by Anil Chawla
Sri began to worry. Had he offended her by his statement? He was already ashamed of it.
On her first day back, she asked for some discussion time with him in the evening. The other students had left when she walked into his cabin and sat down.
‘Sri sir, I have tremendous respect for you as my teacher and guide. I am disappointed that you have misinterpreted my frankness,’ she said firmly. Her voice had a coldness which unnerved Sri. He kept quiet.
‘This is not some film, where students routinely have crushes on teachers. And teachers expressing their infatuation with students is not common even in such films. This is real life.’ Over the next few minutes, she was to the point and straight. She plainly informed him that she had a clear goal in mind— to complete her Ph.D. and then join her fiancé in the US. It was then that Sri learnt about Meenakshi’s engagement to a Marathi boy, a surgeon settled in the States. The two had chosen one another and their union had the consent of both sets of parents. Sri did not feel crestfallen or devastated. He felt empty.
He did not want to leave the conversation open, and apologized to her for what he’d said. He took out a photograph from his desk drawer and placed it before her. Meenakshi recognized two faces in the photo: a younger Sri, and a face that looked very much like her own. When she left the room, she was not entirely at peace with herself, but she was no longer worried about her professor’s intentions.
***
Four years later, married and living in the US, Meenakshi was at a social gathering of Indian expats. Her husband drew her attention to a person in the gathering and said, ‘Look, Meena, doesn’t that lady over there look like your older sister? Separated by fate and a few years!’
She turned her head and was, as he’d expected, quite amused. He was right. The woman in the blue top and black skirt, animatedly talking to an American man, looked like her double.
It was a few minutes before her mind made the connection to the photograph she’d seen years ago. The woman and her companion were gone by that time.
Rewind_Rendezvous@Three&aHalf
Venue: House of the Samuels, Mumbai
Nearly two and a half years after the last Rewind_Rendezvous at Kalpu’s parental home in Vadodara, Sammy arranged the second one. He had to juggle a lot of dates to schedule the meeting because Goky lived overseas and did not really earn enough to fly back to India frequently, even though he was desperate to meet his buddies. Kalpu was in the second year of her PGDM program at WIMA, Pantu had made good progress in his hardware import business, Sri was teaching at LEC Trichy, and Sammy himself was at SE.
The other big challenge was the venue. While his parents had a big enough house in Mumbai, Sammy had not wanted it to be held there. It was only by chance that they finally met at the Samuel residence. After the nth change of plans, when Goky finally got a firm date to accompany some clients on their visit to India, he called Sammy’s residence. Sammy wasn’t at home, but his father asked Goky to leave a message. Goky mentioned their meeting, and said he’d called to give Sammy a confirmed date. When Abraham passed Goky’s message on to his son, he hinted that Sammy could call his friends to his own home as they had enough space.
He went on to add that if they wanted to be absolutely by themselves, the parents would go on a short trip for a couple of days.
Over the preceding few years, Sammy’s terms with his parents were frozen in time and context. He stayed in the same house, and yet there were few conversations between them. He left for work early and returned late. He responded to their questions in monosyllables. However, he felt relief when he saw his parents talk to each other more than they did when he was growing up, and less acrimoniously too.
He looked at his dad and said, ‘No, Dad. You don’t have to go anywhere. My friends will be glad to have you around.’
Abraham was visibly happy. He and his wife made elaborate arrangements for the Pandavas’ get-together. Sammy’s excitement overflowed into his actions, which motivated his parents even more.
