Damayanthi's Dilemma - Part 1

The setting is a village in middle India.
The fields were lush green and seemed to go on and on forever. The rolling hills and the the green blades of paddy glistened in the sun. A gentle wind blew along the blades of paddy and made the leaves of the trees in the distance wave happily.

Balram’s feet stomped through the slushy fields and the wet mud squeezed through his toes as he walked behind his plow. Sweat trickled down his forehead and into his eyes as he shook his head, scoffing at the blazing sun. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and yelled ‘Hah, Hah!’. His bulls knew what that meant and veered to the left in the direction he was pushing them. The bullocks walked boldly through the slush trusting him completely, pulling the plow in whichever direction Balram wished them to, through the slushy earth. Balram did not mind the wet squishy mud. This was his livelihood.

The rains were good this year. Not like last year.

‘The crop will be good this year’, he thought to himself 'Next week we will begin sowing', Balram decided. ‘If the rain continues this way we can get a crop by December. Then I can get Damayanthi married this year itself.

These new seeds will grow fast, he thought. He knew he was just hoping for the best but what else could he do?

I should never have used those cheap seeds last year. Aaaah but what is the use of thinking about that now?’

He trudged back home slowly and wearily. Willing his tired legs to move faster

'Should I stop at the arrack shop?', he wondered. And then shook his head

He changed his mind and walked right past.

'Oh Balram !. Not drinking today?', Shishir called out.

Shishir was the village teacher. He was the richest man in the village like in most villages in India these days. The new salary guidelines for teachers had raised salaries to levels that were unheard of in most villages like this one

‘No Shishir. I need to save up for my daughters wedding. I will join you some other time’

Balram stepped aside to avoid a cycle carrying a huge heap of hay and watched as it went slowly by on the mud road . He then continued on his way home

He entered his little hut where his rope cot waited patiently and a pot of water sat idly in the corner. It was dimly lit as there was just one small opening in the mud wall for the light to come in. He took the dented aluminium glass from the top of the mud pot, pulled off the cover of the pot and dipped the glass into the pot of water. He then lifted the glass high and poured the water into his mouth and drank noisily in large gulps.

He then sat on his cot with a huge sigh and wailed ‘ Oh Gita ! Where are you?’

Gita sat on her haunches in front of the stove in the adjacent kitchen area. Smoke was billowing out of a mud stove and into the makeshift chimney that poked through the thatched roof. She was waving a fan made of coconut leaves into the side of the stove where sticks of firewood crackled and burned creating a fire that swallowed an old aluminium vessel. The old aluminium vessel was blackened by years of use and wobbled on top of the mud stove as the contents bubbled in excitement

Gita stirred the Daal in the vessel periodically to prevent the gooey mix from sticking to the side of the vessel. They couldint afford a lot of oil so a lot of stirring was required. Bubbles grew in stature and then exploded when they reached the top of the open vessel

On hearing Balram’s voice she stirred the contents one last time and put the lid over the vessel and stood up with a sigh. She walked towards the cot, wiping her brow, a surprised look on her face

‘So you have come early? You did not waste all the money on booze today? It looks like you have finally learned that you have responsibilities’

She went back to the kitchen area and poured him a cup of tea from a mud pot. She handed him the tea which he drank noisily

‘Where is Shankar? And Damaya?’, he asked relishing the tea.

Shankar was their son and Damayanthi their daughter.

‘Shankar has gone to some friends house and Damaya is reading outside’, Gita replied as she returned to the kitchen area and squatted in front of the stove again to check on the Daal

‘Arre what is the use of a girl reading? Why cant that duffer Shankar do some reading?’

‘Maybe we can get her married to some educated boy’, Gita replied lifting the ladle and letting a drop of the daal fall on her open palm and licking it off to see if it was ready

‘And who is this ‘educated’ boy in our community who is going to marry a farmer’s daughter? Are you going to find him?’

Gita sighed and sat down on the floor to make rotis. She pulled out the rolling pin and flat plate and the atta. She sprinkled some water and oil and began to knead the dough silently

Damayanthi stood near the door listening. She had just returned with her book and stopped when she heard her parents talk about her.

'What irony ! My brother is a duffer. Yet he gets everything he wants. I am ‘clever’ but I get punished’, she thought to herself disgustedly

She walked into the house pretending she had just arrived, threw the book on a mud shelf and walked out of the house in a huff

‘Arre where are you going?’, Balram called after her

‘Out for a walk. Or is that also only for boys?’, she threw back sarcastically as she continued walking

‘That girl will have problems with her in-laws with that attitude’

Gita walked in from the kitchen with the Daal and a few rotis on a steel plate. She sat on the floor, put the plate down and put a roti in the plate. Balram got up from the cot and sat down on the floor in front of the plate and looked intently at the plate as she poured the Daal into a small mud katori in his plate. Balram then tore off a piece of the roti, dipped it into the daal and started to eat

Damayanthi walked along the mud road thinking to herself.

