“I’m buying plasma TV”, Gayatri insisted.
“No Gayu,we already have a good tv, why spend so much? You may use the money for something else !” suggested Srikant.
“I’m buying with my money,so don’t you worry”, argued Gayatri.
Gayatri and Srikant were from the same college, class and group; were attracted to each other; she loved Srikant for his endurance and matured nature; Srikant loved her for her good looks and carefree nature. But the hitch was, Gayatri was from a well off family who was used to luxuries and pompous life. Srikant compromised several times but reached a peak when Gayatri went to the extent of aborting his baby; the quarrel and argument continued for 2 weeks resulting in divorce. Srikant remained silent when the court freed them from the marriage bond. Gayatri left without saying even a goodbye!
One day Mrs.Narayanan found her son having a miserable life. His cooking was either half done or burnt; his clothes frequently not neat and more important he was far from happy; he sat in the evening in his verandah after his work, sometimes thinking of his love, sometimes thinking of their separation, sometimes just blank. His parents sought to get him remarried. He did not oppose. The girl was fixed; she was from the neighboring city ,from an average family, who had just completed her schooling. Mr.Dhanashekhar decided to marry off his daughter to a groom who did not demand dowry of any kind. So, when Mr.Narayanan approached, Mr.Dhanashekhar agreed immediately.
Kalpana, 17 yrs, brought coffee for the bride-seeing party; Srikant observed the girl had difficulty in handling her saree and coffee tray. He caught her eye as she bowed to each member in the party….the mixed expression of apprehension and lack of ability to handle a family life….a playful school girl.
Kalpana sat in the marriage ceremony by the side of Srikant , waving to her friends, her hand behind the edge of her saree.
The wedding night : He gestured her to sit by his side. She drew a stool and sat in front of him.
“Feeling hungry?” he asked.
“No”, her reply.
He watched her for sometime. She was drawing imaginary parallel and vertical lines on the stool in front of her.
“What’re you doing?”he asked.
“O this? Nothing …was getting bored”, she replied.
“Shall we go out?”
“Where to?”
“Hm, say a movie…”
She suddenly remembered a friend said ‘Guys love girls saying I love babies. It pleases them’.
Kalpana wanted to please her newlywedded husband. “I love babies”, she said and looked intently into his face.
“Eh, what!”he was perplexed.
“I love babies…don’t you?”she repeated.
“How does a baby come ,you know?”
“From mother’s tummy”.
“How does it get there?”
“God puts it there”, she was uncertain if he would agree.
He tapped her head lightly with a spoon, “No stupid!”
“How then you think?”she asked, running her hand on the spot that received the tap.
“What time do you sleep?”
“10.How shall I call you?”
“As you like”.
“I’ll call you Sri, ok?”
He smiled, rose and walked upto the window.
Kalpana woke up at 8 in the morning. He was still asleep. She had no idea he had been awake most of the night thinking what he should do next.
She wanted to wake him and say ‘I love you’.
After breakfast Srikant called her.”You like to study further?”
“My father said ‘There’s no need to study further’, but I don’t mind!”she answered.
He dressed up. “Don’t wait for me if I’m late for lunch”, he said , walking out.
“Why?”she asked running after him.
“I may be late “, he smiled.
“Ok”, she smiled back. He is so kind and good she thought.
He filled up an application and got her to sign it for admission to BSc course. In 10 days she would be gone.
“You’ll be in the hostel”, he told her.
“Hostel?” she was not sure she could stay away from home.
“Yes, there’d n’t be any problem. I’ll come to see you often. You’ve to just study and pass every semester. There’ll be 6 sems in all. After evry sem you’ll have holiday”, he explained.
“Why didn’t you come to see me ? You’d promised!” she asked when she went home after the 1st sem.
“Had lot of work, ma”, he apologized.
“I wont go to that college again…no I wont. I’m the only one married. All tease me, ‘do you sleep together?’ they ask”.
“I’ll come to see you, you shouldn’t discontinue in the middle of the course. You want me to be proud of you , no? Don’t pay attention to those idiots, ok!”he consoled her.