15 December 1991, well past midnight: the doorbell of the Samuel residence rang. Pantu, Kalpu, Sri, and Sammy jumped off the sofa and ran to the door. The noise they made not only woke Sammy’s parents up but also created a commotion on the floors just above and below. They stopped at the door, signed furiously to each other, and then Kalpu opened the door. There he was—the fifth Pandava, Goky. He seemed to have put on some weight, courtesy the burgers, pizzas, full-cream milk, peanut butter, and cheese he ate liberally. As he stepped forward, the four of them emptied their glasses on his head. And then they grabbed him and lifted him high in the air, going around in circles till Goky started to yell at them to put him down. When he was finally back on his feet, quite wet and dizzy, he was fully alert despite having been airborne for nearly thirty-six hours. Sammy’s parents, who were watching all this from their room with amusement and worry, prompted Goky to change his clothes. As tradition dictated, he came forward, touched their feet, and received a bounty of blessings.
Abraham politely said that if Goky had to be bathed in liquor, it should be champagne and not ‘just any old liquid’. He silently went inside and after a few minutes, emerged with a bottle of champagne he had been saving for years. He handed it over to them and left. Mary hung around for some time, repeatedly asking them if they needed anything. Realizing that she would not rest till they asked for something, Goky asked for a cup of tea which came in no time. Goky had a quick shower and joined his friends in the big living room, where they all sat down, relaxed at last. After Mary left, Goky took out two bottles of Johnny Walker Black from his bag and placed them on the table. Slowly, they eased back into their engineering days, recollected their last meeting and the conversation turned to life since that day.
Goky had settled well in the US and told them about sharing a house with three other techies, his cooking adventures, the ordeal of driving lessons, and other such experiences new to young Indians living abroad on their own for the first time. He had carved out a place for himself too, both in the eyes of his colleagues and the company’s clients. Kalpu narrated in great detail the tales of her project to reduce food wastage at the WIMA mess, the garba lessons she gave to other students, and life at WIMA in general. Sri was enjoying himself at LEC and had started getting recognition from students and colleagues alike. Pantu had dozens of stories about having successfully gratified government officials to get import clearances and contracts for supply of hardware. When the other four gave him a united thumbs-down and booed him, he brushed them aside with a fresh patiala peg. Sammy had made a mark in SE. He had already been promoted once and was slated for bigger things.
Overall, while they were in different boats, the river flowed in the same direction.
It was almost daybreak when they slept. They got up at around two in the afternoon to find Mary making many different dishes in the kitchen. She had decided to take a day off from the hospital for the first time in years. Her affection, not only for Sammy, but for the other four as well, was plainly visible as she persuaded them to eat more.
Sammy wondered why he had never known about Mary’s fantastic cooking skills. Several times when taking yet another helping, he looked at her sheepishly and found her smiling. He felt like he had connected with his mother after a long time.
They stayed together for almost three days but the hours just flew and, come Tuesday, it was parting time, more painful than ever before.
The Great Samaritan
Aknock on the door brought Pantu and Saloni back to the present. It was the peon wanting to know if they needed anything. A few minutes later, both had fresh cups of tea in their hands. Pantu asked with all seriousness, ‘What brings you here after almost a lifetime? If there is any way I can help you, it goes without saying that I will.’
There was a long silence in the room. Saloni gathered her courage and said, ‘I’ve been fighting a legal battle with Parvinder for the custody of my children.’ She began to narrate her travails from the time she had le
ft college.
After getting engaged to Parvinder because of parental pressure, Saloni resigned herself to her fate. His family waited for a couple of years, but then insisted that the marriage be solemnized. This time, Saloni could not say no. Before her final year at college, she was married to Parvinder. Pantu had graduated by this time. Her last year was a big struggle to manage her personal life, studies, preparations for job interviews, and a lot more. She was lucky and got a campus offer from a software company. While her in-laws wanted her to be a housewife, Parvinder thought she should take up the job. She was posted in Delhi. She occasionally met Pantu but very briefly. After learning about her engagement, he had withdrawn himself totally.
Saloni was to hear later that Parvinder’s interest in marrying her was largely because his family’s business had not been doing well, and he expected her income to help run the household. Soon, it became routine for Parvinder to ask Saloni for money.
