The Invincible Moonsheen
Part – 29
(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.
***
The next weekend Tanmay went home to bring her child.
Bhanumurthy asked her, “Why did you join the job at this point when you decided to do a Ph.D just before completing your MA course in two to three months?”
Tanmay could understand that his father hadn’t liked her warden post.
Jyoti intervened and said, “Why do you discourage her when she wants to stand on her own? Let her do it!”
She had strange feelings when she thought of his father’s love and, at the same time, her mother’s insinuation about her dependency. Suddenly tears rolled down. She always felt it was painful to leave the house. Now she decided not to depend upon their parents furthermore.
It’s strange!
She expected they might at least express a feeling of responsibility to support her until the problems came to an end.
She felt she was cursed. Her marriage life was also a failure on both ends. Standing up on one’s own feet and the exceptional love towards him became the endpoint. Two extreme poles! Is it a natural phenomenon for everyone? Was it exclusive only to me? How could that guy be so cruel and quit the child so easily?
Jyoti patted her head consolingly, watching her daughter’s tears, and said, “Be brave, thalli; everything will be alright. Control yourself; once the health of your father is set right, he could come to you frequently or weekly once!”
Tanmay felt something different in her mother’s attitude. She wasn’t asking her to stay with them. Was she concerned about relatives’ comments or in support of her self-reliance? She couldn’t derive any plausible conclusion from her mother’s attitude. She went upstairs and looked vacantly into the darkening sky. Birds return to the nests and perch on the branches chirping and bustling.
Tanmay’s eyes fell upon a chick lagging to fly and the mother bird helped it wait on it to accentuate its flight. Soon the chick accelerated its flight and joined the flock. Tanmay’s brain caught the answer from the occurrence suddenly.
She got relieved and began to get down. While she was hurrying up she heard some familiar voices from the verandah.
Shekhar’s parents were seen talking with her parents. Shekhar’s father was talking about a business deal with Bhanumurthy.
Devi took up the kid and began to lisp, “Wow…My cute…where’s your dad nanna?”
The kid became cheerful and began to utter the words… “Dad… dad…dad…”
Tanmay felt irritable at this hubbub but she kept quiet and stood aside silent.
Shekhar’s parents did not even feel her presence there. She remembered their first visit. She was standing at the same place keeping her head down shyly. Shekhar started coming occasionally to her. She couldn’t understand why that pelli chupulu was arranged. While Shekhar’s mother was curious about her ornaments, his father looked at her reluctantly.
“The girl is very lean and weak. Boost her up with nutrients!”
A roar of laughter bursts out following the comment.
Later she was forced to take a course of injections on her back by a nurse on alternative days after the marriage. She couldn’t gain weight but she left with pain forever as and when she strained upon the leg.
She felt uncomfortable there. She walked into the kitchen and asked her mother who was busy making tea.
“Why did they come?”
Jyoti looked at her sharply and said, “We are concerned about your future, though you conveniently escaped from it!”
Tanmay couldn’t understand her words.
The kid was high-spirited in their presence. It means they were coming here frequently, and perhaps the news about her joining the hostel was also disclosed to them. Tanmay suddenly felt irritable about their parents’ attitude. Hadn’t these people had any concern about that guy who dragged me to court steps?
Why do these people maintain relationships with them?
Why was my mother hosting them cordially even with pain in her soul?
Why were those people showing exceptional love for the kid, unnoticed by my presence?
She developed a headache and decided not to come frequently to this place to stay peaceful.
***
Tanmay led the kid into the school premises, holding his tender hands.
He slept all along the bus journey.
He looked at the great structures around him with his widened eyes as it was his first encounter with the outer world with his Mom.
Murali, looking at the child, came to him and said, “Wow, how cute!” and took him up into his arms admiringly.
Mrudul jumped on him as if he was very familiar to him.
Venkat remarked, “This kid is not meek like you, seemingly hyperactive. Why do you call him Babu? Isn’t he Mrudul or Mrudul Babu? Like a Bengali?
“Good heavens! Better let’s confirm it in the school register too…”
Tanmay said laughing.
Venkat remarked joyously, “You are warden for girls, but this kid is a male child, norms do not allow this kid into girls’ dormitories”
The kid ran to her mother hurriedly and wrapped his arms around her.
Tanmay consoled him tapping on his back.
Venkat remarked, “Ohh…don’t worry! We don’t admit kids below 5 years into boys hostel” and laughed aloud.
“But we take him in the Yoga session,” Murali added with his same brightened gesture.
***
Within two days, the kid won the hearts of every inmate, from gatekeepers to cooking masters. Everyone enjoyed his presence and loved him admiringly. Vivekananda School had become a peaceful shelter for Tanmay when she was left lonely and helpless without any support. The Om echoed in the wee hours of early morning at daybreak, filling her soul with confidence and peace of mind.
The caretaker ready warm water for the small kids every morning after the Yoga session. They give a bath to all the kids after the massage with turmeric and flour. They looked like tiny Vinayakas made by Parvathi. Tanmay asked the kids to fetch some lotus flowers and arrange them in a big water bowl.
