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"What
is this? Mutton soup in a Brahmin's house? Is it something
specially prepared for me, Manju?" Munna asked in a whisper,
teasing his friend. He was relishing a piece of tender jack,
rolling it on his tongue.
"Don't
raise your voice! Though my mother is old, her eyes and
ears are pretty sharp", said Manjunatha.
"What
are you murmuring?" asked Venkamma, as she served them spoonfuls
of ghee. "Has something gone wrong with my cooking?"
"No,
No. No, not at all", Munna said at once.
"I
was just telling that your sambar is excellent".
"After
all, it is food cooked at a Brahmin's house", said Venkamma.
"Why
do you underestimate your cooking? Is this the first time
I am taking your food? When you were in Bangalore, I used
to gobble like a hog thrice a week - breakfast, lunch and
dinner", said Munna mixing rice and sambar.
Venkamma
felt elated at this praise. Yet, she said, "Those days over.
Now, I am ageing. Sometimes, I forget adding salt to sambar
and sometimes I put double the required quantity! Forgetfulness!
Instead of leading a carefree life in peace and praying
to God, I am still working hard. Why don't you advise your
friend to get married and relieve his mother of all the
work she has been doing?" Venkamma said to Munna.
Manjunatha
got irritated and shot back at his mother, "He has just
entered our house and you have already started pouring out
your tale of woes."
Munna
retorted in an effort to silence his friend. "Why, what's
wrong with Amma's words? Are you at an age unfit for marriage?"
"Tell
him in that retorting tone. So far, time and again he was
harping on the topic of his younger sister's marriage. Two
years have rolled by after her marriage. She has gone back
to her husband's home, after her maiden post -parturition
nourishment here. What is it that prevents him from getting
married?" said Venkamma in an argumentative tone.
Manjunatha
lost his temper and almost shouted, "Yes, my younger sister
is married. I borrowed thirty thousand rupees for her marriage.
And to clear this loan, can I use all the property that
father has left? There is nothing - nothing that father
has left as an asset." It was clear that Manjunatha was
angry.
"See,
how sarcastically he talks! Is it only my happiness that
I want? I have only one son and I want him to be happy and
I also want the family tree to grow. Is it a crime to expect
my grandson to arrive? I want to pick him up and fondle
him when my limbs are strong enough and my eyesight sharp",
Venkamma was almost choking with tear - filled eyes.
Munna
advised his friend, "Manju, you should not hurt her feelings".
"Have I taken an oath not to get married at all to make
her lament like this? It is very easy to get married. What
about the responsibility of taking care of the family? I've
postponed marrying so that I can clear the debts and heave
a sigh of relief; that's all. Just a little delay in getting
married and right now she wants me to marry". Manjunatha
was trying to defend his stand, even as he was trying to
bite a crisp piece of a tender mango pickle.
"Okay,
you've cleared off all debts and what prevents you from
marrying now?" said Munna, defending Venkamma's line of
argument.
"That's
it. You have said just the right. I must decide something
positive before you leave", Venkamma was speaking with enthusiasm.
"We have a good proposal from Kammaradi. The horoscopes
tally and the gilrl is pretty. You can have a look at her
photograph. Your friend has one. I asked Manju to go to
Kammaradi and see the girl. He is yet to decide."
"Don't
worry. I will not allow him to dodge anymore. It is only
after fixing up his marriage that I shall leave this place.
A little more sambar please", said Munna.
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Manjunatha
and Munna lived in Bangalore in Chamarajapet - in the same
street. They were very intimate friends since their boyhood,
studying and playing together. Manjunatha's father Krishana
Bhatta was running a small refreshment establishment. Ibrahim
- Munna's father - had a fuel depot to look after. Since
these two friends belonged basically to Malnad, their friendship
had something special about it. Ibrahim supplied fuel to
Krishna Bhatta's hotel. Though Munna was a Muslim by birth,
he had the liberty to move about anywhere freely in the
highly orthodox Krishna Bhatt's house, mainly because of
his transparent naivete. Venkamma in fact, looked upon him
as another son. Susheela - Manju's younger sister - considered
Munna as another of her elder brothers. This close intimacy
with a Brahmin family had cast such a lasting influence
on the slim, fair complexioned Munna's character that he
was looked upon by other as a Brahmin boy. The great tomes
of Kumara Vyasa and Lakshmeesha in Krishna Bhatta's house
sharpened Munna's literary taste and he grew up to be a
votary of Kannada Literature.
When
Manjunatha was in the final year of his undergraduate class,
his father - a chronic Asthma patient - died and the members
of his family would have become orphans and Manjunatha should
have discontinued his studies, as he had to look after the
hotel. But, Munna and his father Ibrahim came to their rescue
and after a lot of persuasion, made Manjunatha continue
his studies and become a graduate. By now, Ibrahim had become
a well - to - do merchant. His fuel depot had grown into
a timber yard. He had entered politics and grown to be a
highly influential person. This helped Manjunatha get a
job in a bank and his first posting had been to Mandya.
Manjunatha's mother and sister joined him and for the first
time, the two friends had to live far apart. But their deep-rooted
friendship did not wither. They meet often and frequently
wrote to each other.
Munna
completed his post - graduate studies in Kannada Literature
and secured a couple of gold medals in his Master's Degree
Examination. He joined a reputed private college in Bangalore
as a Lecturer. By now, the younger sisters of Munna - Zarina
and Waheeda - and Manjunatha's sister Susheela had got married.
Manjunatha was transferred to Shimoga. Munna could not but
accept Manjunatha's long - standing invitation to go to
Shimoga and spend a couple of days there, during the summer
vacation. That's how he was in Shimoga now.
to
be continued....
Translated
from the Kannada Original
Prof. V. K. Janardan Iyengar
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