Smt D Kameswari is a reputed short story writer and a novelist in Telugu language. Having commenced her writing career in 1962, she has so far published 11 anthologies of short stories and 20 novels. ‘Kottamalupu’ is one of her most popular novels. Some of her stories were translated into Hindi, Kannada and Tamil languages. She acquired many awards, notable among them are Madras Telugu Academy Award, Telugu University Award, etc.
**
“Varun, tomorrow is Sunday. So, you both come
for lunch”, said Janaki to her son.
“Anything special, anybody coming?” enquired Varun.
“Does it warrant any special occasion for a mother
to call her son for lunch or for a son to visit her mother? Just wish to speak
with you. So, both of you come down and be with me till evening.”
Remaining silent for a while, Varun saying, “She is
not at home, went to her parents”, hung up the phone.
**
Putting her hand around the shoulder of her son who
arrived at 11 0 clock, she said with a tinge of displeasure, “won’t come unless
called! It’s almost a month since you came last, you know?”
“True amma but come Sunday, some
undefinable laziness overtakes me!” Tucking himself in the sofa relaxingly with
a smile said, “Last week you did come, what matters most is our meeting…
it doesn’t matter who came where”.
“Expected Navya to be home. That’s why I asked both
of you to come”.
“By weekend her mind drives her toward her parent’s
home. By the time I was back home at 7pm, she wasn’t there. Didn’t even
phone!”
“How is it? Any tiff, again? How could she go
without informing?”
“Amma, I don’t know. Don’t ask me?” Continued in a
dejected tone: “Goes and returns at her will and pleasure. I won’t ask.”
“How come, wife won’t tell where she is going? And
husband won’t ask where she had been to! What a family? This is no good of you
both”, said in a mild chiding tone. ”
“Amma, that’s why I won’t come. No sooner did I
arrive than you would start preaching. There in the house her howling, here
yours … . Whatever I might say, you always support your daughter-in-law. No
point in talking about it … serve lunch, I’ll eat and go”, said rashly.
“What my son! Like a child, what’s this sulk even
at this age of 30!” said she holding his hand caressingly. “How daughter-in-law
could matter more to me than you? But, the girl who joined us must be treated
as a daughter. Wondering, of course, from her side that in her hurt mood she
should not think that mother and son are one, I attempt, as an elder, to soften
the atmosphere. Look Bobby, what you men know about the mental status of a girl
who came to in-law’s house? Leaving behind the natal home and the love and
affection of parents, having all at once joining a new home, new people, new
habits, a new atmosphere, she would need time to think that this house and
these people are mine. For the girl, who came reposing all the faith in you,
the husband, it is for us to give her confidence saying, ‘here we are for you,
you are ours, and this home is yours’. Such being her state of mind, you should
lend her emotional support. It’s only when we make her believe that
mother-in-law too is like her mother, a mother-in law can counsel her
daughter-in-law as to what is good and what is not. As the elder of the house,
‘Isn’t it my duty to mediate between you both to set right things?’ Yet, could
I speak with her as bluntly as I could with you?”
“That’s Ok! Don’t imagine that I said something
hurting and she felt bad of it. I haven’t said anything. There was no quarrel
either. Every Sunday, Navya runs to her natal home. This time round she went on
Saturday itself. That’s all! Had she told of it beforehand, you think I would
say no; even if I say no, would she stay back! That’s why I remain
indifferent!” said Varun impatiently.
“Yesterday Navya came here. You know, she spoke to
me for a considerable time”, said Janaki leisurely.
Varun was surprised. Recovering himself quickly,
“Why then are you asking me? Is this cross-examination meant for ascertaining
what she said is true or otherwise?” asked Varun straight looking into her
eyes.
Not being able to decide how much to reveal about
what transpired between herself and Navya, she casually said, “nothing new, the
same old complaint. You won’t go with her anywhere. Won’t mix-up with people.
Her friends’ hubbies go along with them to social parties and picnics. Your not
joining her for such trips is making her feel ashamed. Why don’t you accompany her
when she so longingly asks for?”
