The Invincible Moonsheen – Part-27 (Telugu Original “Venutiragani Vennela” by Dr K.Geeta)

The Invincible Moonsheen

Part – 27

(Telugu Original “Venutiragani Vennela” by Dr K.Geeta)

English Translation: V.Vijaya Kumar

(The previous story briefed)

Sameera comes to meet her mother’s friend, Udayini, who runs a women’s aid organization “Sahaya” in America. Sameera gets a good impression of Udayini. Four months pregnant, Sameera tells her that she wants to get a divorce and the circumstances are conducive to it. Udayini asks her to listen to the story of “Tanmayi” and pursue her to make her own decision after listening to the story. Tanmayi and Shekhar, who met at a wedding ceremony, go to marry with the permission of their elders. After the marriage they started their new life in Visakhapatnam. A boy was born to the couple in a year of their marriage. Tanmay engages in her studies deeply and enjoys the friendship with her colleagues forgetting all about her household disturbances. Her parents came to stay with her for a month while Shekhar is away on his long-term camp.

***

          Bhanumurthy suffered a heart stroke. Luckily he was out of danger as he was taken to hospital on time. 

          The doctor warned not to experience any kind of emotional upsurge or stress. Tanmay’s  mother got seriously upset after this incident.

          When he was regained from the stroke they discharged him.

          Jyoti went to the kitchen to make tea and the boy was sleeping. Her father was looking sickened and weak on the bed.

          She could understand his anxiety and the stress he was experiencing after his sudden breakdown through his wearied eyes. Yes, his psychological strain had an impact on his physical health.

          It was time for sunset. 

          She dragged the trunk and opened the divorce notice. She needed to attend the court shortly.

          They hadn’t any experience with courts, judiciary or hearings. They hadn’t been to lawyers.

          …Ours is an average respectful family that strives always for social respect and longs for decency in relations. But it was broken because of me, and the impact struck him severely…

          Her thoughts dragged her to a guilty feeling.

          She went up to the building to escape from her stressful thoughts.

          She sat near her favorite flower creeper.

          How lovely once her life was?

          Her parents loved her, her grandmother and grandfather, her friends…everyone loved her.

          Shekhar’s entrance devastated her life, everything turned upside down. 

          She lost her mental peace and lost everything with it. She couldn’t keep her friendship with people like Vanaja. How disgusting it is to think about!

          She looked down and stared keenly at the dust flaring up and the following herds of goats, cows and sheep and the caretakers of them walking behind making shrill sounds and whistles carrying those meal carriers tied on the sticks.

          The sky gradually turned orange and faded into dark soothing everything serene except her.

          Tanmay suddenly remembered Ananta’s words, “You are under the sheer illusion of Shekhar’s love that you believed true so you have given the whip to him to control you!”

          Perhaps Ananta said it right. Do these innocent herds ever think of their safety in the hands of their caretaker just like me?

          I had been a stupid bum all these days not at least thinking of my bank account!

          Some of the household articles were still confined to gunny bags. She felt disgusted about her family life.

          She took off the books and set them in racks. When she lay on the bed she was reminded of the awkward demands of Shekhar and his mother. A pang of pain enveloped her like the darkness around her.

          When she watched girls of her age drive happily on scooters clung around her husbands, she felt pain in her heart.

          She couldn’t bear the consolation of the kith and kin visiting her bedridden father.

          “It’s so heart-touching to see this pathetic boy…we told you not to go for that match”

          “You people have had this custom it seems…Bhanumurthy’s sister stayed home when her husband left her”

          “Oh, he was a male… He can go with many…but we the women folk should tune to their whims and keep quiet…not go until it breaks…”

          “It’s useless to weep now, how can any girl set her life wandering around studies and goals?”

          To her surprise, Tanmay was shocked at her mother’s silence who shielded her family from any outward hurls of criticism and ended it with a severe blow.

          Tanmay was unbearable not about the things that were happening and happened earlier but to the thorns of the visitors they pricked in for their malicious pleasure. She retired from there if any visitor was present there. She confined herself to her room. She wept and wept but nobody was there for her to share her sorrows. A lonesome life!

          She took out her son’s photo frame and set it on her study table.

          Now she had only this one bond of love for his son.

          “Oh, my Anonymous friend! Give me the strength to lead my life in this world! but bless me with no defeat as a mother!” She wiped her tears silently.

          In the evening, she saw her friend Vanaja coming through the gate.

          Tanmay, who was looking at the sky, was shocked at her sudden presence. She ran out and took her friend’s hand excitedly.

          Vanaja said emotionally, “Oh dear! When Mom said about you I just couldn’t restrain myself and flew down here!”

          When the warmth of their surge subsided they became silent. They both kept silent for a long time which seemed to be the lengthy one they had ever experienced. 

          Breaking the ice Vanaja remarked, “Nothing to worry dear, You have to withstand everything, of course you will. I know you are confident!” 

