The four of them lived together in the same room for two years, cooking their food. The final year degree examinations concluded. During their stay together for two years, they became very close to each other. They had to vacate the room in two days and go away to their places.

“Will it be possible for us to live together again like this?” asked Lakshman feelingly, keeping the vessel on the stove, having cleaned and washed the rice. 

“The sweet memories of these two years will keep our minds together all through our lives”, said Ramu cutting the vegetables. There was sadness in his voice. 

“Ramu! It is said that student life is golden life. We on our part, will have to safeguard our friendship as a golden dream all our life”, said Shyam cleaning the vessels, with moist eyes.

“Shyam! Whoever amongst us gets a job first will have to help the other three. Until we settle in some job or work we four have to postpone our marriage”, said Raju bringing in water in a bucket. 

“Raju! My parents want to celebrate my marriage this year itself. How am I to escape from it? The bride is related to me. I like her too. Her sister’s marriage is being put off waiting for me” Lakshman. 

With this information about Lakshman, the talk among the four turned on marriage. They finished eating their food, cleaned the vessels and swept the floor. Yet their discussion did not end. 

“None of us should marry till all four or us get jobs. Let us keep to this idea and prove our friendship”, said Raju with some determination.

“Raju! You have parents who can educate you to any level. Whereas, I don’t have anyone who can educate me. I am also not sure that I will get a seat in the P.G. course. My parents say that an auto can be bought with the dowry they offer”, Lakshman replied.

“Lakshman! I don’t like you saying that you will drive an auto having studied the degree course”.

“What does it matter what work we do? We must first do a job that fills our stomachs. Every type of work has its own respect. If my father and mother think that washing clothes is a mean kind of work, who will keep such a profession going? If you ask me, driving an auto is a better job than washing clothes”, explained Lakshman. 

“If you run an auto, will your wife wash clothes?” asked Shyam.

“Yes. What is wrong with it? It is a profession that has been followed for thousands of years”.

“Lakshman! Aren’t you ashamed to say that you will allow your wife, who has studied up to the tenth class, to wash clothes?” asked Ramu surprised. 

“Why should I be ashamed? Any profession has its dignity. If a profession is considered unnecessary for the society, will it not end there?”

“As a matter of fact, why should our wives work at all? It is enough if they take care of the children and give tea or tiffin to the guests that visit us,” Ramu expressed his opinion. 

Raju tried to correct Ramu saying, “in these days the families can be run decently only when the husband-and-wife work and earn”.

“If women also work with us and earn, will they listen to us? They will feel very proud”, Shyam. 

“Why do you think all women feel proud? Those who are proud, will express their pride even if they do not work and earn”, Raju explained. ‘

“That means, will you marry a girl who is working?” Shyam asked Raju.

“Yes. In these days it is women who are getting jobs first easily. Though I myself do not get a job, if the parents offer me their girl who is employed, I’ll marry her,” Raju.

“Then, what kind of a girl will you prefer, Shyam? Will you not permit your wife to take up a job even when she wants to be employed?” asked Lakshman. 

“I’ll do my P.G. Also, my M.Phil. I’ll marry only after I get a job. I’ll marry a girl who has a P.G. degree like me. But she must stay at home as a housewife. I’ll not allow her to do any job,” said Shyam.

“What you said is awful, Shyam. Her parents and the government would have spent four lakh rupees to make her educated like you. If you confine all that knowledge gained by her to the house, do you realize how much of the national wealth goes waste?” asked Raju.

“If you ask me, is it good if women also take up professional jobs? Or is it good if they remain as housewives? We must examine which of the two propositions gives greater happiness to the family. Shall we do that work during these holidays?” suggested Ramu. 

There was again a long discussion on this subject. Finally, all four came to a conclusion: They should each select a family near them and observe the family unobserved. After the results are out, when they go to the college to receive their memos, they should sit together and exchange notes of their observations. Having come to this agreement, they started out to go to a late movie which they would watch for the last time together. 

After two days, they bade good-bye to each other with heavy hearts and left to their places. 

Shyam who wanted to do P.G., secured a rank as expected. Though Lakshman wanted to do B.Ed., he was disappointed. Raju scored high marks in M.C.A. entrance. Ramu wanted to do P.G. but got a seat in law. The four did not get a chance to meet again together.

After the Dasara festival, the four of them met at the wedding of their friend’s sister. They all sat in a room at the conclusion of the marriage ceremony in the house allotted for the reception of the guests and friends. 

Shyam said that they should describe their experiences of their observation as agreed to earlier. 

They asked Raju to narrate his experiences first as they thought that he was good at describing. Raju started his narration. 

