ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಹೆಂಡ್ತಿ...!
ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಒಗ್ಯೋಕೆ ಮೊದ್ಲು, ನನ್ನ ಶರ್ಟ್ ಜೇಬಲ್ಲಿ ಎನಾದ್ರೂ ಇದ್ಯಾ ಅಂತ ನೀ ನೋಡ್ಬೇಕಾದ್ರೆ,ನಿನ್ನ ಕೈಗೆ ಸಿಗುವಂತೆ ಈ ಕಾಗದ ನಿಂಗೆ. ಸೀದಾ ನಿಂಗೇ ಕೊಡ್ಬೋದಿತ್ತು. ಆದ್ರೆ ನಿಂಗೆ ಅಕಸ್ಮಾತ್ ಆಗಿ ಈ ಕಾಗದ ಸಿಕ್ಕಾಗ, ನೀ ಖುಷಿ ಪಡಲಿ ಅಂತ, ಈ ಅಡ್ಡದಾರಿ...! ಅದೂ ಅಲ್ದೇ, ಸಂಜೆ ಈ ಅಚ್ಚರಿಯನ್ನ ಕಣ್ಣ ತುದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೋರ್ಸ್ತಾ, ಬಾಗ್ಲು ತೆಗಿತ್ಯಲಾ, ಅದೊಂದು ಕ್ಷಣಕ್ಕೆ, ಇಂತಾ ನೂರು ಆಟ ಆಡ್ತಿನಿ ಕಣೆ...!
ನಿಂಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾ...! ಇವತ್ತು ನಮ್ಮ ಆನಿವರ್ಸರಿ. ಅಲ್ಲಾ ಅಂತ್ಯಾ, ನಿನ್ನ ಮೊದ್ಲು ನೋಡಿದ್ದು ನಾನು, ಇವತ್ತೇ. ಐದು ವರ್ಷದ ಹಿಂದೆ. ನೀನು ಅದ್ಯಾವ್ದೋ ಬಸ್ಸಿನ ಕಿಟಕಿ ಪಕ್ಕದ ಸೀಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕೂತು ಹೊರಗೆ ದಿಟ್ಟಿಸ್ತಾ ಇದ್ದೆ. ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯಾಗೊಯ್ತು ಅಂತಂದ್ರೆ ಹುಚ್ಚು ಅಂತ್ಯೆನೊ, ಆದ್ರೆ ಸಣ್ಣದೊಂದು ಆಸೆ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಂತೂ ಹೌದು. "ನಿನ್ನ ಹುಡುಗಿ ಹೆಂಗಿರ್ಬೇಕೋ..." ಅಂತ ಕೇಳ್ತಿದ್ದ ನನ್ನ ಪಕ್ಕ್ದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಗೆಳೆಯನಿಗೆ ನಿನ್ನ ತೋರ್ಸಿದ್ದೆ.!
ಹಂಗಾಗಿ, ಇನ್ಮುಂದೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಮೂಗನ್ನ, ನನ್ನ ಮೂಗಿಗೆ ತಾಗ್ಸ್ತಾ, ಮುದ್ದಾಡುವಾಗ, "ನಿಮ್ಮುನ್ನ ನಾನೇ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಪ್ರೀತಿಸೋದು ಕಣ್ರೀ,ನಿಮ್ಕಿಂತ" ಅಂತ ಹೇಳ್ಬೇಡ. ಯಾಕಂದ್ರೆ ನಂದು, ನಿನ್ಕಿಂತ ಹಳೇ ಒಲವು...!
ಆಮೇಲೊಂದಿನ ಸಂಜೆ, ಬತ್ತಿ ಹಾಕಿ ಹಚ್ಚಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದ ಎಣ್ಣೆಯ ದೀಪದ ಸನಿಹದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೂತು, ನೀನು ಅದ್ಯಾವುದೋ ರಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ, ಅದೊಂದು ಹಾಡು ಹಾಡಲೆಂದೇ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದವಳ ರೀತಿ, ತನ್ಮಯಳಾಗಿ ಹಾಡ್ತಿರ್ವಾಗ, ನಾನಿದ್ದೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿ. ನೀನು ಪ್ರತೀ ಸಂಜೆ, ಆ ದೀಪದ ಬಳಿ ಕೂತು ಹಾಡಿದಾಗ, ನಾನಿದ್ದೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿ. ನಿನ್ನ ಹಾಡಿಗೆ ಕಿವಿಯಾಗಿ. ಈಗ ಅದೇ ಹಾಡನ್ನ ನೀನು, ನನ್ನ ತೋಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇರ್ಕೊಂಡು ನಂಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಕೇಳುವಂತೆ ಪಿಸುಗುಟ್ಟುವಾಗ, ಅದೆಂತದೋ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆ. ಮನಸ್ಸು ಖುಷಿ ಪಡುತ್ತೆ, ನಿನ್ನ ದೇಹವನ್ನ ಬಳಸಿದ ತೋಳು ಮತ್ತಷ್ಟು ಗಟ್ಟಿಯಾಗಿ ತಬ್ಬಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತೆ!
ಬೆಳ್ಗೆ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡ್ಬೇಕಾದ್ರೆ, ಅದೀಗ ತಾನೇ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿ ಹೋದ ನಿನ್ನ ಪರಿಮಳದಲ್ಲಿ ನನ್ನ ನಾನೇ ಮರೆಯುತ್ತಾ, ಹೊರಗೆ ಹೊರಡುವವರೆಗೂ, ನಿನ್ನ ಪರಿಮಳದ ಗುಂಗಲ್ಲಿ, ನಿನ್ನ ಸುತ್ತ ಮುತ್ತಾ ತಿರ್ಗುವಾಗ, ಜಗತ್ತಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತೆನೂ ನೆನ್ಪಾಗಲ್ಲ ಕಣೇ ಹುಡುಗೀ ನಂಗೆ, ಬರೀ ನೀನು, ನಾನು ಮತ್ತು ನಮ್ಮಿಬ್ಬರ ಪ್ರೀತಿ.
