Whom To Call?

The weather is cold. The snow has started to fall. it is ice cold externally.


Rajan sat on the couch. his head was splitting with pain. He wanted to have a cup of coffee. "Manju" , he called. Getting no reply, he looked around and was about to call again, the door opened, In came  Jane .
 She was not in her usual mood. She threw herself beside him. When he attempted to open the conversation she flew back with rage. She shouted calling him names. She alleged that it was because of him that she was fired by her superiors. Rajan was already down and Jane's rage added fuel to the fire. He spat back at her. Ugly scenes  followed. Each one accusing and engaging in tantrums. Jane finally got into the bedroom and slammed the door. Rajan burst into tears. His mind unnecessarily  went back to his lovely home. Manju's smile haunted him.

He lay there in the couch for long. Jane did not open the door. She lay there after consuming a peg of whisky. She forgot the world around her. She forgot Rajan and the way she behaved with him. She slept the whole night peacefully.

In the morning, Rajan woke up. He was sore and deeply hurt. He had a quick bath and went out into the town to have his breakfast. Then he walked into his office with head bowed down.  his friends gave a warm smile. A few of them were aware of his disastrous move. They did not break open the topic but talked among themselves. They could assess his situation. " What , a fool, he is. He had a such a beautiful family . He has  foolishly left them believing in this woman". Rajan could understand but he kept quiet.

His senior called him and said the work load is very heavy and Rajan has to work an hour more to clear them . Rajan could not say no to him . he just nodded his head and returned to his seat. Back in his work , he saw the load lying in front of him. Normally he would clear any number of papers in no time. But today he was down with regret and self pity. His head was nagging and he had not had a proper meal these five days. he felt weak and exhausted. He tried to concentrate but could not . By noon he was taken up by fatigue, he  slumped on his chair and  lay unconscious for a while.His colleagues rushed to him and took him to the nearby hospital. The y did not whom to call, Manju or Jane.

The afternoon weather was not reliable . The winds swept heavy . 

The Switch Over.

The breeze is gentle. The sun has set in. The time is 4 in the evening.

Manju could hear the gate open. Ramu and Sudha had come from school. Beforethey could ring the door bell she rushed out to greet them. Sudha was overjoyed to see her mother. She threw her bags and threw  her shoes came rushing towards her mother. Manju caught hold of the child and lifted her up. Ramu , the elder of the two, was composed. He entered the hall , smiled at his mother and went over to change his dress. Sudha kissed her mother so many times that Manju's face became wet.
Manju  changed Sudha's clothes , washed her  and tied up her hair into a knot . She looked so cute like a doll.

Manju and the children had their meals together . The one chair remained vacant. Sudha looked at it twice and said , "' daddy has gone. I miss him very much.''  Her eyes became moist . Ramu bit his lips to control his whimper , took hold of Sudha's tiny hand  and smothered it with a loving kiss. Manju , turned her back pretending she was busy with  some preparation.  The  situation eased soon as Manju gave them all the delicious items she had prepared for them. The children relished the food.

Soon they retired to the living room. Manju doing her office work she missed out. and the children reading through the day's work at school.  Ramu  was an excellent student  and was a topper. he was in the bright student category and a way ahead of the regular students. So was Sudha in her class. Manju faced no issues regarding their academic   pursuits. They were  brilliant kids.

The house slowly would fall into the system. The one member , who had gone out on his own, would create a disturbance both physically and mentally but that would disappear as time passes. his loss would be their gain. it is their absence that is going to create a mess in his life. Rajan has made an expensive mistake.Well, that is what is destiny.

The night has grown dark. The stars were shining beautifully from the sky.

A New Leaf.

The day is bright. The temperature has shot up. The day is warm  unusual at this time of the year.

  Manju lay in the couch for long. She knew not how long. her mind still in Madurai. The beautiful relation her parents had, the way revealed their love, the subtle but affectionate overtures all filled up her mind. Her mother never showed any feelings. She went about with a smile that was unconquerable. The ups and downs in her life did not catch up with her temper. She was an epitome of beauty both external and internal.

her father was such a kind hearted man. he could not sit quietly for a moment. he was always busy with his work, with his duties and with his parayanas. He quoted invariably from the slokas, and from Thiruvasagam. he was a successful entrepreneur. He made good money. He was never after it. he spent a lot of time with his famil. Not that he took them out, not that he took them to see places but was with them in the evenings. he played with them, joked with them  and was their guide all throughout.His wife was the backbone.She was there for the family at times of need and at times of happiness. Dressed modestly and well learned  she taught her children music which sharpened their intellect and made them wiser. Every day  during Margalt (thanur masam) she made Manju sing the Thiruvembavai pasurams. The belief still runs through. If a girl sings it with devotion  she would get a handsome, dedicated husband. Manju sang them in all earnestness. Rajan was a good husband, very understanding and  nice. Manju could not hold back her tears. She mumbled, "amma. amma,"' calling her loving mother.

