SAMUDI/13

(13)

Harshad and Nayna went to upper storey. Harshad moved his hand on forehead. Though it was not too hot. I may switch on the ceiling fan. She did it so. Opened the window. Then she sat in the chair. The sunlight through the window seemed to be on Harshad’s ears. On seeing it, Nayna stood to readjust window curtain. At that Harshad thought that Nayna seems to be quite caressing from now onwards. One’s mind owe all sorts of details and would be lot of pre-conjunctures which might turn out to be quite true or otherwise, it generally happens only after betrothal. Nayna tried to pointout with her forefinger and said that the fellow in white dress if coming from the opposite direction, ‘he was our professor of English. I used to go to him for the tuition whole year. Harshad felt that Nayna’s it such mentioning was quite irrelevant. Harshad tried to read Nayna’s face. Of course Nayna was nervous for sometime then she was quite normal. Harshad felt that she was bit surprised! For a moment she was upset! Probably it might be some sort of illusion tool. Nayna might introduce him, as the professor was to be nearby. ‘Oh dear, where is the house of Naynaben? Professor was asking for!’ ‘You may ask someone, I am quite unknown…. Other words were not clear at all. Professor turned up to the other street. Nayna could breathe at ease, as she saw him away and then she said ‘Harsh’. ‘Ye!’ I will just come back. She left a magazine for Harshad! and went to the ground floor. While looking through a film magazine Harshad had countless thoughts…. Nayna didn’t call even though he passed by her house. She might be feeling shy as very currently her betrothal was fixed up. Though she had gone to take coaching for the whole year, was not even called for. Even though she heard, him, yet she didn’t pay any attention. That professor was quite handsome! Perhaps- Harshad was quite restive for few moments. Nayna came upstairs. She seemed to be at ease. Ofcourse, somekind of… relief. Where did she go? Did she meet that professor or not? Though I tried to look through magazine but mind was waves of thoughts. Thus I couldn’t make out. He was looking for Nayna’s house if so, why didn’t he came at all? Someone might have guided him towards our house! Harshad was quiet upset. The atmosphere was dull. Nayna said, as if she was speaking some dramatic dialogue. ‘Harsh’ Do you feel lonely? Harshad quite gently, why did you ignore that professor? He was starring at Nayna. Nayna got confused, infact she was very keen to to change the very topic itself. Tactfully Nayna said, now I have completed my education. Now I won’t need his help at all. Harshad experienced unusual thrill – ‘Sometime Nayna, won’t be in need of… any one?’ Ofcourse, Nayna does not belong to my fanciful world of the childhood! Is it that Nayna could be so selfish?’ Immediately towards the Guru! One would get down to greet hurridly even from the upper storey!... Is it that she might have tie of relationship with the professor! Of course, she likes me. There can’t be second opinion. She takes care of me… that is quite unquestionable. Harshad seemed to have got a big shock wave, Nayna would see from the window and not give a call… but how one would imagine at all! Harshad couldn’t sleep till midnight. Is it Nayna lacks in culture tremendously? Or something quite different… She might be improved after marriage… If someone slips during monsoon and becomes alert, there can be no objection! Didn’t he kiss Samudi that day? Nayna should be frank enough to talk freely, he won’t mind to forgive! But imagine, that there is nothing to be suspicious about it. He was lost in thoughts and confused lot. He began to feel as if there were spider’s web. He began to feel drowsy. He got up very early. He thought that Samudi may come to wake him up, but soon he realized that he was at Nayna’s place. So, Nayna might come to wake up. Waving of lights and bell ringing in a temple of the far outskirts was audible. Crows crowing was heard for sometime. Mosquitoes kept on muttering near his ears, disappeared. Now there was no more any spider’s web. Ofcourse, he had quite late sound sleep, so he felt quite fresh. It was quite cold wind through the window. He loved to have smell to moisted grass. He could see well spread out glittering grass in the ground. He could listen to Meerabai’s bhajans from the neighbour’s radio. There were some disturbances in radio as someone was making switch on and off. It would be good, if someone gets up. Generally people get up early if there is some guest in the house, otherwise people would get up quite late. Harshad was feeling uncomfortable in bed. His mother-in-law got up at eight o’clock. Probably, morning