ರಾತ್ರಿಯ ಯಾವುದೋ ಜಾವದಲ್ಲಿ, ಕೆಟ್ಟ ಕನಸು ಬಿದ್ದು, ನಿದ್ರೆ ಮರೆಯಲ್ಲೇ ನನ್ನ ಗಟ್ಟಿಯಾಗಿ ತಬ್ಬಿ, ನಾನಿದಿನಿ ಎಂಬ ಖುಷಿಗೋ ಏನೋ, ಸಣ್ಣಗೆ ಮುಗುಳ್ನಕ್ಕು ಮತ್ತೆ ಮಲಗ್ತ್ಯಲ ನೀನು, ಆಗ ನನ್ನ ಮನಸ್ಸೊಳಗೆ ನೋಡ್ಬೇಕು ಕಣೇ ನೀನು. ಅದೋಂತರಾ ಸಾರ್ಥಕ್ಯತೆನೂ ಮೀರಿದ ಭಾವ. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಹೊಂದಿದ ತೃಪ್ತಿಯಿರುತ್ತೆ. ನನ್ನ ಜೊತೆ ನೀನು, ನಿನ್ನ ಜೊತೆ ನಾನು ಎಂಬ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಇರುತ್ತೆ. ಎಲ್ಲಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಮಿಗಿಲಾಗಿ ಈ ಸಂಜೆಗೆ, ನಾಳೆಯ ಸಂಜೆಗೆ, ಜೀವನದ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಸಂಜೆಗೂ ನೀ ಜೊತೆಗಿರುವೆ ಎಂಬ ವಾಸ್ತವತೆ ಇರುತ್ತೆ.
ಇನ್ನೇನು ಸಂಜೆ ಆಗಿರುತ್ತೆ. ನಾನು ಬರೋದನ್ನೇ ಕಾಯ್ತಾ, ಕೈಲೊಂದು ಕಾಫಿ ಕಪ್ಪಿನೊಂದಿಗೆ, ಇದನ್ನ ಓದ್ತಾ ಕೂತಿರ್ತ್ಯಾ. ನಿನ್ನ ಕೂದಲಿನ ತುದಿಯನ್ನ ಹಂಗೇ ಮುಖದ ಮೇಲಿಂದ ತೆಗ್ದು ಹಿಂದೆ ಸೇರ್ಸಿಬಿಡು. ಯಾಕಂದ್ರೆ, ನಾ ಬಂದ್ ತಕ್ಷಣ ನಿನ್ನ ಕೆನ್ನೆಯನ್ನ ಮಾತಾಡಿಸುವ ನನ್ನ ತುಟಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಅಡ್ಡ ಆಗ್ಬಾರ್ದಲ...!
ನಿನ್ನ ಗುಂಗಲ್ಲೇ,
ನಿನ್ನವ...!
Hello everyone...!
For one final time...! Sudheeksh has ended the novel Disguised, with a happy note. Good job Sudhee, You have kept the novel lively and interesting. Thank You for writing this.
Episode16:
Sandesh and Sukruthi were
standing outside Sandesh’s home, waiting for the door to open. Even though it
was Sunday, Sandesh had left the home early in the morning, so that he could
free Sukruthi as soon as he could. And when he did, he couldn’t think of any
other place that would keep her safe and occupied. So, he had brought her home.
They waited after ringing the bell couple times. When Sandesh rang it for the
third time, a distant voice of Savita, his mother, responded in an irritated tone,
“Coming...coming”
“Take your time”,
Sandesh said almost to himself. But, it somehow reached his mother.
“Sandesh!? Is that you?”
She rushed to the door.
“Where have you been..?”
She stopped abruptly
when she saw a stranger lady with her son. A million questions emerged in her
mind. She suppressed them all, letting in the couple with a warm, fixed smile.
The bag in Sandesh’s hand didn’t fail to get her notice. But, things were still
unclear to her. Noticing his wife’s silence for such a long time, Shankar came
out of his room. He too noticed a new face in the house. His walking pace had
almost dropped to zero. But, soon he managed to pick it up and joined them.
They all gathered at the living room. Sandesh directed Sukruthi to the sofa,
settling her bag on the floor. Soon, all of them found themselves some seating.
Sandesh spoke out slowly,
“Dad, mom... This is
Sukruthi...”
After hearing a familiar
name her son always quoted in recent days, Savita cheered up.
“Oh! You’re that girl?
Sandesh always speaks of you, about how you helped him get out of depression.
We are very much thankful to you”
Some people definitely
don’t know when to speak and what to speak. Of course, Sandesh had said her
name many times and had praised her work in getting him back to his family.
But, he hadn’t disclosed her true identity and her work life. It wasn’t just
about her. I mean, which son dares to tell his parents that he visited a dance
bar? And how many parents are aware of the places their children roam?
Sandesh had decided to explain everything
to his parents today. It was the only way if he wanted to spend rest of his
life with Sukruthi. Besides, he didn’t want to hide things from them. He
resumed,
“Yes. She’s the one I
was talking about. And, she’ll stay with us from now on”
Puzzled looks stared at
Sandesh for straight answers. Sandesh explained them everything from the
beginning, right till his decision of taking her as his life partner. When he
was done, Savita got up and walked to her room silently. Shankar realised that
his wife wants to speak in private. He got up, smiled politely saying, “Excuse
us, dear” and followed his wife swiftly. Once he was sure that they were away
from audible limits of his son and the lady he accompanied, he glared at his
wife.
“Why did you walk away
like that? Do you know what directions that would give to them?”
“What does he think he’s
doing?”
“I’m doing the right
thing, mother”
Shankar and Savita
turned to see Sandesh at the door; gladly, alone.
“Marriage is not a child’s
play, Sandesh. You can’t simply bring a girl home and say you will marry her”
continued Savita, “We hardly know her”
“I know her pretty well.
And I brought her to you so that you guys get a chance to get along. She has
nowhere else to go. Let her stay with us for a while. You guys can know about
each other”
“Why are you not getting
my point? She is not what you think she is. She is...not noble”
“Mother, I’ve cleared
you the facts. I know her, I trust her. She worked there because she had no
other choice. She is one pure soul. If you don’t trust her, then fine. Just
trust ME. Give her a chance”
Savita didn’t know how
to put sense in her son’s thick head. She turned to Shankar.
“Why are you being
silent? Say something”
“I trust my son. I know
he thinks well before deciding anything”, he said, proudly.
“Nobody understands me!”
