SUNDARY
“Why don’t you marry? You are already thirty five.” That was my colleague Chandran.
“Are you joking? With three unmarried sisters, around thirty, and a brother in the collage, can I abdicate responsibility and go my way?”
After office hours, I coach students for competitive examinations and reach home by ten in the night. After meals, I readily go to sleep. I do get up early and attend the vegetable garden. By 8 AM, I have to catch the bus. On the way I meet Sundary. She is a mentally retarded girl of about twenty, belonging to a wealthy family. She will smile brightly and will always repeat the question “Will you marry me?”
“Oh sure; tell your papa.” And she will run off into the house..
Susan will join me in the bus; we share the same worries and, like bullocks harnessed to the same yoke, cling to each other for comfort.
“One day Jesus will hear our prayers”, she will say.
Chandran knows about our attachment to each other and encourages us to marry.
“You are working and independent; go and get your marriage registered.” He would say.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Eldest sister Subhadra is a teacher. She got a marriage proposal from a business man. He did not demand dowry but insisted on marriage on a grand scale.
“What shall I do?”
Susan thought for some time and replied, “I think we should not allow this chance to slip.”
I too felt the same. Almost in all matters from politics to books, we agreed in our tastes and opinions.
Some fifty thousand rupees is required. Susan agreed to borrow twenty from bank. I had some thirty in my savings. So we managed it. Susan is not rich; I wanted to repay the money as early as possible. This added to my worries. Sometimes I was tempted to marry her; but better counsel prevailed.
We both attended a Christian marriage. As neighbors, I too was invited. We all travelled in a charted bus as the place was far away. Susan saw to it that I sat by her side. We discussed the comparative merits of Hinduism and Christianity.
“I do not feel the sense of awe and devotion in a Church. A temple has the power to sooth me.”
“I think Marx is right; religions function as spiritual opium.”
“Is it not better than real opium?”
“ But exploitation of money. How will you justify it?”
“Hinduism is liberal. You are free not to attend a temple.”
“But those pundits are ignorant and greedy.”
Before we knew it, we had reached the Church.
Susan was very excited. After the ceremony, we sat for dinner. I confined myself to vegetarian dishes. She gave me a piece without bones and encouraged me to eat it.
“No taste. Our sambar is much better.”
“Will you become a Christian to marry me? I shall become vegetarian”
I did not respond.
The following week I met with an accident. A bull charged me from behind and I lost consciousness. It was in front of Sundary’s house and she carried me to her house. When I regained my senses, she was sitting by my side.
“Papa, come”, she shouted and he came.
“There is nothing to worry; it was the shock.” He assured me. Sundary surprised me. She is not a half wit. She seemed extremely happy to be very near to me.
“Sundary, How did the bull attack me? I did not see anything.”
“It was Vijayan’s bull. It butted from behind. Its horns are small. Otherwise, it would have pierced your back.”
Who said she is half-witted? She seems to be quite normal. My injuries, not very serious, were in the knees face, because of the fall.
It was the first time I entered their house. They are quite rich. I could see that she really loved me, though I took it as a joke. The way she sat very near to me, anxious, and, at the same glad to be so near to her heart’s choice, invoked a feeling of guilt in me, because I failed to gauge her feelings.
Meanwhile, her father came. He suggested that I am in a position to go home.
I debated with myself. Why not marry Sundary? She loves me. Does Susan love me? Why did she mention about my conversion to Christianity? We are very close to each other. But do we love?
People had seen us on the wedding day in the Church and the news spread about our “affair.”She too knew about it, but kept mum. In a village, inter caste marriages are not possible. We have to live in a society which does not approve of love.
Sundary fell sick and I used to see her regularly. It was jaundice. There was nothing to worry.
Her father used to talk to me. He never mentioned about Sundary’s love, but I sensed that he is quit willing, as no one may come forward to marry her.
At last, I asked Susan about it.
“Do you love her?”, she retorted.
“I do not know. Love is in novels. In real life we have to be practical”
“Then marry her; you will get money.”
“Will you be my friend, even if we marry”
“Sure; go ahead.”
“Thank you dear.”
