“Everything! Everything is going to end by today”, thought Soori happily and haughtily years before as he walked towards the decorated seat by wearing silk dhoti and silk shirt. That was the costliest attire sticking to his skin then and even today. He got engaged to Thamarai three months back. Those three months was like thirty long years to Soori. Soori would always welcome the evenings with a KING SIZE smile. He would run out of the farmland, no matter what work he was involved in, towards the school gate, where Thamarai would emerge after the day’s classes. Soori had been to school, when he was young, to do all kind of things other than studies. As a youth he ran towards the village school to see his would-be and share a few words with her. Thamarai would usually be accompanied with two or three of her class mates as Soori talk with her. The girls who accompany will often giggle on hearing Soori’s utterances. Soori would just ignore all their giggles and keep talking to Thamarai, though she doesn’t talk much with him and accompany her friends in their giggles.
He would go at the back of Thamarai till the end of the street, where lies her house and he would go back to the farm just to pay the coolies. During evenings he would go to places in the villages where his friends would gather and take him for a ride. Its for sure that any one of his friends would have seen him going at the back of the bride everyday. They would almost kill Soori by teasing him. Very rarely he would blast at them and most of the time he just avoids his friends. On the day of his marriage he was very happy and haughty on thinking that thereafter no one in the village would dare tease him in link with Thamarai. She has become his wife and he has all rights to do anything by the aftermath of his marriage.
But what has happened to him today and at this dark hour of the day! Now the central and the biggest room of his house is full of blood………..splashed in drops here and there……….the bluish white walls bore some sprinkles too. The cement floor doesn’t have just drops but stagnated cherry coloured blood. The blood is still warm in the floor flowing from the head of Thamarai…….
Right after the day of their marriage years flew like that of a feather in a stormy day. “Probably its God’s wish that we both are denied of children”, saying so Soori and Thamarai would console themselves and shut other mouths. They both went to temples and then to many other medical centers to get a baby of their own, nothing worked out. Probably all these failures might have led Soori to get addicted to drinks. He started to spend much time and money in the village liquor shop. Thamarai got vexed by scolding, advising and by trying all other means which would bring in a change in Soori. Life for her was then full of pain and sorrow.
With the passage of time Thamarai started to bring out the hidden and forgone happiness in her. Balu was the reason for the blossoming happiness in her life. Once in the Sunday market she met Balu, who accompanied her husband (Soori) to sell the goods. Thamarai went to the fair with her friends, the neighbours, and it was an accident that she met her husband and also the eyes of Balu. She had never seen Balu before……..even on the day of her marriage, for the marriage album had all Soori’s friends and relatives except this fair and well built man, Balu.
“Hey chum here’s is my dame”, Soori introduced Thamarai to Balu. Nothing more is said by Soori about the relationship between him and Balu. Thamarai out of curiosity has several times nagged him but never got a clear cut answer. This thirst in her made her talk with Balu. First all their talks were full of questions followed by answers. As days flipped off the bend in the question marks was straightened in to exclamations and all other kinds of punctuations were invented but it never seemed to carry a full stop.
“You never said about your relation with my husband. How is he related to you?”
“Why I am here with you now lets talk about something else. Don’t ask this question redundantly my answer would be the same he is my CHUM and now you too.”, with these words Balu would hush Thamarai’s interrogations.
Thamarai today with all the blood oozed out of her skull lays calm and chill in the naked floor. Her head clashes with the thick blood in the floor. She is abreast with her blood even when it has spilt out.
As per her plan Thamarai took Soori to the near by temple by saying that the God is very powerful and would bless them with a child. Soori accepted and they were in the temple today morning. But now we see Soori resting his back against the wall of his house gazing at the huge stone with his dumb eyes. The stone like Thamarai is laying in the floor, just beside her, with the blood stains.
Though Soori’s eyes are dumb and unarticulative many things is running in his mind. He visualises Balu meeting them in the temple that morning “accidentally”, as he explained to Soori. Then they three went to the shrine and got the darshan of God. They returned from His abode to the room that Soori had hired for a day’s stay (probably to check whether he had got the blessings of God right then itself). Now it’s the room for three.
“Myself and Balu will go out on a purpose of business and will be back. Stay in the room for a while”, said Soori to Thamarai as one of his hands went round Balu’s shoulder.
“What business? We are here to pray and not for anything else”, she said angrily by protruding into the eyes of both Soori and Balu.
“It’s something very important dear! Will be back in few minutes….”, without even completing what he meant to say they went out of the room leaving her all alone.
Hours passed and by 7 in the evening Thamarai was holding the hands of Balu as they walked to the bus station, where Soori was waiting unsteadily for them.
“You have drunk”, came Thamarai unyoking her hands from that of Balu’s as soon as she saw the eyes of Soori focused towards her.
Inside the bus the cheap wine did miracles to Soori so that he was not conscious of what is happening around him. Many passengers including the conductor gave a warning about Soori’s carrousel and all they got in return was a huge grin from Balu and a giggle from Thamarai. They themselves could not help but laugh at the foolish things done by Soori.
As time passed Balu’s hands were busy moving throughout Thamarai’s body. “In a crowded bus with many on-lookers”, they thought to themselves so Balu covered Thamarai with a towel and resumed his handy work. Soori’s unconsciousness was drifting in the skies, for he had vomited part of what he had drunk and occasionally he woke up and changed his position of laying down comfortably.
“Why did you do that? With me very near you? How could you allow me to see another man’s hands busy with you private parts? Tell me you bitch? Tell me…” Soori started to cry aloud in front of his dead wife and the blood stained stone.
A story by
madhav
