The years went by. Savithri herself became a mother. She had also completed her training in midwifery and was now a certified birth attendant. She continued to work with the nuns in the health centre rendering her services whenever required. Srinivasa Iyer was a spent force.. he realized that he was fighting a losing battle.
Ramakrishnan who worked in a local school as a maths teacher, felt a sense of pride as some of the children in his class told him that they were delivered by his wife! But he was never able to proactively reach out to the children from the lower caste settlements like his wife did. He taught them at school and was always conscious of his upper caste status sometimes cursing the government for its reservation policy which made “morons like these” to get admission in college despite their low marks.
The years went by and Mayavaram became Mayiladuthurai! The impact of the MGR films and the dialogues written by Karunanidhi began to result in social transformations across the town. The children of the lower castes realized the power of education and went on to acquire degrees and good jobs in Chennai and elsewhere. The agraharam no longer was a “consecrated” place that would not tolerate the presence of other castes. As the older generation passed away their children who lived in cities began to sell those ancestral houses to outsiders- often people of other castes.
Ramakrishnan the casteist snob refused to have anything to do with his neighbours. He kept to himself and wished that his wife would do so too.
But that was too much to imagine! She was her usual friendly self talking in her Brahmin lingo to all her neighbours ignoring the smell of garlic that emanated from their kitchens and laughing at her husband’s anger..
She was too old to continue with her midwife services. Her asthma was getting worse by the day and today it seemed to have propelled her towards her death!
Ramakrishnan wondered if he should ask his neighbours for help. But he decided against it- He had never really spoken to them before. What would they think if he suddenly walked into their house in this pouring rain ..
When he heard the knock on the front door, he first thought that he must be imagining the sound. But when the knock became persistent he went out to see who it was…Was it Suresh, who had changed his mind and decided to come after all?
( to be continued)
For those of you who are not familiar with Tamilnadu – the word Agraharam refers to a dwelling place around a temple in which the upper most in the caste hierarchy -the Brahmins used to traditionally reside! Paraiyans and Vannans are the castes who are lower most in the caste hierarchy referred to today as Scheduled castes or Dalits
BONDS AND BARRIERS –Part 2
12 Apr 2012 7 Comments
in Love story
Life after Aradhana was difficult. Anand started to miss her and this resulted in a lot of tantrums. Mohan found it very difficult to deal with them on his own. The new teacher was experienced enough but how do you replace someone in a child’s affection? And then there was that million dollar question if it was only Anand who was missing her?
Mohan tried often to talk about Anand’s problems with Sheila. But to Sheila life was only about herself and how things affected her!! When she was so impervious to her own son and his problems then it became unrealistic to expect her to understand him… He felt sad that it was now “ him” and “her” and not “üs”!
When he thought back through the years of marriage he realized that with Sheila it was only “I , me and myself” !! A compulsive attention seeker she was unable to deal with anyone else’s need for attention. It was surprising that he had not realized it when he was courting her. Ten years ago getting her interested in him was like a dream come true. He had been so flattered that she had accepted his proposal. The only child of extremely privileged parents she was very beautiful and talented. An achiever like him she was very goal oriented going after what she wanted in life. It was not surprising that Mohan himself being the proverbial “alpha male” had been attracted to her!!
The birth of Anand is a way had put the entire relationship to test- a test in which they had failed miserably as a couple. He had tried counselling but the counsellor wanted them to come together for sessions. Sheila had refused to cooperate and finally he decided that going alone would not really solve the problem…
Meanwhile Anand’s health problems had started worsening. His seizures were becoming more and more frequent. But it was the weakness of his lungs that finally became fatal. What started as his usual difficultly in breathing one evening became worse as the day progressed and he had to be rushed to the hospital. It only took four days for his story to come to an end!!!
He had stayed locked in the house for a week after that! Some of the other parents from the support group had tried to reach him but he had switched off his mobile and taken the phone off the hook!
He had tried alcohol to numb his pain. But the pain was too strong for a few bottles of a liquid to drown. He slept those days in Anand’s room surrounding himself with his clothes and toys. How he loved and hated those objects!! He loved them for the memories they held and hated them for the same reasons
Grief they say brings people together. But unfortunately for Mohan, that was not so. Anand’s death was the last nail on the coffin of their relationship. He had wanted to speak to his wife about the void in their life but he realized soon enough that the void was probably in His and not hers! Yes, “his” and “hers” was now well and truly a reality as what was “ours” had slipped out of their lives..