          She took her hands into hers and, tapping them consolingly, said, “ “Be courageous…everything will be alright!”

          Tanmay suddenly broke into tears. She began to weep.

          Vanaja let her weep until she melted her frigidity weighing upon her heart and then said, “Weep until your heart’s out Tanu..it relieves you and makes you stronger to face reality. But you should also keep in mind that it will devastate your spirits once it overpowers you!”

          Tanmay gradually recovered from her bouts of sorrowful condition.

          Vanaja thoughtfully remarked, “ You would have served this divorce notice when you started thinking it was impossible to live with him, rather than waiting for his notice from him!”

          Tanmay, wiping her tears, looked at Vanaja’s face. She felt guilty for her inordinate negligence in not communicating for years, yet, she came to her forgetting her ingratitude. She had a big heart, a compassionate soul and empathy for the needy. How could she own such great maturity? Why can’t I? Am I a coward? Insolent? A stupid cliffhanger of superstition? or imprisoned by the word “Love”?

          She asked her the same.

          Vanaja thoughtfully said, “Of course not! Males and females both should revere social customs alike and are bound to the norms equally. The justice that bends to one-sided  should be shunted! The love! How can anyone say it was love when it was meant to crush others? You have taken his love for granted as it was true enduring his violence in silence” 

          Vanaja, as if she remembered something she had forgotten, took out a book from her bag and held it out.

          Tanmay looked at the book surprised. It is the novel JANAKI VIMUKTHI.

          She added, “This is for you, you ought to read it and think over yourself. I’ll tell you what Murthy said to Satyam in this. Without teaching the awareness of freedom of thinking, and the right to question, if we force our ideals upon others, they won’t give positive results. We should awaken the consciousness in them and support them”

          Vanaja continued,

          “You just take it that the evil got exorcized from you!  That devil itself left you and did good to you. Many were in the devil’s clutches and crushed till the end of their lives. Err is human but mending them is wisdom. Be confident and go ahead with your goals.

          Leave society and stupid relatives. I bet, these elements will sing to you when you stand upright. These critics will shower pleasantries one day, but of course, you needn’t care then..”

          She stopped a while and finally said, “My uncle was a lawyer in Visakhapatnam. I’ll give you a letter suggesting to him to extend his help and I will talk to him on the phone. If he couldn’t take your case up, he will at least suggest someone to deal with an affordable fee. Don’t be discouraged. I’m leaving tomorrow…” She patted her shoulder encouragingly.

          Then they both parted. 

***

          Tanmay read Janaki Vimukthi one to two times.

          Janaki who woke up to the higher consciousness through the interactions with her brother Satyam, disentangled from the clutches of her husband, struggled for self-sustenance and raised her child successfully with her earnings which inspired Tanmay a great deal.

          Tanmay thanked Vanaja after reading the book. She felt it was a book for every girl who was miserably suffering in the family folds. Now, Tanmay became strong and hopeful and looked at the bright side of her future.

***

          Bhanumurthy recovered well in a short span and in the following week, Tanmay set out to Visakhapatnam. The recent circumstances made Tanmay upset and the consequences of them ultimately fell upon her studies. She lost her instructional classes more than half and she was compelled to copy the notes from Ananta and Raju day and night. She was greatly disturbed when she failed to get shelter in the hostel.

          Meanwhile, Karun was coming there with a massive beard and sunken face. He looked distressed and sat on a bench stretching his legs. 

          Tanmay approached him and said in a low voice, “Please forgive me!”

          He timidly asked, “How do you do?”

          She took out a notice from her bag and showed him.

          “Oh God! Is it because of me? You must forgive me Mayi…” His voice choked with emotion.

          Tanmay knew it’s not his mistake… whoever was in his place these things had happened. She consoled him.

          “Of course, but I bet, I was one of the spoilers of your life and which became a painful wound in addition to my day-to-day troubles.” He was suffering from guilt.

          Tanmay could understand his agony. Both were sailing in the same boat. None was capable of resolving the other.

          After they were in longer silence Tanmay initiated, “I’m greatly disturbed Karun, I believe books are the best medicine for the worries.  Will you please help me to overcome this mental agony?

          He took a deep breath and said, “Tell me!”

          “Please fetch me as many JRF books as you can, I have no choice except this to overcome this agony”

          “Oh God! You are amazing. I wonder how you could manage your studies even in troubled times! I get inspired talking to you! Let me fetch Diva and Raju so that we can plan for it together” Then he walked away.

          Divakar greeted Tanmay and said, “Tanmay garu…my sister Kathya frequently asks me to bring you to our house…We may start our combined studies there itself…any objection?” Then he laughed pleasantly.

          Ananta said, “Ah Tanmay! Raju joined the EAMCET coaching center as a Sanskrit instructor. We rented a small house a bit away from this location. You need not worry about your stay, you can join us.”

