LIFE

LIFE – MOTHER AND SON Two developments cheered my life. One was the introduction of family pension to the widows of central government employees. Till then, there was nothing for them, in the event of death of their husbands. T.T.Krishnamachary, who was Finance Minister, made it possible for them to receive family pension, though the quantum of pension was not much. At least they will not starve. I was no more worried about her future. It was a daring, thoughtless action to marry without a penny in the pocket. GOD FORGAVE ME! The second event was that I got a type 2 quarter, just near the Hospital. I immediately shifted to the newly construted one and put our modest belongings in the hall. I used to write long letters to Radha, who had given birth to Sudha. She replied once in a while. She claimed tha it was due to our daughter’s luck that we got the quarter and I passed part one of the SRAS exam.for promotion. It was my second chance. She sent me some snaps of herself and daughter. As soon as the bay was ninety days old, I went to bring them to Kota. My mother, who was staying with my brother, at our new home in the vllage, purchased with the money I got as dowry, Rs. 6000, was to accompany us to look after the babe. At Muthukurssi mana, I told her: we decided to call her Sudha. She quipped: Should have been Radheya (means Radha’s daughter). Traditionally, it should have been my mother’s name (Kali) for my first daughter. Next one should be Parvaty, my mother-in-law’s name. It shows that she did not like my decision. There is a lot in a name! On our return, a number of people rushed into our compartment at Bhopal, making it impossible to move. Like me my mother, I too was very particular about the morning tea. We both missed it. It became another point in her charge sheet against me. The third point was the candle light. When there was no light in the house, I Iighted up the candle. She said: we Hindus use oil lamp. It is Christians who use candle light. I WAS HER FAVOURITE; AFTER MARRIAGE, I BECAME ENEMY. The atmosphere was different when we were at Jaipur. Am I to be blamed? It is all destiny. Each person is moved forward by forces over which he has no control, like coconuts being tossed by waves in the ocean, being carried away across the oceans, to strike roots in a new continent. When wintercame, she could not adjust to the new climate. One day she urinated in the bedroom where she was sleeping! She was angry that I was unable to send money to my brother who had lost his job and was staying in our home. I was scolded severely and she insisted at being sent home immediately. We went to Keralam and I returned post haste to Kota. It was my home.