Sister

SISTER
(A short story)

Original in Telugu by ‘Vyasamoorti’

 

Translated by B. SY AMALA RAO

Lecturer in English, S. K. B. R. College, Amalapuram

The moment Virabhadram stepped into the house, his children ran to him shouting, “Daddy! Daddy! Auntie is coming.”

“Auntie! Who is she!” asked Virabhadram in surprise. “Don't you know, Daddy? It’s auntie Durga. She comes here tomorrow,” they said. “Auntie will bring me sweets”….“She will get me nice toys,” they were telling each other in joy.

Meanwhile his mother came there and told him excitedly “Durga is coming–son, she has dropped a card. She writes she is coming tomorrow. He too is coming. They have named the boy after your father.”

Virabhadram did not say anything. He went in, put his shirt and upper cloth on the hanger, and proceeded to the yard to wash his feet. Handing him water in a tumbler, his wife Mahalaxmi said to him, “Your sister is coming. Have you seen the letter?”

Virabhadram with a simple ‘No’ washed his feet and walked into the house, drying himself with a towel. His wife brought him coffee. He emptied the cup, put on the shirt and came into the sitting room. His father beckoned to him. Virabhadram went near. “Son! What has happened, has happened; do not scold your sister, when she comes here. We too wanted her happiness only. It is fortunate we are able to see her again.” Saying so, the father extended the letter towards him.

Virabhadram knitted his eye-brows and said, “No need to read it,” and walked out. He returned home for meals at seven. The children had already finished their meals. His parents too had their repast. The children gathered round their grand-parents and were putting questions about their auntie. “I will carry auntie’s baby,” said Purna, Virabhadram’s only daughter. “No, I will carry him,” said Ramu, the eldest boy.

Virabhadram went in to take his meal. There his wife again broached the topic of Durga. “She remembers her brother now–after such a lapse of time. That too, only because her parents are here. Otherwise why would she remember you,” went on Mahalaxmi when he cut her short with a frown. She kept quiet.

Virabhadram finished his meal and went into his bedroom, and picking up a Weekly, slumped into the easy chair. After a short while, his wife came there. She prepared the bed, and going up to him, tried to hand him the letter, saying, “Your father has asked me to give it to you. “No throw it away,” said Virabhadram in irritation. “What harm is there in reading it? Read it, at least for your father’s sake,” said she, and put the letter in his hand. He just wanted to glance through it and throw it away, but could not help reading it. There was nothing special in it. Durga wrote quite innocently, as if nothing had happened. Virabhadram threw the letter away on the table. He opened the Weekly again, but could not continue it. His mind began to revolve round the incident that happened two years ago. “What infamy has she brought upon you? What pain she gave you?” Mahalaxmi was mumbling, when Virabhadram, troubled by his own thoughts, asked her to shut up, and threw the magazine on the table and went to bed. His wife began to press his feet.

The incident renewed the wound in Virabhadram’s mind. Durga was not yet married then. Her father had worn out the proverbial seven pairs of shoes, in looking for a suitable match for her. Owing to his age and illness, he threw the burden on the shoulders of his only son. Virabhadram wanted to prove himself a worthy son, by fulfilling successfully this entrusted duty. At the very first trial, he caught hold of an engineer who, on enquiry, was found to be his own boyhood friend. Both the friends had a pleasant time in recollecting their childhood. At the right moment, Virabhadram revealed the purpose of his visit to him. His friend readily agreed to his proposal and came with his mother to see the bride. He was thoroughly satisfied with Durga. He and his mother discussed about other matters. Durga was bewitchingly beautiful, and more than that, Virabhadram was his old friend, and so his mother could not ask more than five thousand as dowry. Durga being his only sister, and the bridegroom, his friend, being also an engineer, Veerabhadram did not feel it too much. His parents too felt in the same way “Fix up the ‘muhurtam’ and inform us,” said the bridegroom and his mother, and went away.