Savita yelled.
“Mother, please. Give
her one last chance. She’s badly in need of it. Think of her as the person who
gave you your son”
Savita thought for a
while and spoke softly,
“She better be worth it”
“I won’t let you down”
The trio turned and saw
Sukruthi near the door, standing hesitatingly, her eyes filled with tears.
* * * *
It had been almost a month
since Sukruthi came to live with Sandesh’s family. Things were normal. Savita
kept herself reserved. She spoke very less (or nothing) to Sukruthi. And,
Sukruthi was trying desperately to fit in and impress Sandesh’s family. Shankar
wasn’t a problem to her. He had braced her with delight. The real challenge was
Savita. She was hard to understand. She never gave out an opportunity to read
her thoughts.
One day, Sandesh came up
with a plan to impress his mother. He took his parents out for shopping,
leaving Sukruthi at home. And, he had instructed her to take over the kitchen
that day and cook her best dishes. Savita didn’t know about this plan. If she
had, she would neither leave the house, nor let Sukruthi inside the kitchen.
Sukruthi selected her menu carefully and stuffed the table from starters till
desserts. Sandesh and Shankar feasted that day. But, Savita had kept her
emotions checked. All she said was,
“It’s not up to our
limits. But, it’s good”
Of course, it’s one hell
of a complement. She certainly was impressed the day her son first spit out her
name. She had thought that of Sandesh liked the girl she would happily get them
both married. The impression had grown shinier when she saw Sukruthi’s face,
the day when Sandesh brought her home. But, when she heard her story, the shine
suddenly faded and became dull. It was hard for her to digest Sukruthi’s past
life with open heart. She didn’t want to lie her feelings either. She wanted to
get impressed by her future daughter-in-law. But, some things wouldn’t let her.
Days passed, one day giving hope and the other day snatching it away without
mercy.
Sandesh was in his office
when he received a call from his father at around mid-day. The news he broke
was of such intensity that Sandesh couldn’t stay at his desk any longer. He
rushed to the hospital his father asked him to come. He ran on the streets like
a mad man till he realised he can’t make it on foot. He got in to an
auto-rickshaw. Shankar couldn’t explain everything on call. He was terrified
himself. All he said was that Sukruthi had popped some sleeping pills and was
now admitted in Malya hospital. Sandesh reached the destination in next forty
minutes. He rushed to the O.T. and saw his parents waiting outside. He rushed
to them, throwing series of questions,
“What happened? How is
she? Where is she now?”
Shankar calmed him.
“Relax. She swallowed
few extra pills. The doctors are taking it out”
“Where the hell did she
get sleeping pills?”
“I don’t know. I thought
it was prescribed to her. She might have got it from the drug store”
“Who’s that lunatic who
gives such pills without any prescription?”
“If you slide little
money, you can even get rented parents. What big deal is a sleeping pill?”
“But...”
“Let’s worry about Sukruthi now”
Everyone fell silent.
Then a thought came to Sandesh’s mind, to which his tongue gave shape,
“Why did she do it? What
made her do it?”
Shankar remained silent.
Sandesh’s gaze lifted to his mother, who had kept her head low in guilt.
“Mother, tell me what
happened”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t
know this would be the consequences...”
“What did you do?!”
“I lost my temper and
scolded her a bit. I swear nothing much happened...”
“A bit?! What do you
mean a bit?”
Shankar interrupted the
conversation,
“Easy now! We are in the
hospital. Let’s talk when we get back home”
Even though Sandesh
remained silent, his eyes oozed out tremendous anger. A doctor came out and
reported to them.
“We have taken out the
tablets. She is tired now. She will be shifting to the ward in ten minutes.
Keep her stomach empty for another thirty minutes. She might have vomiting
sensation for a while, nothing to worry. Don’t give any solid food till night”
Sandesh nodded in
acknowledgment. Shankar cared to do it with words.
“Sure, doctor. Thank you
very much”
“And, make sure this
carelessness doesn’t repeat again”
“Sure. Sorry”
Sukruthi was shifted to
a ward for observation. Everyone was silent. Sukruthi didn’t dare to look at
Sandesh. She was discharged in the evening, around 05:30P.M. All of them headed
straight to the home. As soon as they entered, Sandesh let out his
frustrations.
“What were you thinking,
Sukruthi? Don’t you at least care about any of us? Don’t you know what we are
all going through?”
Silence!
“I need to know why!
Speak up”
Still silence. Sandesh
couldn’t handle this any longer.
“For god’s sake,
somebody speak up”
He then turned to his
mother,
“What did you say to her
mother?”
“I... I just...”
“You just what?”
Shankar interrupted
again.
“Son, I know you are
very angry right now. You have every right to be so. But, it will harm the
relationships. Be calm. Come, sit”
Sandesh sat on a chair.
Shankar patted his shoulder, trying to calm him down. He then gathered all the
strength left in him and revealed the truth.
“Your mother is having
hard time accepting Sukruthi. A part of her wants to embrace her like her own
daughter. But, few things are making it hard for her to accept it”
“Things like what?”
“Well, ah... things
like...”
“Sukruhti’s past life?
Her profession?”
“Yeah”
Sandesh turned to his
mother.
“Why is it so hard for
you to accept? I said she is pure. She was forced to do it. Why can’t you
understand it?”
She remained silent.
Shankar spoke on her behalf.
“Few things take time to
get adopted in life, son. We can’t force it be adopted the very second”
“What did you scold her,
mother?”
Silence.
“I want to know. Say it”
Shankar tried to control
his son,
“Sandesh...”
“Say it, mother...”
“I called her a bitch. I
called her a woman who makes men blind with her body...”
Tears rolled down as she
said it. Sandesh was calm.
“If she was what you
said she is, would she try committing suicide? Wouldn’t it be normal for her to
hear that brand name? If you call her a bitch, what would you call a person who
dreams of other women when he has an obedient wife? What do you call a wife who
doesn’t treat her husband well? She tried to kill herself, because you killed
her self-respect. If she was a low life, she wouldn’t have known what respect
means, would she?”
Savita silently sobbed.
“And, you...” he then
turned to Sukruthi, “Committing suicide takes very much strength and bravery.