So he was not really surprised when, Sheila packed her bags and walked out. She had not even said “Good bye”. What saddened him was that it should have happened so soon after Anand’s death.
He resigned from his job, sold the house and moved to another town. He donated the money to the trust that ran the school that Anand had gone to.
The process of healing is very long winded. It took him over a year and a half to get back to normalcy- that is if one could call his present life “normal”. He lived alone and had no interactions besides his professional ones. Some of his friends from college sometimes dropped by when they were in town. They tried to get him out of his shell but he preferred carrying it on his back…it was his protection. He was afraid of anyone who might mention Anand !
He occasionally read about Sheila in the newspapers. She had become a successful designer and was opening stores in many towns. She was made for this kind of success he thought – interestingly he was no longer bitter about the divorce!
And now after these years – this voice from the past!
He wanted to “accept” her friend request! But he knew that if he clicked “ accept” there was no going back. He had to answer her question about Anand! He had to tell her what had happened and he was not sure he could handle it. Infact, he had never spoken to anyone about Anand’s “death”. He often wondered if he was denying it in his mind, whether speaking about it would lighten the load on his heart.
But what the hell… it was about time he found out.
So he extended his finger and clicked “Accept”!. He went back to her profile page and started looking at it. He looked at her albums and photographs- nothing personal only landscapes. There were some general status messages and inane responses from various people – nothing that gave him a clue as to what might be going on with her life.
He went back to the message he had received from her and typed his reply “Hi Aru. I am fine. Anand left this world last year. We remembered you a lot after you left. Miss you- Mohan”!
There it was done!!
When that call came in the night from an unidentified international number he knew it was her.
“Mohan? God.. I am so sorry” she said . He could feel the tears in her voice. He listened while she cried and then she listened when he poured out his feelings. He spoke like never before. He told her about how he felt when the news was delivered to him. How he spent those wretched nights on Anand’s bed- how he tried to numb himself with alcohol and most of all he spoke about how he JUST COULD NOT SPEAK UNTIL NOW!
They would have spoken for more than an hour. The mobile felt hot against his ears. They disconnected and then he called her on skype. He called her again the next day and the next. They spoke about Anand and the time spent together.
He asked her about herself. She did not volunteer much information besides the fact that she was now a registered special educator in the UK. She was obviously doing well professionally. But that was about all. There was no mention of any husband or boy friend and he frankly did not care if she was single or married or in a relationship! What mattered to him was the fact that through her he was able to re establish his connection with his son. He was able to bring back those memories without the pain and talk about them fondly.
She was that bond between his past and his present. For that he was grateful!
The rest .. well it did not matter- at least not immediately! He had come this far and that was indeed an achievement!
BONDS AND BARRIERS –Part 1
10 Apr 2012 9 Comments
in Love story
Mohan looked at the computer screen once again. He wasn’t imagining- it was indeed a friend request from Aradhana. He was relatively new to face book. He was just learning to navigate his way around it. Surprising how she had located him. He thought he had cut his ties with the world long ago
His fingers were on the mouse itching to click the “accept” icon. But something seemed to be holding him back! After all that had happened over the last three years was he ready to be in touch with her ? Time they say heals wounds but he was not sure that he was healed completely. The hurt was too much and on too many fronts. In fact he was surprised that he had survived all of what had happened! He clicked on the message that she had sent along with her friend request. A very short one – “Hi Mohan. Hope you are doing fine. How is Anand?” He navigated to her profile page – it showed her location to be London, her occupation was still the same “Special educator”. Nothing else to suggest whether she was married or single. No profile picture either – just a small icon with a smiley on it. Typical!
He remembered the first time he had met her. Anand was about eight years old. A child suffering from cerebral palsy, he also had a number of emotional problems. Over the last few months he had become progressively more difficult to handle. The situation at home was not helping either. Sheila had completely abdicated her responsibilities towards her son. She seemed to be staying away from home more and more often travelling whenever she could. Mohan had been trying to manage the situation by using the “work from home” option. But he was beginning to resent the fact that Sheila was not doing her bit. There was a lot of tension made up of sharp arguments or long silences! It was therefore not surprising that it was affecting the child.
