Indira returned from work and asked her daughter, Sasi, as usual, “Did we get any letters today?”
“Suseela attayya wrote,” Sasi replied with a smile. She knows that her mother loves Suseela attayya’s letters.
“What did she say? Did you read it? Has the cow given birth to the baby calf yet? Her daughter had her hands decorated with henna?” Indira, also smiling, asked and went in.
Indira’s father and Sueela’s mother are siblings. Both of them are of the same age. Their friendship goes beyond their blood relationship.
Whenever Indira gets a letter from Suseela, she will know all the events in their village. She will know the good and the bad about all their relatives. She would know if the squash patch in their backyard had started blooming.
Indira changed clothes and sat down in a chair, and opened the letter. The letter is full of tittle-tattle—the people are clamoring for rains, the fields are dried up. Everybody–young and old, men and women—could do nothing but lift their faces toward the sky and stare. They were parading frogs[i] day and night. They all were preparing the land to perform rituals.
“Is it time for farming now?” Indira wondered, as if she knew a lot about farming.
Suseela expressed a great concern about the draught, but that didn’t bother Indira. She was happy for getting that letter, filled with Suseela’s tales. She finished reading and turned it upside down. Then she noticed a few more words scribbled in a corner. Sita’s marriage has been fixed, you know. Poor thing. Know how old she is? She has not turned fourteen yet. She is younger than our Syamala. Her [Sita’s] sister fixed her marriage with a sixty-year old man. I am feeling depressed at the thought of Sita. Probably that is what her destiny says.”
Indira read that part again and again. Who is Sita? … Sita… who’s she? She raked her brains trying to remember. How could she get it if Suseela says just “Sita?” Why couldn’t she be more specific and write who that girl is? Indira was annoyed.
She was surprised that such marriages are still happening even in these modern times? Marriage of a fourteen year-old girl with a man past sixty? … That is fifty years’ difference! Ghash! It is sick even to think. What is the point of that marriage?
If I tell Srihari, he would kick up a fuss. She read the report at that corner again.
Poor thing. Know how old she is? She has not turned fourteen yet. She is younger than our Syamala. Her [Sita’s] sister fixed her marriage with a sixty-year old man. I am feeling depressed at the thought of Sita. Probably that is what her destiny says. …
It is not destiny but stupidity. They must be stupid. Why couldn’t that girl say that she did not want that marriage? Indira entertained such thought but she was fully aware how much weight would be given to the girl’s words. Hasn’t she been seeing such cases everyday? She knows cases where twelve-year old girls were married. Then they would bring the girls to the clinic because she is sick, if not pregnant. Ask them, “Why did you arrange her marriage at such a young age?” They would stare at you as if wondering, “What do you mean young?”
Who would listen if the girl says she did not want to marry? Probably this young girl, Sita, did cry. Probably the adults told her to shut up.
Anyway .. who is Sita? Why couldn’t Suseela jot a few more words? .. never mind. What does it matter whoever she is? Somebody … getting married at the age of fourteen!… with a man of sixty! … That is the real tragedy! How come the man had no shame. I think the village people should gang up and beat him up. How could they let this happen—such a horrendous crime?
Indira put the letter on the table and walked in to the kitchen. Srihari came home. She did not tell him right away. He noticed the letter himself. He finished reading and asked her, “Who is Sita?”
“Nobody we know. Isn’t that horrible?”
“Do you remember? Once we went to visit them and somebody brought a little girl to us. The girl was crying. They said a crow took away the bandage off her bruised finger… Remember? Her name was Sita, I think.”
Indira recalled soon enough. “Yes, yes. Her name was Sita. She was not even ten at the time!”
“No. She was twelve then. That means she is fourteen now. It is her then?”
“What does it matter who the girl is? How can these adults play with the lives of children any way they please? Aren’t there any laws which require throwing such people in jail?”
“There are plenty of laws. Actually they are not supposed to perform a wedding until a girl is eighteen. But then, the weddings are performed anyways.”
“Then, what is the point of those laws? …Even if the girl is past eighteen, how could they marry her to a sixty year-old man? There should be a law that prohibits marriage with such a big age difference.”
“Is the date set yet for the marriage?” Srihari picked up the letter again and turned around back and forth two or three times. There were no details. “Poor Suseela. She is also feeling bad about it,” he said.
“Who wouldn’t feel bad? Excepting may be the sixty year-old bridegroom!”
“Shall we visit them? Long time since we have seen them. May be we will know more about it.”
Suddenly Indira felt like she had found a way. “Yes, Srihari! It didn’t occur to me. Let’s go. It is four now. We can be back by ten. Sasi! Get ready, quick,” Indira shouted aloud so Sasi could hear.
Sasi walked in with a book in her hand, “I can’t, mother! I have an exam tomorrow. I have to study,” she said timidly.
“Ghash! What do you mean study? Remember how beautiful the gauva tree is in Suseela attayya’s home? Have you forgotten? You can sit there and study, nibbling gauva fruit while we are chatting. Bring your books along. That works fine.”
Sasi remembered something. She said, smiling, “Okay, I will go.”
“No more cooking today. We can eat in Suseela’s home,” Indira put away all the things in the kitchen.
In fifteen minutes, they locked the doors and left home. Within thirty minutes, the car left the village and hit the country road.
…. …. ….
Suseela was surprised to see Indira and the family arrive so suddenly. She was pleased too. “It took so long to remember us,” she said tauntingly. “You have the car at your disposal, and yet, you don’t come to see us, not even once a month,” she expressed her annoyance.
Seshagiri, Suseela’s husband, was also home. “They don’t have time to visit us once a month,” he said with a laugh.
“Tell her that,” Indira said as she walked in.
Srihari brought a basketful of apples. Seshagiri took it.
“Why do you bring all this stuff? You think your apples are high class, and not our gauva?” Suseela said.
“I have no idea what is high and what is low. That is all only in your head,” said Indira.
As they were walking in, Suseela showed her new plant, “Here, I just planted this sampangi[1]. Everybody is saying I shouldn’t have planted it, since it attracts snakes.”