If you show even a percent of that strength in living, wouldn’t it change your
life? Once you die, not just your life dies with you. The persons whose lives
associated with you die along with you too. Dying is easy. Learn to face the
world and make it better for your living”
Sukruthi too joined
Savita in her silent sobbing session now. Savita walked slowly to Sukruthi,
held her hand, with her eyes soaked in tears she said,
“I’m sorry, child. You
never stopped loving us. But, I hated you. I was too blind to see your love and
care. I’m sorry. Please, forgive me”
Sukruthi broke out. They
both hugged each other tightly, crying out loud. Nobody stopped them. The two
men watched them silently; relaxed. When things started to settle, Shankar
spoke out his thoughts almost to Sandesh,
“I think, you two should
move out of here for a while and explore the world. Change in environment might
calm everyone’s heart. Take your time, know one another, and be with the
nature; away from these thoughts. Just for a sometime till we all learn to
adapt to the same environment”
Sandesh replied
thoughtfully,
“I was thinking of the
same thing. And, I know just where to go...”
Other three people
looked at Sandesh; puzzled. Sandesh smiled at Sukruthi. She understood where he
will be taking her.
* * * *
“I’m nervous, Sandesh. Will
they welcome me? Will they accept me?”
Sukruthi and Sandesh
were inside Sandesh’s room, packing their bags for their journey to Gollahalli,
Sukruthi’s hometown. She was returning to her family after eleven long years.
She was afraid about her family’s reaction when they see her after so many years.
Sandesh sat by her side and gently patted her back.
“No family will forget
or throw away a part of them, darling. They will love you even more. Stop
worrying about it”
“Hmmm”
They looked at each
other and smiled. Sandesh gave a peck on her forehead and got back to packing
his bag.
“Sandesh?”
“Hmmm?’
“You resigned from your job?”
“You resigned from your job?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“What will we do for our
daily bread now?”
“Sweetheart, I’m
talented in a way you still don’t know. I still have some savings. My father’s
still earning. So, no need to worry about them. And, we together can find a way
to fill our tummies. Besides, I can get back to corporate when we get back”
“You can do that?”
“Yes. I can”
“What will you do till
then?”
“Don’t know. Maybe, I’ll
start writing stories”
****THE END****
ಸುಮ್ನೇ ಒಂದು ಆರ್ಟಿಕಲ್ಲ...
ತಮಿಳುನಾಡು, ಆಂಧ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಷೆಗಾಗಿ ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಹರಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಸಿದ್ಧರಿರುವ ಜನರಿರುವಾಗ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತ್ರ 'ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪವಾದ್ರೂ ಕನ್ನಡ ಮಾತಾಡಿ' ಎಂದು ಗೋಗರೆಯುವ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಬಂದಿದೆ. ಅಪ್ಪ-ಅಮ್ಮನನ್ನು ವೃದ್ಧಾಶ್ರಮಕ್ಕೆ ಕಳುಹಿಸುವ ಪಾಪಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ಮಾತಾಡಲು ಹಿಂಜರಿಯುವುದರಿಂದ ಬರುವ ಪಾಪ ಯಾವುದೇ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯಲ್ಲೂ ಕಡಿಮೆಯೇನಲ್ಲ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆಲ್ಲಾ ನಾವು ತುಂಬಾ ಹೊಂದಿಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿದ್ದೇವೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದು ವಿಪರ್ಯಾಸ. ಇರಲಿ ಬಿಡಿ, ಕನ್ನಡದ ಗಿಡ ನೆಟ್ಟು ಪಾತಿ ಮಾಡಿ ನೀರೆರೆದು ಹೂವು ಬೆಳೆಸಿ ಅದರ ಘಮ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಾದ್ಯಂತ ಹರಡುವ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು ಕೆಂಪು-ಹಳದಿ ಬಟ್ಟೆಯನ್ನು ಕೊರಳಿಗೆ ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡು ನವೆಂಬರ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂಡಿಗೆ ಬೆಂಕಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟಂತೆ ಸಂದಿಗೊಂದಿಗಳಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲಾ 'ಜೈ ಭುವನೇಶ್ವರಿ' ಅಂತ ತಿರುಗಾಡುವ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಕನ್ನಡ ಕುಲಪುತ್ರರಿಗೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟುಬಿಡೋಣ. ನಾನು ಏನು ಬರೆಯಲು ಹೊರಟೆಯೆಂದರೆ, ನಾವು ಮಾತಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಕನ್ನಡ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ರೀತಿಯ ಆಧುನಿಕತೆ-ಜಾಗತೀಕರಣದ ಅಲೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಸಿಲುಕಿ ಬಣ್ಣ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿದೆ ಅಥವಾ ಬಣ್ಣ ಬದಲಾಯಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ. ನಮಗೆ ಎಂಟನೇ ತರಗತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ಪಾಠ ಮಾಡಲು ಅ.ರಾ. ನಂಜುಂಡಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಿ ಎಂಬ ಗುರುಗಳು ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಕನ್ನಡದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಅಪಾರ ಅಭಿಮಾನ ಹೊಂದಿದ್ದ ಅವರು ಯಾವಾಗಲೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಹೆಸರುಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿದಾಗ ಬೈಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಯಾಕೆಂದರೆ ಅವರು ಹೇಳುವಂತೆ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಅರ್ಧವ್ಯಂಜನಗಳಿಗೆ ಯಾವುದಾದರೂ ಸ್ವರ ಸೇರಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ಹುಟ್ಟುವ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣಾಕ್ಷರವೇ ಅಚ್ಚ ಕನ್ನಡಾಕ್ಷರ. ಅಂದರೆ ಕ್+ಅ=ಕ, ಅಥವಾ ಕ್+ಈ=ಕೀ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ. ಅದು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಬರೀ ಅರ್ಧವ್ಯಂಜನಗಳಿಗೆ ಯಾವ ಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವವೂ ಇಲ್ಲ, ಅರ್ಧ ವ್ಯಂಜನಗಳಿಂದ ಅಂತ್ಯವಾಗುವ ಪದಗಳು ಅಪೂರ್ಣ ಮತ್ತು ಅಪಭ್ರಂಶ ಕನ್ನಡ ಪದಗಳು ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಸಂಪತ್, ಭರತ್, ನಿಖಿಲ್, ವಿನಯ್, ಸುಜಯ್ ಇದಾವುದೂ ಸರಿಯಲ್ಲ, ಅವು ಸಂಪತ್ತು, ಭರತ, ನಿಖಿಲ, ವಿನಯ, ಸುಜಯ ಎಂದಾಗಬೇಕು ಎನ್ನುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಈಗಿನ ತಂದೆತಾಯಿಯರು ಹೀಗೆ ಅರ್ಧಂಬರ್ಧ ಹೆಸರಿಟ್ಟು ನಮಗೇ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲದೇ ಆಂಗ್ಲಭಾಷೆಯ ಅಡಿಯಾಳಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವೆ ಎನ್ನುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಸಂಪತ್ ಆದ್ರೇನು ಸಂಪತ್ತು ಆದ್ರೇನು ಎರಡೂ ಒಂದೇ ಅಲ್ವಾ ಅಂತ ನಾನು ತಲೆಕೆರೆದುಕೊಂಡರೆ ನಮ್ಮ ತರಗತಿಯಲ್ಲೇ ರಂಜಿತ, ರಕ್ಷಿತ ಅಂತ ಹುಡುಗಿಯರು ಇದ್ದಿದ್ರಿಂದ ರಂಜಿತ್, ರಕ್ಷಿತ್ ಇಬ್ಬರೂ ಮುಖ ದಪ್ಪಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲೇ ಅಪ್ಪ-ಅಮ್ಮಂಗೆ, ಮಾಸ್ತರಿಗೆ, ಕನ್ನಡ ಭಾಷೆಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲದಕ್ಕೂ ಬೈದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿದರು. ಇನ್ನು ಕೆಲವು ಕಿಲಾಡಿಗಳು ಜೋರಾಗಿ "ರಂಜಿತಾ... ರಕ್ಷಿತಾ...." ಅಂತ ಕರೆದು ಹುಡುಗಿ ತಿರುಗಿದಾಗ "ನಿಂಗಲ್ಲ ಕರ್ದಿದ್ದು, ಇವನಿಗೆ" ಅಂದು ಪಕಪಕನೇ ನಕ್ಕಾಗಲಂತೂ ಆ ಹುಡುಗರ ಮುಖ ರೆಡ್ ಆಕ್ಸೈಡ್ ನೆಲದ ತರ ಆಗಿರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ನಂಜುಂಡಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಿಗಳೇ ಇನ್ನೊಮ್ಮೆ ಯಾವಗಲೋ ಇವರ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆ ಬಗೆಹರಿಸುವಂತೆ "ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಅಂತ ಬರೆದರೆ ಪುಲ್ಲಿಂಗ, ಅದೇ ಕೃಷ್ಣಾ ಅಂತ ದೀರ್ಘವಾದರೆ ಸ್ತ್ರೀಲಿಂಗ" ಎಂದಿದ್ದರು.ಈಗ ಇವೆಲ್ಲಾ ಯಾಕೆ ನೆನಪಾಯ್ತು ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಮೊನ್ನೆ ಭಾರತೀಯ ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಬರೆಯೋಕೆ ಗುಲ್ಬರ್ಗಾಕ್ಕೆ ಅಲ್ಲಲ್ಲ ಕಲಬುರಗಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದೆ. ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಅಂಗಡಿಗಳ ಫಲಕಗಳನ್ನು, ಬಸ್ಸಿನ ಬೋರ್ಡುಗಳನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದಾಗ ನಮ್ಮ ನಂಜುಂಡಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಿಗಳೇನಾದರೂ ಮುಂಚೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಠ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರೇನೋ ಎಂಬ ಅನುಮಾನ ಮೂಡಿತು. ಎಲ್ಲ ಕಡೆಯೂ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣಾಕ್ಷರಗಳಿಂದ ತುಂಬಿದ್ದ ಪದಸಮೂಹಗಳು. 'ರೂರಲ ಎಂಜಿನೀಯರಿಂಗ ಕಾಲೇಜ', ' ಕಾಮತ ಹೊಟೇಲ', 'ರಜತ ಕನ್ಸ್ಟ್ರಕ್ಷನ್ಸ', 'ಅಜಿತ ಇಂಜಿನಿಯರಿಂಗ ವರ್ಕ್ಸ', 'ಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನ ಅಂಡ ಸನ್ಸ ಕ್ಲಾತ ಸೇಂಟರ' ಹೀಗೇ ಹಲವಾರು. ಊರಿನ ಹೆಸರುಗಳೂ ಅಷ್ಟೇ, 'ಶಹಾಪುರ', 'ಸುರಪೂರ', 'ಬೀದರ', 'ಲಿಂಗಸುಗೂರ', 'ಸಿಂಧನೂರ' ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ. ಆಕರ್ಷಕವಾಗಿ ಕಂಡಿತು. ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಬರೆಯಬಲ್ ವಿಷಯವೆಂದರೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಜನಗಳಿಗೆಲ್ಲಾ ಉತ್ತರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕಿಂಚಿತ್ತೂ ತಲೆಕೆಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳದ ಜನಪ್ರತಿನಿಧಿಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ, ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ಮಳೆಸುರಿಸದ ವರುಣನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ, ಕಿರಣಗಳನ್ನು ಕಾರಿ ಜೀವಶಕ್ತಿ ಹೀರುವ ಸೂರ್ಯನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೀಗೆ ಅವರ ಜೀವನವನ್ನು ಸಂಕಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೀಡುಮಾಡಿರುವವರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಸಿಟ್ಟೋ ಏನೋ, ಒಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕಡೆಯೂ 'ಶಾಪ' ಕೊಡುವುದು ಜಾಸ್ತಿಯಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಹೌದು, 'ಅಬ್ದುಲ ರಹೀಮ ವೇಲ್ಡಿಂಗ ಶಾಪ', 'ಕಿರಣ ಮೊಬೈಲ ಶಾಪ', 'ಸಪನಾ ಝರಾಕ್ಸ ಶಾಪ' ಹೀಗೆ. ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟತೆಯೇ ಇದು, ನೂರಿನ್ನೂರು ಮೈಲಿಗಳಿಗೊಮ್ಮೆ ಆಯಾ ಪ್ರದೇಶದ ಭೌಗೋಳಿಕ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ, ಜನಜೀವನವನ್ನನುಸರಿಸಿ ಕನ್ನಡವೂ ನೀರಿನಂತೆ ಆಕಾರ ಬದಲಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಉತ್ತರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಕೆಲವು ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿಂದಿ ಪ್ರಭಾವವಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಕನ್ನಡ ಅಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಸರಿಯಾದ ರೂಪ ತಳೆದಿರಬಹುದು. ಅದೇನೇ ಇರಲಿ, ಪ್ರೀತಿ ವಿಶ್ವಾಸಗಳನ್ನು ಪೂರ್ಣ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದ ತೋರುವ ಉತ್ತರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಜನರ ಭಾಷೆಯೂ 'ಅರ್ಧಂಬರ್ಧ'ವಾಗದೇ 'ಪೂರ್ಣ'ವಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ವಿಶೇಷ.
