Every journey gets a new experience with itself. It doesn’t make any difference, whether a place is being visited again and again or a new place is chosen every time. The word “Journey” itself says that we have started off from home, but haven’t reached our destination yet; the journey is still going on. In every journey, we get to see new faces, new scenes and new things, inside and outside the windows of buses and trains,
All these thoughts were rushing inside the mind of Poorva, while doing the household
works, when suddenly her mobile rang. It was her husband Arjun on the other side.
“Hi Poorva, your first class A/C ticket to Mumbai has been confirmed.”
“That’s nice, when do I need to leave?”
“After two days.”
Poorva had to attend the marriage of son of his maternal uncle, as Arjun was busy in his
work; she had to go on her own.
On the due date, Arjun came to station to see Poorva off, while keeping her luggage on place; they had a look on her co-passengers. There was an aged couple, sitting on the seats, next to hers. When their eyes met, they greeted each other and hence the conversation started between them. Now Arjun was relaxed that Poorva won’t feel lonely.
When the train started to move, Smt. Rekha Agrawal asked Poorva, “Dear, do you study
in Mumbai or work there?”
Poorva laughed a bit and replied, “No aunty, I am going to Mumbai to attend a wedding, I have some relatives there. I am married and the person, who came to see off, is my husband, I also have a daughter.”
“Oh, we have a daughter of your age and a son, younger to her. He is studying in IIT and
our daughter is a lecturer in a reputed medical college of Mumbai.”
“Is she also married?”
“Yes, she is and nobody attended her marriage even.”
Smt, Agrawal became sad while saying the last lines, for a moment, she hesitated a bit, because her inner sorrow expressed in front of an unknown person. Poorva too couldn’t understand anything. Then she asked, “Why so aunty?”
“Actually we belong to Jain community and our daughter married a Marathi boy, without
our consent, that’s why all our relatives broke relations with her.”
“Oh, that’s really sad.” Poorva couldn’t say anything else than it.
“Even now we can’t invite her in our family functions and social gatherings, because we feel very much embarrassed, in front of our relatives, due to their presence. Especially the presence of that Marathi boy…and if I say truly… it becomes very uncomfortable to make them meet others.”
Poorva noticed that Smt. Agrawal is not calling his son-in-law with his name. Before she could say anything, Smt. Agrawal started speaking, “Actually we are also checking how their relation goes up, if 3-4 years passes fine, then we will give them a flat, which was for her dowry. But if she breaks up with him, then all this drama will end.”
For a moment, Poorva got shocked hearing this, how this people can say all this so easily, like it’s not a marriage, but a game or any experiment on trial basis. Let’s see for 3-4 years, if everything goes fine, then it’s okay, otherwise nothing else than a bad experience, which will be forgotten in some days. And then she also realized that these
people haven’t been able to accept the inter-caste relations, even after living in so big cities, considering their own children to be a reason for their embarrassment. And what kind of mentality do they have, that even if the marriage breaks, but the girl will return home.
Poorva had a thunderstorm of thoughts in her mind; she thought that if we leave these metro and cosmopolitan cities, then in all other cities, no parents would wish that their daughter returns home, after marriage, without any serious problem, let it be inter-caste wedding. Then suddenly Smt. Agrawal called her,” what’re you thinking dear, this is not an unusual thing in these metro cities, okay, now we’re getting sleepy, good night dear.”
“Good night aunty.”
They fall in deep sleep, but Poorva again got lost in her thoughts, (why it is so that people residing in metro cities are taking the relation of marriage so casually and carelessly, which is a permanent and so important relation. Even the parents are changing their thoughts, as youths. Is it usual to take divorce, breaking the relations. Parents have also started to think that if everything goes fine, then it’s okay, otherwise they will get rid off the another caste guy. Instead of giving a try to follow the relation and adjusting with each other, the couple is being advised to wait for some time, and if you don’t like it, then part your ways.)
May be these people, living fast and instant life, are considering themselves instant too. On one side, they consider themselves modern, stating breaking relations doesn’t matter for them, and on the other hand, they are not able to break the chains of their caste, family, religion, etc. It just means they are standing in between a two-way road, and it’s very difficult for them to choose one side completely.
