The Rule Breakers

by Preeti Shenoy

  ‘Hmm, I think that is a workable solution,’ said Aparna, as she considered it. ‘What do you all think? Let’s have a show of hands,’ she said. Almost everyone in the room raised their hand in agreement.

  Aparna looked around and nodded, mentally assessing all the people who had gathered there. Her eyes zeroed in on Veda and Kanika seated at the far end.

  ‘I think we need some young people to go to the colleges and present what we do. Then we will have a better connect with the youth. Veda, do you think you can handle this? Ron and Kanika can be a part of it too,’ she said.

  Veda felt important to be asked. More than that, she felt proud that Aparna had chosen her. Aparna had confidence in her and felt she would connect with the students.

  ‘Yes, yes, I would love to,’ she said.

  ‘Good, that is settled then. You can map out the colleges and chalk out a plan after this meeting. Please show it to me once you are done,’ said Aparna.

  The rest of the meeting was about their targets for growth, the impact that Sankalp had made in other cities, and a recap of their mission statement.

  Aparna thanked them all for being a part of the journey, and reminded them how what they were doing was powerful work that had a deep impact on the lives of people. It was an inspiring talk. Aparna was a good speaker and a good leader, Veda thought. At the end of the meeting, everyone left the conference room feeling happy and satisfied.

  When Veda returned home that evening, she let herself in. Bhuwan had insisted on her having a key to the house after he heard how she had been locked out. Padma Devi had been reluctant at first.

  ‘Oh, if it’s a problem, Veda can wait at Kanika’s home till you return, Ma,’ Bhuwan had said to his mother, when Veda had started volunteering.

  Padma Devi had then immediately got a duplicate key made. She did not want Veda to waste any time at Kanika’s home. She had shrewdly foreseen and calculated that, the earlier Veda got back home, the better it was for her, as she could get her daughter-in-law to cook dinner. Veda was happy to have her own key, as it meant she did not have to depend on her mother-in-law or Bhuwan to let her in.

  When Veda entered the house, she heard a noise from the bedroom. She went in to investigate and discovered that Bhuwan was already home. A suitcase lay open across their bed, and several clothes were laid out beside it. It looked like he was packing for a trip.

  ‘Are you off somewhere? You never mentioned it,’ said Veda.

  ‘Yes, so sorry, but this is last minute. It came up suddenly. My boss wants me to go to a conference in his place. He was supposed to go to Delhi, but his toddler son had an asthma attack. He was in hospital the whole night, as they had to give him nebulisation. He doesn’t want to leave his wife all alone. So he suggested I go,’ said Bhuwan, as he chose which clothes to put in the suitcase.

  ‘Oh, I hope he recovers soon. Please convey my wishes,’ said Veda.

  ‘Uh? Ah, okay, I will,’ replied Bhuwan, carefully placing back in the cupboard the shirts that he wouldn’t be taking with him.

  Veda asked him if he wanted some tea, and when he said he did, she went to the kitchen to make it for him. He followed her and waited for his tea in the drawing room. As Veda brewed the tea, she thought about all those movies she had seen where the man approaches the woman from behind her while she is cooking and surprises her with a hug. Bhuwan had never displayed any such behaviour in all the time that they had been married. He was polite, proper and kind towards her. She hardly shared anything with him, and he, too, didn’t deem it necessary to share anything other than what was essential. Yet, when she had expressed a desire to work at Sankalp, he had conspired with Kanika and had gone out of his way to ensure that it happened. For that, Veda was grateful. She wished she could understand Bhuwan, and she wished he would make a small attempt at getting to know her. She consoled herself, saying that at least he was pleasant and kind. That was a lot more than what many women got. Her cousins who had got married before she had, had told her how controlling their husbands were, and how they did not bother about the needs of their wives.

  ‘So, did you tell your mother that you are leaving?’ asked Veda, as she served him the tea and sat beside him.

  ‘Yes, I did. We talked for a while and then she left to go to the temple,’ said Bhuwan.