For the first time, I kissed her warmly.
“Are you joking? With three unmarried sisters, around thirty, and a brother in the collage, can I abdicate responsibility and go my way?”
After office hours, I coach students for competitive examinations and reach home by ten in the night. After meals, I readily go to sleep. I do get up early and attend the vegetable garden. By 8 AM, I have to catch the bus. On the way I meet Sundary. She is a mentally retarded girl of about twenty, belonging to a wealthy family. She will smile brightly and will always repeat the question “Will you marry me?”
“Oh sure; tell your papa.” And she will run off into the house..
Susan will join me in the bus; we share the same worries and, like bullocks harnessed to the same yoke, cling to each other for comfort.
“One day Jesus will hear our prayers”, she will say.
Chandran knows about our attachment to each other and encourages us to marry.
“You are working and independent; go and get your marriage registered.” He would say.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Eldest sister Subhadra is a teacher. She got a marriage proposal from a business man. He did not demand dowry but insisted on marriage on a grand scale.
“What shall I do?”
Susan thought for some time and replied, “I think we should not allow this chance to slip.”
I too felt the same. Almost in all matters from politics to books, we agreed in our tastes and opinions.
Some fifty thousand rupees is required. Susan agreed to borrow twenty from bank. I had some thirty in my savings. So we managed it. Susan is not rich; I wanted to repay the money as early as possible. This added to my worries. Sometimes I was tempted to marry her; but better counsel prevailed.
We both attended a Christian marriage. As neighbors, I too was invited. We all travelled in a charted bus as the place was far away. Susan saw to it that I sat by her side. We discussed the comparative merits of Hinduism and Christianity.
“I do not feel the sense of awe and devotion in a Church. A temple has the power to sooth me.”
“I think Marx is right; religions function as spiritual opium.”
“Is it not better than real opium?”
“ But exploitation of money. How will you justify it?”
“Hinduism is liberal. You are free not to attend a temple.”
“But those pundits are ignorant and greedy.”
Before we knew it, we had reached the Church.
Susan was very excited. After the ceremony, we sat for dinner. I confined myself to vegetarian dishes. She gave me a piece without bones and encouraged me to eat it.
“No taste. Our sambar is much better.”
“Will you become a Christian to marry me? I shall become vegetarian”
I did not respond.
The following week I met with an accident. A bull charged me from behind and I lost consciousness. It was in front of Sundary’s house and she carried me to her house. When I regained my senses, she was sitting by my side.
“Papa, come”, she shouted and he came.
“There is nothing to worry; it was the shock.” He assured me. Sundary surprised me. She is not a half wit. She seemed extremely happy to be very near to me.
“Sundary, How did the bull attack me? I did not see anything.”
“It was Vijayan’s bull. It butted from behind. Its horns are small. Otherwise, it would have pierced your back.”
Who said she is half-witted? She seems to be quite normal. My injuries, not very serious, were in the knees face, because of the fall.
It was the first time I entered their house. They are quite rich. I could see that she really loved me, though I took it as a joke. The way she sat very near to me, anxious, and, at the same glad to be so near to her heart’s choice, invoked a feeling of guilt in me, because I failed to gauge her feelings.
Meanwhile, her father came. He suggested that I am in a position to go home.
I debated with myself. Why not marry Sundary? She loves me. Does Susan love me? Why did she mention about my conversion to Christianity? We are very close to each other. But do we love?
People had seen us on the wedding day in the Church and the news spread about our “affair.”She too knew about it, but kept mum. In a village, inter caste marriages are not possible. We have to live in a society which does not approve of love.
Sundary fell sick and I used to see her regularly. It was jaundice. There was nothing to worry.
Her father used to talk to me. He never mentioned about Sundary’s love, but I sensed that he is quit willing, as no one may come forward to marry her.
At last, I asked Susan about it.
“Do you love her?”, she retorted.
“I do not know. Love is in novels. In real life we have to be practical”
“Then marry her; you will get money.”
“Will you be my friend, even if we marry”
“Sure; go ahead.”
“Thank you dear.”
For the first time, I kissed her warmly.
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