“Oh, she and her friends! Those parties irritate
me. Made-to-believe conversations, false laughter, garish-attire —all that
looks petty for me. I know none of them. Yet in the beginning, for her sake, I
did accompany her a couple of times. Come holiday, she talks about parties …
hotels. But I feel like sitting with a good book … feel like listening to good
music in quite a relaxed mood”, said Varun peevishly.
“True, her tastes are different, I have noticed it
when you both were here. Phones, friends, all that of course, is too much. But,
to satisfy her, at least once in a while, one may have to entertain even such
things which one may not relish to do, that too, to satisfy a wife. If there
are to be no conflicts in the family and for the good of each other, some kind
of adjustment is warranted”, said she amicably.
“Amma,
I do go for marriages and such other related auspicious family functions,
though I don’t know any of them. But going to clubs, pubs, and those
drink-parties of male and female… well, I don’t know but I somehow don’t feel
like going for them. Office parties on special occasions such as New Year… are
anyway inevitable once in a couple of months. But come holiday, and if you say,
‘let’s go’, well, it won’t happen with me. Anyway, I haven’t stopped her… many
times I told her: ‘go and enjoy yourself… but don’t disturb me’”, said Varun.
Sensing honesty in what he said, she could not but nod her head
mechanically.
“Having no evocation, she is craving for something
new. No work at home either. Won’t like cooking so, engaged a cook. The cook
makes food and arranges it on the dining table. Her only work is to go to
office and return. Home, its upkeep, cooking none of them are to her liking.
Enough, if she had friends, phone calls and outings, that’s all. She is still
behaving like a college going girl”, said Varun quite disgustedly.
Immediately after marriage, waiting for their flat
getting ready for occupation, Varun and Navya stayed with Janaki for about six
months. Hoping that the newly arrived daughter-in-law would learn the household
work on her own, Janaki didn’t assign her any work for quite some time. Of
course, she did anticipate that she would on her own come to the kitchen and
lend her hand in cutting vegetables, or placing dinner ready on the dining
table and so on. But that didn’t happen. Janaki wondering, maybe she wasn’t
habituated to attend to such works at home, perhaps, grown up like that,
carried on.
“I don’t know, you say differently, and yesterday
Navya made a serious complaint”, said Janaki.
“What did she say? And why telling you? She could have directly spoken to me”, said Varun furiously.
Being stuck in the dilemma of what to say and what
not, she remained silent.
**
“Attayya garu, I
am going to my parent’s home. For, you treat me as daughter rather than as a
daughter-in-law, I thought I should share with you before leaving and so am
here. You please don’t say anything more now: I won’t listen even if you say
anything”, said Navya aggressively as soon as she entered the house.
Keeping aside the book in her hand and looking at
her reddened face Janaki said, “go in and first drink water”.
“Right, tell me now where you wanted to go?”
questioned Janaki, looking into her eyes straight. “First to my parents’ home and
then will think of what next.”
“What’s that so grave an incident that prompted you
to quit your house and go to parents”, enquired Janaki.
“What’s there to say? It became very clear that
your son will not change. No longer I can get on with him. No more I would like
to adjust with him. No fondness, no merriness. I cannot bear a husband who sits
like a dumb Muni (saint). I look forward to fun in the life. I
need people. Amidst fiends, ramblings, friendly social parties I want to lead a
life of fun and frolic. Our tastes do not match. We no longer can pull on
together”, said she frenziedly.
“So, what next? Want to take divorce? Get
separated? Decided?” staring at daughter-in-law Janaki asked coolly.
Stifled by her questions, Navya, after a minute
replied: “Don’t know, I haven’t thought that far. But one thing is certain: I
won’t stay with him anymore”. Looking at the daughter-in-law who, as a child
spoke stubbornly, Janaki asked, “Did you inform him?”
“No. First I want to move out of that house. Just
to see if my absence would make any difference to him. Let me give a chance for
him to change!” said she rather presumptuously.
“Oh! So, it’s only a bullying tact, just to see
what he would do?”
“Attayya garu, don’t take your son’s side, I will get wild.”
“You know, I won’t side with anyone blindly, rather
attempt to advise whoever is wrong to set it right”, said Janaki with a smile.