It was going to be 3 in the afternoon. Manju had to be up as the children would come back from school. She decided. "No more of crying, no more of recollections. She has to face   bravely whatever be the consequences. her children should get the best of everything in life, not as a matter, the luxuries but the necessities."  her professional progress was exemplary. if only she addressed it with far more seriousness from this day, she would achieve a revenue  in millions.

She went into her room, combed her hair and washed her face.Draped in a saree, which Ramu likes, she came out a changed Manju.  Knowing her children would return hungry  she prepared a sumptuous meal for them with all the South Indian delicacies in a row. The Payasam was Sudha's favourite. She did it with extra care.

Manju now has turned a new leaf. Her smile the winning one adorned her face.

 The sun  entered the  living room. it was gleaming and radiant . It came right into the kitchen .

Madurai -- The Historic City.

It is dawn.The sky is clear. The clouds have receded. There is no sign of rain.It would be a bright sunny day says the weather forecast.

Manju slept for long. The alarm bell, as usual, rang at 5.30 in the morning.  Manju was too lazy to get up .her head was aching.  The thought of staying back from office. But she has to send the children to school
 Reluctantly got up from the bed. After a quick shower,  she went into the kitchen. While preparing the breakfast which was not elaborate, oats and milk, she absent-mindedly  left the oven burn for a while. The rice in the cooker would have burnt, if not for Ramu, who came out  and called ", mama." something is about to burn". Manju did not respond. She was lost in a reverie. Ramu with the presence of mind switched off the oven. He went near his mother. He shook her with shivering hands. Manju got up and looked around. It took a moment for her to realise  the situation. She saw Ramu  staring at her. Resuming her smile, she said, "Oh1 Ramu, I am sorry". She became busy once again. The lunch was packed.  Sudha came out dressed for school. Ramu was also ready. The three of them had their porridge. Sudha,  the talkative of the two,   saw the lunch boxes. She cried"Mummy" why have you packed four, we need only three, hereafter, Remember, daddy has left us".  Manju and Ramu looked at each other with an uneasiness. Well, that is the  truth. it is always bitter.

The children had left for school. Manju was the one at home. If she stayed back she would have the  day for herself. She would do nothing but think of the past. If  she went to the office she would not be able to concentrate, would  be distracted. She needed rest very badly. To neutralise her mind and body she had to sleep. She called her colleague in the office and expressed her inability to attend office.

She sat on the couch. Her mind went back to the good old days. Her days of school. The images came one after another. As a toddler, she was pampered by her father. She used to carry her wherever he went. tell his friends, "she is my princess. I adore her." She was adorable. With a lovely complexion and aquiline features, eyes bubbling with life and cheer. it was the smile now and then which won all the hearts. her brother a few years older to her also cherished her like a treasure. It was only her mother who  felt she was being spoilt. She, on and  off, scolded her for being careless.  She made her do the homework regularly.  She taught her Carnatic music and made her sing every day in the morning. The sarali varsai and the janda varsai were her daily breath. She would forget to take  her breakfast but not forget the sathagam or practise. A teacher of merit came when Manju had learnt the rudiments of music from her mother. He gave her instructions on the higher. The varnams, javalis and keerthanas. Manju turned out to be a proficient singer. She won many prizes in the contests held at school and college. Her mother also made her learn Bharathanatyam. Manju excelled in it. She had a penchant for dancing. She was great in performing the adavus and showed grace when it came to bhava.  Manju received proficient awards in  school and college.

