Am in no mood to write the blog.The performance went bad.Had an exam to attend.Was so frsutrated that i have never been like this before.If i could dig a hole and disappear..Tried to cool myself by buying the weekly ananta vikatan and started reading it.Felt very emotional after reading a story .Spent 2 hours translating and editing it.read for your pleasure..
MR ENRORU BRIHASPATHI BY ANURADHA RAMANAN - TRANSLATED BY PUYAL
There was a huge laughter sound in the living room.
“Oh MR has come...” Raghuram forgetting his age and leaving his dosa half finished in the plate ran to the living room.
“ So what! He can wait until you finish another dosa. He always comes at the most inopportune times” Rajee murmured.
“You never liked him, did you? you always pick on him ,Whatever you say ,on my priority list MR comes even before my wife…” saying this Raghuram winked at his daughter in law Sangeetha ,who was helping her Mother in law in making chutney and ran to the living room.
It has been ten years since Sangeetha came to this house as daughter in law .She remembered her first visit to her husband's home as a couple ,after marriage with vinodh , as fresh as though it had happened yesterday. When the couple fell at the feet of their in-laws, Raghu said this “Vinodh go and take blessings from MR first, it’s only because of him that you have become an American citizen”.
“What Raghu what are you saying…” MR squirmed uneasily. “Uncle isn’t what dad says true” said vinodh and fell at MR's feet. MR embraced vinodh and tears of joy started flowing down his cheek.
That night, the “Shanthi Muhurtham” (First night) was fixed. Sangeetha was sweating profusely with nervousness and vinodh was blushing with a tinge of manhood.
MR was standing in the living room. He called vinodh and handed him a small box of sweets
“Uncle come inside” said vinodh. “No! No! I am a pucca Brahmachari ,even my shadow should not fall inside this room .Vinodh this is Thirunelveli iruttu kadai halwa, share it with Sangeetha ,don’t eat it all by yourself…” said MR with a smile flavored with friendliness.
“What’s that name MR? What’s his full name? And what relationship is he to us?...” Sangeetha asked all these questions when she was new to her in laws place.
“His name is Madhav Rao. Dad’s friend ,since childhood. He would give even his life for dad. He was working in a big organization as manager. He never married…”, said Vinodh.
Why? Asked Sangeetha with her curiosity increased.
“Some way he never liked marriage, but he never interfered in anybody's wishes .To make the matter clear, actually he was the one who argued with dad for my sister Priya's love marriage and made it a reality. But mother never liked him…”
Why? Asked again Sangeetha betraying a sense of pitiness.
“MR would turn up here at the most inopportune times, he would come suddenly and would say “come Raghu pick the children, let’s go to a hotel… “Or “give me some rasam in this vessel…” carrying a small 'sombu'. Mom could not say yes or no. Dad never worried about that, for him only his friend came first...”
Vinodh’s brother Babu once said “Before marriage and after marriage Mom never got a chance to be alone with dad. MR Uncle would have always been hanging around dad like a villain.That's why Mom still carries the grudge against him and gets angry whenever she sees him…”
Sangeetha thought that her Mother in laws anger was justified.
Now it's Deepavali time, all the four children's families have come home which is a rarity. They will have many family issues to discuss and this ageing, sixty something MR doesn’t have the courtesy to stay away from the house to enable it.
Sangeetha narrated the morning's incident and Raghuram's banter to Vinodh.”But Sangeetha ,replied vinodh ,our family is very lucky to have MR uncle as dad's friend .With out his help neither me or Babu would never have went to college”
Overhearing her son's words Rajee got very angry .Oh depending on him did we bear 4 children. If your dad's salary was not enough I would have worked as a maid and brought you up…”, she rebutted.
Sangeetha was heart broke. Why was her father in law having MR's friendship while such an undercurrent of hatred was there against him in the home.
That evening....
The whole family went to the Kapaleeswarar temple .Priya and her husband were window shopping at all the stalls ,Babu and Bharat were going their own way with their wives. Vinodh was walking with his Mother and his children.
Raghuram's slipper strap gave way enroute and he struggled to walk with it ,so he slowed down ,Sangeetha joined him and gave him company.
“Mama (Father in law) where is your friend MR” Sangeetha asked her father in law.