Around this time, Pantu had got into body-shopping for US-based companies. At Saloni’s request, he was able to arrange a visa for her and she went to work in the US. After some time, Parvinder joined her for a few months on a dependent visa. At first, there was no interference from his parents except for occasional demands for money. Saloni tried to make the best of their time together. But gradually, Parvinder’s behaviour changed and he started blaming her for their family’s problems. It was around this time that she learned she was pregnant. Her pregnancy wasn’t an easy one and as it advanced, she often needed leave from work. This cost her the job. After struggling for some time, they decided to return to India.
Back in India, Saloni felt as though her world was falling apart. Parvinder’s family business had gone from bad to worse, Saloni had no job, and she was in the final trimester of her pregnancy. As she started living with her in-laws, she saw the reality of their greed. They struggled to make ends meet, but still had to make a show of wealth. They would nag and taunt her for not bringing enough dowry. Sometimes, they made pointed comments about her father, saying that since he had only two daughters, his wealth would come to his in-laws anyway, so why was he holding onto it? In the beginning, Parvinder used to stay quiet, but as time passed, he started supporting his parents. There were occasions when they pressured her to ask her father for money.
Then D-day came and she delivered a baby girl. She was delighted at this but the reaction of her in-laws and husband shocked her. They wanted a boy and showed no interest in the new baby. She had a really tough time looking after her daughter, Ria. A few months passed and her savings from her stint in the US started to deplete. She had to look for work, and quickly. When she broached the subject, the family hit the ceiling. Her mother-in-law lambasted her, declaring that she was not Saloni’s servant to look after the baby all day.
In the last few talks with her father, Saloni had got the impression that he was keen to help his son-in-law re-establish his business. She was dead against this, but relented in the hope that Parvinder’s family would be kinder to her child and her. Her father pumped a few lakhs into the business for the good of his daughter. The situation improved—at least it appeared to. The mother-in-law did not change her attitude, but there were improvements in Parvinder’s and his father’s behaviour. Life seemed to have taken a turn for the better. It looked more so when her US employer opened an office in India and offered her a job. She accepted the offer gladly. She hired a full-time nanny to take care of Ria, which the family finally agreed to. Parvinder occasionally brought her gifts and sometimes expressed regret over his earlier behaviour, which made Saloni try to forget past bitterness.
Life seemed to be going fine until the day she discovered she was pregnant again. Ria was not even two, and Saloni had been working for less than a year. Parvinder accompanied her to a check-up, and insisted on a sex determination test. Saloni fought tooth-and-nail against this but he pressured her relentlessly until she gave in. Sex determination had been made illegal, and yet there were enough doctors and clinics willing to do it at a price. The test indicated that the foetus was male. From that moment onwards, the family’s attitude and behaviour towards Saloni changed all over again. After all, she had ‘the heir of the family’ in her womb. Her motherin-law went all out to ensure that Saloni did not exert herself in any way. The household chores were all taken care of by others. Parvinder and his father were even more caring. All of a sudden, she had become a valued possession. Saloni deeply resented this unfairness: a woman’s value and respect depending on whether she would give birth to a male or a female child. In her day-to-day life, though, she was relieved that she was at least getting some much-needed support at this crucial juncture. It helped that her company promised flexible working hours in the last few weeks before her due date and for a few months afterwards. She felt like life was settling down nicely.
A few months later, she gave birth to a boy; there was joy and excitement all around. The baby was called Happy as he had brought a lot of happiness to the family. Saloni took a short break from work before resuming again.
But in a few months, she noticed that the family’s financial problems had started resurfacing. Parvinder evaded her questions until one day, matters came to a head. She demanded answers and refused to let the matter drop.
‘You know Papaji needs his daily drink,’ Parvinder said defensively.