 Her city Madurai was an ancient one.  where the Tamil Sangam flourished. It was in the banks of the River Vaigai. As every civilisation had its birth in a river bed, Vaigai had a  great historical background. The Pandiya  Kingdom and later the Nayakas ruled  the city and the surrounding places with Madurai as their capital. It rose in fame and thrived in trade. The Kings went as far as Sri Lanka  and the far east.   music and Tamil were the eyes of the Kings. They honoured musicians and Tamil scholars, patronised them and the world famous Thirukkural was staged and delivered in Madurai.
The city never sleeps and never a day goes without a festival. It is the culture that holds all breathless. The fascination centres around knowledge and  not on  money. Till today, the city has no big manufacturing units, no corporate offices,  no software companies  to boast of. It has its own small shops, small scale industrial units and a few big malls. The apartment culture is slowly picking up.  Otherwise, we could see houses either in clusters or in a way little apart  and mostly individual ones big and small.The city has maintained its prestige with one temple which speaks history, geography and science being the  beautiful Meenakshi Amman Temple.  The only one being the best on, being a wonder, talks of  architecture and divinity.

It is a marvel. it is a feast to the eyes. it is a bliss. it is heavenly. I could go on words would  not be adequate to describe the beauty.  Eyes would devour the images, the sculptures, the ethnic pillars and the murals all resplendent of the Pandiyan and Nayaks techniques. More and above the thrill, the enthrall, the exaltation you feel once you enter the temple is ubiquitous . each speak volumes. Each depicts the nuances and derelictions of   the skill of the artisans.

Manjula  had gone some twenty odd  years back  when she was a ten-year-old.  her mind was rejuvenated her heart became light and she wanted to sing.
 She  sang to herself first, then came out with full-throated ease, the Thiagarajar keerthana "" Nithi sala sugama" in Raga Kalyani. She sang the song with such devotion, that her pains started to diffuse and she felt as though she was flying in the air.

The weather was even. The forceful winds have gone away. The breeze blew with little noise and kissed Manju's face.  They seemed to say, "Do not worry, I am here for you."

Silence --- Deadly Silence.

The darkness got dense. The stars have retreated. It was a new moon day and the intensity of the darkness was  enormously felt.

Ramu was the first to get to his bed. The boy fairly old to understand the grimness and  not  as old to compromise to the situation throws himself into the bed. The cozy bed took him into its fold. He  is disturbed. What would be his future? His mother is making enough money. How would she be able to make both ends meet?  Thoughts crowd his mind. Soon sleep overtook him.

Sudha, on the other hand, was lying on her mother's lap. The girl too young to know what was going around  slept peacefully holding her mother's hand. Manju sat there frozen. She did not note the time . It was half past midnight. She gently lifted the girl and placed her in the bed. She kissed the child in her forehead. Without making noise, she walked away to her room.

Again alone in her room shared with Rajan for over fifteen years, she felt lost. memories flooded her mind. The happy days of her marriage during the earlier years where love was outbid by pleasure, that of the body than of the soul. The overtures, the caress, the fondling and the consummation all came to her mind in a slide show. The years after Ramu was born brought ina joy different. Now, it was one not os passion but of understanding, of responsibility and the closeness accounted to the soul not to the flesh anymore. Sudha was born not out of lust but out of intimate love. This part was the most beautiful in their married life. The give and take, the touch and not touch, the eye contacts and the silence added charm,brought colour to the lovely days. She cried  and sobbed. To whom she could pour out her feelings? Her mother was dead. her father was too old to bear the shock. Her brother was the only one to whom she could confide. Sleep waits for no man. She dozed off quietly.

The night has grown cold. The winds have subsided. There was silence, deadly silence

The Stars Twinkle.

The rains  have retreated, There is life everywhere.The city bustles with activity. The three-day spell has dislocated the activities.

Ramu and Sudha returned home after the school. Sudha  rushed to the door and pushed it open. Ramu followed her in measured steps. Sudha cried in horror, "Ramu, Dad's shoes are missing, his hat is not to be seen and his overcoat has disappeared."Ramu was silent. The little one could not wait for an answer. She shook her brother violently. "Where has dad gone?".The brother took the sister's hand held it for a while and embraced the little one so fondly. Well, a brother assumes the role of the father all too young.Sudha broke down and wailed "Daddy, daddy". Ramu unable to control himself broke down and cried inconsolably.We have to support mother as she is the only parent we have".Sudha nodded her head. She having half understood, accepted that her loving daddy has left home for good.
The children heard their mother's car on the drive. They rushed to the bathrooms, washed and  changed the school dress and came out fresh to greet Manju.

Manju entered with her trademark smile. She, at first sight, noticed  the difference. Rajan had packed his bags.  Her face turned sullen. Not to let herself down before the children she went into her bedroom locked the door and burst into tears.The room looked void without Rajan's belongings. The way it is going to be hereafter.Soon she gathered herself. Took a quick shower, lightly made up her face and wore her favourite saree, plaited her hair and came out  with a smile broad and brilliant.