“Ok, I’ll continue”, she said innocently
“That’s my good girl”, he encouraged her.
Kalpana came home for summer holiday.
Srikant was relaxing in easy-chair. Kalpana sat at the foot end on the floor hugging her knees, rocking.
“How’s your course?”
“Good”.
“You find it easy?”
“Yes”.
“Your friends are good to you?”
“Yes”.
“That’s good to hear!”, he remarked.
“What do you do when I’m away?”she asked.
“You want to know my agenda?”
“Hm”, she nodded.
“I cook my breakfast, take some for lunch. After office I make tea, then cook dinner, watch tv for sometime,then go to sleep!”
“You don’t go to movies?”
“Yes , sometimes ”.
“Then to redlight?”
“What?”he was shocked.
“My friend said men without wife go to redlight often”.
“What’s that? What do they do there?” he looked curiously at her ;did she know …!
“It’s a big hotel with many rooms lit only with red bulbs…you have to pay huge money to enter it. They dance, play music and serve costly food, like in gala marriages.Don’t you go there because I’m not with you?”
“No, I don’t”.
“Why?”
“Now shut up!”he said angrily. He soon discovered she didn’t know what it was and was relieved.
“She also said men marry for sex, they beat the women when they don’t get , or divorce them”, she continued.
“Show me your friend next time I come to see you”
“Yes , I will! She’s nice, helps a lot, but can’t study well, she gets poor marks always”.
Kalpana entered 2nd year in college. She failed in a subject; she evaded her husband’s calls fearing he might scold her severely; she answered him when she could no longer put off his call.
“Why didn’t you take my calls?...how are you? You ok?”he was worried.
There was a long pause.
“Hello…Kalpana!...Are you alright?”his anxiety grew.
“Yes “, she answered. Then slowly she opened up, “ failed in 1 subject in the 3rd sem”, and began to sob.
“Didn’t you study well?...was the paper tough?...or did you spend your time gossiping with your friend?..Ok, it doesn’t matter. You can clear it in your next sem”, he comforted her.
“I thought you’d be very angry, my father thrashed me once”, she spoke nervously.
“No dear, I’m not angry…I’ll come next week to see you, take care”, he hung up.
Srikant waited in the visitor’s hall. Kalpana walked in nervously. Other girls eyed them curiously to see how they behave with each other. Srikant handed her a bag of fruits.
‘Don’t look so disturbed. You’ll do better next time provided you study well”, he said soothingly taking care not to raise his voice or show annoyance lest he could upset her further. ‘You’re doing fine inspite of being away from home”, he encouraged her. She was relieved. Slowly she came close to him, kissed him on the lips.
“I don’t like kisses on the lips, told you earlier”.
“I’m sorry, I forgot”, she apologized, appearing sulky.
Just then Neelima, her friend,peeped in.
“Hey Neelima!” Kalpana called out to her.
“Sri , this is Neelima, my friend I told you”, she introduced.
“My husband, an executive”, she introduced him to her friend.
Neelima had a way of rolling her eyes that captivated anyone. Srikant missed a beat.
“Hi!”, she extended her hand towards him.
“Hello”, he shook hands and smiled.
“” You have a beautiful smile”, she commended. Kalpana blushed. Neelima was attractive and fast.
“Don’t move with her closely”, he warned his wife when Neelima was out of earshot.
“Why?..She is the one who helps me readily whenever I’m in need. She paid my exam fee when it was late to go to the bank”.
“No wonder you failed”, he remarked. She looked at him as a child looks in disbelief when its mom says ‘eat now or the goblin there’d take away your meal!’
‘You’ve 1 more year and 2 more sems . Be good. I’ll take you out next time I come”, he patted her cheek.
60 days seemed a long time.
“Learn to cook in this holiday”, he told her. She tried. Often she forgot to add salt or spice. One Saturday she mounted the cooker without rice in it. When they sat down to eat, the container had only hot water, no rice.