Virabhadram wanted to celebrate the marriage of his sister in a befitting manner. He was pleased with himself for having fixed up such a high match. But scarcely a week had passed, when one day Durga approached her brother, possibly to tell him something. He was about to taunt her playfully, when he stopped on seeing the expression on her face. He had never seen her look so seriously as then. “What is it, Durga?” he asked.

“Annayya……,” she, hesitated to speak further. “Yes, tell me, what is it?” said Virabhadram encouragingly.

“I am not interested in this alliance, Annayya, I don’t like it.” Durga spoke out.

Virabhadram felt as if he were struck by a bolt from the blue. The earth seemed to move away from under his feet.

“What do you mean!” he roared.

His wife and parents ran in, “Listen to what she says. She doesn’t like this match,” Virabhadram said, angrily, turning towards his parents. They could not believe it, at first. But when they learnt that it was true, they too were dismayed.

“What is wrong with this match? Where can you get a better one than this?” they asked her.

Meanwhile Virabhadram’s daughter Purna came there and told them, “Auntie wants to marry her Mathematics teacher and she always speaks about him.”

“Is it true?” Durga’s parents asked her.

“I will marry only my teacher, I do not like this match,” replied Durga stubbornly.

Virabhadram’s anger knew no bounds. “Then you should have told us in the beginning. We would have been relieved of all this trouble. You may marry whom so ever you like. But if you marry your teacher, mind you, I will have nothing to do with you again. You must consent to this match. Will you obey me or not?”

“No.” said Durga.

Hating to see her face any longer, Virabhadram went out of the house. The parents started scolding her.

Durga could not hold herself any longer. She broke into tears. But still she clung to her resolve. The very next day she disappeared. Soon it transpired that her teacher too disappeared at the same time.

Virabhadram hung down his head in shame. With tears running down his face, he begged pardon of his engineer friend, whose response was generous, far beyond expectation.

“It was rather our fault, Virabhadram. We considered only whether she satisfied us or not, but never took into account her own opinion. Do not you worry. I assure you, we will be friends as ever,” said he, and patted him gently on his shoulders.

But Virabhadram felt extremely humiliated. His friend’s generosity rather made him detest his sister’s behaviour all the more.

Three months later, a letter came from Calcutta. It was from Durga. She begged forgiveness. She wrote that she had married her teacher who was now working as a clerk in a company there. They were quite contented and happy. She enquired about the welfare of all at home.

But Virabhadram expressly forbade his father to reply to her. He prohibited even the very mention of her name in the house. No one dared to disobey him. His word was law in the house. Even his parents dared not contradict him, despite the deep anguish in their hearts.

There was no letter subsequently from Durga. These two years, Virabhadram had almost forgotten that he had a sister. But today this letter! The humiliation and agony he had suffered two years ago flared afresh within him. The more his mind revolved round this matter, the more intense was his anger. He could not at all remember how fondly he loved the same sister and how he spent his time happily in her company. All that was as if erased from his mind for ever.

Pressing his feet gently, Mahalaxmi, his wife, started again. “Anyway she is coming. Why should we be troubled by it? We shall treat her properly. Otherwise, the neighbours would think ill of us. They laughed at us when she ran away with that fellow. But today, these same people will take us to task, if we do not treat her well.”

“I did not ask for your advice” said Virabhadram, boiling with rage inside.

“Of course, I know that my advice is never necessary. But people will blame only me rather than you. They will say, you have acted thus on my advice,” said Mahalaxmi with a hurt look.

The next morning, his father broached the matter again.

“Will you go to the station, son?”

“What for?”

“Why! To bring your sister. She has asked you to come to the station,” said his father.

Virabhadram simply kept quiet.

“Son, let bygones be bygones. It does not look nice, if you still cling to the past. She is the only daughter of the house. She is your own flesh and blood. At least for my sake, go to the station, son,” said his father, in a beseeching tone.

“I shall see.” So saying Virabhadram walked away.

Knowing full well that Virabhadram would not go to the station, Gourinadham himself went to the station, accompanied by his grandchildren. In fact, Virabhadram, after going a few steps, turned towards the station, but soon the whole episode flashed again in his mind. He stopped and went away to his office directly.