She walked into the kitchen. Busily prepared coffee for her and hot chocolate for the kids. With the cups on the tray, she went out to the garden.The children followed her. Sipping her hot coffee, she told them  in a practical voice. "daddy has found a new life. he is with his new wife.  He offered to fund your education, I refused. I do not find any anomaly in his behaviour. Everyone has a right on his own life. Daddy wanted a new woman, perhaps he was bored with me.
He is now gone. He has left us forever. Let us wish him well and pray for his well-being. he had been a loving father to you, a doting husband to me. All the four of us had a good time. Now we are three. let us share our life with one less. It would mean a huge difference. It would connote a great inconvenience. We have to cope with it. I am here for you. " She pulled her children close to her. Tears rolled down her cheeks. It wetted the children's cheeks too.

They went inside.  Had a quick dinner. Rajan's chair remained unoccupied. It is going to be empty hereafter.
The night was still and dark. The stars twinkled from afar. Could it be a signal, a premonition that their life would also twinkle and shine?

A New Phase Of Life,

The  rains poured not much. The mild rain proved to be a solace. The weather was good,  bright and sunny.

Rajan was in heaven. He lay close to Jane. he caressed her, smothered her with kisses and jane was in a state of bliss. They forgot the time, the food and their responsibilities. It was lust. 

Flesh is a temptation. Man can resist. Man can overcome. Man would  if he is firm and principled.

Rajan was fickle minded and he has succumbed to the animal pleasure. Jane was no better. She seduced him, tempted him, cajoled him all through the night and day. Both  were lost in sensuality.They absented from work, They were locked with each other. It could be for a while. It could not continue forever. Rajan and Jane were not in their teens. They were not adults but middle aged and had raised a family. They have fallen from grace.

Days passed  without any event. Rajan received a notice from his office  asking him to report for work at once and tender an explanation for his absence. Jane  was also warned by her chief. If she attends the office at once she ould be given a grace period to correct herself and continue. If not she would be sacked.

Rajan could not come to reality. He was very much into lovemaking. He tossed the notice  which fell into the bin. he cuddled close to Jane, fondled her  and diffused himself in the pleasure. Jane  was also into it though half minded. She was not very easy. The fright of losing the job brought her to reality. She pushed Rajan aside and got up. Rajan sensed rejection for the first time.he approached her again and pulled her to him. She angrily pushed him down and  dressed her up quickly. She made up her face lightly and walked away leaving Rajan.

Rajan was fuming. Repulsion was not his cup of tea. His mind went back to the early days of his marriage to Manju. How lovingly she made him understand the value of time, how gently she left him and how softly she coaxed him to get back to serious work. A mountain of difference, Rajan mumbled. He switched on the Television.He saw a programme which  was a talk with the main topic being  a break in marriages. His heart raced. He  switched off the Television and took a stroll in the garden.

The garden was quiet and calm. It appeared fresh after the rains.Rajan exhausted and tired after indulgence  was an antithesis to the serenity seen in nature. Excess of anything results in a damage ends up in a despair. A new phase of life  begins.

 

The Gates Close.

The rains continue to lash. There is a warning of floods. People are cautioned and asked not to venture out. The schools are closed.

Manju stays at home. Her children return hurriedly from school. Rajan lies in the couch. The world goes on in its own pace. The Rajan's are in a dilemma. Manjula has taken the pie with a salt. Rajan is still in two minds. The children talk in hushed tones.

Manju gets busy with her work. Ramu and Sudha retreat to their rooms. Rajan is groping at the dark.
It is noon  and lunchtime. Manju calls the children. They have their lunch mechanically. Rajan lies looking at them.

The rains have stopped for a time being. The children walk into the garden. Manjula accompanies them. They sit on the garden bench. Manju takes their hands, holds for a while. She looks at them with love .tears well up. She controls herself and tells the children of their  father's decision. He would soon move out. She would take care of them.Now she is both their mother and father. never at any time show your displeasure to Rajan. He is already sad. Certain things happen. They are beyond one's control. "Acceptance is bliss. I have accepted with a fortitude. I want your father to be happy."
So saying, she wiped her tears and walked back home. Ramu and Sudha broke down. They cried. Sudha, the loveliest girl was not able to come to terms. She slid on her brother's arms. Ramu eleven-year-old boy shouldered his sister. He has to be her protector all along. They got up and went back.