  ‘I think she is a little annoyed about my volunteering at Sankalp. But Bhuwan, it gives me so much joy. Do you know, I have been chosen to go to various colleges and explain our mission so we can get volunteers!’ said Veda, her eyes shining.

  ‘I am happy for you,’ he said. His reply was polite and measured. Veda could never make out if he was genuinely happy or whether he was just saying the right things.

  ‘I think I might get home a bit late the next few days,’ she said. ‘I hope your mother doesn’t make a fuss about it.

  ‘Don’t be too afraid of my mother. Even if she says something to you, don’t take it to heart,’ said Bhuwan. ‘I will speak to Ma and make her understand that you will be late. Don’t worry too much about it,’ he said, and left soon after for the airport.

  Veda wasn’t worried. She was in a tizzy thinking about the talks she would have to give, and how she would have to motivate the students to volunteer. She had never given a speech before.

  When they were in school, it was Vidya who was adept at debates and public speaking. She always took part in competitions and had won many prizes too. Veda had shied away from them, but it was she who had written the speeches for Vidya. So Veda knew what to say. Though the thought of addressing a large gathering of students made her nervous, she wasn’t too anxious, as she knew that Ron and Kanika would be with her to cover up in case she erred. Over the next few days, she began writing the speeches she would give, and each morning, she practised in front of the bathroom mirror.

  When Bhuwan returned from his trip, he asked Veda whether his mother had made a fuss about her coming back home later than usual. He told her that he had spoken to her over the phone and had informed her about it.

  ‘Oh, Bhuwan, that starts only next week. She did ask me details about it. She didn’t seem too pleased, but she didn’t specifically object,’ said Veda. Bhuwan said that he was glad about that and told her to carry on with her Sankalp-related activities. Veda was happy with his reassurance.

  The college visits started the following week and kept Veda busier than usual. She loved every minute of it. Kanika had called and made appointments at many of the colleges in Pune. Aparna liked the detailed plan that Veda, Kanika and Ron had drawn up, but categorically stated that they could go only after the classes at Sankalp were done.

  Ron had started joining them in the classrooms. The students were fascinated with his accent and the way he taught. They loved him! They had never had a white person teaching them, and they sat quietly, trying to understand his accent. He was naturally good with children. He read them stories, and worked with all the level 1 and 2 students in small groups, so that they would get individual attention. They had a lot to catch up with, and it was English that was their weak subject. Ron was more than happy to help them learn.

  Ron was also discovering many new things about Indian customs and traditions. They were completely alien to him.

  The college visits went smoothly. Most colleges were receptive to the idea of their students volunteering at Sankalp. Since Kanika had lived in Pune all her life, she knew all the good places to eat near the colleges. After one such college visit, she took them to a popular joint on Fergusson College Road.

  ‘What is poori bhaji?’ asked Ron.

  Veda smiled at how a very common Indian dish was exotic for Ron.

  ‘What do you normally eat for lunch in the UK?’ Veda asked.

  She had gotten over her shyness around Ron, and she now conversed easily with him.

  ‘Oh, usually a sandwich. I almost always have either a tuna sandwich or a chicken sandwich. Have you ever had those?’ he asked.

  ‘I am a vegetarian,’ said Veda.


  ‘Did you turn vegetarian for health reasons?’ asked Ron.

  ‘No, I have always been vegetarian. Nobody eats meat in my family,’ said Veda.

  ‘Not even fish?’ he asked.

  ‘No, Ron. In India, when people are vegetarian, they usually don’t even eat eggs,’ explained Kanika.

  For Ron, it was new information, and he found it fascinating.

  When the poori bhaji arrived, Kanika and Veda had to show him how to eat with his hands.

  ‘You eat with your fingers and you don’t get the food on your palms. See, like this,’ said Veda, as she held her poori down with the three fingers of her right hand and tore off a piece with the thumb and forefinger.

  Ron struggled to do it. After a few attempts, he gave up, rolled up the poori, and ate it like a roll. ‘Maybe before I leave India, I will master this,’ he said.