“That’s precisely the reason why I came to inform
you before leaving”, said Navya softly.
“Look Navya, all persons are not alike. So long you
clamour for fulfilment of your wishes alone, then you can’t avoid conflicts in
the family. When you know clubs and parties are not to the liking of your
husband, you should have that craft which gets him round your lifestyle. When
you don’t have it, you must respect the feelings of the other and adapt
yourself to them.”
“You mean for his sake I have to give off all my
desires. Am I not going with him to his parties?” questioned Navya
challengingly.
“Yes, we women folk can mingle with anyone in no
time. Can talk animatedly. Our acquaintances and friendships are aplenty. If
you want him to be like you, then you have to win him with your love. If you,
wondering we too are educated, we too are earning, simply question why men’s
likes and dislikes alone should rule the roost, then quarrels in the family
become inevitable. When it’s warranted, one has to withdraw from the conflict.
Similarly, when it’s required to listen to the other, one must… but at the same
time when it is called for, one must equally assert. Mere constant nagging
won’t yield anything.”
“True, it’s after all your son, so you can’t but
talk like this. Even educated women like you advise women to adjust and adopt
to men forever”, said Navya angrily.
“Why, today’s young men have changed a lot! Are
they like what husbands of our time were? No, we do see tremendous change now”,
said Janaki looking at her.
Looking uneasily, said Navya: “So, you mean there
is nothing wrong with your son”.
“There could be—why won’t there be? Everyone will
have one or the other, no one is perfect! But the point is, it all depends on
how one looks at it. Look, today’s girls appear to be expecting their husbands
to be all perfect, eager to care for the wives and willingly obey all their
commands. If there is even a slight deviation from these expectations they
think their dreams melted away. They, feeling sad of it, harass their husbands.
Before marriage, you both moved together for almost a year, claiming to be
friends, lovers and wantonly married. Haven’t you bothered to check about these
things then?” questioned Janaki in a raised tone.
“In those days he roamed along with me alright”,
said Navya jeeringly.
“Yah, boys, to impress the girls as boyfriends,
meekly follow girls. And to please the boys, girls, decking themselves in
different attires, endearingly make the boys to roam around them. But
expecting a boyfriend to be the same after becoming a husband, is nothing but
your stupidity. Remember Navya,
affection soars high only when there is a two-way flow. It’s just not to give
you a feeling that I have a say in your family matters, I kept quite all along.
Cut short those social parties, jaunts of your unmarried-days, and stay
focussed on your family. If you pay attention to your house and husband
everything would get straightened,” said Janaki. Sensing a certain chiding in
what her mother-in-law said, she angrily got up and walked away swiftly.
**
“Whatever I had to say, I said to her firmly. Of
course, I haven’t expected her to get away sulkily even after what all I said.
Anyway, it has almost become a routine for her to go to her parents every
Sunday. Tomorrow being a working day, she would come back,” said Janaki to
pacify her son.
“Ammaa, don’t ring her up anymore. Let her come
whenever she wants. Even if she won’t come, I will not enquire,” said Varun
peevishly. She could understand her son’s annoyance.
“Varun, can I just say something? It’s two years
since you got married. There should be change at every stage of life.
Immediately after marriage, with new wife, love, craze, enamorment,
affiliation, first year passes off fast. Thereafter, if the bondage between wife
and husband has to get strengthened, children have to be around, for that
infuses change in lives. It is through rearing children and the associated joy
thereof, bondage between wife and husband gets strong–love grows. For the sake
of children, one’s habits, passions automatically get changed …
adjustment-attitude becomes the norm.”
“Now a days, boyfriends, love, fancies, chatting,
attractions are all being experienced well before marriage itself. There being
nothing new or change, one is wondering, ‘Is this what after all marriage
mean?’ With the growing family responsibilities, job demands and the
concomitant need for adjustment, there appears to be no thrill in the married
life. Both wife and husband are getting so tired in the office work that there
seems to be no space for Sringara in life. As a result,
growing detachment, missing passion for each other and waning bondages have
become common— and all this is leading to mounting annoyance, anger,
stubbornness, quarrels and even divorces.”