Her age came as a surprise to him. He had somehow imagined someone older. The fact that this twenty something girl was his son’s new teacher was a little difficult for him to handle during his first meeting. But as the conversation progressed, he began to realize that this girl knew her stuff! Besides, Anand seemed to be obviously fond of her – responding to her in a way that he never did with him or Sheila!
“Parenting a child with cerebral palsy can be very lonely . The pleasure and the pain are unique and cannot be shared with other parents. But please try to keep your stress about it outside of the interactions you have with him. He senses it and it affects him” was what she had told him after that first meeting. He wished he could tell her exactly how lonely his life was ..
She had wanted to meet “Anand’s mother” along with him to discuss his progress. How could he tell her that Sheila – his beautiful wife was embarrassed of her own child –that she looked for opportunities to stay away from home. That she was disgusted by the way the child ate or walked or talked.. !! She seemed to be somehow holding him responsible for Anand’s condition. A woman who had taken beauty for granted and who revelled in it could just not take the fact that a part of her could be so “ugly”!!
“But he is NOT ugly!” was what Aradhana said angrily when he told her about it. “All these children are beautiful like others. You just need to be able to see that beauty and recognize it”
He was surprised that a teacher was able to see something that a mother was unable to. But then Aradhana like his Anand was different. She had an inner beauty and gentleness that only those close to her could perceive.
A wonderful person, she quickly realised that he was probably going through a lot of personal struggle in parenting. She tried to involve him in the school’s parent support group so that he could be part of a community. She sent him articles about children with cerebral palsy and their achievements, called him up every now and then for a chat and sometimes even came home to spend time with him and Anand. They took Anand for outings to the park and sometimes to the beach. Was it then surprising that Anand should one day draw a picture of a family with himself, Papa and “Aru Auntie”?
Mohan was aware that both he and his son were becoming very emotionally dependent on Aradhana. He had initially tried to explain it away saying that it was but natural considering the situation. But he realized soon enough that it was not so. He had begun noticing things about a girl nearly ten years his junior in ways that were beyond the boundaries imposed by professional interaction. He noticed the faint perfume that she wore, the silver jewellery that adorned her – the fact that she looked good in blue. He noticed the way she held her hand over her mouth when she was surprised and the way she jumped with joy when it rained.
How could he forget that day after Anand’s birthday party when he was dropping her home. It had been raining. She had rolled down the window and was trying to catch the rain drops with her hands. He had stopped the car on that tree lined avenue leading to her home just so he could watch her. She had turned to look at him when the car had stopped raising her eyebrows in a question. He had continued looking at her. They sat together in silence for he did not know how long until his mobile went off. Sheila was home and wanted to know when he would be back.
He stated the car and drove silently up to the entrance to her flat. “I would have invited you upstairs but I think Sheila needs you” she said quietly as she closed the door of the car. He had thought about this line all the way home and many times later attributing different meanings to it- until one day he was really disgusted with himself for the way he was behaving – like some love sick teenager! The question however was whether this was LOVE? Or was it just a feeling of emotional instability that was taking control over him.. After all, he had been in love and was married to the love of his life – the very beautiful Sheila! So why these thoughts? All he needed to complicate it at this point was an extra marital relationship with a girl almost a decade younger than him! Yes, his relationship with his wife was not what it should be but that was no excuse to run into the arms of another woman- hell girl! So what if she was good with Anand and the boy liked her? She was young and deserved somebody better- not the married father of a child with cerebral palsy!
And with that he had tried to close what he thought was a chapter of weakness in his life.. He hired a driver to take Anand to school and limited his interactions with Aradhana to general group meetings with other facilitators being present. She on her part seemed to sense the barriers that he was building around himself. So she just restricted herself to these professional interactions for the rest of the year. And then one day when he went for the meeting, there were just the physiotherapist, occupational therapist and the neurologist. No sign of her! He wanted to ask what happened to her. But he was just too embarrassed …
( to be continued)
HERITAGE
17 Mar 2012 8 Comments
in Respect
Yesterday I performed my Appa’s last rites. He was eighty seven years old.
I guess it will take time to get used to his absence. We are all creatures of habit- my feet still turn left towards his room. every time I enter the house- after all it is only four days since he passed away….!