“Magic, rice vanished”, he made fun of her. She caught his ears and shook his head, “Magic eh! Magic eh? This’s magic for you eh?”she repeated, embarrassed and at the same time relieved that he was not angry with her. She set the rice to cook,meanwhile she rolled on him laughing.
“Hey, don’t “, he laughed with her.All of a sudden he turned serious, pushed her gently away, grimacing fiercely.
“Are you alright?”she panicked.
“Yes ,yes “he said hurriedly ,warding her off.
“Now you’re going to do MSc in a different college. It reopens on 3rd August. We go on August 1st in the morning. You’ll stay in the hostel as before…and find a good friend this time”, he concluded.
“ BSc isn’t enough?”she frowned.
‘No dear, you need higher qualification, you’ll appear brighter and stronger,.. I’ll be proud of you”, he said but there was a trace of disappointment that he had to be away from her once more and had to curb his emotions once again.
Srikant made regular calls but did not visit her on several pretexts in her final year.She wondered why he was keeping himself away while her passion for him magnified.
A girl in her class told her ‘men seek another partner when his wife is away…they take more interest in them than their real wives’.
Kalpana pondered. Yes Srikant was keeping himself away. He made his absence conspicuous. May be he picked up a female or worse , he disliked her.
A trying year. Kalpana was not childish as before. Srikant observed she was growing into womanhood; it disturbed him often.
“When’re your exams over?’
“21st April”.
“Ok… I’ll come on 22nd”.
“No, don’t come, we’ve work till the end of the month”, she lied.
He rang up again on 26th April, “ I’ll come on 30th . Keep your things packed”, he suggested.
“No Sri, Im not coming home, I’m going to my parent’s place…I miss them”, she said.
“Wait! Come here first, both of us can go together a week later , no?”he asked.
“No Sri, I wish to go now”, she sounded determined.
But Srikant arrived on 27th.
“Did your exams well?”his query.
“Yes”, her short reply.
“Is there any other work now connected to your course?”
“No”.
“Then let’s vacate”.
“No, I’m going to my parents”, she insisted.
“Why? You want to go away from me?”he frowned deeply in doubt.
She was silent, fighting her tears unlike her undergraduate period when she would have wailed aloud.
“What’s the matter?”he placed his hand on her shoulder. She swallowed. She wanted to fling herself on him
“What’s it dear? …Ok, .....we’ll go home first, hmm! .....discuss whatever issue you have, ......then go to your place. Is that ok?”he explained. She could not refuse.
She remained silent throughout the journey. He did not disturb her.
While she bathed, Srikant prepared tea and offered her , “Just to refreshen” he said.She sat under the fan, her wet hair playing on her face, he liked it. As she swallowed the first sip, he asked, “Enough sugar?...No sugar?...I think I added chilli powder instead of sugar. Sorry. She could not check her laughter. “Ah! Thank God!”, he exclaimed to see her change her emotion.
“Now can you give me anything from your side?”he asked. She considered and hesitated for a long while; then moved to him, kissed his upper lip. “Sorry, I forgot you don’t like”, she withdrew.
“You’re my wife, you can kiss anywhere you like”, he gave his approval.
“I’m a good cook, you know! Take classes from me. It’s 1 month course with a test at the end. She nodded and agreed , her earlier depression having gone.
“I’m so glad your studies are over, I can’t wait any longer you kitten”, he said switching on the tv.
“What’s the lesson for cooking tomorrow”, she demanded sitting by his side.
“O, the lesson can wait till tomorrow… ......Kalpana!” he called softly.
“Yes”! she responded, following the serial on the tv screen.
“Kalpana my wife”, he breathed, turned her face to him, moved closer and kissed her lips.He realized love is conveyed on the lips when love is intense.
She realized he had been waiting for her to complete her studies these 5 long years!. He was 10 years older than her, it mattered no longer. He was her own, and ….he accepted her as his wife who would give him all the happiness he missed in his first marriage.
“Want to know how a baby’s born?”he teased her!
..Concluded.