It reminded Poorva a recent incident, happened, some time back; they had a marriage proposal for her younger sister Vineeta. The boy was a hardware engineer in a leading MNC in Bangalore, handsome, earning attractive salary and the biggest point was that those people were showing their eagerness, regarding this relation, by calling again and again. Poorva’s parents also liked this proposal. This proposal had come from a matrimony service, the boy’s name was Manish, he asked to Vineeta for a chat on internet and Vinita used to chat with him for next 15-20 days. Manish asked her to send him some of her pictures, which are apart from her matrimony photographs. But Poorva told Vinita not to send any of her pictures, for then.
After one or two days of that incident, Manish stopped chatting with Vinita, that too without telling any reason. Vinita, Poorva and their parents couldn’t understand what had happened at once. When Manish didn’t respond for a week, Poorva’s father called at his home and got a reply that Manish has got engaged somewhere else, a week before.
This incident astonished everybody. Vinita was most surprised and shocked of all of them, that if he wanted to marry somewhere else, then why he was asking for her photographs, why he was talking so closely to her and why he was asking about her future plans, for her family, in detail, again and again. But she had no answer for it. For initial some days, she remained very sad, how could Poorva make her understand, as she herself couldn’t understand anything. For how many days, she cursed that unseen person, said ill things about him….. and now when she came to know about the things happened with Agrawal family, her old wound started to bleed again.
Poorva kept thinking, what is the thing that these people living in metro cities are searching for, is there any end for this oasis, is there any meaning of endless search for the perfect match and suitable match? Has our feelings become so weak that we are taking this most important and beautiful relation of life, so irresponsibly and lightly?
Poorva fall asleep, while thinking about these things and got up in morning, when Smt. Agrawal awoke her and told her that train will reach Mumbai Central station in about one hour. Poorva checked her luggage, Train reached at station on time, where a person from her uncle’s home had come to receive her. She waved good-bye to Smt. Agrawal and left.
All these thoughts were rushing inside the mind of Poorva, while doing the household
works, when suddenly her mobile rang. It was her husband Arjun on the other side.
“Hi Poorva, your first class A/C ticket to Mumbai has been confirmed.”
“That’s nice, when do I need to leave?”
“After two days.”
Poorva had to attend the marriage of son of his maternal uncle, as Arjun was busy in his
work; she had to go on her own.
On the due date, Arjun came to station to see Poorva off, while keeping her luggage on place; they had a look on her co-passengers. There was an aged couple, sitting on the seats, next to hers. When their eyes met, they greeted each other and hence the conversation started between them. Now Arjun was relaxed that Poorva won’t feel lonely.
When the train started to move, Smt. Rekha Agrawal asked Poorva, “Dear, do you study
in Mumbai or work there?”
Poorva laughed a bit and replied, “No aunty, I am going to Mumbai to attend a wedding, I have some relatives there. I am married and the person, who came to see off, is my husband, I also have a daughter.”
“Oh, we have a daughter of your age and a son, younger to her. He is studying in IIT and
our daughter is a lecturer in a reputed medical college of Mumbai.”
“Is she also married?”
“Yes, she is and nobody attended her marriage even.”
Smt, Agrawal became sad while saying the last lines, for a moment, she hesitated a bit, because her inner sorrow expressed in front of an unknown person. Poorva too couldn’t understand anything. Then she asked, “Why so aunty?”
“Actually we belong to Jain community and our daughter married a Marathi boy, without
our consent, that’s why all our relatives broke relations with her.”
“Oh, that’s really sad.” Poorva couldn’t say anything else than it.
“Even now we can’t invite her in our family functions and social gatherings, because we feel very much embarrassed, in front of our relatives, due to their presence. Especially the presence of that Marathi boy…and if I say truly… it becomes very uncomfortable to make them meet others.”
Poorva noticed that Smt. Agrawal is not calling his son-in-law with his name. Before she could say anything, Smt. Agrawal started speaking, “Actually we are also checking how their relation goes up, if 3-4 years passes fine, then we will give them a flat, which was for her dowry. But if she breaks up with him, then all this drama will end.”
