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Stories "Come on, Ma, now you have to tell us. We have heard the entire prelude. What did you do" "Nothing." "Come on, Ma…" "Honestly, that was the whole problem. I did nothing then and that is why I'm paying for it now. And I will have to continue to do nothing because if I speak out now, it will sound like a pettish reply to her criticism." "Pa, do something. Ma's talking in riddles." The old couple exchanged a long look and comprehension gleamed into the old man's eyes. " Uh-huh, is that so?" His wife nodded slowly. " I took much longer than that to understand", she said ruefully, a touch of deep felt regret in her voice. " But what could I do?" As the younger people stirred, a degree of asperity crept into her voice. " Enough, isn't an old woman entitled to her own secrets?" "No," said the daughter flatly. "In a family, no secrets. You taught us that long ago, Ma. And now you want to hold out on us. At a point like this, when everyone is pointing fingers and asking questions," she paused and then resumed more quietly. "Ma, trust us. You know we will not want to unnecessarily publicize any unpleasantness. But at lest let us understand what this is all about. Put some faith into the training that you have given us all these years." Once again the older couple looked at each other. A smile lifted the corners of the mouth unwittingly. She had really struck the nail on the head. "Listen, children, Saraiya and I met at a college festival. We were both part of a play and I was in charge of procuring costumes." Nandita paused, as if to gather her thoughts, or rather the memories. " She kept putting off trying on her costume. Maybe she's shy of a trial in front of others, I thought. So I took it along to her room. She was alone and asked me to latch the door. 'Come on, we're all the same inside,' I ribbed her and snapped the latch. When I turned around, there was Saraiya, with not a stitch on her, standing in a poll of her clothes (a muted gasp was heard from Nandita's little audience) apparently she had not worn any underclothes at all. As you can imagine, I was not only totally taken aback, I was so embarrassed, I did not know where to keep my eyes. She had a shapely figure inside those baggy pathanis, perfectly shaped small oranges for breasts, a narrow waist flowing gracefully into wide hips that tapered into those long legs. She held out her hands, and I…." "What did you do, Ma?" The worldly-wise daughters' question was almost impatient.
" I pulled the costume over her head to cover her nakedness and to
see if it fitted," "That is the whole problem. At that point I was so naïve. I didn't know what the gesture meant. Even had I known, how would I have handled that?" the old woman was asking herself. " I merely took it as part of Saraiya's extravagant exhibitionism and brusquely fitted the costume and then carried it off. Actually I was so stunned, I couldn't meet her eyes. I didn't look at her properly at all. Maybe, if I had, I may have acted differently. She must have felt so totally rejected and humiliated, because upto that point, we had vibed quite well together." "Then?" "Then what? Nothing. I left the room and carried on with whatever, I don't remember. Saraiya was distant. I noted that, but didn't attempt to get close. You know me. I'm not too comfortable with exhibitionists and I had decided that Saraiya was nothing but a shameless exhibitionist. But for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what she had wanted to expose for me for?" "It was not until many years later that I knew. In between, we almost lost touch. I heard about her marriage, and then its rapid breakup, about her 'close friend' Shreela. There were innumerable comments on how they were always together, on why Shreela never married and for occasional relief, or was it after a tiff, Saraiya would surface for a spell with some handsome hunk, but never married him. She became more and more blunt and manly and I guess, guys felt safer with her than simmering socialites whose marital claws may or not be cleverly disguised. Only very recently did lightening strike. I finally realized what Saraiya had wanted of me that afternoon. But, -- so much water had flown under the bridge, what was the point of raking it up with her or with anybody. I put it down to my inexperience and hoped that she may have done the same, although she must have been terribly hurt. That she would nurse such a grudge and wreck vengeance in this fashion --- that I would have never, never dreamt. " Nandita shrugged her shoulders helplessly and put out her hands to her children, appealing for their understanding. February 19, 2006 The Week of February 19, 2006
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