  Kanika and Veda smiled at how hard it was for him.

  ‘By the way, we have four volunteers already. Veda, you did a good job speaking,’ Kanika said.

  ‘Whatever I said came from the heart. I totally love working at Sankalp and I guess it shows when I speak. I had rehearsed what I wanted to say, and that helped. Also, you both supported me so well,’ said Veda.

  ‘Whatever it is, it is working. We might have more volunteer applications. Aparna will have to interview them and weed out the less suitable candidates,’ Kanika said.

  As they ate, they talked about the antics of the students that day and they laughed. Now that all three were working together, teaching the same sets of students, they had a lot of things to share. They knew that there was never a dull moment with Sanju around. That morning, he had sprinkled chalk powder over the mats, and all the children had got it on their backsides when they sat down. Sanju had laughed as they furiously tried to brush it off when they discovered it.

  Veda, Ron and Kanika discussed how they could raise the levels of all the children to 4, so that they would do well in the upcoming exams.

  ‘The only way we can do that is if we give them extra classes outside Sankalp hours. Though I am working with them in small groups, the progress is slow. The only thing that will help is more time, and more intensive coaching,’ said Ron.

  ‘But we will have to take permission from the sponsor company,’ said Kanika.

  ‘I’ll speak to Aparna about it and get it done,’ Ron replied.

  The three of them knew that it would be a mammoth task. But they were so invested in the cause, that they were willing to put in the extra hours to make it happen.

  Chapter 21

  October 1996

  Joshimath

  My dearest Veda didi,

  You have no idea how elated I felt after I read your letter. That’s the way to go! Honestly, didi, your last few letters had me worried. It seemed to me that you had given up on life.

  But now, I can make out that my old Veda didi has returned. I can see the enthusiasm you have from your letter and the way you described it all, didi. I badly want to come to Pune and see Sankalp for myself.

  I want to meet Kajol, Sanju, Aishwarya, Zinia and all the others you talked about. It seems to be such a wonderful organisation to be a part of. I also want to meet Kanika. Please convey my greetings to her.

  College has started off well. It is very different from school—but you already know that. I remember how you used to describe each day, when you first started college and I was still in school. It is exactly like that. Nothing much has changed from when you were here. Some of my classmates have gone to different cities to study, but many are from my class itself. So it feels like an extension of school, but where the teachers are not that strict. The best part about college is, no more uniforms. I love wearing different outfits each day. I mix and match the salwars. I have also secretly managed to buy jeans! Ma had given me money for college shopping. I went with Deepali, and we bought some smart clothes. I love the fit of the jeans, and we managed to bring the prices down by bargaining. I plan to change into jeans at college and then change back into a salwar kameez before I go home. That way, Papa will not know, and it is just easier. I can’t understand why he has silly rules like girls should not wear jeans. I agree it is not very common—but why can’t I be different from others if I wish to? One or two girls in my class do wear jeans.

  Didi—I have already bunked college and gone for a movie in the neighbouring town. Don’t be shocked! I know you may not approve as you were always a rule follower. But I think rules are meant to be broken, or at least bent a little. (Ha, ha—I can see you frowning, Veda didi. Don’t worry, I do know my boundaries.)

  I have become friendly with Kunal Saini. (You remember him from my class, right?) Didi—he drives his own Ambassador car to college. He invited me and Dipu for a ride, along with his friends, Bharat and Naveen. All five of us bunked college and went for a nice movie, and I got back home at the usual time. He drove safely didi, don’t worry. We had a lot of fun. It was an English movie, but it was dubbed in Hindi, and we laughed at the dialogues! The translated version was ridiculous. I think that in college, it is important to have this kind of fun. This is the time we can enjoy.

  Another important development—Suraj has moved to Mumbai. But fortunately, I managed to hand over the letter you sent before he left. So, from now on, didi, you will have to write to him directly, instead of sending letters through me. But do you know what I did? (You will thank me for this!) I handed him about fifty envelopes with your address neatly written on them. I sat down and wrote it all late into the night. I also put my name as the sender on the back of the envelope. I figured that, this way, he can still send you letters when he goes to Mumbai, and nobody will suspect anything, as all he has to do is use the envelopes I have given him. If you start getting letters from a new handwriting, you might be caught. Aren’t you happy with what I did?