“Oh MR! He went earlier to get the coconuts and fruits for the archanai” replied Raghuram.
“Mama if you don’t mind, I will tell you something, I don’t like MR hanging around and frequently disturbing us, Atthai (Mother in law) is also feeling the same way...”
Raghu stopped walking. “Did Rajee say that she doesn’t like MR coming to our house” he asked Sangeetha.
“In the morning ...” Sangeetha narrated Rajee's outburst to her son.
Raghu cleared his throat and turned towards Sangeetha and said “ Rajee herself knows that her anger towards MR isn't true. How could she drive away a man she loved for 8 years?”
“What?” Sangeetha froze .
Raghuram without any hint of exaggeration proceeded ahead. He said “ I do not have to say this to anybody ,but I am considering you as my elder daughter and saying this to you. Once when Babu was with bad company ,MR caught him red handed and slapped him. Abu asked MR "who are you to slap me?”. That night how Rajee cried and twisted in agony only I know...”
Now Raghu laughed at Sangeetha and proceeded ahead “what are you wondering? Even in our times there was love and love failures. Those days MR was the hero. He was intelligent and handsome. All the girls in the neighborhood would do anything to talk to MR .But he somehow fell in love with this foolish Rajee. He would write her endless letters and give her sweets .Rajee would also give him her homemade bajjis and pakodas.I was the go between these two and carried letters and eatables to and fro…”
“MR was a Telugu boy .So both the families did not agree to the marriage .One day he took a black beaded chain ,kept it under the temple goddess' feet for blessing and gave it to me and said “Give this to Rajee and ask her to come out of her home and I will take care of the rest”. I did exactly what MR told me and asked Rajee to get ready to catch the early morning train. But Rajee was scared .she thought her dad and mom would commit suicide if she did some thing like that...”
“Then how did she marry you...”-Sangeetha, separating her dried lips.
Raghuram bent down and picked the slipper and threw it away. He then smiled at Sangeetha and proceeded ahead.
“Some how, her dad got wind of the affair and met my mom and arranged for a marriage between both of us. A distant relationship, a beautiful bride ..My mom was very happy. I refused to marry Rajee saying that I did not like the girl. But I never revealed her affair with MR to anybody…”
Sangeetha was nearly fainting and was wondering how her father in law could tell all the events with such a ease. This kept her away from asking her father in law any more questions.
“Rajee's dad spoke to me alone and said that he would marry Rajee off as a third wife to a zamindar, if I did not marry her. Under any circumstance would he marry Rajee to MR…”
“Hearing this MR was devastated .He told me that he could never see Rajee’s life torn to tatters in front of his eyes and started crying. If you marry her ,I will at least be happy that she is safe with you. Please don't spoil her life by refusing to marry her, he sobbed. He promised in front of god that he never had any physical relationship with her .I was shocked. I would have believed him ,if he just had said a word. No one knew both of them better than me...”
Raghu's lips began to tremble and tears started rolling down the cheeks
“Then why?. Why Athai? How athai would feel seeing him everyday “ asked Sangeetha gathering some courage.
Raghu laughed out loud .”You only know that much .She has been my wife and mother to my children due to societal pressure and matrimonial promise. Her heart is still with MR. If he doesn’t come home for 2 days ,she would start feeling bad. She wouldn't even ask me why MR was not there. She would start weeping without any reason. She will bark at others for no apparent reason. She still has that black beaded chain MR gave to her in the locker..”.
Raghu paused for a second and continued “ Do you feel bad about the behavior of your mother in law?...”
Sangeetha replied in the negative.
“Please don’t! It’s a sin. She cannot forget MR and cannot move away from me. I cannot hate either MR or her. It’s the same for MR too. She’s a woman that’s why she cannot say anything to anybody. I hope you would understand a woman's feelings and not ask her any questions...”
Before Raghu could complete. They neared the temple entrance. MR came rushing towards. He started shouting at Raghu, “If your slipper is torn can't you call my mobile and tell me ..I would have given you my slippers. Why did you walk bare feet. Dont you remember that you are a diabetic. You don’t have any responsibilities…”
MR was agitated,Raghuram was laughing. Sangeetha turned the other way to hide her tears.
In the distance she could see Rajee ..Around her were her children and grandchildren like a chain of black beads.