“I observed the family of Ram Reddy and Suvarna who both are employed. They love  each other. Both of them are teachers. He engages in tuition at home after returning from school. His wife looks after the cooking. Ram Reddy also cooks now and then. They have two children. The elder girl studies Inter first year in a residential school in Guntur. The boy studies the ninth class in the local private school. Ram Reddy’s brothers and sisters lead decent lives and have settled in life”.

“About the second family. Shivashankar and Gouri are both educated. He works in the excise department. She works as a typist in another office. They have a son and the husband pestered his wife to give up her job. He thought there was no need for his wife also to work as he was earning extra money by way of bribes. So, she gave up her job. Two more children were born to them. He got used to liquor as he was getting it free and it became a vice with him. His health got ruined. He beats his wife and abuses her. He tells her that he would spend his earnings as he liked. His wife tried to set fire to herself by pouring kerosine on her body, but the neighbors saved her. She left the three children with her husband and went away to her parents. She appealed to the higher ups of her office that she had applied only for medical leave and that she should be taken back to work on compassionate grounds. She now works as an instructor in a typing institute. She leads an independent life boldly, away from her husband”.

Raju narrated two more case studies. After the other two also had described the families observed by them, Lakshman began his stories as if it was his turn. 

“Bhimaiah and Rajamma- these two came from somewhere some time back and settled in our place. He brought this woman, eloping with her while he had a wife. Bhimaiah catches birds. Rajamma weaves mats. He returns home drunk with the money he earned by selling the birds. He kicks his wife. Early in the morning, his children take with them vessels to beg for food left over in the nights. They seek alms. They collect old papers and empty bottles and bring them home. Bhimaiah beats his wife and children whenever he wants money for his drink. Rajamma retaliated, unable to bear his blows and cursed and hit him. He shouted at her calling her Hidimbi*. 

“How hard you hit me! I am going. I’ll go away somewhere. Get on as you like.” 

So, saying he did leave his wife and children and went away. No one knows where he went. For six months she was fending for her family herself. After her husband left her, there was no one to beat her and abuse her. 

She improved her health and looks. Some men who had come away from their places like her, tried to marry her. They knocked at her door. She showed them the broomstick, and none went to her again. 

I told her that I would admit her children in the hostel; and asked her to educate her children. “If they are in the hostel they eat there. Who will feed me? 

I am eating something because they beg and get food. Anyway, who will give us jobs if we are educated?” said Rajamma. 

“Buchirajam and Hemalatha were married before they had any job. After Buchirajam secured a job, he made Hemalatha take examinations privately. He wants her to take up a job. She argues that it was not possible to work with the children and the cooking she had to do. 

“It is not just like eating when I work and earn. You will know what it is when you work hard and earn,” shouts Buchirajam. 

She retorts saying... “You were given a lakh as dowry by my parents thinking that you would find a job. Did you think of sitting at home when I earn money? Why should a man marry when he cannot feed his wife and children? It is the responsibility of the husband to take care of his wife and children. If you earn money, I will cook food, she argues. 

They waited for a son and had three daughters. The parents of Buchirajam live with him. 

Hemalatha expects to relax and seek happiness. “Are you a man at all and want me to work with other men? Are you not ashamed to ask your wife to work with many men?” she scolds her husband. 

Lakshman narrated two more stories in this manner. The four again discussed. Should a wife work or not? Is it difficult if she is more educated than the husband? They could not find any solution to these questions. During the discussion each one consolidated his opinion without a change in his outlook. 

“In Kavyalankara Shastra eight types of spinsters have been described. If they had discussed eight varieties of housewives, it would have been helpful in life”, said Ramu. 

The former roommates bade good-bye to each other wondering when they would meet again. 

Ten years passed by. During these ten years all four got married. 

Raju’s Bhagyarekha : For Buchirajam, who was called Raju, who wanted a wife that would work, Bhagyarekha became his wife. She did P.G. Her parents told him at the time of his marriage, that she would work if she got a job. After she became a mother of two children, she changed her mind. “I did not marry to take care of you. Why did you marry when you could not take care of your family?” she questioned him. 

“For your P.G. studies, your parents and the society spent lakhs of rupees. Has all that money gone down the drain? When you had such an attitude, why did you pursue your studies without staying at home?” he shouts.

“Do you ask me why? It is to get a good husband. The more I study, I thought, my parents would find a husband for me who is more educated. That is the reason but not to find a husband. Not for doing a job,” shouts back Bhagyarekha.

The month’s salary is hardly enough to run four days. She spends all the money buying this and that article saying the neighbors have them.

“You are not my Bhagyarekha. You are my Daridrarekha, not my ray of prosperity but my doom of  poverty”, he says and beats his brow. 