My earliest memories of him are rather vague. Unfortunately there are not enough pictures of him with me. But I do remember him as a tall man with a stoop and a soft voice. I can almost see him in the back yard of “Chhaya” our old house seated on an armchair under the mango tree reading a book. I recall how I used to be fascinated by all those books in his room. Every time he was with a book I used to climb up on his lap and ask him to “tell the story”! Surprising, but he managed to tell me something about anything that he was reading. I guess that is where I draw my love for books from. He introduced me to the classics- Jane Austen, The Bronte Sisters, Mark Twain and so many more! People used to find it strange that I did not read the usual children’s version of these stories. I used to read the original – initially very laboriously but soon very fluently!
Amma was always in awe of him. She was afraid that I may be disturbing him while he was working. She used to try and take me away from him while he was reading or writing. But he always asked her to let me be! It was surprising but none of my two brothers seemed to share the same bond that I shared with him. He used to find their crying and antics very annoying. He also used to get annoyed when Amma wanted me to help her in looking after them.
As I started growing up, I found people around the house looking for opportunities to keep me away from him, his room and our conversations. You see, there was always work in the kitchen for a girl.
Going to an engineering college was his idea. I wanted to be an English Professor like him. But he recognized my potential around maths and ability to “fix things” around the house. I was very apprehensive when I joined the IIT. There were hardly any girls to be seen around. But it was Appa who encouraged me on- it was he who told me never to think of myself as a girl but as a person with capacities.
They – that is my mother and my paternal grandmother were completely hysterical when they found out about our IIT plans. “Nobody will marry her now” Prema paati wailed!! Amma was equally apprehensive. But she dared not voice it because of what had happened between her and her mother in law! She was facing the consequences of her own battles! However, Appa was firm and I remember him sitting on the front row with a smiling face when I received my degree.
I did not want to go abroad for studies but his faith in me gave me the courage to cross those seven seas.
When I decided to marry Javed all hell broke loose. My brothers made nasty allegations about him. They threatened to cut me out of our family property and severe all ties with me. But nothing could stop me. I went ahead and married him. There were just two others who were with us when we signed those papers- his cousin and of course Appa!
Somehow, I seemed to have lost touch with Appa after that. We were abroad for a while and even when we came back to India we did not hear from my family. I suppose my brothers were carrying out their threat of severing links with me. It therefore came as a shock to me to see Amma’s obituary in the newspaper!! I was not even informed about her death!
When I confronted my brothers about it I was told that I had “died in their eyes” and in their mind they had already “performed my last rites” ! It was probably the most hurtful thing that anyone had said to me. Just as I was storming out of the house, I happened to set my eyes on Appa! The sight of what he had become was enough to bring me back from “death”! He was shrunken and neglected and most importantly he seemed to be suffering from a severe case of dementia. Nobody objected when I decided then and there to take me home with him!
Javed, I must say was most supportive. After Javed’s death last year, I found caring for Appa difficult. Sana was married and living in Hong Kong.
It pained me to see the man that he had become. He was very disoriented, he could not continue his reading and he constantly asked repetitive questions. More importantly, he had a tendency to wander away from home without being able to find his way back. There were so many occasions when kindly neighbours had brought him back home.
He often behaved like a child, asking me when I was reading something to “tell me the story”. I am sorry to say, I did not have the patience to “tell him the story” the way he used to tell me so many years ago! But yes, there was a routine to our lives. I fed him his breakfast before I left for work. When I returned, he complained to me about Lakshmi, his caregiver who did not allow him to eat sweets or made him eat a bland diet. At night, he threw tantrums until I added some pickle to his curd rice. He wanted his daily dose of “chocolates” before bedtime and of course, I had to tell him his bedtime story before he drifted off to sleep.
When he had that cardiac arrest last week, I rushed him to the hospital. The doctors worked very hard to keep him alive. But his systems seem to be failing him one by one! He was pronounced “brain dead” and doctors advised removal of life supporting systems. I called my brothers but they refused to take my calls.
So here I was alone faced with the decision of ending his life! I remember those tubes going through him and his immobile form. He looked so small..!
I was not sure if I could legally or morally take the decision of ending his life. The doctors told me it was the most humane thing I could do. The dilemma was becoming too much for me to handle. The non response from my brothers to my messages was getting to be too much! But Appa being the man he was took that final decision by himself.
On that fateful Sunday afternoon, he suddenly opened his eyes, focussed on my face and murmured “Radhika” before he finally closed them forever. I did not feel the need to inform my brothers about his demise.
Though I feel lonely in my grief today, I cherish my memories of him. A man far ahead of his times, he had married a widow with a young daughter and loved her like his own.