“Daddy, here I am!” Durga shouted even before the train came to a halt. Gourinadham and his grandchildren rushed to the spot. Durga got down first with her baby. “Look here, daddy. This is your grandchild, Gouri, named after you, as I have already written to you.” So saying, she showed the baby to her father, whose joy knew no bounds, on seeing this new grandchild.

“Daddy! Why have you taken the trouble? Has not annaya come? How is your health?” Durga asked him.

“I am carrying on, child. Your brother had to urgently attend the office. So he could not come” replied Gourinadham. Meanwhile, a young man, after getting the luggage out by the porters, approached Gourinadham and made a namaskaram. He introduced himself as the son-in-law, Mohanarao.

Gourinadham was taken aat first, but he soon collected himself and returned his namaskaram. “Come on. Let us move out,” so saying, he took them home in a jutka.

As the jutka stopped, Durga’s mother came running, and embraced her daughter. “After how long could I see you again, child,” she sobbed. Mahalaxmi welcomed her sister-in-law with a blank face and took her and her child inside the house, after removing ‘Drishti-dosh’.

After the initial formalities were over, Durga opened her trunk and distributed toys and biscuit packets to her brother’s children. They began to jump with joy. Durga settled down and began to describe the strange world of Calcutta to her parents. Mahalaxmi too stood there listening. Nobody raised the past episode. They behaved as if a daughter had returned to her father’s house in the normal way.

It was almost evening. Durga began to put a volley of questions to her sister-in-law: “When does my brother come home? Has he got any increment in his salary now?...” and soon she was looking forward to her brother’s arrival.

It was past 5’O clock in the evening when Virabhadram returned. His children ran to him. But Durga was even before them and with a smiling face she accosted him: “How do you do, Annayya!”

Virabhadram stood still, being at a loss what to say, and simply nodded his head. Meanwhile the children showed their new toys to him. “Aunt has given us all these,” they shouted in joy.

Virabhadram went in without even a smile. Mohanarao came forward and wished him. On seeing him, Virabhadram’s anger flared up. ‘This man, who eloped with my sister, is my brother-in-law?’ Virabhadram turned his face away from him.

Durga was pained at her brother’s indifference, but she resolved to make him talk somehow. When Virabhadram was taking coffee, Durga went to him again, “Annayya, I have brought you a money purse and a brief-case. See, they are of fine leather. We got them cheap at a Chinese shop,’ so saying, Durga put the two before him.

Mahalaxmi was watching her husband. Virabhadram held the articles in his hands without saying anything.

Mohanarao was just a few steps behind Durga, waiting for an opportunity to break the ice with his brother-in-law.

“All right,” said Virabhadram, putting away the articles on the table. Just at that moment, Durga’s child began to cry and so she ran out. Mohanarao made himself scarce without anymore ado.

Mahalaxml looked at her husband meaningfully. Virabhadram looked daggers at her and turned his head away.

After supper, Virabhadram reclined in an easy chair. Durga brought her child there and put him in his h-ands saying, “See here! Annayya! Say whether he resembles you are not. Everybody says he takes after you. Doesn’t he?” she chattered on in happiness. Her mother, who was close by, supported her, “Really he resembles you, son.”

Mohanarao was hovering at the door. The baby in Virabhadram’s arms, opened his toothless gums in innocent laughter. He tried to put his fingers into the mouth. The child was really a charming little thing. Virabhadram could not but like him; but his mind was filled with hatred, when he remembered that the child was the son of that man, hanging at the door. Fortunately the child himself rescued him out of the uncomfortable situation. He began to wet his uncle’s clothes. Virabhadram held him off hurriedly. “You little rascal! Is it the gift you give to your uncle?” So saying, Durga took the baby and went out laughing. Afterwards his mother told him “We must present something to the child, son. What do you say?” Virabhadram flushed with anger. But observing that his wife was watching him all along, he simply said, “I don’t know. If you want, I shall give you money.”

Later, Mohanarao said to his wife “I do not feel at home here. Your brother is very angry with us. How can we stay in such an atmosphere? We shall go tomorrow. We can invite your parents to our own place.”