She called the older girls for Rangoli training.
They gathered around her. Within no time the premises started sparkling with a festival atmosphere with vibrant colors and hues everywhere!
Venkat, who was passing by, excitedly remarked, “Is it School premises, or am I visiting my village?”
Murali, who was following him, raised his eyebrows in great appreciation. She felt it was stronger than words. His peaceful countenance, vibhoothi on his forehead, his sparkling eyes make the children disciplined.
Venkat proposed, “Are you coming with us to the adjacent Old-age Home?”
Tanmay nodded and started with them giving the boy to a caretaker.
Tanmay observed Murali’s appreciative gesture when she wrapped her saree around her shoulders. They headed to the banks of a pond after they passed the school campus. The surroundings were filled with greenery, the source of water seemed abundant and the row of cliffs standing erect with pride towards the sky exemplifying the supreme goals.
Tanmay was surprised when she found out Venkat and Murali were Engineering graduates.
“Why Yoga then…?”
“That’s fate! As you did your wardenship with M.A., qualification!”
Venkat laughed.
Of course, it’s true. But I have my headaches.
Venkat is working as a warden as well as a Computer instructor. But what about Murali?
Murali didn’t say anything particularly but smiled eloquently.
Venkat added, “We are classmates in engineering. When I happened to attend the interview he accompanied me here. Murali, fascinated by the Yoga session here, joined to attain his goal and farewell to his engineering job.”
Tanmay looked at him admiringly. But Murali, not caring what was happening there, walked ahead. They reached the Old-age Home. There were 20 old people. All were sufferers of various woes and follies of fate. A few were desolated from their families, others were orphans, and many were beaten down by various illnesses and diseases. And the others were in their final moments, waiting for the call.
Murali offered bananas to the inmates and helped them in dressing the bondages. He shared their sorrows and consoled them kindly.
Tanmay felt something different after coming back to the hostel. She felt the troubles she was facing and they were nothing of those people’s, suffering on the beds waiting for the call from God. The satisfaction in Murali’s eyes learned a new lesson. She could understand the importance of service to others and decided to enjoy the fruits of service to the needy. Then, she began to participate with them in social activities in addition to the prayers, bhajans, and distributing medicine to the older people.
She took part in Pooja every Sunday morning with garlands made of Deva Ganneru flowers along with Murali. She donated 2 percent of her first salary to buy fruits for the old age home inmates through Murali.
***
Final year MA exams are fast approaching. And then the challenging JRF entrance exam. She became breathless and thoroughly engaged in preparation. When she was busy skimming the notes sitting on a department bench suddenly Ananta hoodwinked her from behind.
Ananta sneered jovially, “Will you stop it for a while and join the cultural party with me please?”
Tanmay smiled and nodded and followed Ananta.
Ananta, raising her eyebrows, asked, “Hopefully you are fine with your new job and new life!”
Tanmay nodded and smiled coolly.
Ananta remarked, raising her eyebrows, “Oh, I want to join you there with you! Our gang wants combined study for final exams. They are much more worried about JRF rather than these exams. We just wanted to stay around the library! What do you say?”
Tanmay suddenly remembered Ananta was pregnant and she asked, “Are you okay now?”
Ananta said normally, “Yes of course, but I aborted Tanmay!”
Tanmay was shocked at the news and felt pity, saying, “Oh, I am sorry, Ananta!”
Ananta took it lightly, “It’s okay! Indeed we are not in a position to grow a child presently. The foremost thing is how we can overcome these exams!”
Tanmay felt surprised listening to Ananta. Will it be possible ever to take in such an easy way the bonding between body and soul? She remembered her first experience with her pregnancy. If we can’t take things easily, we have to suffer from frustration, sorrowfulness, disappointment, and everything. When she stepped into the hall, she heard Karun reciting poetry from the stage.
SHE
When her looks
United with mine
My Vitals rose
When She shuts her close
My life goes lifeless
There was an uproar, whistles, and claps. Lots of noise and bustle.
Tanmay suddenly collapsed on a bench coming back to the last row.
She felt something unusual and disturbed conscious about something odd. She was feeling suffocating. All these days she was a bit away from all kinds of disturb-ances and peaceful with the people around her in the school.
Is it going to be a new problem?
She looked at Karun on the stage. He was handsome and bright and neatly shaved, and in a very excited mood with his poetic recitation.
Was I the subject of his poem?
She felt a shiver run down her spine from her legs.
She felt something weak inside her heart. But it’s inevitable to join the combined study tomorrow onwards.
JRF preparation was not an ordinary matter. We should put lots of effort into the final months. Group study is a must at the final stage.
She closed her eyes and prayed, “Oh my anonymous friend! Give me the strength, concentration, and tenacity to break through our goal!”
*****
(Continued next month)
A post graduate in English literature and language and in Economics. A few of my translations were published. I translated the poems of Dr. Andesri , Denchanala, Ayila Saida Chary and Urmila from Telugu to English. I write articles and reviews to magazines and news papers. To the field of poetry I am rather a new face.