The Pearl Palanquin (11) “ Mr. Muralidhar ” said Neeru to her grandfather. Chalapathi Rao began to study Murali intently. There were two other elderly persons with Chalapathi Rao. “ This is Mr. Dass. A lawyer. ” introduced Neeraja. Dass was stout and short. He was fair complexioned. Bhujanga Rao, the other person was thin, tall and dark… He was holding a pinch of snuff. He was a humorous man who laughed at his own jokes. Even after the introductions Neeraja’s grandfather did not ask Murali to sit. He was still starting at Murali. Neeraja, Dass and Bhujanga Rao were a little surprised and they looked at Murali and Chalapathi Rao alternately. “ Is not Narayana Rao your father? ” Asked Chalapathi Rao looking into the eyes of Murali. “ Yes. ” “ Then…then…. How is it you resemble Dasarath? ” “ Dasaratharamaiah? He is my grandfather. Do you know him? ” “ Yes….” Chalapathi Rao suddenly approached Murali and embraced him tightly. He held Murali by his waist, brought him to the sofa and made him sit on it. “ Neeru! You wanted to introduce this young man to me. Come! I shall tell you about him! His grandfather Dasarath and I are very close friends. When Dasarath was young he looked exactly like Mr. Murali. Get us the eats quickly. I have to tell you a lot.” “ Oh God! You kept us in a terrific suspense!” Said Bhujanga Rao inhaling the snuff deeply. “ When you started staring at Mr. Murali without asking him to sit I started shivering. So, Mr. Muralidhar! You are an old friend of Chalapathi. By the by, Mr. Murali, do you play chess? ” Asked Mr. Dass. “ A little. ” “ Yes… that is enough. We will take care of it. ” “ Mr. Muralidhar! This Mr. Bujanga Rao spends his time like a nawab playing chess and wastes my time. This Mr. Dass is a lawyer but has no practice. I am a retired soldier. No work. So we three are great friends. “ I must tell you about myself. I am Neeru’s grandfather. As she calls me grandpa, these two good-for-nothing fellows also call me grandpa. I have now forgotten my original name. ” He turned to Neeru. “ Neeru! Darling! What is my name? ” He asked as every one laughed heartily. Neeraja went in and brought Cashewnut ‘Pakodis’ and ‘gulabjamun’ in plates. Bhujanga Rao turned to Murali and said, “ You can also call him grandpa. I am sorry. Did I become a bit intimate with you? ” “ No! No! It is all right ” said Murali receiving the plate offered by Neeraja. “ Hey! You! Are these from the hotel? ” Asked Dass. “ No! Neeru prepared them ” said Chalapathi Rao. “ Neeru! When did you learn making these preparations? ” Dass expressed surprise. “ Don’t you know? Her guru all these months has been her grandfather ” said Bhujanga Rao. It was Murali’s turn to feel surprised. “ We are the very combinations of Nala and Bhima. After the death of my son and my daughter-in-law I had to bring this girl up. As I stayed at home most of the time, I tried my hand at preparing dishes to kill boredom. Now it has become a hobby. I take pleasure in innovating new dishes, invite my club mates and spend my days happily. This is my story. Tell me Murali, how do you like my hobbies? ” As he spoke these words Murali observed a hint of moisture in Chalapathi Rao’s eyes. “ It is a very unusual story, ” said Murali. “ I shall tell you more. Even before he could forget his wife’s death, his daughter-in-law and son passed away. He brought up Neeru taking great care of her…” said Bhujanga Rao. He continued… “ In the club he would think only of Neeru. He felt that Neeru’s bringing up should not lack the motherly touch. So he almost acted as her mother…” Looking at Chalapathi Rao, Bhujanga Rao asked, “ Am I not telling the truth? ” Chalapathi Rao did not reply. But the expression on his face revealed that he recapitulated the experiences of the past ten years. Chalapathi Rao wore a wheat coloured silk zubba, a check patterned lungi and had a turkey towel on his shoulder. His greying hair and bushy mustache did not reveal his age though he was past sixty. Murali had thought that his grandfather’s life was a tragedy. But now he felt that Chalapathy Rao’s life was more tragic. Bhujanga Rao started talking again. “ This grandpa used to feed his friends regularly. They used to praise his dishes saying that their wives also were no matches to him in the culinary art. They began telling him they eagerly waited for the Sunday get-together. One of them suggested that he should arrange these get-together sessions twice a week. Grandpa agreed and did so inspite of my protests. These cronies never invited grandpa or Neeru to their houses. After Neeru grew up, she understood the situation and drove them all out except me and Dass. Neeru is an intelligent girl. She can easily size up the other person in no time. She almost reads their mind looking at their faces. What grandpa! Am I not right? ” Bhujanga Rao inhaled the snuff deeply again. After tea the chess things were brought. It was nearing eight. Neeru observed Murali playing with her grandfather with great concentration. Murali looked at his wristwatch. It was half past eight. He stopped the game having check-mated Chalapathi Rao. “ You said you had very little touch with the game and you have won. You should come here regularly ” said Chalapathi Rao. As Murali walked towards the gate Chalapathi Rao said “ Give me the address of your grandfather, I want to write to him. ” Neeraja said “ Namaste ” to Murali at the gate. “ Good night ” said Murali and started the scooter. As he drove home he began to ride on a rainbow on cloud nine. ‘ Why do I feel happy like this today? ’ He asked himself. 