Part-2
Only a duo of months had passed after Ponnamma’s appointment
in that domicile as the house-help. And Karthyayani was the maid before
Ponnamma's arrival to be befitted in the slot. Facilities of the house served her, as if she was one of the members of the family. In the real sense an outsider would have mistaken
Karthyayani’s role as the mistress-ship in that house.She put on view all the rights for her in that
house. And the oldsters-Karunakaran Nair
and Bhargavi Amma-didn’t monitor or meddle with any of the activities of hers. So she stayed there like their
daughter. She called them amma(mother) and ammmavan(uncle).
Of course she loved
and fondled the little one Suma and Suma’s limbs mostly moved within
Karthyaani’s proximity, as she had none there to have a company with. Suma was slightly more matured than her peers,may be that her movement was with elders only. Karthyayani
was an orphan staying with her maternal auntie. Her parents had passed away in
an epidemic that hit that area a decade ago. Around two
leaves were shed from the year- tree after Karthyayani’s advent in that house.
She had completed twenty cycles after her appearance on earth at that time. Her
auntie was rich in poverty and that was the reason for Karthyayani’s residing
in that house then.
There was a male servant Vasudevan who was in charge of the
cattle. He being a youth of mid-twenties had to tie, untie, bathe, feed and
specially care the milch cows. He was the cow-boy and cow-man of that house in toto.
He also assisted them in petty labours
like uprooting tapioca, go marketing and so on. Vasudevan was fond of Suma and
he picked lovely flowers, sweet mangoes, mouth-watering wild jack fruit,
mind-catching cashew apples etc for her. In that midst Vasudevan was directly or
indirectly adapting numerous skills to magnetize Karthyayani. In the initial
stages she tried to drive him away with harsh words. His continuous trial
pulled her mind little by little towards him and he found himself successful at
the end of the second year.
Suma spent her time by chitchatting with either of the
helps. Sometimes she hung about in ammoomma’s and appooppan’s stories. She also
amusingly watched ammoomma extracting cream by churning curd , chopping
vegetables for curries etc. And she also tried her ways in those activities
despite ammoomma’s warning. Suma would
be following Karthyayani wherever she went and whatever she did, during the former’s non-school hours.
Occurrence of a
chance Vasudevan never wasted to converse with Karthyayani. Vasudevan used to
present his strength by drumming on the protruding biceps with his own hands. Suma
had veered off her vision whenever she happened to see the projected muscles.
She was a bit scared of people with masculine muscles of that design. Still she
liked him. Vasudevan secretly exhibited the machismo nature of his body with a
virile style to gather Karthyayani’s favour pretending that it occurred
naturally.
Karthyayani used to take Suma with her for taking bath in
the pond. She bathed Suma first and then she herself had her bath. Vasudevan made
his presence at the sand-bank of the pond on the pretext of grabbing hold of a calf or so. There he put a
hiatus and passed some remarks to please her. Though she used to turn to the
reverse physically, her mind turned to be covetous for his comments. Little Suma
was ignorant of two minds’ conversation in their hey-days of youth. So she swung
her hands in the air after butterflies, dragonflies etc after getting the bath.
Karthyayani and Vasudevan had arrived at a time when both
could not separate each other. They became aware that their castes would raise a barrier to prevent the flow of courtship. So only an elopement would pave way
for their togetherness. Moreover a destitute like her could not think of
unfolding her wish to somebody. So one day both vanished from the master’s house and their castes
banished them to their fate after a clash toexpress their haughtiness.
Vasudevan felt proud of being the spouse of a higher caste
woman. He acted as if he had conquered the heaven and his brawn was mighty
enough to earn bread for both and build a haven in his three cents of legacy-
land. He had mastered many a skill like coconut-climbing(he belonged to that
caste),tree-felling, agricultural labour etc. Since he was isolated by his dear
and near in his village, he found better prospects in a far-off place.
The safety and joy reigned there for two months and then
deserted them when a slippery coconut plunged Vasudevan onto the ground. A
crack on the hip bone sent him to bed for a long time. It might take a revolution of the earth for his revitalization.
Suma had to find a way for meeting the need of their stomach as well as cash for her
husband’s medicines. Everything had reached its bottom. Nothing was there in
the house for lunch. Their pecuniary position was very pathetic.That only made her touch the soil that banned her steps two months ago, for some rice. She cooked the
rice for her bed-ridden husband, made available by Suma.
In that village affluent family’s number was fewer than the other ones. So Karthyayani helplessly had to visit her previous mistress’s house. “Amma, shall..
I also.. come here and assist.. Ponnamma
in her.. assignments,” she pleaded in fumbling words with repenting eyes. “I need only a.. small
amount of.. finance and food.. for my husband.Therefore I ..shall..be here for a meagre payment.”
Though Bhargavi Amma
housed a broad heart within her physique,at that time she was in a mood to reproach her for
her undisclosed deed. Karthyayani hopelessly returned.Tears rolled down her
cheeks. Two diminutive eyes of the tot watched the scene silently. Some pricks hurt
her heart, for she was fond of the couple. Meanwhile appooppan appeared there.
“Ammoomma, can’t we appoint her? You said I would be sent to
an outlying school next week after the reopening. Karthyayani chechi (Diedi) can escort me, I am afraid to go
unaccompanied,” the infant pitied.
“Who will pay for her, will you?” ammoomma (veiling her fondness.)
“I’ll appeal to my father
and he will pay,” Suma.
Appooppan intervened, “Suma mole’s little heart is so wide
that she longs for good. Let her wish be executed here. Let’s have Karthyayani
here,”
Both the grandparents clasped their little darling. Suma
took to her toes and reached Karthyayani who hugged her dearly.
[ The end]
sarala.