  How is Bhuwan jiju reacting to your new job? Is he okay with it?

  I am continuing this letter after six days, as I couldn’t finish it the day I started it. That day, when I was writing the letter, Ma called out to me and I had to stop writing. She said that they have now started looking for a groom for me! I was so angry. I am only eighteen. They invited those same aunties home—the ones who brought the proposal for you. I had told Ma and Papa clearly that I don’t want to be a part of it. Yet, they did not listen to me. So do you know what I did? When they told me to serve the aunties tea, I told them loudly that I am busy as I am going to talk to Kunal and that he was waiting for me around the corner. I marched out in front of them.

  Of course, there was nobody waiting. I walked to the temple and sat there till such time as I knew that the aunties would have left. Then I went back home.

  Didi—you should have seen how angry Papa was. I thought he would EXPLODE. He was stark raving mad. He slapped me as soon as I got home, didi. God—it hurt. The red mark of his palm on my cheek remained till the next day, and I couldn’t go to college with that face. He would have continued to hit me, but Rudra kaka stopped him, saying that you cannot raise your hands on girls once they come of age. He stopped then.

  But I don’t care that he hit me. My little act of rebellion had the desired effect. All the aunties are now gossiping about how shameless I am, and that Kunal is my boyfriend.

  Kunal heard about it that very day. You know how gossip travels in Joshimath. He got a shouting from his parents. And guess what—he is not talking to me now. He is angry with me for telling lies. He asked me how I could do that. I apologised to him, but he still hasn’t forgiven me. He said, ‘We only went out as a group, and that too because I thought we were all friends. If this is how you treat a friend, I have no words for you.’ I said, ‘So be it.’

  I did not think that he would make a big issue of it, or that it was a big deal to him. I don’t even know why I used his name. I just said it, as I had to use a boy’s name to get them off my back. How could I know that he would react so badly? I did apologise to him and say that I did not mean to land him in trouble.
But he is still mad at me.

  But it is okay. True friends are those who stick around for you, in good times or bad, and not just when it is convenient for them. If he is a true friend, then he will come back. Else, it is best to move on. We don’t need such people in our lives.

  I told Ma not to look for a groom for me. She said that they did not have any face to show to the community now, and that news of my ‘deeds’ had travelled far and wide. Apparently, word has gone around that Rajinder’s daughters are ‘firebrands’. I laughed when I heard that term, didi.

  If being termed a ‘firebrand’ means that you can do what you like, and you do not have to get married, then I am happy being a firebrand!

  My studies are boring. It is so dull. I dislike my subjects this year—introduction to accounting 1, introduction to accounting 2, general studies, and everything else that we have in BCom first year. I think I have made a mistake in my choice of subject. But the problem is, I dislike all the subjects in BA too. I don’t like sociology, literature or economics. Why can’t they have some fun, interesting subjects? Next year, I have mercantile law and banking—those seem like good subjects.

  Vandu, Vaish and Ani—all three send their love. You will be happy to know that Ani was selected for a debate and I have been coaching him. Vaish and Vandu have both got into the school basketball team. I am happy that the rascals are playing some sports. I read to them every night, and I am still reading all the books that you left behind here, and liking them.

  Write back soon, didi.

  With all my love,

  Your rule bender sis,

  Vidya

  October 1996

  Mumbai

  Dear, dear Veda,

  As you have guessed from the first line, I have moved here now. I am sorry I did not reply earlier. I had to get rid of a lot of stuff from this flat. It was painful for me to give away all of Mamma’s sarees and my father’s clothes. My uncle and his family came over and helped me do it. My uncle kept some of my father’s clothes, like his jackets and suits. My aunt kept some of my mother’s sarees. The rest went to a trust that distributes clothes to the needy. I kept one of my father’s shirts and his glasses.