I Radhika Javed do not carry his genes but I carry something that genes can never encode- his core values!
!
THE WAIT
25 Jan 2012 9 Comments
in Love story
It was late. Almost two hours later than the time he had said that he would call. I sat by the telephone looking at it willing it to ring. Calling him was not an option. He had told me not to. I don’t know what was wrong with me – it was like I was addicted to some drug. I needed to hear that soft voice of his whispering my name “Kamini” ! His voice mesmerized me as did his eyes. It was almost as though they caressed me. When he was around me, it was like I was under some sort of a spell!
We had met under odd circumstances. The city of Bombay was burning up in communal violence in 1992 . I was on my way back from work. The roads were deserted and few vehicles passed by. When he stopped his car asking me if I needed a lift, I was not sure if I should accept the offer. But then, the streets were not safe either.. So I accepted the lift. “A gentleman to the core” was the first impression I had of him. He drove quietly asking me for direction once in a while. It was funny, the silence within the car was not tension filled but sort of calm and reassuring. I watched his hands as they turned the steering wheel and changed gears. His confidence was very appealing. He dropped me off at the hostel gate and waited around for a while until the watchman opened the gate. “Take care” was what he said as he drove off.
Bombay always bounces back to business whatever be the problem that may have put it out of action temporarily. Within the next few days things started getting back to normal and I forgot about being stranded on an empty road and being given a lift by a stranger.
I met him a month later at a conference. He was one of the lead speakers. I sat among the other delegates wondering if I should speak to him during the tea break. I was not even sure if he would remember who I was. I was still wrestling with these thoughts in my mind when I found him at my side. “Hello. Hope you are alright ” was what he said. A soft voice, a voice that I noticed for the first time. I smiled at him nodding my head. “Hi, I am Vikas” he said extending his hand towards me. “Kamini” I said as I shook his hand.
After the conference got over, he invited me for coffee at a restaurant nearby. I don’t know what it was about him that was so interesting. But I accepted. I, who never went out with any man anywhere accepted to have coffee with a person who was a virtual stranger! After coffee, he dropped me back at my hostel. At the hostel gate, we exchanged cards.
He called me a couple of times at the office. But the office line was not exactly conducive for a long conversation. So, I gave him the hostel phone number f . He always called late in the night after 10.00 PM. We spoke for over an hour. His voice was soft – almost a whisper. It was nightly ritual. I would sit in the mosquito ridden reception area wrapped up in a shawl waiting for that call..! The girls at the hostel were very curious as to whose calls I was waiting up for. I was not exactly what you would call, a very pretty woman. In all my thirty years, no man had even looked at me.! I was confused as to why he was interested in me! What did he see in this stupid ordinary person called “me”?
It was not just phone calls, we used to meet for lunch during working days. I longed to spend weekends with him. But he said that it was not possible. I don’t know why I did not realize earlier that he might be married. Actually I stumbled upon this fact one day when I saw a picture in his wallet- a picture of him with a beautiful woman and a child! I did not have to ask who they were. I knew now and he knew that I knew! We never spoke about this ever!
People may think that he had cheated me into a relationship with him without telling me that he was married. But I think that it is unfair to blame him because he had not exactly lied to me. We had just not discussed this.. it had never occurred to me to ask if he was married and anyway it did not make a difference to me at that point.. maybe if I had known it on the day he gave me a lift or on the day of the conference it might have been different.
I looked again at the phone. Was it my imagination or was the receiver slightly off the hook? I went close to it and checked. No, it was placed properly. I looked at my watch- almost nearing midnight. “ Please,,, please call” I whispered aloud! I wanted to call him. But he had told me not to.. and besides, how would I explain who I was if someone else answered the call..?
My eyelids were feeling tiered. They wanted to close after all the crying that they had been doing over the last hour.. I wanted to go back to my room and sleep. But I was afraid to go – what if he called and I was not around? Nobody was likely to answer the phone in the reception at midnight!
What if? What if?..yes there were many possibilities but none that applied to me. I curled up on the settee in the reception exhausted and closed my eyes… Tomorrow was but another day- I know he will surely call!
( A tale set in the pre cell phone era when hearing a loved one’s voice was not just a palm or finger tip away- a time when one had to get past unwanted persons before hearing that voice that one longed to hear!)