“For crying out loud. They always say such things for every thing,” Indira dismissed it and went in.
Sasi and Suseela’s daughter went into the yard and climbed the guava tree. Sasi did not even take the books out of the car.
“Oh, I forgot. Did you receive my letter?” Suseela asked, as she recalled.
“We started out only after seeing that letter. .. Who is Sita? How would I know unless you write clearly. You and your stupid writing,” Indira sneered.
“Is the date set? Are all the arrangements done?” Srihari asked, settling down in a chair.
“You came here only after hearing about the marriage? What do you mean when? Only four more days to go. The children said they saw the pandal[2] being put up this morning. It should be finished by now. .. Indira! Don’t you know Jayamma? That fair-skinned and tall woman, Kanthamma’s daughter. This Sita is her younger sister.”
Indira could vaguely recall the names .. Kanthamma … Paparao … Jayalakshmi [Jayamma] … So, this is Jayamma’s little sister?” She said coming to the present.
“Why are they marrying her to that old man? Do people still perform such marriages, even in these days?”
‘I don’t know. People talk you know, they all are saying several things. It seems the old man promised some twenty five thousand rupees or so to Jayamma. We don’t know whether it is true or not. It seems the bridegroom gave a gold chain to the bride on the day the marriage was fixed[3]. Jayamma is wearing it now.”
“How come Sita’s mother and father did not object to this marriage?”
“Where is the mother? She died some ten years ago. Then on, Sita is living in her sister’s house. Father is there, a vagabond more or less. Never stays steadily in one place. Never goes to work. On top of it, if he has a rupee, he sits at the cards table.”
Seshagiri cut in, “May be he thought what can this one rupee do for me? What does it matter whether I have it or lost it.”
“Not just one rupee. He would think on the same lines even if he had ten rupees. How could these ten rupees save me, he would say,” said Suseela.
“May be after winning one hundred thousand rupees in the game, he will be more careful and start saving it,” Srihari commented.
“Paparao uncle [Sita’s father] is that kind of man. He lives at Jayamma’s house, eats there. He stays there scuffling around for a few days and then disappears for a while. Then again reappears suddenly. Never lifts a finger. How could a man like that do anything about his daughter?”
Indira felt sorry for the girl. “What about her then? Poor thing, she has no mother and father does not care. Sister would not understand. What happens to that girl?”
“What happens? She will get married. Starts a family. She spends the rest of her life cooking for that family.”
“What is his name? Does he have children? Does he have lot of money?”
“Not a lot, but not bad either. He has a house.” Suseela turned to Seshagiri and asked, “How much land do you think he has.”
“I am sure he has about ten acres of land,” Seshagiri replied.
Suseela continued to answer all the questions Indira asked. “Rajayya, the bridegroom has two sons and two daughters. All of them are married. Sons live separately in their own homes. Now Rajayya has a problem, nobody to cook for him. So he is looking for a girl he could count on.”
Srihari felt dreadful.
“Couldn’t he find a cook in the entire village? I am sure there are plenty of older women who don’t have enough to eat. How could the idiot get ready to marry a fourteen-year old?” he said, gritting his teeth.
“How did his children agree to this marriage?” Indira said.
“What do we know? Probably they did raise a stink about it. Or, may be they thought, so be it, what does it matter if he gets married now. He is not going to have children at this age, and no question of sharing the property. In addition, she will take care of him as long as he lived, that is one problem less for us. Who could tell how they wrangled among themselves,” Suseela said, fuming.
They kept talking about it, and kept coming back to the same topic over and again.
Indira was very discouraged.
Suseela went in to the kitchen and started cooking while talking with them.
“That Jayamma has no shame at all, Indira. She goes around wearing that gold chain. It seems somebody commented with a tinge of sarcasm, “Sita is not going to have any happiness with that husband of hers. All she could enjoy is only that chain. Why don’t you let her have the chain?” Jayamma was thrown off and said with a pout, “Well, starting tomorrow she will have it anyways.” Does this mean she should wear it until that moment? The idiot has no brains,” Suseela expressed her contempt.
Indira and Srihari did not pay attention to those words.
“How old do you think Jayamma is?”
“She should be thirty. Much younger than you and I. Has five children. Barely enough food on the table. Poor thing, she has her problems.” The thought of Jayamma softened her. She felt sorry for her.
Srihari said, “What do you think? can we talk to Sita’s father?”
Seshagiri intervened, “Where is he? He is not seen anywhere around for the past one month. Who knows where he went,” and explained his appearance and disappearance in detail.
“Does that mean he does not know about the marriage? If he shows up, wouldn’t he object to his daughter’s marriage?” Indira was surprised.
“Who will listen to him? Don’t you understand? Who knows? He might even feel happy that he has gotten a son-in-law who could feed him as well?”
“Is that son-in-law also into card games?” Srihari asked.
Seshagiri jumped in, “That is so true. Yes. The son-in-law also plays cards. Father-in-law and son-in-law, there is a good match. That way, money will not leave the house.” He laughed.
Indira was annoyed. “What is that, Seshagiri! You and your jokes! Don’t you know there is a time for everything?” she said with a grimace.
Seshagiri realized his mistake, was embarrassed and lowered his head, smiling shyly.
Suseela could see that Sita’s plight hurt Indira deeply. She tried to calm her down and said, “Yes, Indira, tell me, what do you think we should do? Forget the father. If we are to talk, that has to be only with Jayamma.” Then she turned to Seshagiri and said, “Can you check if Jayamma’s husband returned from the farm.”
“I saw him a little while ago. He is at home, overseeing the pandal arrangements,” Seshagiri replied.
Indira found a way.
“Yes, Suseela. Let’s go. We will go there pretending that we went to see Sita. Let’s see what Jayamma has to say,” said Indira, getting up to go.
Srihari also got up zealously, feeling something needs to be done. “Yes, we must talk to Jayamma. What does it matter if the date is fixed. We have seen so many marriages break up even after the ritual was in progress,” he said.
Indira put on the sandals and said, “Suseela, get some fruit to take with us.”
“Why some. They have lot of children.,” Suseela replied and packed most of the fruits they brought in the handbag.
