COMMUNIST

STORY-COMMUNIST I am a Bengali Muslim living in West Bengal. My family could have easily migrated o East Bengal, as many Hindus did and came over to India; but my grandfather refused to move from the soil, where our ancestors lived. We are a family of scholars and this blood influenced my thinking. After taking Master’s Degree in English I joined the Jadavpur University, as a lecturer. I do not know how the idea came into my head that I should marry a Malayalee girl. Kerala was the first to elect a communist Chief Minister and as a die hard Communist, I admired the people of that beautiful land. This may be the reason behind my wish to cement my relationship with Malayalee people. I contacted some Malayalee nurses and bought a Malayalam book and seriously began studying that language. Now I can read the letters and understand to some extent, though speaking may be a distant dream. Thus I landed at Pathanamthitta, on a bright sunny day, travelling all the way in train, with my nurse friend, Eliamma. We hired a taxi and reached her home. Our program was intimated much in advance. The house was a thatched hut, with a small plot of land with a few banan plants, some coconut trees and a large mango tree. “It is a small house, but we have to manage.” “If the heart is big, any number of people can live together,” I said. Neat day I went to the Party office and Eliamma introduced me to the workers there. “Comrade, elections are expected any time. Your guidance will be welcome,” said one, who could speak English. We then moved to see the market. I bought some lungis for myself and saris for Eliamma’s family. She has two sisters of marriageable age and a brother in the Gulf. During the night, I slept outside on a coir mat, spread on a babmboo cot, which no one had used for many years. I enjoyed this new experience. I slept soundly, till the nurse woke me up with a hot cup of tea. “Good morning and thank you.” I said smiling. “I like your smile, it is charming and innocent, like a child’s” she said. “After preliminaries, can we go for a walk?” “Oh yes; let my sisters also come.” So we started “All are watching you”, she said. “Who is this new animal? They may be wondering.” “No. You have a foreigner’s look, being so fair and tall.” “Your sisters are silent; what is the matter?” “Nothing; we are not used to talking. I do not know what to say.” “I have heard of kathakali. Do you know what it i?” “ “It is a sort of dance drama If you want to know more about it, here is a Namboodiri family. Shall we go there?” “EMS was a Namboodiri, isn’t it? Let us go.” So we reached the family. It is an old house, very vast and surrounded by an estate. An old man without shirt welcomed us. Eliamma told him about me and that I am interested to see it. He called somebody and a small dark girl of about twelve came out. The old man asked her something and she told me in English. “A kathakali show will be there tomorrow itself. I will show it to you. Are you an Indian or a European? What is your name?” I said:”Moideen; I am hundred percent Indian. Why do you doubt?” “Sorry. We Indians do not have this colour and height. My name is Savithry. I did my BA and now I am playing in kathakali” I could not hold my laughter.”Sorry. I thought you are a small girl, that is why I laughed at myself. No offence please.” We talked for a long time. She is intelligent and knowledgeable. “So tell me when I should come. I shall bring a car.” We shook hands and we left. We were hungry and went to a country tea shop. It looked shabby but the items were tasty. At the appointed time, I went there. Savithry was ready. In sari she looked grown up. We reached the venue at about five in the evening. There were many actors, mostly men. Some hads begun make up and Savithry also joined them I sat there looking at them. A gentleman came and sat by my side, explaining things in English. It was early morning when it was over. We all slept there on benches. As soon as it was safe to travel, we returned. As soon as we reached the house, I told her I like to sleep. “Won’t you have soothing to eat?” I remembered my bag and told the driver to bring my bag from Eliamma’s house. Idlis and chatney came. I gus cleaned my teeth by my fingers and began eating. Savi sat by my side and was also busy eating. Then she asked me”Did you like kathakali?” “Yes, yes. Why do they not talk” “”Because we want to avoid Malayalam, which cannot be understood by all. Mudra or body language was invented by the Namboodiri who invented this ar form. He was a gifted genius. He prescribed the dress and make up, without using paints. All the colours are made of leaves etc. Just wash and it goes away. By the way, what was your intention in coming here? Not kathakali, of course. I forgot to ask; what is your name? What are you doing?” I explained everything, except my real intention in coming here. After looking into her eyes, so lively and black as coal, I became bold. I thought I have seen my girl:”Do not laugh. From the time I began to think of girls, it came into my head that I will marry only a Malayalee girl. I bought a book and began to learn your language. The nurse was my teacher.” She smiled:”Indeed this is strange.” She took me to her room upstairs. First we entered a quadrangular open space, with veranda on all sides. Then we entered a small corner room, from which, narrow wooden stairs led to the upstairs rooms, with a common veranda. Her roo has windows allowing her to see the court yard below, without being observed. She changed the bed cover and told me to sleep. I could lie down corner to corner, as the bed was too small for me. Seeing it she smiled:” What is your height?” “Five feet eleven inches.” Within minutes, I went to sleep. I was awakened at twlelve:”Your bag has come. Change your dress and we go for a bath.” She gave me a bath towel and another one for covering my private parts. She carried soap and led me to a wide natural pond with clear water. I jumped into the water and began to swim; she joined me in her nicker and blouse, exposing, part of her maiden breasts, small but full. We played in the water for some time and changed our cloths, she in a room. The steps and the rooms etc, are covered by tiled roof, supported on wood work. “This is ladies’s pond. For gents, there is another one near the court yard.” “So I have used your bed and pond. Can I have this heavenly joy permanetntly?” She smiled tenderly, without any comment. It was meal time ; all were waiting for us. After food, I took out my laptop and wrote my diary notes. She sat watching. When it came to my impressions about her, she blushed. I stayed there for ten days. Then Party workers came to fetch me for a public meeting. Savi came with me, she said she has leftist leanings. I read from a speech typed in Malayalam, in bold letters. At the end, there was thunderous applause. Savi, sitting in the open ground, in the front row, cheered me often. Afterwards we returned in my car, which I decided to retain till my return to Bengal. Election meetings continued, till the last day allowed, before the election day. Savi had enough time to decide. We won the election. Savi and I saw the swearing in ceremony. She finally announced:”I love you. Give me a kiss.”