PERSPECTIVES -PART 3
13 Jan 2012 6 Comments
in Love story
THEIRS
Dr. Achyuta Menon looked up from the book he was reading as he saw the autorickshaw stop outside his gate.. When he saw who it was he got up from his chair, switched on the porch lights and opened the door in readiness for her to get in.
“ My God, you are completely drenched ! . Go and change or you will fall sick” he told her.
“Uncle, where is Aunty?” she asked ignoring his suggestion of a change of clothes.
“ I am here. What happened ” said Indrani coming in from inside the house
“Oh Aunty… I saw him!” she said throwing herself into Indrani’s arms
“Come on now, calm down. Lets go upstairs and I will hear your story after you have changed into dry clothes” said Indrani.
Dr. Menon, had never understood this ability of his wife’s to get anyone to do as she wished.. Imagine, he had just explained to the girl about the consequences of being in wet clothes and she had ignored him! Now all Indrani had said was that she would hear some “story” after a change of clothes and the girl had agreed.
Both Indrani and the girl seemed to share some sort of a special bond. Her best friend’s daughter, she was to his wife the child they never had. He had never been very much bothered about not having any children. His work, his books and his conversations with his wife kept him content But he knew that to Indrani it mattered. Hers was a life meant for motherhood! She had tried to compensate by showering her love on their two dogs and three cats. A natural extrovert, she was the most popular person in the neighbourhood. All the kids living nearby kept dropping in to talk to “Indrani Aunty”. She probably knew more about their lives than their parents! She had the ability to relate to any person at their level. No wonder all her former students still kept in touch with her.
As he looked out of the window again, he saw someone else at the gate. A young man, standing next to a motorbike unmindful of the rain that was drenching him. “What is wrong with young people these days” wondered Dr. Menon as he opened an umbrella and walked towards the gate.
“Yes.. what do you want?” he asked the young man.
“I .. … nothing!” he said keeping his eyes riveted on the upstairs window.
Dr. Menon followed his gaze. He could see his wife and the girl’s silhouette against the dim light upstairs. He looked at the young man again. He looked decent enough. But why was he standing like this here completely exposed to the rain? He would have been better off had he stood under the bus shelter a few yards away!
“Achuyta, call him inside” shouted Indrani opening the upstairs window. Dr. Menon, was surprised ! Did his wife know this young man? He followed his wife’s instructions and brought the boy inside! Indrani was waiting in the living room with a towel. “Here dry your hair. Then go upstairs- first room to the left. I will get both of you some coffee” she said with a smile! The young man smiled gratefully as he took off his wet shoes and socks and dried himself.
Dr. Menon was now totally puzzled! He was a retired Professor of Mathematics from the University – a person who was reputed to have an IQ in the genius category. But sometimes, or may be often, he did not understand people like his wife.
“Don’t stand like that with your mouth open. Come and help me make some coffee” she said pulling him towards the kitchen.
“Indu, what is this all about. Who is this fellow? Why have you sent him upstairs like this?” he asked her.
“Patience dear Watson” she said with a laugh, switching on the stove to heat milk.
“Do you remember how you tutored me in maths?” she asked him.
Dr. Achyuta Menon smiled. It was nearly thirty five years ago. He was a research scholar at the university. A shy young man from a small town, he never spoke to any girls. So it was surprising when this Bengali girl Indrani Mukherjee suddenly approached him at the canteen one day and requested his help with her statistics assignment. She was doing her masters in econometrics and was reportedly having a lot of trouble with her statistics concepts. She pleaded with him to help her pass the course. He could not refuse.
Thus began their sessions together. Initially it was at the library. He had come armed with a lot of books but she seemed to have come with just one small notebook. She seemed to be more interested in him and his views on things rather than on the subject in which she was reportedly worried about failing! He found it difficult to concentrate as she kept up a constant chatter about this and that. Soon, others in the library began to complain about it too and they had to go somewhere else for their classes.
She invited him for a movie. It was some kind of a ghost film. Rather silly, the way Indrani was getting scared of the ghost in the film- a woman in a white sari holding a candle and singing a soulful song. But of course he was thankful for this fear because hadn’t it been the reason for her to hold his hand tightly and then hide her face on his chest! He remembered even today the first smell of her hair when it had got caught in one of the buttons on his shirt!
