SAMUDI/12
During Diwali Nayna had come at that time. She had sought permission from Shanta Aunty to put on dress as she didn’t find it comfortable to work in Sari, next day when while going for a walk she had put on light pink colored top with big collar. On seeing such a fashionable big collar, Samudi was highly surprised, she couldn’t restrain herself till she caught Nayna’s collar and shook her. She had a roaring laughter as Nayna’s collar was too big and said in a tone of astonishment! ‘Aa maru betun hathina koon jevoon chevoo hh. Neeya bhabhi’ (i.e. O! my word, what’s this quite big very much like an elephant’s ears! Nayna bhabhi.) Nayna used to be quite upset. She used restrain her anguish as Shanta aunty, used to treat her very warmly. But, Samudi used to look at her with squinted eye, as if she were warning her! But Samudi didn’t bother to pay any attention to it! She used to be quite crazy in her laughter. Her crazy laughter seemed to be our house quite musical. As if it were ringing of a brass bell. Those musical waves, very much like slippery water ripple waves used to have soft touch to unknown Harshad’s mind. Harshad couldn’t even think of it. Ofcourse, currently Nayna’s laughter seemed to be quite artificial. Harshad could hardly imagine Nayna, as she was to decite like a female deer could be even so hardhearted and cruel. She used to mention lot of great things in her correspondence… Was it all pretension? Did she possess any transparency of a stream! Everything measured up, fixed, weighed, dull, fickle…. Quite artificial! Didn’t she owe affection or sentiments? It’s good that we aren’t yet married. There is enough time to say ‘No’. Hell with a bondage of castism! One shouldn’t jump into Inferno. Harshad was lost into countless thoughts as if one might be serpants on a sandalwood tree. Even Samudi could say flatly ‘No’ to her father! Shontafaiba, moo to bapane koi didhun kk mooo eeni hare naee paeenao. (i.e. Shanta Aunty, I did tell my father that I won’t marry him.) Passaa i.e. Then! Passa hooon! baapa kooyan bolya nee meeto aly kaeee dhidhu ke jivalana lagan vakhat jon aaeeti eemo aanvar banyoto ee sokaro mane game hh. (i.e. What happened afterwards? Did your father say? I even told that when there was a marriage ceremony of Jeevli at that time the fellow who was the bestman of the groom, I liked very much.) Samudi’s father could fulfill her wish about the marriage though he had to sacrifice himself against his caste. One has to take clear decision. How long am I to wait on a raised entrance? The father-in-law did ask reluctantly at the very auspicious event that currently several young boys seem to be backingout even though after betrothal they move around with proposed girls, how about you Harshadkumar!’ What do you think of me? Do you think of me to be a vagrant? But if there is a counterfeit coin? Harshad thought about it. Hell with father-in-law’s caste! Am I Brahmin? He used to say among his friends that he is not Brahmin but a human being. He often boasted that he loved the whole world as a native land. And today Harshad seemed to be totally helpless to seek breakup. He had no guts to say pointblank ‘No’. He hardly bother about it. But his father would be hurt, if he were to do so! Once we had been to hotels and theatres moving around after that auspicious event of betrothal, its affirmation, now to reject it! Of course one would say, flatly ‘No’. But… it’s a matter of strain, if something might go wrong with the father! He does have blood pressure. He would never think of suicide but his inner feel might lead him to somewhat gradual decline. Harshad knew his father very well. There might be none, so soft very much like him. His father couldn’t move in the village when Harshad had failed in Matriculation. If someone might ask about the result what could be the answer? His voice would get totally choked up to mention about Harshad’s failure…. Even in such a matter he couldn’t go through the village, if so, what would happen if he were to say ‘No’, he would never be in a position to go out! He had to be in city hostel after passing examination next year. Even on, that day his father’s eyelids seemed to be moistened. It was the mother who could wipe off tears with the end of her sari, but Samudi kept on babbling and laughing till I left. Harshadbhee, Samudi kahyou hatu, bhani gani motta sahib thajo. Hachveene rejo. Sharir hachavjo. Shardino kotho hh te varhadmon bare noo jasho. i.e. (Harshadbhai said Samudi, have good education to be a big boss. Be careful. Don’t go out in rain, as you are susceptible to cold.’) What sort of wisdom she expressed. Harshad said, yes, ofcourse Samu Aunty, do you want to say anything else? But as Harshad boarded the bus, Samu said in a choked voice, Shontafai, ‘I won’t like…’ There it was a big breakup. She embraced Shanta aunty and cried loudly. ‘Le gondee, Shantafaiba bolya, toonto Harshad Chhodi hoy aane hhar valvani hoy eem ker s kn chhoni renn, hend’ (i.e. Shanta Aunty said, you crazy… you behave as Harshad seems to be a girl who would go to her father-in-law’s house. Be quiet, now.) My father didn’t weep but his face seemed to be swollen due to tears. It was unfair for Harshad to see his father quite gloomy. But his father was nearly sixty five… infact it was a matter of one’s life. It was quite unfair to venture in the erroneous direction. It is desirable to be bachelor than to marry such a girl… There was some reason as Harshad began to think like this. Harshad had a lot of castling in the air about Nayna but it suddenly shattered away due to some one or two incidents. Harshad was frequently invited to his father-in-law’s house. Once he went there. While entering the street, Harshad saw Nayna in a petticoat and shirt, it was all matter of infatuation. How did she look, so small and carefree? As she began to put on sari, it seemed as if her handed feet were tried up. It was more of some tension than a sari. Nayna turned out to be the very talk of the village, as she had put on ‘Dress’ during Diwali time. ‘aaay haya! Veeva thya kedi te balyu aaavoo peray?’ i.e. Oh, no! Is it fair to put on such type of dress as one’s betrothal is fixed up.) Since then Nayna used to put on sari, probably her mother might have advised. No sooner Nayna saw him very close to the entrance she ran away into the house. All began to say in the house ‘Harshadkumar has come, Harshadkumar has come: Harshad sat on the sofa. His mother-in-law gave a glass of water. She had a glittering steelglass wherein her forefinger was in the glass and a big steel pitcher in her left hand. She asked where abouts of the family. She talked all about her relatives which turnout to be a boredom. The princess Nayna came, opening a room, an hour had already passed by, she posed herself as a royal princess, she was in Sari! For a while Harshad thought that Nayna had no hurry to meet him at all. But what sort of her letters were! What was important whether to meet me or to put on Sari tactfully! When Harshad had gone to attend Samudi’s marriage? There was high power bulb at the very entrance of Samudi’s house. There were two or three police. There were lots of silken clothes few. There was a huge canopy in which Samudi had done traditional lovelly embroidery work along with small glass pieces which used to keep on glittering on a windy day. There was some kind of noise from the upstairs, as Samudi and her friends were sitting near the window. All of her friends were engrossed in ‘Mehandi’ design. Samudi suddenly got down the ground floor. All were shocked to see, the way she seemed to be quite crazy! She took away Harshad’s bag, her ‘Mehandi’ design was partly spoiled! ‘Chyam Harsadbhee’. i.e. How are you Harshadbhai! As she had hurriedly got down from the upper storey, she had breathed fast after a few seconds she said: ‘Chyam aatla moda aaya.’ (i.e. Why are you so late?) Oh… ve let me have bag, design of your ‘Mehandi’ will be spoilt? ‘Tee eema hoo? aaavya bey hathe mendi no lapado kari deshoon. i.e. What of that? Now I shall smear ‘Mehandi’ on both the hands. Nayna had hardly any such curiosity to meet me?’