SAMUDI/18

(18)

Tejo was nicely settled in Mumbai. Ofcourse he was very hardworking and luckily got a city like Mumbai. He was quite crazy to earn money. He had a job in a mill. In addition to this, he was polishing diamonds. He used to have a rixa for passengers as and when there used to be crisis in polishing diamonds. He used to drink occasionally. Tejas had bought a small house in a chawl. A small room and (square) chawk like bathroom. Chawk could be used as a kitchen also. How tough it is too have one’s own house in Mumbai! Samudi used to get a hairpin as well as all costly things. He used to take her to hotel frequently. To walk on valvet carpet and to eat with a fork and spoon. If he were to find Samudi gloomy, he would plan out to go to movie. Samudi also used to earn very well. People were always keen to have traditional embroidery work from her. She used to get lot of work for sewing also. She used to sew for the whole night when her husband’s duty was in nightshift. Teja often used to think in spare time, how happy he is – that he could bring Samudi to Mumbai! On seeing soft red velvet carpet Samudi thought to remove her high heel chapals and to run over it, infact it was out first visit to hotel, she used to pick up red soft small insects in palms during rainy season in the native place. Those insects used to have contraction of its legs! Ofcourse it was very soft delicate velvet tough on a palm! Though Samudi removed her chapals but is it fair to run on the carpet in the presence of so many men! and she had her chapals on. And then, she started eating with both the hands dossa and sambar, as it was served in a stainless dish her nostrils swelled up a little. Teja said: ‘Samu’ here one should eat without fork and knife. Whenever Samudi used to have highheel chapals, she used to recall at the back of her mind the very touch of nativeland dust. Recalling wetland of farms inhaling sweet smell. How nice it was to walk barefooted! Was it a curse of Destiny that the daughter of the jungle area had to live in Mumbai? Ofcourse, yes, Tejo used to everything for Samudi! Samudi had no more that very spirit which one she had in the initial days in Mumbai! Is there anything unpleasant, she thought of! Why does she feel regret? Does she lack in anything? Why does she feel like that? Something missing! As if missing the very zeal or gusto of life! Somekind of dislike constantly agonizing! What sort of dislike is this? One fails to understand it! Probably, it is due to be away from the native land! Or probably the cause of father’s death! or something else! How Teja would feel if her gloomyness is to be long lasting! Didn’t Teja suffered a lot for her sake! Samu used to get herself totally engrossed due to such thoughts only. She used to be quite ready to look decent so that Teja might not feel that she remains melancholy! She used behave as Teja desired. However Teja was not that fool who would fail to guess about her gloomyness. Tejo knew that she didn’t recover from the shockvave of her father’s death. She does not feel at ease as she has lived in a countryside village. Tejo used to take her for a walk to Chopatee frequently. She seemed to be quite mad seeing the sea. She ran towards the roaring seawaves when she saw it for the very first time. What sort of her enthusiasm! Tejo was highly perplexed! He felt that it was all finished…. Just Samudi drowned. But one big wave as if lifted and threw her on the very sea shore. But when we went last time at the sea shore! We sat at the sea shore. She was staring at the sea, playing with the sea sand apparently seemed to be gloomy. With a view to make a big heap of the seasand, she raised up her petticoat, keeping right leg up, she began to collect sea sand with both the hands on her leg! Then she slowly withdrew her leg and made a house then she broke it and then began to scatter here and there forcefully in sand as if she had lost her childhood! Such a search was futile… Samu loved quite cool touch of the sea sand. She could evening recall of her country side wet soil. She picked up some seasand and put it in her mouth. As she experienced saline, she could recall at the back of her mind saltish lips of Harshad. She could recall warmth, she kept two hands side by side to have sea sand on her head, thus she seemed to pasted with sea sand completely! Then, she readjusted her blouse and pour some sea sand on her breasts. Tejo was totally bewildered on witnessing all that. All those who were nearby, they also were watching. On seeing this, Teja was ashamed of her also. Samu, what are you doing this? Are you mad? Get up, let us go hime. Teja felt on wayback that she was under black magic possession. If it were his own village, he would have summoned a witch doctor. He thought of to go back to nativeland for a few days. But Samudi turned out to be quite sagacious soon after all that had happened at the sea shore. In fact they almost stopped to go to the sea shore. Teja felt that the place where they had sat might be of superstition. There was a cinema very near to Samu’s chawl. As Samu and Teja was coming out of the cinema meanwhile Harshad was coming from the opposite direction. Truly H..ar…sh…d! How is it that Harshad you are here! She felt as if the whole world to be at standstill. But then – Harshadbhee, how are you? We… with a little hesitation. ‘We came to see a picture!’ Teja said, ‘come on, let us go together towards home. They went. Harshad and Tejo were talking. Samudi hardly said something. What has happed to Samudi? Harshad thought: Why she is too silent? How is Shanta Aunty? Thus. She had to ask only this much! Nothing more. Harshad asked ‘Samu, Are you comfortable in Mumbai? Will be comfortable. Ye. Only this much of response. After sometime she asked, ‘How’s Nayna bhabhi? Harshad said: I have thought of to have a break up of betrothal. On hearing this, Samudi’s facial reaction was nothing but blankness. She didn’t ask ‘Why is it so? There was weighty silence. Then there was tea-snacks. Harshad stood up and said: ‘O.K. I go.’ Teja said good bye Harshadbhee. Samu didn’t say anything, she stood by the doorstep. Then she raised her right hand. Her body seemed to be a wax doll, see except her right hand! As he moved ahead, Harshad looked back at the turning point. Samu was still at the doorstep as if fixed up in that frame.