“I will drop you there and return home. You take your time, talk to her carefully. My presence could be uncomfortable. … Let’s not take the car. We can walk. It’s not far.”
By the time they left it was past seven. It was dark outside.
… …. ….
The children who surrounded the car ran inside and told Jayamma, “Somebody is coming to your house. The same people who came to Seshagiri uncle’s home are coming here. They are coming to your house,” the children hollered.
The other children who gathered under the newly erected pandal joined this group and all together stood in the front porch, waiting for the amusing sight.
Jayamma was thrown into a flurry by the message brought by the children. She started to rearrange the cots, baskets and the other stuff. She yelled at her husband, Venkanna, who was feeding fodder to the buffaloes, “these kids are hollering something. Go and see who that is.”
By the time Venkanna moved from the porch into the pandal, Suseela was already there. Indira and Srihari were standing behind her under the pandal. It was just finished with new palm leaves, smelling still fresh. Some more leaves were sitting on a side in a pile.
Suseela stepped in to the porch and said, “Jayamma, my sister-in-law Indira is here for Sita’s marriage. .. I brought then since they would like to see. They will be gone in a few minutes. It seems you are busy.” Her eyes were fixed on Jayamma’s neck but could not find any chain on her.
Jayamma felt a little relieved.
“That’s your sister-in-law, Indira and the family? … wretched kids … I thought it was some strangers,” Jayamma invited them in with a beaming face.
Suseela pointed Srihari to Jayamma and said, “This is Srihari annayya,[4] Indira’s husband. Both of them are doctors You know that, right?” She brought it up–that Indira and Srihari are doctors–intentionally. She was hoping that Jayamma would give more weight to their words.
Jayamma was a little embarrassed and also excited to see them. She could barely speak. “Come in. Please sit down,” she said as she dusted off the wood bench on the porch.
Indira’s eyes have been searching for Sita from the moment she walked through the pandal. She was surrounded by ten to twelve children like picket fence. Could Sita be one of them? … Nothing is visible distinctly. The 40-watt bulb is covered with smoke as if painted black. At the other end of the porch there were buffaloes tied to poles.
Srihari and Indira sat on the bench. Suseela put the fruits bag inside the doorway and said, “Jayamma, I have to go. I need to finish cooking. You know, they will be leaving soon.”
Jayamma replied shyly, “Why not eat here? Don’t worry, I will cook. They can eat here.”
“With these children, how can you handle it at this hour? And it is getting dark. They can eat at your place some other time. Where is Sita? I don’t see anywhere. They came to see her specifically,” Said Suseela, looking at the children in that darkness. She chased some of them away, “Why are they all gathered round here? You, go away. Let them breathe a little. Go.”
Venkanna finished the job. He smacked the remaining one or two children who were hiding in the corners. “Go… Don’t you want to eat? … Come on … move,” he shouted at them and succeeded in sending them away. Then he came back into the porch.
It felt like a huge storm had hit and subsided.
Jayamma sat on the floor near the wall and across from Indira and Srihari.
Sita sat near Indira on the bench, with her head down.
Some of Jayamma’s children were hanging around nearby. One girl, a little older than the others was carrying a child and walking around. The child was sucking his thumb. Another small child held her frock frills tight in her fist, and stuck two of her fingers in her mouth.
Doctor Indira could notice malnutrition in those children even in that darkness. But her attention on those matters did not last long. She did not say, “Jayamma, stop having more babies. You come to me. I will perform the surgery without charging a paisa.”
She kept staring at Sita.
The more she stared at her the more charming Sita looked. “She is gorgeous,” Indira told herself. Sita was wearing a skirt with small flowers, a blouse with border and a voni.[5] She has two clay bangles and also small earrings. No chain round her neck. Her hair was a little shabby. Dark complexioned but the face is attractive. Jayamma’s daughter, probably twelve-years old, was standing behind Sita, leaning over her shoulder.
Indira turned her eyes from Sita to that girl. There is a striking resemblance between the two. Possibly she could be Sita’s younger sister. Of fair complexion. She was not wearing voni. No bangles either but her palms were decorated with henna.
“What’s your name?” Indira asked her gently.
The girl shyly stepped back and mumbled, “Savitri.” Two more girls came and stood next to Savitri. All of them resembled each other. All of them were looking like pearls. Indira asked another girl, “What is your name?” The girl snuck behind Savitri. Savitri pulled her to the front and replied on behalf of both of them, “Her name is Swati. This one is Revati.”
Revati was the one that was sucking two fingers. Indira gestured that it was not good, pulled her hand from her mouth, and said, “You should not keep your fingers in your mouth. Dirt goes into your tummy and you will get sick. Your teeth will stick out. Don’t do that again, okay?” she said to her. The little girl pulled away her hand from Indira’s, stepped back and ran away.
Indira looked at Swati and said, “Your sister had henna on her hand. How come you don’t have it?”
“We washed it off ‘cause we want to play. Akka kept it because she wants brighter shade. If she has brighter shade she will get a better husband, you know,” the girl replied.
Savitri got upset and said with a fierce look, “Did I say that?”
“Didn’t you say that a little while ago?” Swati retorted.
Amidst this bickering, the baby she was holding started crying.
It was past supper time for them.
“Sita, feed Sai,” Jayamma said.
Sita got up even before Jayamma finished the sentence, went in and returned with a bowl of rice. She picked up the child again, and walked towards the buffaloes while feeding him. Then she went on into the pandal.
Jayamma yelled at Savitri, “That’s enough. Wash your hands and feed the other kids. Look at Ramana. He is sleepy.”
Savitri ran out, washed her hands and came back. “Come. Let’s see,” the other children jumped at her to see her hands.
Savitri shook them off furiously and said, “Sit down. I will give the food. Wake up Ramana,” she assigned the duty to one of the sisters and went in.
Nearly fifteen minutes passed by since Indira came. Not a single word was spoken yet by the adults.
“Would you like some water to drink?” Jayamma offered, getting up.
“No. We don’t need water. Sit down, Jayamma,” Indira said. Then she started, feeling there is no other way to bring it up. “So, Sita’s marriage has been fixed?”