used to be so quite late in this house? Generally, Harshad used to get up around six O’clock. It was due to Samudi he had formed this habit. Samudi would bring milk around quarter to six. Water supply used to be at six O’clock. She would fill up water, then she would fold up beds, and lastly she would go to terrace to wake-up Harsadbhee, just to wake him up only. ‘Harshadbhee’…. She would call up from down stairs….. oootho, hado, havaa, havar padyoo, tadka chadyaa i.e. Get up, come on, now it is morning, there is sunlight too. With a view to prove about the high sunrise she would take a small mirror. There was the sunlight in one of the corners of the terrace. She would try to reflect on the eyes of Harshad. But Harshad would not move slightly as he had road till late night. But Samudi won’t leave it all! She would pick up a feather and give a very soft touch on his eyelids as well as on his lips. Harshad would be aside and say: ‘you may go down stairs, I shall follow you.’ ‘Ooothi reeya passa to ‘kahi Samudi’ beejo eepay ajmave. (i.e. Samudi would try again, you won’t get up at all.) Then she would try to insert the very end of her knotted hair in his ears, and even if he does not get up she would try to shake up his body. Kumbhakar nee jem chyon lagi gherso! Oootho hado aav. Mare pathari levee hh.. (i.e. How long you will sleep like (a giant) Kumbhakarna. Get up now. I have to fold up this bed also. Harshad would get up and murmur also. To fold up the bed, you spoil… my…. sleep. Samudi would make a little fun – ‘tamaroon lagan theegya kede nee aavoo….’ (i.e. I won’t come as soon you get married.) Generally Harshad used to get up due to twittering birds. But he would wait till Samudi would come to wake up. Harshad loved that one should come to wake him up. But now Harshad realized that Samudi won’t come to wake him up. He had kissed her upstairs. Next day Harshad got up too early because of the nightfall. He was stunned up. He couldn’t make out about the timings! There was dim light in the eastern part. Those sunrays passed thicket tree shrubs. Crows kept on crowing. Kites were trying to imitate cuckoo. Yet Samudi’s voice was not heard at all. Harshad thought that Samudi won’t come to wake him up. Who would trust me now? Now she won’t go to hillock and even she won’t come towards the very north of the village five kms away railroad. How nice it was for the both to go for a walk towards the rail road. Both used to bet each other to maintain balance keeping both hands fairly free. Whosoever was to lose bet was expected to pickup guava, rose-apples and mangoes for others. Ofcourse, both of us were accustomed to walk on rails. But sometimes one may fail to keep on balance. If so we used hold each others’ hand keeping grip of our fingers, we would run fast but never used to lose balance. But now! He embraced and kissed her though all were present, Samudi won’t think that Harshad might do anything in a desolate place or on a rail road! But I should not have done to her all this at the upperstorey! Harshad couldn’t make out why did he behave like that? It could be due reading of yellow novels! Was it due to erupted youth? No, it can’t be so, then what? Harshad couldn’t make out anything! He waited for Samudi to come covering himself fully. But for what, he was waiting for Samudi! He wanted to verify if she felt all ill about his behavior. She might come up if mother asks her to wake me up, if so, it would be meaningless! Pherhaps…. Samudi might not come at all. He sighed heavily and removed bed sheet. Samudi was just in front of! Harshad looked aside. Harshad couldn’t look at Samudi directly, due to his behavior of the previous day. ‘Ooonkho bandh noo karshe aava. Oootho hado, lyoo! Jonee mare sharam aaavti hey eem…. Ne Samudo khadkhadat hasipadi ne Harshadne kan aaamalta ooomeryu, hade ooobhathav.. maar aa goodade levooh nn hh.’ i.e. Don’t shut your eyes. Get upto now. As if you feel shy of me, Samudi laughed and tried to give a twist on Harshad’s ears. ‘Get up, I have to fold up matteress.’ Harshad looked at her! As if nothing had happened at all. Did she like his behavior! Or it would have been just casual. Harshad covered himself with a bedsheet to get down and he went to bathroom to take bath. Samudi noted that due to Harshad’s weight that mattress seemed to be unusually pressed. But Nayna didn’t come to wake up him. Therefore he got up surely perhaps Nayna might have thought that Harshad might have been asleep. Some time, people don’t get good sleep in new place. Nayna pasted a brush and gave it to Harshad and said, if you need a nimstick it is here. Harshad felt that it is quite wonderful! as she takes care! After tea and breakfast. Nayna arranged for hot water for Harshad’s bath. She had kept his towel and clothes in the bathroom. Harshad went to take bath. Tapwater flow was quite cold. There used to be quite a few bubbles of hot – cold and it used to get subside. Harshad loved Nayna’s voice. Her gesture rhetoric tone… was too fascinating! She was talking outside to someone. But due he couldn’t hear due tapwater noise. Therefore Harshad tried to slow down the tapwater flow. What shall we cook? What does Harshad kumar’s choice? Nayna would very promptly say, Mom, he likes to have sweet note. Mom, I shall cook for him today. But Harshad could over hear, ‘Do whatever you may choose or get something from the market to avoid wearisome.’ As he put his hand in the bucket he realized that water was too cold. He stopped that tapwater. Is it wearisome to cook for one’s husband? ‘Khovv, khovv, Harshadbhee, aaj toon mee banayoo hh.. Chevoo thayoo hh? Man khabbar hhh tamnoo ekloo pooran boo bhavaa. Leeyo jee nkheenn thoodu pooran aaloo. Laee lyoon aaatloo chyoon vadhar hh.’ i.e. Have it Harshadbhai I have prepared it. How is it? I know you do love to have sweet lump have some ghee in it. Have some. This is not much at all. Samudi said: ‘Harshadbhee, ooo…. Harsadhbhee, today I have got jujube from that Tikambhai’s place.’ Then she washed them, these jujubes were glittering reddish. She would remove that thin stem of jujubes and to handover Harshad. But there she stopped, as she was reminded of something. Wait a little, I shall make it little spicy for you. Then she went to the kitchen, tried to mixup some salt and chilly powder as she tried to do so…. ‘O God it is quite burning sensation.’ She had hurt her fingers while picking up jujubes from those thorny trees, she had lots of scratches on her fingers. She had lump also to pick up those jujubes which were on very high branches? Currently Harshad didn’t accompany Samudi to steal jujubes. Otherwise with a view to give support Samu, Harshad had to benddown and Samudi would get on to pick up jujubes. She would keep them all in her petticoats, then she would signal to Harshad to get away from the place very quietly. Then she would rearrange that opening of the hedge with a thornybush. But now Harshad was quite grown up. He won’t go to see the sunset at the hillock or even to steal mangoes or jujubes. To be grown up is painful… now Samudi had to go all alone. She had to jump several times. While opening the part of hedge, she had to remove those anklets to keep it carefully. She had to jump like a Catish style. She had two three scratches on her hand. Someone used to pickup jujubes from those lower branches. Generally Tikam Maharaj used to relax under the nimtree only after eating his lunch. She had to confirm whether Tikam Maharaj has started snoring or not. None would dare to open that hedge. Tikam Maharaj did not sleep more than half an hour. This was the only short period to steal jujubes. Samudi often though that gawky Tikam Maharaj should be given of doze of some intoxication or to give same such medicine with sweet balls that he would be it sound sleep. ‘Marcha aada hh te hari baoo balta balahh..’ i.e. Chilly powder gives lot of burning sensation. Samudi used to make all sorts whistling. She would put some fact and chilly powder and then give it to Harshad, though she had a lot of scratches on her fingers. ‘aa chhelivar aaaloon soon hoon.’ i.e. This is for the last time, I give it to you. She was bit in anguish as Harshad didn’t accompany her. It is totally futile to bank upon unknown. Ofcourse jujubes are available in the market also. But never like Tikam Maharaj’s jujube tree. Seed is too small with lavish plump. It is enjoyable even to chew that small seed. What a taste? Samu used to think that Tikam Maharaj used to sell jujubes not in the village but he used to go to the city area. Somebody should rob him as he passes through narrow lane. There was hardly any alternative to stealing. Harshad liked jujubes too much Samudi’s fingter-touch used to be quite juicy jujube. ‘Oh! God, why did you plan to have thorny jujube trees! While washing clothes tomorrow soap water would definitely add to my burning sensations. Shanta Aunty would should as soon as she would notice the very presence of Samudi. Aali, aavoon ber cham Harshadiyane aalonj? passa a ooodhras nee thay! i.e. Oh! Damsel Dandy why do you give jujubes to Harshad! Won’t he get coughing soon! What of that I shall give him juice of a medicated plant. Then! Meanwhile Shanta aunty looked at those fingers. She smeared some medicine on her fingers. She also loved to eat jujubes, thus Samudi used to be a lot of things! Nayna would consider it to be just boredom only.