‘When I wanted to study they said there is no need. No boy in our caste will marry an overeducated girl. But when Shankar wanted to go play in that cricket match in the neighboring village they even gave him money for the trip ! Just because he is a boy.’

‘I have to get out of this stupid village ’

She passed the arrack shop where Shishir sat silently, feeling the buzz in his head, after 3 glasses of arrack.

When he saw Damayanthi pass by he hurriedly left the shop and walked up to her and then continued walking alongside her. Seeing that she did not even acknowledge him, he began speaking

‘There is an exam in the city next month. If anyone passes that exam they can go to the best medical college in the city. Free’ he said and looked at her, checking for her reaction

‘Where is the exam? How much is it?’, Damayanthi asked after a deliberate pause.

She was still angry thinking of what had just happened at home

‘The exam is in the city. It is ten rupees for village people. But a room in the city lodge will cost 35 rupees. So you will need at least 100 rupees to go write the exam and come back’, he said deviously. He was glad to see he was right in guessing that she would be interested

Damayanthi looked deep into space thinking eagerly of the possibilities and then said dismissively

‘My father will not give me the money. He will say that he has to save the money for my marriage’

‘Maybe you need a loan’

When she looked at him, he looked back at her lasciviously. He had always lusted after Damayanthi. Finally here was his opportunity

Damayanthi looked at him and noticed the look in his eyes and looked away.

Shishir stopped and looked at her as she walked away into the distance

When Damayanthi went back home Shankar was back.

He had been playing cricket and was hurt on his elbow. It was just a surface wound but Gita took lot of care and fixed up his wound telling Damayanthi ‘Go buy a tube of Burnol’.

Damayanthi sniggered. She remembered the time when she was ill. Her mother had told her that she had to drink ‘Jeera’ water every two hours. Her parents did not even want to go the doctor in case he recommended an X ray.

‘X Rays cost money. And we dont have money for such luxuries’, they had said.

Damayanthi had suffered for two months with that illness. When they finally went to the Doctor he had reprimanded them. 'Why did you delay coming here so long? If you had come earlier she would have been okay in two days'

And here they were, wasting money on Burnol for a simple surface wound

Damayanthi went to the shop grudgingly. As she walked, she thought of the exam.

‘How I wish I could be a Doctor. I would be able to help people and cure them. Oh God why was I born into this stupid family ?Just so that would be impossible ?’

Damaya slowed down when she saw Shishir on the way.

Suddenly she knew what she had to do.

She looked at Shishir direct in the eye. He kept his eyes on hers and she never looked away.

Shishir knew she was ready. He smiled in anticipation

After she passed he stopped and called out to her

‘Damayanthi ! Come tomorrow to my office in the school. After 4 PM.

Then he walked away knowing she was staring at him as he walked away

Shishir was excited. He had lusted after Damayanthi for a long time. The school closed at 4 PM and he would be alone.

He could not concentrate on his classes that day and kept looking at the time

It was just after 4 PM when Damayanthi tentatively knocked and entered Shishir’s room in the school

‘Come in Damaya. I was waiting for you. Close the door’


To be continued
Please read Part 2

Dear Santoshbhai,

Superb man.I havnt rad the other parts, will do so tomm, but this looks like too spicy for Indus, undless Dhanyamati goes antilimax and something different happens.HAHA.We will see tomm, as whiskey time man just now.

Regards
kamal

Hi Santhosh,

your starting is very good.. need to read all other parts.. will comment further after reading fully..

Santosh,

Your story has a very interesting beginning!! I am sure you have held the interest through the other parts as well since you are known for your excellent writing.Shall read that too!!

Devika

Hi ,

The first part is good , expecting the second one ? Fingers crossed, what will happen to Damayanti !!!

santosh,
Playing in tune with one's weakness...this is what is happening here in Part 1...
Waiting to read the Part 2..

sriniketan

Santosh,

good one...u have the readers full attention here....cant put off reading part 2 now so going to that...
Mindi

g

Santosh,

Interesting story.The description of fields, village and cooking of daal in the vessel is very good. Also the discrimination between a girl and boy existing so much so even today in villages.

regards,

meera

Kamalji

Thnx yaar. Have a whisky on me !

Santosh

Originally Posted by Kamalji

Dear Santoshbhai,<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Superb man.I havnt rad the other parts, will do so tomm, but this looks like too spicy for Indus, undless Dhanyamati goes antilimax and something different happens.HAHA.We will see tomm, as whiskey time man just now.
<o:p></o:p>
Regards.kamal<o:p></o:p>

Ramya

Do hope u enjoy it !

Santosh

Originally Posted by ramyaganesh

Hi Santhosh,

your starting is very good.. need to read all other parts.. will comment further after reading fully..