Jayamma replied apprehensively, “What do you mean fixed? Hardly four days for the ceremony. We have already put up the pandal today.”
She came straight to the point, “Why are you marrying her to that old man? She is still a kid.”
“He is not that old. May be fifty or so. And she is sixteen,” said Jayamma quickly.
“Even if that were true, still a difference of over thirty years. Whoever is doing like that nowadays? That kid will be wailing for the rest of her life, don’t you think? Did your father agree to this?”
“Huh! Heard the proverb, if he [husband] were alive, why would I need a leaf?[6] If my father has the time for us why would we have wretched lives like these? He couldn’t care less. After my mother passed away, I am taking care of her. I have a brood of my own too. We all are living on the income from one and a half acres of land. This is a small village and we are managing by selling milk and yogurt. What else is there for us to spend on wedding ceremonies? If we find a young man, we have to shell down thousands even for a good for nothing fellow! I mean thousands! We have found a bridegroom some time back. He is a farmhand. He wanted ten thousand rupees, in addition to a watch, a bicycle, a ring, and outfits for him, his mother and father. Can you believe it? How can we do that? And, at that rate, how many marriages can we arrange? What can we do with all these children? Dump them in the Godavari river?” Jayamma went on and on.
Indira lowered her head and kept listening.
“Rajayya garu sent word through a messenger. If he cared, there are millions women ready to marry him. Everybody in the village knows that our girl is well-mannered. They came to us on their own. Tell me why I should say no to them? She will not be wanting for food and clothes. She will have jewelry like nose-ring and all. She can even feed others like me. We two sisters will be in the same village, be there for each other in time of need. We don’t have a mother or father any more, only the two of us, for each other. I thought about all the ins and outs and agreed. .. May be I am wrong, may be I am right. If we insist on getting only young bridegrooms, how easy that is going to be? True, somebody could see her good behavior and agree to marry her. But where is that idiot who is willing to marry her? I married a young man. How happy do you think I am?” Jayamma poured a volley of questions in a flurry.
Indira stopped her. “You have four children, as charming as pearls. But what about her?” she asked in a friendly tone.
“She will have them too. If she is destined to have children she will have, why not? Let’s say she can not bear children, like you said. Then I will give her one of my own. What difference does it make whether the child lives in my house or hers?”
Srihari cut in. “Every thing you have stated so far is very true. The bridegrooms are demanding huge amounts of money in dowry. That is very true. But based on that fact, can we marry off a little girl to an aged man? Wait for a little longer and see. Where is the rush? If you wait for sometime, I am sure you will find a good match.”
“What? Are you asking us to stop the wedding that is going to take place in just three days?” Jayamma and Venkanna were stunned. They could not believe that Indira and Srihari came all the way, made a special trip, to give them this advice?
“We might find a good match? The better the match is the higher the dowry is. And here we are, we can not spend even one thousand rupees. If we don’t perform this wedding, we will lose this match as well. We will lose on both counts. My children are also growing up fast. Things are getting worse day by day, not getting better. At the time of my wedding, there was no dowry, not a paisa. They agreed to my marriage saying all they wanted was the girl, that is me. Are the times like that now?” Jayamma went on debating and broke into sobs. She wiped her eyes and nose with her saree frills and continued again.
“I am also worried that I am ruining her life. The entire village is coming after me. On the day the marriage was agreed upon, Rajayya garu gave her [Sita] a gold chain and a silk saree. I was stupid. I wore the chain for a few days. Now everybody says I fixed up this marriage only for that gold chain and for putting up my child for adoption.” Jayamma stopped, clutched a strand of hair on her head, and continued, “I also gave birth to children. I am also aware of pleasure and pain. You tell me what am I supposed to do now? If I reject this match now, can we bring another match for her again? Would any one of those people come forward to bring another match?”
Venkanna was silent until then. He said, chiding his wife, “What kind of talk is that? Why would anybody else come and arrange the marriage for our girl? We should worry about it ourselves.”
Jayamma noticed the mistake, bit her tongue and kept quiet.
Indira was dumbstruck. She even started feeling, “How could I find fault with them?” She was wondering what would she do if she were in their situation?
“Would any one of those people come forward and bring another match?” Jayamma is asking. Indira thought that that was so true.
Srihari also could see her point. He spoke aloud, turning to Indira, “What is the point of giving free advice? One should be prepared to offer concrete help. Otherwise, all this talk turns in to a meaningless chitchat.”
Indira also saw his point. Suddenly she felt like she got out of the sticky situation. She felt that the cancellation of Sita’s marriage was a certainty now. “Jayamma, we will take the responsibility of Sita’s marriage. We will spend whatever expenses need to be incurred. You must find a proper match, suitable age and all. Let go of this match. Or else, the girl’s life would be destroyed.”
Srihari was surprised. For him, this line of argument became irksome. He said, “Are we going to perform the marriage, even if it means huge dowry and other demands by the bridegroom? What kind of solution is that?”
“What else? How else can we help her?” said Indira, even more surprised.
Jayamma and Venkanna could not figure out what these two persons were implying. The only thing that was clear to them was that they should cancel the impending wedding. How can they cancel a wedding that is only four days away? That too trusting the word of these two people? Counting on their help in future? At this late hour, after putting up the pandal and all!
Venkanna was infuriated. “That is not going to happen. You might be saying that because you love the girl but that is not possible. Right or wrong, this marriage must take place as planned. We have given our word.”
Jayamma picked up where he left off, “The people are like crows.[ii] If we cancel now, they will ask why we agreed in the first place. After that, it will be our fault, whether we do it or stop it.”
For Indira, this is all very confusing. How can they not accept our offer to pay for all the expenses? What do they mean? Why do they keep saying, ‘it is not possible, it is not possible’?
She looked at Srihari as if she was saying, “They are not going to listen.”
Srihari was still hopeful. He started again, in an attempt to convince that husband and wife, “What you are saying is true. There is no way you can be blamed. What is the point in worrying that somebody might say something? If you stop this wedding somehow, we are willing to do whatever you suggest for Sita’s sake? … I am not saying we love her more than you do. Now we have to start thinking how we can arrange her marriage. That’s all.”