He also remembered being accosted one day by a burly young man who claimed to be Indrani’s cousin asking him why he was roaming around like this with his sister. He had been threatened with dire consequences and asked to stay away from her. He was a bit intimidated by this incident. However, what he was not prepared for was the sudden disappearance of Indrani from the campus for nearly a month after the first year examinations. He later heard from her close friend Lakshmi that Indrani’s family was planning to get her married.
He did not know what had happened to him at that moment. But within two days he found himself sitting in Indrani’s parents house with his mother at his side, asking her father for his daughter’s hand in marriage. For a family that was supposedly planning to get their daughter married forcibly to some Bengali boy, they agreed quite easily and Indrani Mukherjee had become Indrani Menon! She had also passed her master’s degree with flying colours getting a gold medal and going on to do her Ph. D in Econometrics! She was reported to be the best professor dealing with the statistics course in her department until the time she had retired! He also realized later that she seemed to have mastered her fear of darkness and ghosts.
But he was wondering why she was bringing that up now?
“Achyuta, you are fool” she told him with a laugh!
“Thank you. But may I know how you discovered this suddenly today after thirty five years of marriage?”
“Oh, I knew it within those first few days in the library. Do you seriously think I was impressed by your mastery over maths? I just wanted opportunities to spend time with you..” she said
“Well whatever, it helped you secure good marks in your exams” he said pompously
“Have you ever spoken to anyone who knows about my maths abilities my dear? Even Lakshmi’s daughter sitting upstairs knows about my phenomenal abilities in the subject. I have never ever secured lower than 100% in it right from my school days” she said giggling.
“You mean….” Dr. Menon asked his mouth falling open!
“Close your mouth. It is an awful habit” she said scolding him.
“But why…how?” asked her husband disbelievingly
“ It is all about strategy my dearest. As a woman, I knew that I had to get an opportunity to be close to you. Since you were so shy with girls, I could only use the story about getting poor marks as the excuse. I wanted to break the stereotype of a girl who waits to be courted .I knew that unless I made some moves, none would be made. But ofcourse, those days it was difficult to come completely out of stereotypes without causing a scandal. So, I had to also behave like a timid girls getting scared of the darkness and ghosts.. My God what a silly film it was remember” she asked laughing!
Dr. Menon also joined in the laughter…! Really, this woman was a schemer..!
“But what does all this have to do with Lakshmi’s daughter and that fellow” he asked still confused.
“ Oh, everything! She had fallen in love with this young man who was used to having girls fall for him. But she was different from the girls such men usually go out with- she is simple, honest and innocent. All I told her was to capitalize on it. You see, most men have their brains partitioned into compartments- there is physical attraction, traditional relationships like marriage and ordinary interactions like friendships. But then you cannot separate them into groups like this..!” said Indrani, pouring out the coffee into the cups.
“But wasn’t it dangerous exposing her to someone like this? What if she had been hurt in the process” asked Dr Menon passing a tray to his wife to put the cups on..
“No Achyuta he would not have. She had told me enough about this boy for me to know that he is basically honest. Honest young men do not assault girls. They also respect real emotion when they see it. Yes, it may worry those who may never have been exposed to it or experienced it before. I just asked her to show him a glimpse of it. The fellow was thrown out of gear.. so he ran away. He has obviously had time to reflect and is now back” she said placing the cups on the tray and getting ready to move upstairs
“No.. I don’t think you should go up now. What if … you know you walk into something..” he said nervously
“Don’t be silly Achyuta.. All that must be over by now. In all probability he is on his knees now proposing to her” she said laughing loudly controlling herself just in time as she saw the young couple walk down the steps holding hands.
“Aunty.. Uncle we have decided to get married” she said her eyes shining with happiness.
“ But isn’t it sort of sudden” asked Dr. Menon
“No, Uncle I have had almost twelve months to think about it. I am overwhelmed by her complete trust in me. These twelve months, I have missed her like nothing else ! I was a fool, I did not realize what she was offering me. Girls like her are rare to come by” said the young man
“ Good.. ! But you know when I decided to get married to Aunty it was a sudden decision. I had to act fast or she would have been married to someone else” said Dr. Menon smiling.
“Really Uncle? But Aunty, mummy had told me how you had asked her to tell him a story about being forced to get married to someone else” asked the girl surprised.
“Whattt…?” asked Dr. Menon him mouth popping open once again
“All is fair in love and war” said Indrani with a wink
( Note to readers: I wanted to begin the new year with a “feel good” story. Hope you liked it )