For a moment, Poorva got shocked hearing this, how this people can say all this so easily, like it’s not a marriage, but a game or any experiment on trial basis. Let’s see for 3-4 years, if everything goes fine, then it’s okay, otherwise nothing else than a bad experience, which will be forgotten in some days. And then she also realized that these
people haven’t been able to accept the inter-caste relations, even after living in so big cities, considering their own children to be a reason for their embarrassment. And what kind of mentality do they have, that even if the marriage breaks, but the girl will return home.
Poorva had a thunderstorm of thoughts in her mind; she thought that if we leave these metro and cosmopolitan cities, then in all other cities, no parents would wish that their daughter returns home, after marriage, without any serious problem, let it be inter-caste wedding. Then suddenly Smt. Agrawal called her,” what’re you thinking dear, this is not an unusual thing in these metro cities, okay, now we’re getting sleepy, good night dear.”
“Good night aunty.”
They fall in deep sleep, but Poorva again got lost in her thoughts, (why it is so that people residing in metro cities are taking the relation of marriage so casually and carelessly, which is a permanent and so important relation. Even the parents are changing their thoughts, as youths. Is it usual to take divorce, breaking the relations. Parents have also started to think that if everything goes fine, then it’s okay, otherwise they will get rid off the another caste guy. Instead of giving a try to follow the relation and adjusting with each other, the couple is being advised to wait for some time, and if you don’t like it, then part your ways.)
May be these people, living fast and instant life, are considering themselves instant too. On one side, they consider themselves modern, stating breaking relations doesn’t matter for them, and on the other hand, they are not able to break the chains of their caste, family, religion, etc. It just means they are standing in between a two-way road, and it’s very difficult for them to choose one side completely.
It reminded Poorva a recent incident, happened, some time back; they had a marriage proposal for her younger sister Vineeta. The boy was a hardware engineer in a leading MNC in Bangalore, handsome, earning attractive salary and the biggest point was that those people were showing their eagerness, regarding this relation, by calling again and again. Poorva’s parents also liked this proposal. This proposal had come from a matrimony service, the boy’s name was Manish, he asked to Vineeta for a chat on internet and Vinita used to chat with him for next 15-20 days. Manish asked her to send him some of her pictures, which are apart from her matrimony photographs. But Poorva told Vinita not to send any of her pictures, for then.
After one or two days of that incident, Manish stopped chatting with Vinita, that too without telling any reason. Vinita, Poorva and their parents couldn’t understand what had happened at once. When Manish didn’t respond for a week, Poorva’s father called at his home and got a reply that Manish has got engaged somewhere else, a week before.
This incident astonished everybody. Vinita was most surprised and shocked of all of them, that if he wanted to marry somewhere else, then why he was asking for her photographs, why he was talking so closely to her and why he was asking about her future plans, for her family, in detail, again and again. But she had no answer for it. For initial some days, she remained very sad, how could Poorva make her understand, as she herself couldn’t understand anything. For how many days, she cursed that unseen person, said ill things about him….. and now when she came to know about the things happened with Agrawal family, her old wound started to bleed again.
Poorva kept thinking, what is the thing that these people living in metro cities are searching for, is there any end for this oasis, is there any meaning of endless search for the perfect match and suitable match? Has our feelings become so weak that we are taking this most important and beautiful relation of life, so irresponsibly and lightly?
Poorva fall asleep, while thinking about these things and got up in morning, when Smt. Agrawal awoke her and told her that train will reach Mumbai Central station in about one hour. Poorva checked her luggage, Train reached at station on time, where a person from her uncle’s home had come to receive her. She waved good-bye to Smt. Agrawal and left.
Thanks a lot for giving me credit ma'am...
ReplyDeletebut the real credit goes to you for writing such a nice story.
By the way, I made a mistake in line "how this people can say all this so easily".
it should have been "these people".
It is good to have mistakes..To Error is HUMAN..doing mistakes is a part of our human tendencies, otherwise there will be no difference b/w us and machines/computers. :)
ReplyDeletei knew that u write very well abt the topics of science tech or economics or international relations or history...but after reading this story i can say that u r mindblowing with a very creative,full of thoughts mind..keep writting plz....
ReplyDelete