The Pearl Palanquin (8)
Sunanda went in and brought two cups of tea. “ Bawa! Who is the girl that greeted you in the matinee show of an English picture four days ago? That day I also went to the same movie alone, as I felt bored at home. ” “ How is it you didn’t come to me? About that girl I don’t know details about her. One night about eight O’ clock, she was going home from a friend’s house in an auto. The auto driver changed the route. She shouted for help. That night I was passing that way. I stopped the auto. I sent her in a rickshaw to her house. I didn’t see her again. It was she who recognized me at the theatre. This is all I know about the girl. ” “ Didn’t you take her address? ” “ Why? ” “ Oh God! She spoke to you for a long time. ” “ Yes. She asked me my address. ” “ I asked her name. ” “ What’s her name? ” “ Neeraja. ” “ I like the name. What about her father, mother, brother, sister etc? ” “ I don’t know. ” “ What did she study up to? ” “ I don’t know. ” “ What do you know then? ” “ To gossip with you! ” “ You are no good, Murali! Okay. How can we get details about her? ” “ I shall get them when I meet her next. ” “ If she asks why? ” “ I shall tell her that my Sunanda needs them. ” He laughed. “ If you meet her again collect all the details. Sect, gothram, educational qualification, her job if any… etc. The girl is beautiful. I think she belongs to a good family. By the way. When is your party? You promised to throw in a party if you were called for the interview. ” “ Let’s go to our house now. If you don’t have any objection I will take you on my scooter. ” “ Murali, do you mean what you say? ” “ Yes. It is for you to believe. ” Sunanda heaved a sigh. “ Sunanda! ” said Murali looking into her eyes. “ Murali! You dispatched aunty Kameswari and her grand daughter Nanchari with in a week. I don’t know what your plan was. If it boomerangs it is very dangerous ” said Sunanda changing the topic of conversation. “ I am not afraid. My plan worked. That is enough. ” “ She has stated a vicious propaganda against you. ” “ That does not do me any harm. Get ready soon if you want to go with me. ” “ Okay. I shall get ready, ” she said and went in. Murali started turning the pages of a magazine. Then he stopped at a page staring at it without reading. He was surprised Sunanda agreed to go with him. Sunanda stood for some time and finally held his hand to lift him up. “ What! Got ready so soon? ” “ You have already started showing the qualities of an officer. You are absentminded. Common, let’s go. ” She turned to the servant boy and said, “ Tell mother that I went to uncle Narayana Rao’s house.” As Murali started the scooter she said “ Murali! Not to your house. Take me anywhere. Where there is no one. I want to talk you alone… drive a little slow. ” “ Do you want to repeat what you did the other day in the park? ” “ No. Please. I am not joking. I may not get this opportunity again. ” He realized that Sunanda spoke with a trembling voice. He turned the scooter away from the direction of his house. A little away from the town there was a canal with a bridge over it. He stopped the scooter there. The place was quiet and silent. It was nearing six in the evening. Sunanda liked the place. “ How nice is this place! ” she said happily. They sat down on the sloping grass. Five minutes passed by. “ Sunanda! Five minutes have passed by ” said Murali looking at his watch. “ How do you know these places? Have you been getting your girl friends here? ” “ Yes. I brought Rajeswari aunty’s first daughter. ” Sunanda laughed. Murali guessed that she was talking of irrelevant things not being able to speak her mind. What could be the matter that makes her hesitate so much? “ That is not it, Murali! When did you ever survey all these places? ” “ Ever since I got this wheeled companion. I have been going places in the evenings. If I am emotionally upset I go very far. By the time I return home I feel light and happy. That is it. ” “ A very good habit ” said Sunanda with a smile. “ Now, it is ten minutes. ” “ Yes! Yes! I am coming to the point. I will ask you directly. No. No. I shall tell you directly. Bawa! You have great liking for me. ” “ Yes. ” “ I shall tell you…” “ Come on! Tell me. ” “ What do you think of Indira? Answer me straight. ” “ I do not think of her as to form an opinion. ” He paused. “ I have regard for her as my aunts’ daughter. But I don’t like her behaviour and ways. I cannot appreciate the freedom she exhibits. ” “ If you don’t like her freedom-loving nature you can control her. If Anu should be Giri’s wife, you have to marry Indira. ” Murali did not reply. His face turned pink. “ Murali! Giri and Anu started loving each other long ago. Your stubbornness should not stop their marriage. Think a little deep. If these two marriages take place our two families will be united. Or else… there will be clashes and misunderstandings. ” “ Sunanda! I am at what you say! Don’t tie up Anu’s marriage with my marriage. No. It is absurd, to say the lest. ” He paused for a while. “ My marrying Indira is out of question. My grandfather will come to your house to find out whether your brother is willing to marry Anu. Beyond this I can’t say anything more. ” Sunanda knew that Murali was getting emotional. Yet, she wanted to talk to him. “ You treat Anu more than your life. Then, to safeguard your sister’s life can you not compromise a little? ” “ Sunanda! Wedlock is not a day’s experience. Marriage is a bond that binds for hundred years. That is why I cannot compromise. ” Sunanda was getting worried at Murali’s point blank answers. “ Murali! You can change Indira to your way of thinking after marriage. Perhaps you do not know. She loves you. ” “ I say, I don’t want to marry her!… By the by, you used a new expression. Indira… loves me! I can’t believe it. ” “ It is true, Murali! I tell you the truth. ” “ May be. But I cannot love Indira. ” “ Murali! Don’t go emotional! Think for a while. Keep Anu’s future in mind and think. I don’t want to force you to do something, which you don’t like. But I request you to think, to understand. ” “ Sunanda! Indira hates you. Yet you love her… How strange! ” “ Indira is an innocent girl. Perhaps she loves me. Hence the hatred, perhaps. ” “ It is all right. I am afraid she will ruin her life by doing improper things with the feeling that you are rejecting her. ” “ ……….” “ Murali! This is what I wanted to tell you. I cannot say anything more. ” “ Is that all? Have you to say anything else? ” “ No. ” “ Sunanda! If you were in my situation, if you have to agree to a marriage, which you don’t want, what will you do? ” Asked Murali looking intently at Sunanda. “ I shall try to reconcile, ” she said looking into his face. “ I am not so selfless. I cannot make Indira happy by entering into the marriage I don’t like. I too cannot be happy. Such a family life will be hellish. ” Sunanda listened without interrupting. “ Sunanda! I am not enamoured of external beauty. I told you my opinions and aspirations many times before. Please pardon me if I am repeating them. ” “ No. I am thinking from your point of view also. That is why I am not able to force you… I am only thinking of Anuradha. ” They left the place as it was getting late. Murali had lost all his fervour by the time they reached. Rajeswari’s house. He went home and stretched himself on the cot without changing his clothes. 17 Indira saw Sunanda getting off Murali’s scooter. Murali rode off without going in. Indira felt highly jealous. Rajeswari and Prasad Rao were sitting in the hall. As Sunanda came in Indira could not control herself. “ Mother! Ask Sunanda where she went, ” she said. Sunanda kept silent. “ She said she would go to uncle’s house. But where has she been strutting about? ” Asked Indira. Sunanda was shocked at her sister’s words. “ Where did you go? ” asked her father. “ I … I … Went out with Murali….” “ Yes! With Murali? … Can’t you be more specific? ” Indira. Sunanda looked at her sister for a moment. After a pause she said “ I wanted to talk to Murali. That’s why I went out. ” “ You talk to him for hour together at home. Is that not sufficient? ” “……..” “ It should be some very important issue. Or else will Murali take Sunanda on a ride in this cool weather? ” Indira laughed sarcastically. “ Whatever you say, Murali has special regard for sister… Mother! You are angry and shout at me. You think I have been freely moving about in the town.” After a pause she added. “ Does not the restriction apply to sister also? ”
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