- 'ಸಂಪತ್ತು' ಸಿರಿಮನೆ
Hello EveryOne...!
Warm evening and we are here with the 15th episode of the story Disguised...
Click here to read 14th episode...
Warm evening and we are here with the 15th episode of the story Disguised...
Click here to read 14th episode...
Episode15:
THUD...
THUD...
THUD...
Rapid banging on the door woke up the couple
from their deep sleep. Sukruthi responded to it, recovering from drowsiness.
“What’s it?”
Hearing her voice, the lady on the other side of
the door stood awed. She wasn’t expecting Sukruthi in that place. As if to
confirm, she asked in a low tone,
“Laila, is that you?!”
“Yeah. Give me ten minutes”
“Sure... Sure, take your time”
Sukruthi got up from the bed and started
searching her cloths. She noticed, Sandesh had woken up and was looking at her
deeply. Moving her eyes away, Sukruthi asked,
“What are you looking at?”
Sandesh smiled at her and responded to her
question in just one word, “Nothing” and continued to look at her. She remained
silent. After dressing up, she sat on the bed and asked him hesitatingly,
“Do you still want to free me from this place?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, things might be clear to you now. That
it was just a mere attraction. Nothing much”
Saying this, Sukruthi turned her face away from
Sandesh, afraid that he might read her thoughts.
“Yes. Many things are clear to me now”
He paused, got up from the bed, came close to
her and whispered in her ears,
“Now I know that you love me too”
Surprised Sukruthi turned to Sandesh. Her eyes
were filled with feelings she was struggling to express. Gaining control over
her emotions, she shook her head.
“No... I don’t... I don’t love you...”
“You can deny it. But, I’ve seen it in your
eyes”
She covered her face with her both hands and let
loose few drops of tears, shouting,
“I don’t love you”
“If you don’t love me, then why did you do it?
Why did you share that jewel you treasured all these years?”
“I thought I could change your thoughts after
this. And, I could free you from my thoughts”
“How many men had come to you with such
feelings? And, how many have you freed by giving yourself in?”
Sukruthi was silent.
“You did it because you care for me”
“Caring and loving is not the same thing”
“But, caring is a form of expressing love. And,
I know you love me with all your heart. I just know it. What I don’t know is
the reason you are hiding it from me”
Silence again.
“Say it. Just say it”
Sukruthi shout out, “Because I’m not worth your
love”
Letting out a deep breath, she continued,
“A person of your heart should not just accept
and suffer with a low life like me. You deserve a better life”
“Why are you jumping directly to the conclusion?
Who told you that I won’t be happy with you? I’m dying to live a single second
with you. Why can’t you see that?”
“I know how much you love me. I also know that
you will do anything to keep me happy”
“Then what are you afraid of?”
“I’m afraid of this society. They surely won’t
accept me. And, when you choose to live with me, they might cast you out as
well”
“So what? Why should we even care?”
“We should care”
“Sukruthi, people talk. That’s what they do. If
you keep smiling, they will say you are a lunatic. If you remain serious, they
will label you as sadist. Why worry about others when we can live happily
forever? Our world is what we create. We have the power of choice to add others
in it. I can keep just you in my whole world”
He lifted her face slowly, held her hands and
continued,
“I can fight the whole world for you, Sukruthi.
Even when I know that I can’t fight them all, I would die trying. All I need is
you, by my side”
“Why do you love me so much?”
“Because, you are the one who showed me what
true love is. I’m just trying to save it for the rest of my life. So, will you
marry me?”
There was a long lasting silence. After
sometime, breaking the moment of silence, Sukruthi said,
“I will”
* * * *
Sandesh had managed to
accumulate ten lakh rupees in two days. He had taken out all his savings and
had borrowed some from his friends. He even had to sell his bike to adjust the
money. At the end of the day, he was all set to accomplish his goal; to free
Sukruthi. The very next day, Sukruthi had arranged a meeting with her employer
to talk about her freedom. Sandesh carried a bag full of money. They were
sitting in the office of the pub; Sandesh, Sukruthi, the manager and the
employer. Sandesh placed the bag in front of him and spoke,
“Here’s your money. Let
her go”
The employer leaned
forward, keeping his hands on the table, he expressed his curiosity,
“I’m curious. Is she
worth so much money? We will be dumping her in another five to six years. I
don’t see any profit in your investment”
“A person who plays with
others lives doesn’t understand it”
“Enlighten me! The
person who tries to free a girl from these places is either the one who wants
to open similar place keeping her experience in hand or a pimp who provides
others what they desire. Considering her age, only a fool can invest on her.
But, you don’t look like a fool. You neither look like a competitor. Who are
you?”
“It’s none of your
concern. We have done our end of the bargain. You do yours”
“Very well”
He took the money and
handed it to the manager, who scanned it carefully and nodded in agreement that
everything is in order. The employer then handed over the contract papers to
Sandesh.
“This is it?”
“Not quite. Wait for
sometime till we retrieve something of ours from her body”
It took time for Sandesh
to realise that he was talking about the GPS device.
“It was nice doing
business with you”, saying this, the employer got up, stretching his hand
forward for a shake. Sandesh stared at it. He didn’t want to do the manners. He
got up keeping the employer waiting. He then took the contract paper in his
hand, tore it in half and threw it to the dust bin.
