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Workshop # 14
Stealthily he withdrew his hand and sat there motionless for few seconds. Then he shot a furtive glance towards her, expecting to meet her sad accusing eyes. But he saw her eyes were still glued to that distant spot on the west horizon as had almost been constantly since early morning. And once again he felt that aching feeling of fear in the pit of his stomach, which he had experienced in the early dawn seeing her standing there statuesque near the window. He had turned on his side and the steel cot had made lot of whimpering creaking noise as usual but it had not distracted her. Usually even the change in his breathing used to make her turn towards him from her bed in the corner. He had cleared his throat noisily and still she remained oblivious to the noises. Then a bit worried he had come to sitting position and dropped his feet down to the floor and called her trying to keep his hoarse and high voice low. 'Sulu'. But still she stood there unmoving, staring far away to the distant west horizon. And then he had got panicked. Since she had opened vegetable vendor shop out side there house, some twenty-five years ago, she never had missed her early dawn visit to the market yard.
Saying she had walked
across the room and had entered the kitchen. And now they were at this
beach for last five hours. He had finished off the whole bottle,
waiting for her to explain away her sudden decision. How they are to
make their living hereafter? She had no right to take such important
decision on her own. But he knew he has no guts and right to demand
explanation from her. He knew it, and so he had been doing only On the way paddling to the sea he was highly agitated and almost trembling but she was her usual self. After finding a relatively dry and clean spot away from the drainage pipe spewing gargling sewage water and enough distance away from the water line; they had sat on a sand mound placing the bicycle beside them. He had tried to embark on the subject, but she had firmly and politely said,
Now after consuming the whole bottle, his brain had been converted to an empty hall quivering with the dull obtuse ceaseless drumming sound. And listening constantly to this sound had made him drowsy. He watched her face, 'so calm and composed! How she had maintained the same youthful and dreamy look of her face after such a long span of hardship and sufferings? Even after living with her for last thirty years, she is still stranger to me. How had she managed to remain untouched by the evil and filth of this world around?' Without being married to him, She had been a real ideal wife to him, hardworking and always ready to satisfy his carnal needs. It had always been a real pleasure to sleep with her. Enthusiastic and yet undemanding, she had always had always maintained a delicate balance between passivity and activity. Renuka's mother had been a tired and ever complaining woman, dissatisfied with herself and with the world at large. From the very first day after he brought her from distant village to his shanty house, she always had been ill. Then after a short time, she gave birth to a premature weakling girl, Renuka'. Those three years had exhausted him and have dried up his will to live. When Renuka died of malnutrition, her mother had followed her daughter after being in hospital for two weeks. Then for months, he had felt kind of numb and relieved. And then one fine morning Sulachana had walked into his hut and into his life. He can distinctly remember that moment. It was early morning hour and he was sitting out side the hut, watching the crowd of women at the nearby water tap and hoping for some kind hearted woman to fill his plastic bucket with fresh water. Then Sulu had appeared in front of him as if descending from the heaven. Taking hold of the plastic bucket, she simply had uttered those few magic words that had changed his life course for better, "I shall bring water for you, Renuka's father, and if you allow me to live here, I shall take care of your house." He could not utter a single word in answer but kept staring at her with mouth open and eyes wide. After sweeping and cleansing his house, she went out and bought necessary thing to cook a simple but sumptuous food. Neither she had asked him to give money at that time, nor later any time. In the beginning, out of self-respect he had intermittently tried to earn some money by doing whatever menial work he can find, mainly to expend them on buying liquor. On the first night he was quite bewildered and confused when she had made her own separate bed away from his. But some times during the night she had come in his bed and he had had a first pleasant and satisfying experience in his sexual life. Within few days he realized that she did prefer to move to her own bed and sleep separately once they copulated. He also realized in few days that she is not interested to know anything about his past life or about his first wife or about Renuka. She might have got smattering information about his past life from neighboring women. But they never had discussed the past either of him or her. And that suits him all right. Any way he was quite satisfied with the life even when after a time he realized that his house is being known as Sulu's house by the world around, and he was being identified only as Sulu's man, or as Renuka's father. When she opened that vegetable shop and when the women of the neighboring families began to buy things from her shop, he had tried to warn her against giving out vegetables on credit. But in few days he found out that she actually was more familiar with their neighbors. For few days he was on alert and watchful whenever any male customer would visit the shop. But after few incidences in which she successfully shunned their advances, even sought help from the wives of such errand males. He thereafter kept away from her business, only occasionally accompanying her to the market yard if she expressed such a wish. "Look, Renuka's father" pointing toward the man on the terrace of the bungalow, "That fellow is a very famous heart specialist. Very kind hearted man!" Saying she once again had turned her attention to that distant spot on the horizon leaving him utterly confused. Why all of sudden she have imparted this information to him? And how does she come to know this man and his kind heart? He wondered. He awaited for some time to get further information from her, but nothing followed.
Therefore a bit bluntly he
asked, "Oh, Sulu, Why do you give me this information? What we have to
do with this famous gentleman?" She then extricated her eyes from that spot on the horizon, and turning towards him moved closer. She put took his hand in both of hers and he to his utter amazement, he watched her face redden and saw a glow of blush on her cheeks. What is this? Is she going to break some unexpected surprise news to me? Has she become pregnant? But No! It is impossible at our age. But then why does she blush? Then she once again glanced towards that spot on the horizon and in a soothing and quiet voice, said, " Renuka's father, you had been very kind to me for last thirty years, exhibiting full faith in me. But forgive me. I had been deceitful. I can not explain you everything, and even if I try, you won't understand. But I had been sent to your world by my people on a specific job of observing the working of the minds of men and women of very common human stock, of studying the poor citizen of the planet earth. I have been called back now, and now I will have to go." Saying this she took out from the inside her blouse a bundle of highly denominated currency notes and pushed it inside his breast packet. He in his whole life had not seen so much money and was so amazed that he could not find any words to express his amazement. And then suddenly she leaped up and began walking towards the bank in the direction of Doctor's Bungalow. He ran behind her few steps and then hesitated and as turned back to get the bicycle. But without turning back she stopped and said in a strange and align tone, "Oh, let that bike be there, hurry up and come here." Then as she staggered towards the doctor's bungalow for few steps, shrieked and gripping her forehead in both of her palms, she slowly sank down and collapsed in a heap in the sands. Enormous ball of blinding white light flashed around her. The world before his eyes turned ink black, he tried to rush ahead to support her, but sank on his knees, as he saw that doctor running towards them from the rear gate of the bungalow, he heard his voice, " Oh, God. Only yesterday, I advised her to be careful and not to strain. And now.."
– Dinanath Manohar Workshop # 14 Workshop # 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
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Unconsciously
his hand moved towards the bottle placed in between them. But before
he touched it, he heard her voice, "It is empty, Renuka's father. But
don't you worry. You would get lot of it in the evening:"