INVITATION

SHORT STORY – INVITATION FOR A MARRIAGE I got an invitation to attend a marriage; as it was from a close friend, of some sixty years standing, I coud not have avoided attending it, though, by temparament, I was reluctant to face strangers. First, the train journey, late by several hours, leaving me at the platform at about eight in the evening, instead of one in the afternoon. I had to walk some distance in the dark, to catch the bus, cursing my fate and the system of inviting all and sundry to make the function a grand success. The number of guests is an indication of the man’s standing in society! The bus was about to start and the conductor called out: come, old man. Be quick. The old dirty bus was almost full, carrying the villagers with all their purchases. Some one stood up and gave me room to sit, though I weakly protested, happy about my seventy plus years. There are good guys, still in this world! I mentioned the name of the place to the condutor and requested him to tell me where to get down, as I am new to the place. To make matters worse, it started raining and the window curtains were pulled down. Even otherwise, it was quite dark and nothing was visible. After some half an hour of anxious, vexing time, the conductor stopped the bus and told me to disembark. Mercifully, it had stopped rainig. Now it is real hell. Where do I go? There was not even a tea shop to spend the night in. No one to ask the direction for the address given in the invitation card. No tree under which I may sleep till morning. I was hungry. I cursed every one. Who began this hateful system of marriage? How happy the animals are! I do not remember a single family where they do not quarrel every now and then. Then the worries about children’s education, marriage of the girls for whom there is no scarcity. Why don’t they love and marry as in the West? Thank Him, I am still single and healthy. My thouhts were disturbed by a car, which stopped just in front of me. A very young girl came out and offered me a lift. Are you not here to attend the marriage? We live near their house. She almost pulled me into the back seat and told the driver to start. I had difficuty in understanding what had happened. Am I dreaming? She kept silent. Being uncomfortable with the fair sex, I failed to open the conversation. It must have taken about an hour, when the car stopped in front of a big gate. Some servant came and opened it. The house was quite big. When we got out of the car, she told me to be comfortable and showed me a sopha. Before I could say anything, she went in and disappeared. A maid brought tea and biscuits which I greedily ate. The tea enlivened my spirits! I was ushered into the bed room upstairs, by the same maid who disappeared after showing me the bath, with towel, soap etc. and told me dinner will be ready, any time of my convenience. I wanted to meet my host, but did not mind her absence, as I was badly in need of a bath, after such tedious journey. I ate alone, as the girl did not show up. I went to sleep, the moment I fell into th bed, which was warm and comfortable. WhenI woke up, it was broad day light. I went and stood in the balcony, surveying a spacious coconut grove and some mountains in the eastern horizon. The girl had brought the tea and called me softly. This time I gazed at her for some time and provoked her into asking: am I so bad to look at? She was coffee coloured, with plenty of hair which was combed back carelessly by hand. She had only a nightie that failed to hide her straight back and curved front. She had no gold on her body, not even a thin chain or bangles or ring. I liked her. During tea, I told her I am in a hurry to reach the house of my friend. I have never seen you before. You are a total stranger here. What will you do there? Your friend will have no time to talk to you. I shall drive around with you and show you the country side. She talked as though we were frinds for a life time. I shed all my nervousness in her frank talk and readily agreed with her suggestion. After we got ready, she took me to the mariage pandal. When we finished break fast, she took me to my friend who just casually shook my hand and told me he was glad I came. Then the girl led me to her car. During the drive she asked me about my past. When I said I retired as Professor of economics from a well kown university, she gasped and almost held me to her in a show of intimacy. I stayed there for some ten days. There was a big collection of books in her library. Just mention the title and the book will be there in twenty four hours, if it is not available in the library. Half a dozen magazines were also coming regularly. I could have spent the whole of my remaining years happily there, but some how felt ashamed. So I left her, she driving me to the Railway station. I missed he. I did not know how to while away my time.. So I went on a tour to the Kerala- Karnataka border, taking photos of the forest and e: mailing them to my friends in the US. I had my laptop with me. One day I got a mail requesting me to cut short my tour and come to her immediately, without showing any reason. Of course, I gladly complied. When I reached there, I saw a number of cars, ambulance, doctors and nurses, hurryin here and there and was apprehensive about my friend. She came running and embraced me, sobbing. She took me to a portion of the house which was unfamiliar to me, into a room, where an old lady was lying with her eyes closed. My grandmother; she is unconscious, she whispered. We left the room. I remained there, determined not to leave her in her grief. After a month, the old lady recovered and expressed her desire to see me . She was reclining on the bed, with several pillows for support. She recognised me, the moment I entered the room, her eyes lit up with a glow! Oh, Raj, can’t you remember me? Seeing my unemotional look, she continued: Forty years, since we last met. She dismissed all people in the room and coninued: I have changed totally; it is foolish on my part to expect you to remember me, after such a long time. I tried to locate you, all our friends were helpless. And the girl growing up in my womb. It was you, I was carrying with me. Rama! Yes, dear. This girl you met accidently, or it may be His will to unite you two, is your grandchild, I am sure of that. I was shaken, totally. Yes,we were too close, in those years of intense emotional upheaval, when we sincerely believed that revolution is inevitable, immediately……… Her husband and I were comrade-in-arms, Rama just a bright little girl, though married. We, all the the three of us, were staying in Ravindran’s old home in the town. The police were after us. Ravindran told me to continue there, as no one would recognise me. He was too well known here, and so decided to move to his Calcutta home, where he had studied for his MA in philosophy, and got involved in SFI activities. Rama was studing for her BA in economics and I helped her, as I had done my Ph.D in that subject. I taught her Marxism as well. I did the house keeping and she became just a student. I enjoyed cooking. She did menial activities like cleaning etc. She was sexually liberated, even though this term was unknown then. It happened suddenly. Some one watching our movements, perhaps jealous of our relationship, must have tipped the police. Seeing me contemlating the past, perhaps she too was doing the same, she did not disturb me for quite some time. When I woke up to our present, she asked me for a kiss. Then I came out. I forgot to enquire about her husband or about the girl’s mother. The girl was anxiously waiting for me, just outside the door. To her eager, questioning eyes, I respnded by tightly holding her in my arms for a long time, finding it difficult to control my tears……… Rama had told me not to say anything of our past!