Venkanna jumped to his feet. “How can we accomplish that? There is no way we can,” he said and walked away into the pandal, and then into the street. Jayamma kept her mouth shut and kept staring at the floor.
Indira and the others were lost for words. Sita kept herself busy from the moment she got up from the bench earlier. She finished feeding the child, took him in to the yard, washed him, put him to bed, and covered him with a saree piece. Then she made the older kids get up from their plates, washed their faces and hands, and picked up the dirty plates. She kept doing the chores, one after another, like an experienced adult.
After Venkanna rushed out, Jayamma sat there for a while, feeling weighed down. Then she slowly pulled herself together and said, “Sita, make coffee for attamma and all.”
Indira stopped them, “No, no, Jayamma! We had coffee just before coming here. I am not used to having coffee that many times. Sita! Don’t start now. Don’t.” She repeated ten times and stopped them.
Jayamma went in and returned with a cardboard box and put it on the bench next to Indira. She pulled out a silk saree from the box and stood in front of Indira, holding the saree. There was also a shining gold chain, sitting on it.
Indira felt depressed as she saw the two items. Do those two items carry such a big value?
How could the sister, a sibling, be so joyous about those items, knowing fully well what is going to happen to Sita?
“Rajayya garu is a good man. He will make sure that Sita will be wanting for nothing.”
Indira could not speak She looked around for Sita. Some three or four children were sleeping on one bed.
The house is quiet.
There is nothing they could do, no point in staying there any longer. But her heart would not allow her to get up and leave. Is that it? Is that all? There is nothing they could do? She kept pondering.
Srihari, feeling worn out, said, “Shall we go?” Indira did not respond. She sat there.
“Sita! Attamma is leaving. Come here for a second,” Jayamma shouted for the little sister.
Sita came, walking slowly toward Indira. She stood there, leaning on the bench, and with her head down. She looked like she had heard every word these adults were talking.
Indira took Sita’s hand into hers silently. She played with the two bangles for a few seconds. Slowly she put her hand on Sita’s shoulder and looked into her face.
Indira envisioned the entire future of that girl in that moment.
In about four days, this little girl is going to be the housewife for an aged man, putting an end to her childhood. She would start waiting on that old man. That old man would start feeling hostility toward this young wife for no reason. He would start suspecting her and abusing her invisibly for every thing she does—when she stands, sits, smiles, or even when she does nothing.
Would she put up with him, become disheartened, run to a well or a valley? What would she do?
May be she would become shrewd!
Or, hardened!
The men around her would not let this naïve child be. They would not leave her alone. They will start ‘hunting.’ They will lay nets for her everywhere.
She will give in. She will be ruined.
She will spend the rest of her life, embarrassed, scared and frightened. If somehow she gives birth to one or two children, she will be able to have a house of her own. Otherwise, the heirs will snatch away that too!
In the end, what would she be left with? What kind of pleasure she would have?
Indira pulled Sita toward her bosom as if she was embracing a child on her way to the graveyard in four days. A few tears flowed from her eyes and fell on Sita’s hair.
Sita did not lift her head up.
Indira let her go, turned toward the wall and wiped her tears.
Indira and Srihari started out toward the gate. Jayamma followed them to the door. “You didn’t even have coffee in our house,” she said.
… … …
As soon as she entered the house, Indira threw herself on the bed. Srihari narrated the entire incident to Suseela and others. “I tried several times to talk to Sita, but …” he said.
“Poor kid. What can she say?” said Suseela.
“No, Suseela! Why not we talk to Sita? What do you think will happen?” Indira said. She sat up, feeling a little better.
“Are you crazy? You two wanted to talk to the adults and you did. What else can we do? If they don’t listen, it is their karma.”
“Stop talking about karma and all that nonsense. Now I want to talk to Sita. I want to talk to her very badly. Tell me whether it is possible or not. Do you think it is absolutely impossible? How about you sending for her on some pretext?”
“It is getting close to ten O’Clock. How can we ask her to come now? Why would they send her? They won’t. … Here is one thing we can do. The same Sita brings us milk everyday early in the morning. I told Jayamma to send us milk until our buffalo has her baby. She will be here while it is still dark.”
“At what time?”
“Around 4:30 or 5:00.”
“Are you sure Sita herself brings it? Are there occasions when other children bring it?”
“Once Sita had fever and then Jayamma herself brought the milk. But for that one time, Sita is the only one to bring it, always.”
“So we have to wait until dawn?”
“It is already past ten. By the time we eat it will be eleven. How can you leave then? You might as well go later.”
Indira looked at Srihari, “Shall we stay?”
“I guess so. How can we leave in the middle of the night?” he said.
“Are you sure Sita comes herself? Or, is it possible Savitri would show up instead, as ill-luck would have it?”
“Don’t worry. Jayamma won’t send the little ones fearing that they might spill the milk. … Anyway, what are you going to say to her? Are you going to ask her ‘do you like this marriage?’ Would she say ‘I like it.’?”
“What if she says she does not like this marriage? What are we going to do then?” Srihari asked, as if thinking aloud.
Suseela laughed and said, partly in jest, “Take her with you.”
Indira stared into Suseela’s face. “Yes. Why not we do that? If Sita agrees, why not we take her with us?”
“Oh, God! You are dangerous. You jump on any word I’d say.”
“No, tell me. What if we take her with us?”
“We will take her with us and then what?” Srihari looked at her with astonishment.
“She will live with us in our house. We will send her to the school along with Sasi. And after that, we can find a job for her.”
Srihari did not believe that would work.
“Indira, if you make decisions, based on emotions … we will get into trouble later. You have to think whether it is practical or not,” he said.
Indira set out to argue her case. “What do you mean emotional? Are we little children? What have we so far to save that girl? We talked to her family for two hours, that’s it, right? Shouldn’t we be giving a little more thought to it? Should we let it go just like that, saying ‘what else can we do?’ If that girl trusts us and is willing to go with us, can’t we handle that much? Money is not a problem for us. What else is there to cause troubles? Do you think her family brings in police and involves us in litigation? That is the only thing we should be thinking about now. If this marriage is cancelled, Rajayya might go to the court, right? Let’s say they will take the girl back. After all this hard work, if we have to return the girl to her family, there is no point. That is what we should be carefully thinking now.”