“You are not Buchirajam. You are Pitchirajam, the crack master”, she retaliates.

Lakshman after his auto accident established a xerox center by going  round and round places. He leads a decent family life. He has two children. His wife Lakshmidevi, whom he expected to wash clothes, makes herself up like Lakshmidevi alright, but does not step out of the house. 

“Why don’t you sit for some time in my xerox center. It will be of some help to me”, says Lakshman. 

“Many men visit your xerox center. How could you ask me to sit there? I am not able to manage the children at home. What will you do if I sit in the xerox center?” argues  Lakshmidevi angrily. 

“People of higher classes are also starching their sarees. They roll the sarees with starch. They are establishing Beauty clinics also. Why don’t you do some such work?” he shouts back at her. 

“There are men who want to give comfort and happiness to their wives but not many who force their wives to work. You are feeling jealous of me because I sit at home in shade and have improved my complexion and am beautiful. Okay, I’ll go to wash the clothes of other people. I am not ashamed of it. If you do not know that you will lose your prestige if I wash clothes, oh god! What am I to do?” she cries aloud to the hearing of all neighbors and starts weeping. 

“They have tied me to you only to ruin me”, he cries and lifts his hand to hit her. 

“Goddess Lakshmi Devi came into this house when I stepped in here. What had you, except dust, before you married me?”

Shyam, who had thought that he should have an educated wife but that she should not take up any employment, got Arundhathi, who had done P.G. for his wife. 

Shyam had always been expecting something or other from his mother-in-law. There was always a quarrel between Arundhati and Shyam. She got vexed with him and left his house saying she would not step into his house again. She said she has a younger sister who had to be married. She would take up a job and help her father. The quarrels between them did not stop. The birth of children too did not stop. Arundhati said she would not come home till he underwent vasectomy operation, as they have already two children. She left for her mother’s place. She took the group-II exam but did not get the selection. The women of the neighborhood made her the president of the Mandal as she was educated and talented. Later she became the Chairperson of the Women’s Bank.

Shyam had thought that his highly educated wife would cook food and feed him happily conversing with him. But now he had to do the cooking and wait for his wife as a wife would wait for her husband. This situation made him feel ashamed, as if he had lost his face. She would accuse and taunt him saying “you don’t have more than four periods a day. You have lot of leisure. Moreover, we have the servant maid. If you can’t cook on the gas stove, what else can you do?”

Ramu had said that a housewife should prepare tea and tiffin and serve the guests. That was enough for her. Why should she be employed in an office? Now he started encouraging his wife Geetha Devi to take up a job. Geetha Devi would threaten to give up her job whenever there was scuffle between them, for she could detect his weakness. When her parents came to their house, Geetha applied for earned leave for ten days and stayed at home to the utter dismay of Ramu. She asked him point blank whether he wants her to work or whether she should serve her parents. 

“Father, our house is small and congested. I’ll send you money and visit you every month. The village is a far better place to live. Nature and the atmosphere there are health giving”, he said to his parents. But his parents could come to know the real situation and left Ramu’s house. 

Four more years passed. 

The daughter of Buchirajam and Bhagyarekha, Bujji came of age. Bhagyarekha wanted to celebrate the function grandly like a marriage celebration. 

“When did you throw away all your intelligence into the Ganges? What is the need to celebrate the function of Bujji making her wear a saree?” asked Ramu. At once Bhagyarekha started her harangue and finally, they came to an agreement that only the near and the dear should be invited for the function. They decided to invite Ram Reddy who had retired and his wife as special invitees. 

The four roommates met again on this occasion. They praised their student life as golden life. 

Bhagyarekha was stunned and shocked when she saw Lakshmi Devi, graceful and beautiful. She had expected to see Lakshmi with her hair gone grey or copper and her skin full of rashes because of the constant use of soda while cleaning and washing clothes. 

Bhagyarekha again had to feel pained at her own looks on seeing Lakshman’s wife Lakshmidevi. Lakshmi had attracted everyone with her great aura of poise and dignity. 

The four roommates discussed their resolution made fourteen years ago, once again. They all agreed that what they thought would happen was different from what actually happened. 

Buchirajam concluded the discussion in a dignified and sad manner.

“The one big mistake I committed in my life was marrying”, said Buchirajam.

Suvarna interrupted him. “If your parents also had thought like this, would you have been born at all? If there is mutual respect for each other, whatever they are like, their family life will run smoothly. The great secret in married life is to reconcile and adjust to the situation. Your treating us as an ideal couple hides the truth that we both adopted the above principle”. 

The couples looked at each other at these words. Their looks made it clear that each one expected the other to reconcile and adjust to the other person. Ram Reddy and Suvarna were astonished at the meaning of the looks of these couples.