* * * *
Sandesh was waiting outside
a small chamber where a minor surgery was being conducted to retrieve the
device from Sukruthi. After several minutes, Sukruthi came out with a mid-aged
man wearing white apron.
“Have a good day,
Laila”, said the doctor.
“Her name is, Sukruthi”
Sandesh responded firmly.
He held her by her
shoulder and walked her out protectively through the front door of the pub.
Sukruthi looked up at the clear sky and let out a deep sigh of relief. She then
turned to Sandesh,
“Now what?”
Sandesh smiled at her,
held her close and replied,
“Now we go home”
* * * *
Hello...!
This evening we have the 14th episode of the story Disguised. Happy Reading...!
Episode14:
Sandesh couldn’t sleep that
night. He was a lot tired. Yet, he couldn’t get a wince. His mind was busy
thinking of a way that could free Sukruthi and might give her a better life.
All he had to do is make her understand and accept his words. He didn’t know
what to say to her. Then, a thought struck to him which changed the course of
his thinking and helped him find a way out of the problem.
“Do I love her?”
* * * *
Sandesh and Sukruthi were in a room,
inside the pub. When Sandesh came, by looking at him Sukruthi understood that
he wanted to discuss some serious matters. So, to get some privacy she had
arranged this room which the pacifiers used to give ‘private dances’ to their
customers. She thought they will be away from the eyes of the manager and other
dancers only here.
They were both sitting on
the only furniture available in that room; a bed. The room was quite congested.
There was not much space apart for a bed and few feet of free floor where one
could barely easily walk with their body stretched. Sukruthi was sitting on the
head-end of the bedding, leaning to the wall and facing Sandesh. Sandesh too
was facing Sukruthi with his one leg folded on the bed and the other left
freely on the floor. They were sitting there for ten minutes; silently.
Sukruthi kept staring at Sandesh’s face and kept ignoring it, looking abruptly
at the empty wall. He understood he had to put out his words sooner or later.
Finding a way to start the conversation, he spoke out.
“Err... Why are we in
this room?”
“I thought you wanted to
speak something important. As you know, we can’t talk much openly between those
loud music and creepy looks. So, I arranged this room”
“I see”
“We can use this room
for barely three hours. So, whatever you want to speak, now’s the time”
“Well, then. I was
thinking of freeing you from this hell”
“Freeing me? Do I look
like a captive to you? I love this place, Sandesh”
“No, you don’t. The only
reason you’re working here, holding your breath, is because of its pay. You
definitely aren’t happy here”
“Yes, I agree. I’m not
happy here. And the reason for me to work here is its steady income. I’ve a
family to look after, Sandesh. I won’t get any better job for my qualification
in the outside world. I don’t want to see my family suffer. Let me alone suffer
for them instead”
“Nobody needs to suffer,
Sukruthi. There is a better life apart from these sufferings. All can be happy.
You just have to keep your mind open for my word”
“Even if I want to run
away from this place, it’s not easily done. In these places, WE are assets. Our
employer won’t let us go just like that”
“You are not a slave. I
can try talking to him. If it doesn’t work, we can get help from police”
“You think they will
help us? These places are breathing freely because of their own protection.
Some do it for bribe, while others do it because their higher officers order
them to. There is no running away from this place”
“There has to be a way”
“There is a way. But,
it’s merely a hope”
“I want to hear it”
“When we join, they make
us sign a contract. It states, if an employee wants to quit, she has to deposit
‘ten lakh rupees’ to compensate the loss arising from her”
“Ten lakhs?!”
“Yes. It’s all well
planned. One can’t save that much amount by working here in a short period.
They have to do everything to accumulate it. And, by the time it’s done, the
wish to get free will be completely destroyed. Because, they would’ve got
adjusted by then to this environment”
“You can silently slip
away from this place. Don’t come back when you go out for shopping. I can take
you as far away as possible. They can never find you”
“Oh! They will”
Saying this, she stood
up. She lifted her T-shirt a bit and slid her jeans on the left side of her
waist. There was a mark of cut which was about an inch wide. It looked as if
she had undergone a minor operation. She let him take a clear look at it before
returning to her previous position. Then she continued,
“There’s GPS device in
me. It keeps them updated about my location. As soon as we join this place,
they put it inside our body and will take it out only when we fulfil the
contract or most likely, when we die or grow old enough to get ourselves kicked
out of this place”
“That’s barbaric. That’s
also against your rights. How can someone do it? It has been six decades since
we got freedom and still you guys are being ruled and used”
“Who is free in this
world? When was the last time you lived freely? If freedom means not getting
ruled, them no one is free. All are still being ruled in one or the other way.
Employees are ruled by managers, managers are ruled by higher authorities, children
are ruled by parents and later in old age parents are ruled by children. No one
in this world can never be free, Sandesh. We are all slaves to a cause”
Sandesh was stunned to
witness the cruelty that still existed in the modern age. Then he found his tongue.
“So, ten lakhs will do
it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll get the money. How
soon can they free you?”
“Why would you do it?”
“You gave me my life.
It’s my responsibility to help you get yours”
“You don’t have to,
Sandesh. I’m already adjusted to this life. Even if you free me, the society
may not accept me, I may not get along with it. It’s not that easy”
“There’s more”
She looked at him as if
she knew what he was about to say. He continued,
“I’m attracted to you.
Many tried to change me; failed. But, you succeeded. In fact, I let you succeed
over me. My pride seemed nothing in front of you. It felt really good being
with you. At altered my spirit. I want that to last long. I want to be with you
forever and ever. I love you, Sukruthi”
“C’mon, Sandesh! There’s
no such thing as love in this world. It’s just a physical attraction. I won’t
say its lust. But, it definitely isn’t love. It’s a curiosity to explore a
different sexed person, that’s all”
“It’s not just
attraction. It’s purer than that. I know it”
“Okay. I’ll agree to
that. But, is you loving me alone are enough? Don’t I have to love you back?”
Sandesh fell silent.
Sukruthi looked deeply at him. She saw something which she hadn’t seen till
that day. But, how could she accept this? He deserved someone better than her;
she thought. She got up and moved towards the door. Stood there for a while;
thinking something. She latched the door firmly and kept her hands on the door
as to get strength from it. The sound made Sandesh to look at her direction.