“That is not the real issue, Indira! We can handle any number of cases. That is not the problem. Let’s say we convince her and take her with us. After that, if we don’t take good care of her, we might be making things worse for her. Are you fully convinced? Are you sure Sasi will like it?” Srihari said.
Indira looked at him, hurt. “You are not making any sense, and I want to know why? Why should Sasi like it at all? Should we do each and every thing, based on Sasi’s likes and dislikes. If what we are doing is a good deed, why wouldn’t she like it? If she can’t see it straight, we will talk to her and convince her. She must listen to what we have to say. We can’t hold back fearing that she might not like it. You are really talking strange today. You tell me frankly whether you like it or not. There should not be any misunderstandings later.”
Srihari laughed and said, “If I say I don’t like it, it looks like I’m going to have a problem right now right here.”
“That’s right. You’ve got that right. It is not possible for me not to get into an argument with these people—they are so narrow-minded. Tell me Srihari, if Sita agrees to go with us, do you have any objection to take her with us?”
Suseela and Seshagiri were astounded. They kept staring at Indira.
Srihari replied patiently, “Indira, I am very happy that we could accomplish such a plausible deed. I like it very much. All I am saying is we should think well first and then proceed.”
Finally things have settled down.
Suseela served food.
Indira felt relieved at the thought that they were going to do something for Sita.
While they sat down to eat, Suseela commented, “It seems I created an unnecessary situation, that too without a good reason. Probably I should not have written that letter.”
“Don’t talk like an idiot. So many of us are here. Can’t we all together save one little girl? Is there going to be a dent in our stash for this one little act?” Indira chided her.
Sasi was not aware that their return trip was postponed. She noticed that nobody showed any sign of leaving, even after the supper was finished. She came to her mother and asked, “amma, are we not leaving now?”
“Aren’t you listening, all this while? For the past one hour what do you think we were discussing? We have decided to wait so we could talk to Sita. We will leave early morning,” Indira said.
Sasi looked down and said, “Oh, no. I have an exam tomorrow. I will have to be at school by seven in the morning.”
Indira was furious beyond words. “What is this, Sasi? You are behaving like a child. There is another little girl caught up in a life-and-death situation. We all are worried sick, wondering what we could do, and you are talking as if your exam is a huge problem. Are you out of your mind? Learn to be a little more attentive to your values like good and bad. We will leave while it is still dark. If we are back in time, you will go to school, or else skip. Earth is not going to shatter if you score a few marks less.”
Sasi left without saying another word. She went in to Syamala’s room and fell asleep on her bed.
All the adults sat there contemplating their next move.
At a distance the sounds of drums are being heard intermittently.
Indira was taken aback. “What is that? Have they already started playing drums for the wedding?” she said..
“Ccha! Three days ahead?” said Suseela.
“Who knows? May be the old man is so keyed up,” said Indira angrily.
“The drummers always find a reason to play, hoping for rains, … something or other” said Suseela.
“I don’t think so. May be it is some kind of announcement,” Seshagiri said.
“What announcement at this hour? It is past ten.”
Seshagiri laughed and said, “Indira akkayya, there is one thing we can do and it will be really fun. Let’s announce Rajayya’s action for the entire village.” He was excited at the thought.
“That is good. Everybody in the village will come to know about this marriage. Your suggestion is good but it is already known all over the village,” Suseela said.
“That’s alright even if it is known. We should broadcast that ‘look what Rajayya is doing. Make him eat the grass[7] ho! ..ho!… In fact this is what we should do. We should invite the entire village, seat them, … or we could go to their homes and tell them, ‘we should not let this happen.’ Or, we can gather round Rajayya’s house and shout, ‘What kind of act is this? Are you a human or a buffalo?’ If we mention ‘hollering,’ I am sure all the children will come running too,” said Seshagiri quickly.
Both Indira and Srihari recalled the things they usually see in the newspapers everyday—protests, dharnas [sit in] and flyers.
“Yes. We should print handouts and distribute to each house in the village,” said Srihari with renewed vigor.
“Why are you coming to square one again? Who in the village does not know about this?” said Suseela.
“It’s not because they do not know. Aren’t we going to say in the handout that Rajayya should be taught a lesson and the marriage should be stopped?” said Srihari. He added, “That will create an uproar in the village and that will scare him out of his wits.”
Indira shook off her thoughts and said, “While we all are busy with this announcement thing, they will take her away to Annavaram or Simhachalam.[8] First thing we should do is to think how are we going to save the girl.”
Indira’s words made sense to all of them.
“Besides, I have several surgeries this week. Already scheduled. How can we go about these handouts and publicity? Where do we have that kind of time?” said Indira, feeling depressed.
“If we are sure of favorable result, I am sure we can find a way to do it. If they suspect that we are planning things to go against their wishes, they might really take her away to some other place. We had better do it quietly,” Srihari said.
Publicity idea seemed to be unrealistic.
Seshagiri was disappointed yet had to agree, “That’s also true. You had better take her away with you. He will come to his senses eventually.”
Each of them said whatever he or she could come up with. They kept arguing for a long time. They sat there discussing about it. They all were worried about the outcome. And they all fell asleep one by one.
… … …
Indira was waking up on the hour and looking at the clock. Finally, she got up at 3:00 and woke up Suseela as well.
“Not yet,” Suseela said and fell asleep again.
At about 4:00, Indira got up, sat down in the front porch with her eyes glued to the road.
The moonlight in the wee small hours was so beautiful! The entire street was so quiet! It was so long since she had spent time in the village! Suddenly she looked at the clock and noticed that it was past 4:30! She was getting restless.
All of a sudden Sita showed up in the porch with a can of milk. Indira could not believe her eyes. She stepped forward and said, “Sita! Is that you?”
Sita was surprised too. “You did not go away, attamma?” she said.
