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| September (First) 2010 |
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| DELHI PRESS MAGAZINES : WOMAN'S ERA |
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WOMAN'S ERA /
FICTION (9/21) / AMMA
| Amma |
| She had a raw wound in her heart but some unusual events brought her unexpected happiness. |
| By Leena B. |
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It was a busy day for Shanti. She had to clean the whole house as Diwali was nearing. It was a festive season for everyone but not so in Shanti’s house. As she was dusting the cobwebs, she saw her husband’s photo.
Mohan and Shanti were married just 2 months ago. They were a happy couple. Shanti had shifted to Mohan’s house a week after their marriage. Shanti felt very comfortable in her in-laws’ house. Mohan was a businessman and had to go on many business trips.
On one such occasion, Mohan had to leave for Calcutta. It was just a month since they had got married. Though Mohan did not want to leave Shanti, he had to go on this trip to finalise a major business contract.
Shanti was in tears when Mohan left. She couldn’t bear parting with her husband.
Mohan consoled her and said, “Come on, Shanti, stop crying now. I will be back in 3 days. Just 3 days, no? I will be back soon. Now stop crying and send me off.“
Shanti smiled and waved goodbye to her husband.
As ignorant as a little girl sending her lamb to the butcher’s house, she sent Mohan to seek his end. The flight crashlanded just 10 minutes after the take-off. Shanti hadn’t even left the airport when she heard this news. All the passengers died in the crash.
Shanti fainted on hearing the announcement. When she woke up, she wished all that had happened was a dream. But fate was harsh to her. She saw her husband’s photo hanging on the wall with a flower garland around it. She wept loudly and, hearing the sound, her mother-in-law came to the room. She said, “Shanti ma, you couldn’t even see your husband for the last time. You fainted in the airport and the officers there admitted you into a hospital. You were lying there unconscious for 6 days. What could we do?, We just finished his last rites in your absence.”
And she started to weep, and Shanti embraced her. After half an hour, they were exhausted, but Shanti did not stop crying, as her loss was greater. Slowly, she got used to the situation and accepted it.
Suddenly, she heard the bell ring. She realised that she had been standing there for a long time. She placed the photo back and opened the door. A handsome man stood there with a cheerful smile. He had a bag in his hand. Shanti thought that he was a sales representative.
“We don’t want to buy anything. You can go,” she said. The man stood, blinking. He said, “I saw the To-Let board. I have come to see the house.”
Shanti felt embarrassed and she invited the man inside. She said, “I thought...”
The man said, “That I was a sales representative. Ah! That happens always. I am a bachelor. I have seen many houses, but nobody is ready to give the house to a bachelor. I don’t know about you people...”
And he smiled. Shanti said, “You will have to ask amma about it.”
She went in to call her mother- in-law. When Janaki came out and saw the man, she said, “Shanti, doesn’t he look like Mohan himself? No problem, you can stay in my house. But there are some conditions.“
Manoj said, “Whatever, the conditions are, I will abide by them, amma.”
“Shanti, did you hear that he called me amma, just like Mohan. He seems to be a very nice boy. What is your name?”
“Manoj Kumar, amma. I am working in JJP Company as manager. I earn Rs 10,000 per month. So I will give your rent properly on 1st itself. I have no bad habits. I will be back by 10 pm from work. So I won’t disturb you at night.”
“Oh! My god, these were the conditions that I was about to tell you, Manoj. I like you a lot, and moreover, you look like my son Mohan. The rent is Rs 3,000, well furnished.”
Manoj said, “I will shift today itself. I will be back after an hour.”
After he left, Shanti said, “Amma, you didn’t even talk to him. You just blindly believed whatever he told you. We are 2 women staying alone, amma. Did you think about that?.”
Nodding her head Janaki replied, “Shanti ma, we are alone in this house. That’s why I wanted to give a room on rent. This boy seems to be a good boy, with good character. It will be safer for us to have a male in our house also, won’t it?”
Though Shanti did not like the idea, she agreed and went into her room. She thought about Mohan and cried, and slept. When she got up it was early morning. She had forgotten about Manoj. When she came out of her room, she saw him standing outside her door.
Janaki got a bucket of water and gave it to him. She said,“The water is not reaching upstairs. Manoj wanted some water. He has to go to the office.” Manoj smiled and said, “Good morning, madam.” And he went off carrying the bucket upstairs. Shanti thought that there was something peculiar about his face. It was his smile. It was pleasant.
After all, she was a woman, a young widow. She could not help admiring a smart young man. As she stood thinking about this, she heard her mother-in-law’s voice, “Shanti, you want coffee or tea?”
“I am coming, amma,” she said and went to the kitchen. She saw that on the dining table there were 3 plates. ‘This was the arrangement when Mohan was alive. All the 3 of them used to sit together and eat. Shanti wondered why the third plate has been kept.
Janaki on seeing Shanti, said, “Oh! I forgot to tell you, Ma, Manoj will have his food with us. He said he used to eat in the hotel daily. I told him that he could eat with us.”
On seeing Shanti’s quizzical face, Janaki went on, “He said that he would pay for the food. We are not doing anything for free. Who is he to us?”
By this time, Manoj came to the kitchen, “Amma, need some help? I know a little cooking.”
“No, Manoj, everything is ready. As long as Shanti is with me, I can finish all my work very fast. Come, let us have breakfast.”
“Amma, your idlis are very tasty. Specially this tomato chutney. What a combination, amma. My mother used to cook like this, amma.”
“By the way where are your parents, Manoj?” Janaki asked.