But Durga dissuaded her husband, “My brother is really a nice man. Don’t be hasty. Just continue your efforts towards softening him. In two days he himself will come round.”

The next morning, in accordance with his wife’s advice, Mohanarao approached Virabhadram, as he sat reading the daily newspaper in the verandah, and took a near by chair. He sat still for a moment, not knowing what to speak, but at last, ventured out with a question. “Is your officer the same old man?” Without even lifting his head, Virabhadiam replied ‘Yes’.

“Have you got any promotion?” came the second question.

The answer was only ‘No’.

“What are the important events in today’s paper?” ask Mohanarao, feeling sure that every Andhra would be generally interested in politics. Without saying anything, Virabhadram handed him the paper, and soon lost himself in some deep thought.

There were two special dishes that day at meals. Both were completely new to them, but at the same time were highly delicious too. Virabhadram had a second helping. His wife asked him “Why don’t you ask, as to how these specials have come and who has prepared them?” “How do you like them, Annayya? I prepared them. They are Bengali specials,” said Durga–eagerly awaiting her brother’s remarks.

Answering that they were alright, Virabhadram finished his meal without raising his head any more. As he was going to the office, Durga told him, “Annayya, come early today. We shall all go to a picture.” Virabhadram went away without giving any reply.

He came late in the evening. His anger towards his sister grew apace, on hearing some news in the office. He learnt that his engineer friend was going to marry the daughter of a M.L.A., and that Soon after the marriage, he would be leaving for England for higher studies on a scholarship.

As Virabhadram stepped in, Durga came towards him. “Why are you so late, Annayya? Didn’t I tell you that We would be going for the picture now? Mother and others also are Corning. Take your meal quickly. All of us are ready,” she said. Now Virabhadram was forced to say a few Words: “I have no time. I have to meet somebody.” Mahalaxmi said that she too would stay behind, if her husband did not come.

Then Durga pestered her brother, “If you don’t come, Vadina, (sister-in-law) says, she too won’t come. We shall all go together, Annayya! Please don’t disappoint us.”

At last, Virabhadram had to go to the picture, though boiling within, for having to go through all these formalities. He bought First Class tickets for all. They occupied the same row. Virabhadram could not at all enjoy the picture but Durga and Mohanarao seemed to enjoy the picture very much. They were chatting gaily with each other, laughing now and then.

Virabhadram simply turned his head away from them in disgust.

Mohanarao did not make any further attempt to speak to his brother-in-law. He felt nervous on seeing him. He avoided him. But Durga would not give up her efforts so easily. She ran before her sister-in-law and attended on her brother. She gave him hot water and a towel, when he went to bathe. She gave him coffee. She prepared some tiffinfor him. But still Virabhadram would not talk freely with her. He felt somewhat uncomfortable, when he saw his sister doing all these things for him. But he was still stubborn. Had she confessed her wrong and begged pardon with tears, he might have perhaps forgiven her. But Durga never seemed to think at all that she had done a wrong thing. On the other hand she was quite happy with her husband. Virabhadram felt it to be a challenge.

Durga, failing in all her attempts to evoke affection from her brother, poured out her heart before her parents. “Annayya is not able to show affection to his own sister. Have we not seen matches failing even after betrothal? But it seems to be a crime, when a woman breaks a match. It is a question concerning the whole life. What earthly comfort is there in marrying a person whom I do not love? Though he be a millionaire, how can I marry an ugly person? I am quite happy, as I am. My husband adores me. Nor do I want anything more. I do not care for big mansions, cars and high positions. I have not come in the way of Annayya, whomsoever I married. Why should he be so particular about it? Naturally we exchanged harsh words on that occasion. But that is all past. I came here with great hope that he would forget and forgive. I thought he would be pleased to see my baby. I persuaded my husband to go over here, despite his misgivings. I thought his heart would melt at least on seeing my child. But it has turned out like this.”