“For your sake, we stayed, wanted to talk to you, Sita! Tell me the truth. Did you tell them that you did not want this marriage?” Indira asked her straight, getting to the point.
For Sita it was a new lease on life.[9] In that moment she put her trust in Indira completely. Sita had never seen anybody before who would talk to her like that regarding her marriage.
“I have told them several times, attamma! Akka goes on talking on and on.”
“You really do not like this marriage?”
“Chi, chi. Not at all, I do not like it at all. I swear.”
“Then, will you go with us?”
“With you? Where to?”
“To our village. To our house. You can stay with us. We will send you to school. Or else, you can undergo some training while working for me. I am a doctor, you know. Mavayya[10] also is a doctor. Tell me, will you come with us?”
Sita broke into sobs. “Akka will not let me go. She will not,” she said.
“That is not what I am saying. Let’s not tell akka. We can leave right now.”
“Wouldn’t they come to know about it? They will come and get me.”
“They can not come and get you. We will not let them take you back. We will take care of all that. You tell me if you like to come with us?”
“I like that, attamma! I do like it. But …”
“You are scared, right? Don’t you worry about it. If you don’t act boldly now, you can never be free from this menace. Listen to me. I will make sure that you do not face hardships again. I will take good care of you. You like it, right! Shall we proceed? Your sister will get over her anger in due course. Then you can visit them occasionally. After that, if anybody asks, you should tell them that you left on your own free will. Understand?”
“Yes. I will. Please take me, really, attamma! I will do any and every chore you tell me to. Please, let me stay with you!” Sita said, hugged Indira and broke into sobs again.
By that time, others also woke up.
Srihari pulled the car to the front. Sasi sat in the backseat. Indira walked Sita to the car and seated her next to Sasi. Sasi moved to a corner and said hastily, “Lie down Sita. Somebody could see you.”
Sita quickly bundled up on the seat and covered her head and the arms with her voni.
Indira’s joy knew no bounds. “We came here only to see how things are, and running away with the bride. Poor bridegroom. Wonder what happens to him, Suseela!” she said, sitting in the front seat and closing the door.
“What happens to him? Ocean of sorrow,” Srihari said, laughing.
“I don’t know. You are on your way leaving us behind. Jayamma and the family will come to attack us,” said Suseela apprehensively.
“We will tell them that we did not know. We will fight back. Don’t you worry. You go, quick,” Seshagiri rushed them.
Car started and moved forward in that moonlit, early hours, zooming through the pleasant breeze.
***
It was past seven by the time they reached home.
While they were still in the car they discussed whether they should keep Sita at home or hide her in some other place for a few days.
“No problem. She will stay with us. If they come and ask her to go back, she can say that she would not leave and it would be fine. They might curse us and leave. What else can they do?” said Srihari.
Indira argued, “It is not a good idea to entertain too much confidence and assume that they will do nothing.”
“Look, after a few days of hiding, she will come back to our house and stay with us, right? We might as well face it now,” Srihari said.
They reached home without making any decision one way or the other. Sasi rushed to her school.
“Let’s say your akka and bava show up and ask you to go back with them. What will you say?” They asked Sita several questions.
Sita answered all their questions boldly.
“I would say I came to see attamma’s village,” she said at first.
Indira laughed and said, “That’s not right, you silly thing! You should tell them the real reason.”
Sita also laughed and said, “I will tell them that since you have arranged a marriage against my will, I came away to a place I liked.”
“Excellent! That is the way to talk. Suppose ten persons showed up. Suppose they drag you out and throw you into the car. Then, what would you do?”
“Even if they drag me back to our village, I will refuse to sit down for the ceremony, attamma! He [bridegroom] will be there too, right? I will walk up to him and tell him I will not marry you. You are sixty-years old. I am only fourteen. I will not have this marriage.” She replied.
“Not only that. You should also ask him, are you not ashamed, thatha? Will you also say that or will you forget that?”
“Yes. I will say that for sure even if akka curses me, beats me up, and even if she kills me.”
“You crazy one! No such thing is going to happen.”
Indira and Srihari felt elated that Sita has picked up the courage now. They have come to the conclusion that Sita need not be hidden in any corner.
Three more days to the wedding day. Indira would not leave home. Srihari also was rushing back to the house whenever he went out.
Sasi skipped school.
They all are waiting anxiously, worrying each minute what could happen.
Two days passed by without any incident. Nobody came. There was no news, not even from Suseela!
The fact that nothing happened was even more confusing.
“I wish something happened,” said Indira several times.
Sasi expressed her admiration for Sita several times, “amma! Sita is such a nice girl.”
Indira asked why. Sasi replied, “She is always busy, either rearranging my books or clothes. A while ago, I left the wet towel on the cot and forgot. She took it outside and hung up for drying. When I was brushing my hair, she took the comb and brushed my hair. She would sit there staring at me while I was studying. Remember? You would always say that I should behave. That is what she does exactly. Speaks very gently. Walks slowly. Smiles meekly. …”
Indira listened to her with a smile and said, “That’s good. You had better watch her and learn. ‘Behaving’ however does not necessarily mean ‘walking slowly, smiling meekly, and speaking gently.’ Sita is acting like that because that is considered ‘humility’. She has no mother. She grew up at her sister’s home doing chores. She has gotten used to being ‘humble.’ I am not asking you to live like that—be humble and passive. Don’t interpret ‘behaving’ to mean that. Sita came to our house. We are still outsiders for her. She is behaving like that out of gratitude for what we have done for her. That is her good nature. Which means we also should be equally nice to her, yes? We should not treat her as a ‘maid.’ You should not sit there idly and let her do all the work. Never belittle her.”
Sasi listened quietly to everything Indira said.
Indira smiled and said, “Sita has changed you a lot.” She was very happy that Sasi was treating Sita as a friend.
***
It was the day of the wedding, the day the marriage was prevented from happening. Sita would be considered ‘freed from disaster’ after the clock strikes ten!
Srihari left home since he had some urgent cases he had to attend.
Through out the day, each minute was like a span of several ages for Indira. She glued her eyes to the street and waited for Srihari.