Meantime Rajan was up.  he tidied  himself, had a quick shower and moved  bidding farewell to none.The household has reconciled to the new  status.

The next day, as usual the children left for school. Manju prepared the morning coffee for Rajan and the breakfast on the table. As a lot of work was pending in her office, she jumped into her car and drove off. Rajan woke up to see the house empty. His heart was aching. He got up slowly,  warmed his coffee and got ready to move out. he saw the breakfast on the table. His mind went back to the days not very far  when the whole family had a happy breakfast talking and joking, teasing and sharing. He reluctantly gobbled his food. Then went to the bedroom which he shared with Manju.
Again the past incidents rushed back. The intimate moments, the love he made to his wife, the response from her all came as if in a slide show. At that moment, he happened to see a note below the table lamp. Manju had written asking his intention. The house belongs to both of them. If he wishes to live there she would go out with the children but he has to pay her share. If it is the other way round she would repay with the bank interest.  Rajan was shaken at the way Manju was reacting. What a woman she is! he exclaimed. The quick of time he received a call from Jane. He melted thoroughly. The white skin, the blonde hair and the histrionics she displayed  fascinated him. He shared amorous kisses over the phone and quickly packed his bags leaving not a single thing at home. he wrote a note to Manju that he is leaving the house. The house is hers and about the money let her take the call.

He could hear jane honking at the door. he swiftly got his luggage into the car. Off he went with his paramour leaving his lovely wife and beautiful children.

The rains which had been away for a day came back again. The gates Of Manju's house closed themselves. 

The Door Is Closed,

It is raining. The streets are flooded.The rains are not heavy very light but drizzling throughout the day.The sun plays hide and seek. It comes and disappears as and when it liked.

Manjula is busy with her household chores. The morning usually is hectic for her. She has to pack the lunch for her children Ramu and Sudha. Rajan, her husband, would help her but not to the maximum. The male chauvinism creeps up on and off. he does a little and does not do the maximum, leaving Manju to attend to all at a time.

Manjula  is a genial person.  A smile is her asset. She gets up in the morning with a big smile and smiles all throughout the da. The smile varies in degrees  in proportion with her nature of work  and time.She goes to bed with a weak smile that reflects her exhaustion.

She is a qualified accountant having completed her CPA in one stroke and with honours. She is a much in demand auditor and her firm is into auditing companies which have a turnover of billions.
 Her husband is  a software engineer and doing very well in his career. As of all, everything is in a balanced plane  except for time and work. Time ticks so quickly, even the capable Manju could never cope with it. So is the work so compelling that the ever active Manju at times loses track.

Being in an alien land with none of the kith and kin around Manju and Rajan live in peace.
The way they adjust and interact is really a game of trick. Manjula is the winner at any time.For an anecdote of happiness,  there would always be an antidote. The wind, strikes the family  in the guise of Jane. She works with Rajan  and unknowingly Rajan has been attracted toward this blonde. Rajan falls for her in the course of time and slowly turns indifferent to Manjula. She  did not notice the difference at first. She thought that is due to some extra work Rajan is worked up. She goes on running the family as before unmindful and unknowing of the storm that is about to strike her.

In a year, Rajan  became an alien to his own family. Ramu and Sudha saw a little of him. The young minds kept nagging their mother about their father's absence. Manjula woke up to the reality. She asked Rajan what is bothering him. Rajan shirked his shoulders and answered curtly that he has an  affair with Jane. Manju got the shock of her life.
 She did not lose her equanimity and politely put forth, "What are your plans?".Rajan could not believe his eyes. He expected a turbulence, but now he is seeing a smooth sail.he grew panicky and mumbled some words which were inaudible. Manjula came directly to the point. "Tell me your next step so that I could prepare myself," Rajan said that he is going to apply for a divorce and would be liberal in granting a huge alimony  to her and a corpus to bring up the children.

Manjula looked at him intently for a moment. She said that she has enough earnings to look after her. The children are her loveliest possessions. She firmly replied, "I do not need a single cent from you. Bring the papers, I would immediately sign the papers. I do not want to delay as I do not want to share my life with another woman. " That is it .So saying she walked out of the room leaving Rajan confused.

Rajan was lost in a reverie. had he been harsh? had he been reckless/ How would his life be with Jane. Would it be as smooth as it was with Manju. Would he miss his children?.
Manju has closed the door. The rains are falling now with a force.