22 Yashoda recovered from her illness and began to attend to her household work. After she fully recovered Dasaratharamaiah went to Narayana Rao. Murali narrated to his grandfather how he got acquainted with Chalapathi Rao and Neeraja. Dasaratharamaiah sat looking straight into Murli’s eyes without expressing any reaction as he talked about Chalapathi Rao and Neeraja. “ Grandpa! He took your address said he would write to you. Did he do so? ” “ Yes ” “ What did he write? ” “ Yes…? ” “ Oh God! What do you mean by saying ‘yes’ to every question? ” Said Murali disgusted. “ Do you mean to say that I should jump and dance like you? ” “ What? Am I jumping and dancing? ” “Not you! Your heart! ” “ My heart? ” “ Yes ” Murali left the place in a huff thinking that old people’s words were meaningless sometimes. Murali had planned to take his grandfather to Neeraja’s house that day. But his grandfather did not give him any chance to open the topic. Murali was vexed with his grandfather who showed no interest in Neeraja or Chalapathi Rao. So he left him and went into his room and stayed there for an hour. A car stopped outside on the road at their gate. Anu looked out and Murali came out to see whom it was that came. He saw Chalapathi Rao walking in with his arm on the shoulder of Neeraja. Murali was surprised at what he saw. Dasaratharamaiah walked fast towards them and embraced Chalapahi Rao. “ Come! Welcome! Chalapathi! We are meeting after a long time ” said Dasaratharamaiah leading Chalapathi Rao into the house. Murali quickly went into his room and put on a nice looking shirt and combed his hair. He thought that his face was sticky. He quickly wiped his face with a towel and powdered his face. ‘ Why does not grandpa call me? ’ He thought. ‘ Suppose I go there without being called, it may not look nice… No! No! They won’t think like that. They are not new to me… Neeraja may feel that I did not show up though I was at home… I wanted to introduce them to grandpa. But now it looks that grandpa was going to introduce Chalapathi Rao and Neeraja to me, thought Murali. ’ Neeraja sat by Chalapathi Rao. Dasaratharamaiah made Neeraja sit by him. “ What are you studying? ” he asked her. “ I wrote all details in my letter. Why do you ask her again? ” Said Chalapathi Rao to Dasaratharamaiah. “ What is wrong in making her talk and hear her voice? ” said Dasaratharamaiah. “Oh God” he exclaimed, “ I forgot to introduce to you my people. ” Looking at Anuradha he said, “ this is my grand daughter. ” Turning to Anu he said, “ Chalapathi Rao is my boyhood friend. We studied together for some time in the town also. This girl is his granddaughter, Neeraja. She completed her B.A. By the way, call Murali and your mother also ” he said to Anuradha. He shouted aloud “ Murali! What are you doing there in your room? ” Neeraja and Anuradha sat looking at each other. They did not know how to open the conversation. Annapurna looked at herself in the mirror and was satisfied that the saree she wore was okay. She tried to adjust her bindi dot, changed her mind and washed her face. Chalapathi Rao and Dasaratharamaiah were lost in conversation. Murali came and greeted Chalapathi Rao with a namaskar. Neeraja and Anuradha engaged themselves in a sort of broken conversation. Murali sat looking at the ceiling. Neeraja was observing Murali while talking to Anuradha. Annapurna brought the eats. “ Dasarath, my Neeru cooks wonderfully. Also special dishes. If you want to test her, bring your grandson and grand daughter next Sunday ” invited Chalapathi Rao. “ Neeraja! Is that all true – what Chalapathi says? Should I believe it? ” Asked Dasaratharamaiah. He turned to Anuradha. “ Anu! I told you many times that a girl should be an expert in the culinary art also along with assets like education, embroidery etc. We learn now that Neeraja is good at cooking also. When are you going to graduate in this art? ” Anu said, “ I shall start from tomorrow itself ”. At this Chalapathi Rao and Neeraja smiled. Murali grew angry at Anu’s foolish reply. Annapurna also joined in the conversation. After about an hour Chalapathi Rao got up inviting Murali, Dasaratharamaiah, Annapurna, Narayana Rao and Anu to visit them on Sunday without fail. Annapurna liked Neeraja’s behaviour and manners. She was happy that Neeraja was brought up well by her grandfather. She told her husband that it was unique and rare that beauty, wealth and good behaviour were all in proper proportions in Neeraja. Narayana Rao jokingly remarked that it seemed as though she had decided to make Neeraja her daughter-in-law. Annapurna smiled meaningfully. Murali did not know what to do after they left. He took the scooter out and began to ride in a different direction, away from Neeraja’s house. 