Srihari got out of the car and walked in, looking dispirited. Indira could not figure out why he was looking depressed.
“A horrible disaster,” Srihari said, laying back in the chair, as if he had no strength to stand.
Indira was so scared she could not even ask what that disaster was.
“We thought Rajayya’s marriage was canceled. Well, it was not.”
“It was not?” Indira was perplexed.
“Sita … is here, isn’t she?”
“Aren’t there other Sitas everywhere? It seems the marriage took place at exactly the same moment as planned originally.” And added, “with Savitri!”
Indira was shocked beyond belief. “With Savitri? Did you say Savitri? Jayamma’s daughter! Horrendous!”
“Yes. My head spun when I heard it.”
“Who told you? Who said that? How do they know?”
Srihari narrated the entire story he had heard. “The music band went to that village from here to play at the wedding ceremony. The band returned by the late afternoon. There were fireworks at the wedding. One of the boys in the band, Pullarao sustained some burns on his hand. He came to Srihari’s clinic. I asked him how he got the burns and he explained in detail. He mentioned the name of the village—the same village and the groom’s name. He gave me all the details!”
After he is convinced that the same wedding took place, Srihari poured a volley of insults. “A sixty year-old man married a twelve year-old girl and you all played band. Chi. Begging on the streets could have been a better calling for you,” he said.
Pullarao started crying. He said that he was not aware of the circumstances until after he went there.
“Well, you did understand after arriving there. Why couldn’t you tell them that you would not play for that kind of wedding and return?’ Srihari said.
Pullarao looked at him awkwardly. “It did not occur to us, sir. It would have been good if we had done that. If not others, I could have left at the least,” he repeated hundred times. He beat himself up for not taking such action and cried.
After that he filled in a lot more details about the wedding ceremony. He said, “the pandal was jam-packed with people. Some of them said ‘age is not an issue for man!’ A few others said that ‘a girl would grow up in no time.’ All around I heard only comments like these. I did not find one person who had said, ‘Cchi, what is this?’”
“As for the women, I can’t even begin to tell! They all were dressed up in silk sarees with jaree [gold thread], tucked flowers in their hairdos, decorated with turmeric and kumkuma—they all were so excited to throw akshintalu [rice mixed with turmeric] on the bride and the groom with such an excitement, I can’t describe it!”
“Stop. Don’t tell me anymore …” Indira said, feeling miserable.
Sasi came running and said, “amma! Sita is crying.”
“Why? Why?” Indira and Srihari rushed in to the room in a flurry.
Sita was on the floor, rocking in a fit and crying in heartrending sobs.
It broke their hearts to see Sita in that condition. “What is this, Sita? You stupid girl! Why are you crying?” said Indira, taking her in to her lap.
Sita quivered like a bird whose wings were snipped off. “Savitri is younger than I. Much much younger. It would have been better if I had married him! Send me back… Send me back … I will go to their house, not Savitri. Attamma, send me there, please,” she kept saying and wailing.
Tears poured out of Indira’s eyes.
“No, Sita! Let’s think what we can do now. Tell me, what is the use of crying? We will bring Savitri also. Certainly we can bring her. Okay?”
“Then akka will marry off Swati to him. Attamma! I would rather go myself. Please, send me back.”
“I will report that idiot to the police. I will send him to the jail. I have been very patient so far. How long does that rogue go on marrying little girls? I am going right now to the police station. You get up first. Come on, sit. He may have thought that it was over when the ceremony was completed. We will stop Savitri from joining him. You stop worrying. Mavayya and I will take care of it. Okay? Do you think we will let him get away with it? Sasi! Bring something for Sita to drink. Bring warm milk in a glass tumbler! Come, get up! Sita! Won’t you please listen to me?”
Sita sat up in a snap and cried again, “attamma!”
Sasi understood mother’s words, took a sleeping pill from the cupboard and went in to the kitchen. She brought milk in a glass tumbler.
Sita drank the milk in between hiccups.
Indira sat there for a long time. Then she said, “Sasi, you two lie down for a little while,” and she left the room, after making sure that Sita lay down.
She came back after a few minutes and noticed that Sita was sleeping peacefully.
Indira and Srihari sat down like two persons lost in a dharma yuddham. They sat for a long time as if they could not think what to speak.
Indira was trying to recollect Savitri in her mind—the girl she had seen at Jayamma’s house the other night.
“Do you remember Savitri?” Indira asked Srihari. She was depressed.
“I remember them all,” said Srihari, languidly.
For Indira it was unbearable.
“Abbha! What have we done!” she held her head.
Her eyes filled with tears! She did not try to stop bemoaning.
“We have saved Sita. But Savitri was sacrificed in the process!”
[End]
Translated by Nidadavolu Malathi and published on thulika.net, March 2003.
***
(The Telugu original, samskarana” was published in Andhra Prabha Weekly, 27 July 1994. This translation is based on the story published in the anthology, Ámmaki Adivaaram leda? Sweet Home publications, 1996.)
[1] Orange colored flower with a strong aroma. Popular belief is the aroma attracts snakes.
[2] Usually marriages are celebrated at the bride’s home. A huge tarpaulin tent, commonly known as pandal will be put up under which marriage is performed.
[3] A tradition, pradhaanam, is for both the parties to meet at bride’s home and set the date for wedding. At the time gifts are also exchanged.
[4] Annayya literally means brother. See glossary for relational terms
[5] Pre-adolescent girls wear a 3-yard piece by way of transition to saree.
[6] A Telugu proverb, aayane unTe vistarendukani a custom of widows eating in a leaf plate. If he were alive, she would not be needing the leaf plate but would eat in the same plate after the husband finishes eating.
[7] A common proverb, gaDDi peTTaali, meaning teach him a lesson.
[8] The two places Annavaram and Simhachalam are temple villages. Sometimes weddings are celebrated in temples.
[9] The common phrase in Telugu is praaNam lechi vaccindi.
[10] Uncle. See glossary
[i] Praying for the rains to fall. A common tradition.
[ii] A common proverb, lokulu kaakulu –people are like crows, usually implies people chatter irresponsibly.