Saloni retorted, ‘I’ve known that since I first came to this house. What’s new?’ What he said next shook her—his father was not only a regular drinker and club-goer, he was also a compulsive gambler. Despite constant efforts by Parvinder and his mother, his habit continued unabated. Over the last few years, he had gambled away vast amounts of money. The climax had come the previous Diwali when he had lost his shop in a round of card games—the winner had walked away with the sale deed signed as a mortgage. Saloni discovered that even the money her father had given them was gone. She was infuriated and she vented her feelings openly. Parvinder did not react to her outburst at first. But his parents provoked him to aggression and he hit her. Saloni was shattered; she did not remember even her own parents ever raising a hand to her. She cried and cried, but the family did not let up on their cruelty to her.
From then on, every day became a battle for survival. She struggled to raise two small children with little support, while earning her living at the same time. Her in-laws continued their emotional abuse, and Parvinder’s physical assaults increased as well. Many times, Saloni felt like confiding in her parents but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She thought they would be heartbroken, as they were the ones who had pressured her into this marriage.
But the abuse did not remain hidden for too long. One morning as she was rushing to work, Parvinder demanded that she first cook breakfast for everyone. Saloni asked the maid to do it but he refused to relent, and again hit her across the face. She got a cut above her eyebrow and had to see a doctor. After the cut was stitched up and dressed, she was advised to rest at home for a day or two. It so happened that her father was in town for work, and paid a surprise visit around lunchtime. Parvinder’s mother received him with ill grace, which rang alarm bells in his head. Once he saw Saloni’s condition and her injury, he understood what had happened. He insisted that she and the children leave with him immediately. Heated words were exchanged with Parvinder’s mother, who was the only one at home. Finally, Saloni decided to accompany her father home.
By the end of the day, it had become a ‘prestige’ issue for Parvinder’s family that their daughter-in-law had gone to her father’s place without their permission. Saloni thought that in a day or two, Parvinder would realize his mistake and come to fetch her but the stalemate continued. Relatives who knew both families tried to intervene but in vain.
Time passed, and Saloni’s prolonged absence from office cost her the job. Soon after, Saloni and her parents got a legal notice from Parvinder, demanding that Saloni and the children return to their house. Over the next few months, they went through a conciliation bureau and all kinds
of other legal procedures. While Saloni’s father was able to support her financially, these traumatic events took a toll on her mental health and well-being.
After protracted meetings and court appearances, their lawyer hinted to Saloni’s family that their case was weak and she may have to either file for divorce or return to her husband’s place. She was extremely afraid to go back and decided to divorce Parvinder.
Around this time, the company she used to work for expanded into Chandigarh, and a sympathetic manager offered her a job. Saloni knew she could not afford to lose this opportunity to become financially independent. In spite of the draining effects of the trial, she started working again.
Initially, Saloni had thought that she would easily get sole custody of her children, given Parvinder’s family’s weak financial situation. But soon, her family lawyer told her that the judge was unlikely to hand out such a drastic verdict without evidence of Parvinder and his family being completely unfit to even see the children. If she wanted them to have no future claims on her children, she would have to prove that she faced abuse at their hands.
At this point, Saloni fell silent. There was another knock on the door. Sonia peeked in to ask if they wanted more tea or something else. Both asked for some green tea.
Having heard Saloni’s story, Pantu was saddened and a bit baffled. He felt bad about what she had been through. ‘I understand your situation,’ he said sympathetically, ‘but I am not sure how I can help you.’
Saloni hesitated for a few moments before saying, ‘Actually, Parvinder and his family had many problems with their business. It’s almost defunct. Now that I’ve moved out, they’re struggling to survive. A common friend told me that Parvinder has been trying to get into the computer hardware business. You’ve been in this business for a long time—you have contacts in big companies, government departments, banks, you name it. You can really help him get a foot in the door. I know I’m asking for a lot, but the only way I can win this case in court is if I relive everything they did to me. I just can’t handle that, Pantu. But I think they will agree to settle out of court in return for this kind of favour. I know those people well. They would do anything for money, and for new avenues to make money. And right now, they have nothing to lose.’