She reached for her T-shirt and removed it slowly, giving away a generous sight
of her bare back to Sandesh. She then turned to Sandesh, removing her jeans.
Sandesh was puzzled. He exclaimed,
“Wh... What’re you
doing?!”
She smiled softly and
came close to the bed. Leaning slowly, she pressed her lips on Sandesh’s.
* * * *
The couple were lying on
the bed closely; tired. Nothing covered their body, except for a layer of sweat
and a thin blanket. Sandesh was sleeping facing the roof, Sukruthi’s head on
his chest. They were partly asleep, partly awake. The feeling that covered
their souls is hard to put into words. Sandesh pulled Sukruthi closer and
embraced her tightly, kissing her forehead. She gave no response. But, a soft,
relaxed smile flashed through her face.
* * * *
Hello ...!
We are back with the 13th episode of the story Disguised...!
Episode13:
“Thank you so much, Sukruthi” Sandesh said,
taking her both hands in his; his eyes were moist. They were sitting in the
corner seats of the pub where no one could easily notice them. Because if the
other staffs or the employer sees Sukruthi wasting her ‘precious’ time
consoling some stranger, she would definitely get fired from her job.
“For what!?”
“For whatever the magic you did to me. You
lifted my curse. You changed my world. I’m a happy man now”
“C’mon! Don’t give credits to the things I never
did. It was you who did those magic. I just helped you remove your blindfold
and showed you the path. You were bold enough to accept your mistakes. So, all
the credits should be given to you”
“Taking off someone’s blindfold, changing their
thoughts and showing them the right path is no ordinary thing. Especially, when
that ‘someone’ is as stubborn as me”
“Okay! Fine. As you are so much into giving away
those credits, I don’t mind taking it”
They both laughed heartily. Sukruthi looked at
Sandesh’s face silently. She saw no lines of worry or any tension on it. It was
something new; something that looked good on his face.
“Keep smiling, Sandesh. It suits you. You have a
whole lot of world ahead of you”
“Hmmm. I’ll try my best”
“Your best is more than enough”
They exchanged a relaxed, firm smile. They were
interrupted by a bar dancer, who came close to them and signalled something to
Sukruthi, moving her lips inaudibly. Sukruthi understood her and noticed the
manager staring at her from the far end of the pub. She got up nervously and
headed towards the dance floor. She stopped midway, turned around, gave away a
happy smile to Sandesh and said,
“It was nice talking to you, Sandesh”
She turned back, went almost dancing to the beat
and joined the crowd. Sandesh kept looking at her from where he sat.
Sukruthi (Ah! Well, now
Laila) was dancing like any other customer present in the pub. If it wasn’t for
her glow band, no one could say that she is a low class girl struggling to make
her life a better place. She blends in well. The pub owner did know how to
attract customers. I mean, if the dance girls wore some ordinary, low quality
clothing, they could easily get aware of their position. And they were not
given much of extreme deep dresses that would show of these dancers’ assets
easily. They had kept their standard. They knew where to cover and how much to
cover. Those red, glowing things on their wrists are the only things that
flared out their identity which only a regular, well informed person could
identify.
The music and dance were at
their highest when Sandesh noticed some drastic change on Sukruthi’s face.
There was no trace of smile on it. All of a sudden she wanted to stop dancing
and run away. But, she was bound to do it, even though she didn’t like it.
Sandesh observed deeply. She was moving throughout the floor as if trying to
get rid of someone. It was a bit unusual. She usually danced on a fixed spot.
No matter what happened, she never left that place. Sandesh looked closely and
noticed a gang of four boys following her everywhere. They went alarmingly
close to her frequently. They were in their early twenties, well built and of
course they were rich spoilt kids. Sukruthi didn’t want to create a scene. So,
she was trying to avoid them which failed every time. Sandesh couldn’t hold it
any long. He rose from his seat and rushed to the rescue. He knew he was out
numbered. But, he had to take a chance. He couldn’t simply sit back and watch
the woman who enlightened him being treated like that.
As he reached them, he
gently pushed away a boy from Sukruthi saying, “She’s with me”. That boy looked
around abruptly, laughed loudly and said,
“She’s with everyone, man. Can’t you see her
wrist band?”
“You got it wrong. She’s not what you think she
is. You better move away”
“Of course, I know what she is. She is a hooker
and we found her first. So, YOU better move away”
As he said it, his other companions came closer
and stood beside him as if ready to pick a fight. Sandesh lost his temper
hearing the word he used to express Sukruthi’s identity. He got hold of the
boy’s T-shirt and punched his nose swiftly. Other boys pounced on Sandesh and
within a second the fight grew more aggressive. Soon the environment became
tensed. Bouncers came running inside and got hold of the fighters. One of the
boys was carried away like a wooden toy by a giant. They dragged the others
through the back door. Sukruthi reacted quickly and freed Sandesh. If the
bouncers weren’t there on time, our ‘hero’s’ face would have been covered in
multiple cuts. Sukruthi held Sandesh by his hand and dragged him away from the
crowd. She freed him once she realised that they were far away from the crowd.
“What the heck do you think you were doing, Sandesh?”
“I was trying to save you from those bastards”
“Oh really!? I thought I was saving from getting
punched like a punching bag”
“They were mistreating you. I couldn’t just sit
and watch it”
“So, you wanted to act hero, eh?”
“I didn’t want to be a hero, damn it. I just
wanted to save you”
“This happens every day, Sandesh. All these
years I have faced worst than this. I was trying to solve it smoothly. And, you
ruined it”
“Ruined it? They were humiliating you and I
tried to save you from them. And now you’re saying I ruined it?”
“You can’t save me from what I am. You just
can’t. This place is my life. There is no running away from this place. There
is no other way than to remain silent and suffer within”
“Yes, there is a way”
“Ah! And what is it?”
“Leave this shitty work. You will get other
work. I’ll help you. Just quit this place. Go out, fall in love, find a man and
get settled”
“Why would anyone want to settle with me? Did
you hear what they say about me? I’m a hooker!”
“We both know you are nothing like that. I know
what you are”
“And who would love me? Who would marry me?
You?”
“Yes”
“Excuse me?”
“Yes. I’ll marry you and free you from this
hell. Trust me”
There was a long silence. Then Sukruthi turned
away and said, “Go home, Sandesh”
* *
* *
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