“They are in my ancestral house in Ahthipatti. They did not want to leave the village and come to Chennai. They sometimes come to visit me.”
The clock struck 9 and Manoj left the house on his bike. Shanti liked the way he talked. He was a charming man. He respected amma. He had a good character, she thought.
As days went by, Manoj became almost a part of the family. They used to go together for shopping, to cinema, to beach, etc.
One day, when they came back home after watching a movie, Janaki was surprised to see some people standing outside their house.
When they reached closer, Janaki said, “Manoj, your parents have come. Take the keys and open the door.”
Shanti could not understand how amma knew that they were Manoj’s parents.
“Amma, how did you know that they are Manoj’s parents?”
Janaki felt trapped but she managed to say, “Ah! With so many days of experience in this world, can’t I know this? An old couple waiting on our doorstep? Who could they be? Moreover, Manoj had said that his parents would be coming this weekend. So I guessed it would be them. Come, let’s meet them.”
They went into the house. The old couple seemed very happy to see Shanti. The old woman said, “Ah! This is the girl, is it? She is like Mahalakshmi:”
Shanti could not understand why the old woman said that, as if she knew her before. She went in to get coffee for them. She heard her mother-in-law and the couple talking something seriously. Shanti could not understand what was happening.
When she came with the coffee to the room, they fell silent. The couple enjoyed the coffee and the man said, “The coffee tastes very good, Shanti. I hope to get such coffee every day,” and he smiled.
“Appa, your next bus is at 10. Come I will leave you at the bus stop,” Manoj interrupted.
So, they left very soon after that. Shanti could not understand whether the couple had come to see her or their son, Manoj. Why did they leave so soon?
“Amma, what happened? Why did they leave so soon? I don’t understand,” she said to Janaki.
“Nothing, my dear. The couple had come to attend a marriage here, and thought they could visit their son too. They told me that they could not stay here, as they have some important work in their village.”
Shanti, though not convinced by the answer, retired to her room.
Janaki came to her room and asked, “Shanti, what do you think about Manoj?”
“A very nice man,” Shanti replied slowly. “Caring, lovable, well-mannered. He is in a good job with a handsome salary. A very nice person. Why, amma? Why are you asking about him?”
“Nothing, he is going to get married very soon.”
Janaki saw the change in Shanti’s face, and knew deep down in her heart that Shanti loved Manoj and could not digest this idea that he was going to get married. The girl was stunned but did not show it.
She said, “Amma, I am going to sleep” and she lay down.
Janaki went to her room and looked at her son’s photo. Mohan did all his duties to his mother. He loved her a lot.
Mohan’s father had died in a car accident when Mohan was 3 years old. Mohan had seen all the trouble that a woman would face if she had lost her husband. With all those difficulties, she brought up Mohan to a good position. So Mohan was very devoted to Janaki.
On the day before his marriage, he called his mother and said: “Amma, I have to speak something to you. I have seen all the trouble you faced when you were a young widow. If something happens to me after my marriage...”
Janaki put her hand on Mohan’s mouth, but he continued, “Hope nothing will happen, but if it happens, I want you to marry my wife off to some other man. I want you to become her mother and take care of her, amma. I hope you will fulfil this wish of mine.”
Janaki saw the photo and thought, maybe he knew what was going to happen to him soon. And she cried.
Janaki knew that Shanti would not accept another marriage. So, she first sought a man who would be ready to marry Shanti and who had a good family background.
She found Manoj. Manoj had seen Shanti at the airport when she had gone to see Mohan off. He liked her, and found details about her from the hospital. One day, he came to Janaki’s house when luckily. Shanti had gone out. He talked to Janaki.
“I know everything about Shanti and Mohan. I have a principle that I will marry a widow and give her all the joy that she has lost I saw Shanti at the airport and came to know about the unfortunate accident involving your son. I don’t know to talk in a roundabout manner. I like your daughter-in-law. Will you give her in marriage to me?”
Janaki was perplexed and did not know what to say. At first, she was angry with the way Manoj spoke. But she thought about Mohan and her plight when she was a young widow. She didn’t want the same thing to happen to Shanti.
So she agreed, and asked about his family background and his work. She also asked for time to think, and took Manoj’s address.
Janaki inquired about Manoj at his office and other places. Everybody told her that he was the best. So Janaki was satisfied and happy. She then went to Manoj’s house, where she met the old couple, Manoj’s parents. They also agreed to the marriage, as Manoj had already told them about Shanti.
But they were surprised to know that a mother-in-law is doing all this for her daughter-in-law. Janaki told them that Shanti would never agree to the marriage. So they planned that Manoj would come closer to them.
As per the plan, Janaki let the house on rent and Manoj came to stay in their house. Slowly, Shanti also forgot her pain and grew close to Manoj.
Janaki thought that it was now time to reveal the truth, and planned to tell it the next morning.
Shanti got up early and she woke up Janaki with her bed coffee. Janaki got up and was happy to see Shanti up so early. Realising that she was not going to be with her for long, she asked her to sit by her side, “Shanti, you didn’t ask me who Manoj’s bride is’ Shanti didn’t want to hear any more and got up to leave. “Her name is Shanti, my daughter,” Janaki said softly.
Shanti was so happy that she hugged Janaki.
“Thank you, amma. More than my parents, you are the one who has understood me well.”
Manoj came into the room and Shanti ran into the kitchen feeling shy, all of a sudden. She did not know anything that had happened before.
Very soon, they got married. And Shanti left Janaki. Janaki refused to come and stay with them, as it was her son-in-law’s house. But she promised to visit them often.
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