STORY

SHORT STORY-FRIEND AND LOVER 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