Silence!

 

   Silence!

 

Akash, that is his good name, has his job as a psychiatrist in a govt. hospital at Trivandrum, where many a psychic man finds a true pal in him. Since he is solely equipped with a soul setup for psychiatry, he forgets about finding a partner for himself. Of course, upon the persuasion from his dear elders of the clan, he had given his consent. In many cases, the compatibility of horoscopes does not side with him and hence also the entry of a partner to his life didn’t bloom so far. Horoscope has become a 'horror-scope', for some youths. He has completed thirty-three years of his presence on earth.   Finally, a proposal arrived with a matching age (twenty-nine years) and a suitable horoscope.

“Mone*1, I am tired of seeing matrimonial sites. A broker mentioned a case. The girl has done her P.G and is doing some freelance skill training. The girl is smart and pretty, he says.  I asked him for a photo. Her mother’s phone number also. He says this Sunday, both can meet each other,” on the phone Amma*2.

 As Akash enters the gate, his attention just goes to the grow bags kept there well-set. “Wow! What a beauty!” murmured himself. His eyes stroke the vegetable herbs and shrubs merrily standing in the compound. They bow before him bearing multihued fruits in ample numbers, radiating glee around. On arrival usually, he heads on the double, to the interior side of the home, but now steps back to give company to the flora, that his mother is underway of a kitchen garden. There have been majestically standing a Hibiscus shrub and a Neem tree and now they joined the company of horticultural symphony. He is a bit light-hearted at present, and so only all these views fell into his view. Maybe because of the sparks, struck him from the girl, with who he is going to have an attractive encounter.

The next day, Akash unlocks the doors of his visual parts at 7:00 in the morning i.e., before his typical time of 9 o'clock. On holidays, not many for him though, he lies on the bed cuddling his slumber for hours together. His eyes refuse to open their shutters till the clock strikes nine. He engages himself in his prebreakfast routines. Habitually he is a don’t care type unless he is with his patients and their kinfolks. But today taking special care he used sweetly scented soap, mildly smelt powder and softly aromatic perfume, etc and by 8:30 a.m. he found himself ready in his pricey attire. After all, he is going to choose a partner for his entire life.

His countenance mirrored some delight mixed with a tint of anxiety, “Amma*, are you ready? Achchan*3 is ready. When will Ammavan*4 come?”

“He is about to reach, I called him,” Achchan.

“You two come and have your breakfast. Valyettan*5 might have had his food from there, he doesn’t wait much for his food,” Amma*.

Akash opens the gate for his Ammavan*. He obtains the key from his Ammavan and parks his vehicle in a corner of the compound. Akash drives his four-wheeler, which with copious obedience follows all the instructions signalled by him. With the aid of GPF, they progress to the outskirt of the city, not too far, in fact, a suburb only. They now, drive through two-three parallel roads before reaching the destination, as they have confusion concerning the exact road or address. When they were about to phone up only, they noticed that they hadn’t taken it seriously to obtain their phone numbers.

 The fiancée’s father, Devadas hears the car’s sound; assuming that it is the fiancé’s car, goes to the gate.  When the guests stepped out of the car, he received them to the inside with a hearty smile. All the four occupy the chairs, laid there in the sitting room. Conversation and loud laughter turn the atmosphere lively, but Akash’s mind is nomadic inside the house. His mind has prepared some questions about the bride’s likes, dislikes, plans and so on to be asked. He goes on practising them in his mind so that he should not fail to recall any. He wants to know her every demand in advance.  There is a chance for this case to be finalized, mainly because of the horoscopes’ agreement.

His mind starts to rest in an unrest state since no mouths are ready to discontinue the conversation in between the tea-snack session. His eyes glance through the gash of the door to get at least a glimpse of the girl. But not lucky enough he is to view her before she looms in front of all.

Aha! Here comes the girl slowly with a pretty appeal in lavender apparel. Curiously he looks at the girl with a natural smile, which becomes immediately extinct from his visage. Silence is his expression. No word he utters, though Amma and Achchan urge him to ask her something.

“Let the boy and girl go to a room and chat there,” the broker, who has made his presence in that house much earlier.

“No need", swift, becomes his action, he keeps himself on his toes for the exit. A sudden silence locks all the lips so that no word will eject from any mouth. Within no time the visitors vacate the chairs.

“What was this show, Mone?” Amma on the way.

 The son with a hesitation, “Amma, last year in ‘Kiss of Love’ motion, she was in the forefront. Yes, she was one of the smartest, there. She was not what we saw today.”

Some Feminists women who stand for the Women’s Lib movement came forward with a ‘Kiss of Love’ drive. Some youths-males and females openly went on cuddling and kissing each other in a public ground to question and challenge the modesty, society has framed. It created a ruckus around capturing the attention of the media. On an intense analysis, many of the participants were antisocial elements that kept no decency or decorum and paid respect to neither the parents nor other kinfolks.  Paid no heed to the words of elders.

Mone- Dear son

Achchan - Father

Amma- Mother

ammaavan- Uncle.