“So, what do you want to say? Everyone is working,
but are they ignoring their household responsibilities like Navya?”
“Her status in their house as the
‘only-girl-child’, over-pampering of parents by not assigning her any housework
appear to me as the lacuna in her brought up. Girls do learn after marriage. But
Navya has still not picked up the responsibility of a householder. Hoping that
once moved to her own house, she would cultivate householder responsibility,
particularly, fearing that if I were around, she would neither own up the
responsibility nor do bother to learn family chores, I didn’t move with you to
your flat despite your anger and sorrow”.
“Yes, I was angry at first, but later understood why
you said no to move along with me and why you preferred to stay all alone in
this house. Ammaa I am telling you, don’t ring her up”, saying, he
walked away furiously.
**
“Come in Varun, come in,” invited his father-in-law
very affectionately. Standing up, his mother-in-law said, “Come, sit here”. As
they so very happily received him, he felt surprised. As the expected
unpleasantness and serious atmosphere was absent, he felt a kind of
relief—almost after a week.
As his father-in-law, calling him on phone, said,
“Varun you must come once urgently”, he at first wondered: “What Navya might
have said? What preaching he would give? Or, Will he, cross-examining me, give
ultimatum?” Finally, deciding to discuss with them about Navya and settle it,
having gone there, and being surprised at their affectionate reception and
pleasant atmosphere, he enquired, “What’s the matter, asked me to come
urgently?”
“If not urgently, is it something ordinary to
convey leisurely, our grand-child is arriving! Look, stopping the childish
quarrels, you both must start preparing to play the roles of mummy and daddy,”
said he excitedly… happily.
Staring uncomprehendingly for a minute, he at once
uttered, “What! Really?” in great surprise. “Navya didn’t say to me”.
“Oh! If only she knew! Complaining about nausea and
vomiting, as she didn’t take food, her mother took her to the doctor.” Saying,
“Go, go into room”, he drove him in.
**
“You know, it’s just to let my babu (son) have
father’s love, I am coming,” said Navya sitting in the car with her cutely
narrowed mouth.
“It’s OK! Having got so much love for the child yet
to born, you are coming to up-lift me. Welcome home,” responded Varun
tauntingly.
“I do have. It’s you who don’t have love for me,”
said she leaning on his shoulder amorously.
“Putting a full stop to all your stupid acts,
prepare yourself to transform from a college-girl avatar to a mother’s
avatar. If you talk about parties, mind you, I will break your
legs. If you touch drink, l’ll break your hands. Shut your mouth and do what I
say,” said Varun threateningly with a smile.
“You great, come on! That's not your cup of tea!
Anyway, I don’t mind quitting job and sitting at home happily, well, that’s all
the better”.
“No way, you can’t do that. You would work till the
9th month. Otherwise, a lazy-fellow like you might born. Must
lead active life…. And to be healthy, no drink …”
“Enough, I know it all…. Doctor did tell me. Don’t
preach morals. The moment I heard I am pregnant, started controlling—‘you
shouldn’t do this or shouldn’t that’… On delivery, I might lose all my freedom,
perhaps…” saying Navya portrayed sorrow.
“That’s it! For a bellowing bull nose ring is
installed. To calm-down fellows like you, children are bestowed,” said Varun
teasingly.
**
Anxiously waiting in the balcony for the arrival of
her son and daughter-in-law, Janaki, noticing them walking in from the car
joyously, hugged them both happily at the door itself.
After the co-father-in-law shared the happy news
about her daughter’s pregnancy and ever since Varun phoned her up about their
arrival, she, in her blissful happiness landed on cloud nine. On her son’s
arrival, hearing his narrations, she said: “Yes, my dear son, tying the yellow
thread around the neck in marriage a husband controls the wife. Then once
children born, they tighten the family bondage.
“Amma, all
said and done, always supports women only,” said Varun.
"No. it’s not that way, should I say the truth. In
our country, families remain stable only because of children. Children are the
real agents holding the wife and husband together,” said she staring at them
cheerfully.
**
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