Her parents consoled her. But they could not do anything. In the morning, when Virabhadram was free, his mother came to him and said, “Durga has come here after such a long time. Is it proper for you, son, to treat her in this way? At this, Virabhadram turned on her and asked her in a serious tone “How else should I treat her? A sister who does not care for her own brother, what more does she deserve?”

“Why should you be still stubborn over her words uttered in an angry mood then? If she does not care for you, will she hang on to you so much? We are in fact saved from a lot of expenditure, because of her daring decision.”

“Why! Give the dowry now, if you want. I shall not prevent you.”

“She is not greedy after money. She wants only affection from you. Do you find it so hard to show the least affection towards your only sister? She is heart-broken at your hard-heartedness.”

Virabhadram did not reply.

Durga, who overheard their conversation, could not hold her tears. Mohanarao pressed her again to come away.

“Alright. We shall start tomorrow,” said Durga. She informed her parents too. They pressed them to stay on. Then Durga said– 

“Really we came here to stay for at least fifteen days. But now we cannot stay any longer. How can we remain here, when Annayya doesn’t like our presence?”

Gourinadham, took three hundred rupees from his son and went to the bazaar. He brought a gold necklace, bracelets and a ring for Durga’s child, and brought four decent sarees and blouse pieces for Durga and some suitings for his son-in-law. He had the clothes and presents given to Durga and her child through the hands of his daughter-in-law and himself handed the clothes to Mohanarao.

Durga at first refused. But Gourinadham pressed her “Accept them, child. If you refuse, Annayya may become still more angry.”

In the evening, Durga informed her brother, “We are leaving tomorrow, Annayya.” But not a word came out of his mouth.

“He has not asked me to stay, even for formality’s sake. I have become such an enemy to my own brother,” so wept Durga. She began to make preparations for their journey.

The next morning, Mahalaxmi reminded her husband that his sister was leaving that day. Virabhadram looked as if startled, and for the first time, he was somewhat confused. He picked up the daily paper, but could not concentrate on it. But the past incident and the humiliation he suffered in those days, came before his mind, and stirred afresh his anger.

Mohanarao came to him saying, “We are leaving today. Please try to come to Calcutta once.”

“I shall try,” mumble Virabhadram.

All sat down for meals. Durga could not eat anything. The parents too had a half-hearted meal. Virabhadram was absent-minded.

Soon after the meals were over, Mohanarao, brought a jutka. The ‘jutkawala’ was putting the ‘samans’ inside the jutka.

Virabhadram was watching from within. Mohanarao called out to him from the street: “Good-bye. We are going. Please be writing letters often.”

Virabhadram went into his room and sat in the chair. Durga came in to take leave of her brother. She bent down and touched his feet. Two drops of hot tears fell on his feet. Virabhadram was startled. Durga went out. But he sat rooted to his spot. As he was thinking, with his head bent forward, two drops of tears fell on his fingers. They were from his own eyes! He was surprised at himself. He wiped away the tears. While doing so, he noticed, the small scar on the fore-finger of his right hand. Suddenly something stirred in his memory. Long ago, in his childhood, when he was only twelve, and Durga was seven, they were playing together, when Durga suddenly threw a toy-train at him. It struck his finger and soon blood came out. Seeing the blood, Durga was alarmed. “Oh! you are hurt! Please do not tell mother, Annayya! I shall dress up the wound.” So saying, she brought a wet piece of cloth and bandaged his finger. Their mother saw the bandage, and learning that Durga was the culprit, wanted to beat her. But Virabhadram stopped her. Later, when it was difficult for him even to take food, Durga mixed the food for him and put it in his mouth with her tiny fingers. And what pranks did she play then! She was such a naughty and mischievous girl. How fond he himself was of her!

A small crack formed in the dam, that wounded pride built, through which the swift current of past reminiscences oozed out, and soon it developed into a wide breach, and then the overpowering flood was everywhere.

“O son! Durga is going away,” his father shouted to him. Virabhadram jumped up and ran into the street. Durga just then got up into the jutka. “Stop! Durga! Don’t go now. You must not go now. I shall send away the jutkawala,” so saying Virabhadram made them get down, and paid something to the jutkawala and sent him away.