          Tanmay felt delighted.

          “Thank you so much, Ananta…it’s heartwarming news!” Then she hugged her happily. 

          “Recently I have seen an ad about residential school teachers” 

          Tanmay tried to recall it.

          “The academic year had already started…perhaps they may not take at this point”

          Tanmay added, “We both may join at least like tutors in the evenings”

          Ananta whispered into Tanmay’s ears, “I don’t wish to join a job at present!”

          Tanmay deciphered the meaning of it. She is pregnant! She wondered why Ananta took that hasty step without financial support to get married and now to carry a child! Everyone should take care of them before anything happens. Once it happens there’s no looking back…they should go with it…

          She expressed her happiness and congratulated her saying, “Good heavens! I will cook for you whatever you long to eat!”

          They both got on to a bus and when she passed at her regular stop, Tanmay felt distressed. Once Ananta asked for her help to stay with, but now she is seeking after her! What a strange thing! Nobody knows when things will get upside down!

***

          Tanmay one day set out to meet the lawyer with the letter Vanaja gave to her. She checked the address and was satisfied before pressing the calling bell.

          The woman, seemingly her Pinni, opened the door and warmly welcomed Tanmay,  “Get in, Vanaja informed us” and she led her in.

          After a small refreshment, her Babai came, read the letter keenly, and asked to detail the things again.

          Tanmay stared at the quote on his back, Satyamev Jayate.

          She breathed deeply and narrated her story in detail.

          He listened to her attentively and nodded at her thoughtfully he drew the phone and dialed. When the other one lifted, he said coolly, “Will you be here in 15 minutes?”

          Then he turned to Tanmay and said, “Amma, Viswa is my junior, very honest and committed. Though he was a new face, he is worthy of dealing with such cases. I will introduce him now” Then he rose from the seat and started strolling in the hall.

          He said, “He filed the case on false allegations for divorce. We should win out from the case with proper evidence proving that the allegations are baseless and false. If you wish for a divorce it’s easy. But the violence you were exposed to was rather unimaginable. You may not prove domestic violence but you can about the psychological agony you were in. I appreciate your strength and tenacity in bringing it up. 

          He stopped a while and continued, “Vanaja is our favorite family member, we love her very much. As a friend of hers, we love you too and extend our help. Don’t worry about fees, I will help you until you can manage and whenever you have feasible you can pay me.

          Tanmay folded her hands in gratitude.

          Lawyer Viswa is an active young man. He was talking so fluently that Tanmay felt confident and relieved tension about her case.

          Viswa also said, “By the way, your department head is my uncle”

          Tanmay was delighted about it and she thanked her anonymous friend for granting many such favors.

***

          The next day Tanmay took his appointment to meet at his office. She waited outside till the other two clients finished their appointments.

          She remembered Shekhar who led her to this awkward condition and started to avert him.

          Lawyer Viswa said to Tanmay, “I am preparing your documents and you put everything on paper in word and spirit… Do you like to have some tea?”

          She respectfully said no… and she took the writing pad.

          Viswa said, “Take your time and narrate every detail, He did it very tactically and I bet he did everything guided by some lawyer…”

          Tanmay looked at him unbelievably.

          “Although he knew about your stay at Vizag he didn’t want to come to you. He knew that your friends would come to you for studies and so he intentionally made an excuse for his claims. He sent some of your relatives to witness it. Shekhar may use those duly signed papers taken from your friend for any ulterior motives. He had his tactics of leaving you and your kid alone vacating the house and fabricated a situation to go home by yourself intentionally. A woman can get a divorce on the pretext of domestic violence but for men they need strong evidence. So he did everything against you”

          Tanmay’s blood was boiling! How deceptive he was! She couldn’t expect it, she thought all were unplanned instead of well planned! He would have asked for divorce instead of this brutal intrigue. He wanted me to be blamed by all, scandalized by all and maliciously hoped to be helpless, penniless, homeless. That’s the reason why he set up with someone.

          What about the child? Doesn’t he have any responsibility or love upon the kid? Doesn’t he have any common sense? What did the child do to him? What would be the fate of the child if divorced? 

          She asked the lawyer the same.

          “You have options to choose from.” The one, by proving him guilty and refusing divorce and starting living with him;

          second, proving him guilty and filing a case on him for divorce; 

          third signing up a paper leaving him to his fate;

          And the child will come under your guardianship…”

          He is going on… but Tanmay couldn’t hear anything.

          She felt distressed and frustrated.

          What wrong did she commit? Will she deserve this punishment? 

          Her blood was boiling. She felt guilty and humiliated. She stormed out and collapsed on a bench. Her eyes were flaring and inflamed. Suddenly a great truth flashed like a bolt from the blue that can dazzle the entire world.

          “Satyamev Jayate” 

          She wrote it on the paper.

*****

(Continued next month)