23 Murali made it a habit to go to Neeraja’s house in the evenings and spend an hour or two in small talk. One evening in Neeraja’s house the wall clock struck eight startling Murali into this world. He got up in a hurry and bade good-bye to Neeraja. As he drove home he wondered how he could spend three hours that say with Neeraja. He felt that time ran fast when he was with her. He saw a taxi at his gate. Rajeswari was talking in her loud and shrill voice. Dasaratharamaiah was sitting in the easy chair and looking up at the ceiling. Narayana Rao and Annapurna were standing still like statues. Giridhar was sitting on a chair dressed in a new dhoti and zubba. Anuradha was not seen there. Indira was looking daggers at Dasaratharamaiah. Rajeswari was highly emotional as she talked in a shrill voice. “ Uncle! However much you love Narayana’s children, will you do me injustice like this? Will you separate my son from me? You told me that you were taking Giri and Anu to a movie. Instead you took them to a temple and got them married. When I and my husband are alive how could you perform his marriage as though our son was an orphan? Is this just and proper? Why did you to this? Why are you partial? Why did you not ask Murali to marry Indira? ” Rajeswari was confronting Dasaratharamaiah. Annapurna gently requested Rajeswari to be seated. But Rajeswari didn’t heed her words. “ There is no use blaming you. You have taken advantage of the soft nature of my son. If my son had been wise your tricks would not have worked. My gold is not good. My son should learn from Murali a lesson. My son is employed and is highly educated. But what is the use? He couldn’t safeguard the honour of our family. Can I claim him as my son? ” She said aloud wiping off the tears from her eyes. “ Yes! You can’t do more injustice to me than this! You have done me a good turn for having loved you and your son more than my people. You there! Giri! How could you agree to this secret marriage? Father is not town to day. If he asks me tomorrow how this happened, what am I to tell him? Okay. I shall think I have only two daughters. Come away, Indira! They got their plan accomplished. They will not answer me ” said Rajeswari controlling her tears. She did not heed Narayana Rao and Annapurna though they tried to pacify her. Giri went to his mother. “ Mother! Listen to me. I have something to say. ” “ Don’t call me mother. Are you not ashamed to call me mother? ” She retorted. “ You must listen to me, ” said Giri. He held her hands. “ Say that you forgive me. Mother, I shall tell you why I did this. Grandfather! Listen to what I am going to say. Do you know why I agreed to this marriage? ” He paused there. No one said a word. Rajeswari was trying to get free from Giridhar’s grip. But he held her hands firmly. “ Mother! Grandfather! Listen to me I married Anu to give a tit for tat, ” he said with an ironical expression. “ Tit for tat? What is it? ” Everyone said in one voice. They looked at each other in confusion. Dasaratharamaiah covered his face with his left hand and looked at Giri through the corner of his eyes. Anuradha was all ears in the next room. “ Mother! I have checkmated grandfather. It is true I married Anuradha in the temple. But Anuradha will step into our house only after Murali marries Indira. Grandfather! Did you hear what I said? I am the grandson of Dasaratharamaiah! Pardon me, ” he said looking at Nrarayana Rao and Annapurna. “ We are going away now without taking Anuradha home. ” As Narayana Rao called him “ Giri! Giridhar! ” He didn’t heed Narayana Rao but said, “ Tit for tat. Blow for blow. Our generation acts like that. There is no use of entrities. Bye! Good night ” he said and moved off. He held his sister’s hand as well as his mother’s and got into the taxi banging the door shut. Murali was shocked. Even before he could realize what was happening the taxi left the place. He rushed into the house shouting “ Grandpa! What is all this about? ” Dasartharamaiah covered his face fully with his upper cloth as he saw Murali approaching him. “ Grandpa! What is all this? Why did this happen in this manner? ” he shouted at his grandfather. “ Murali! Don’t say anything more now ” entreated Narayana Rao in great anxiety. “ Father! Why did this marriage take place secretly? For whose sake?… Tell me that. Could there be a greater shame than this? Tell me! ” “ Murali! Go into your room! Don’t say anything! I am ordering you ”said Narayana Rao in an authoritative tone. “ Father! I can’t tolerate an action like this! ” “ Murali! Listen to your father! Don’t get emotional, ” appealed his mother. Murali walked straight to his grandfather. “ Grandpa! You know I don’t relish such stealthy actions! Why did you do this then? Answer me. Is this not a trick to make me marry Indira by force? Is this not a trick played on me by you and Giridhar? Tell me. Did Giri suggest this to you? “…………” “ I want an answer. Grandpa! Speak. I won’t leave you. ” Said Murali shaking the shoulders of his grandfather. Dasaratharamaiah took off the cloth from his face and stared at Murali who was shaking with emotion. Narayana Rao lost his temper and was about to hit Murali. Annapurna and Anu ran to Narayana Rao. Dasaratharamaiah held Narayana Rao’s hand. “ Narayana! You should not lose your temper ” he said in a soft voice. Murali shouted loudly, “ Grandpa! Why don’t you speak? ” “ Murali! Some questions do not have answers. That is what I want to say, ” said his grandfather quietly. “ What nonsense! ” Cried Murali as his mother pulled him into his room. That night no one ate food. Narayana Rao was happy and also concerned at the action of his father. He did not know what turn Anu’s life would take. He knew that Murali would not marry Indira come what may. The twist given by Giri made Narayana Rao worried.
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