Short story: Rathee now lives with me

M.D.S. Maithripala

She had a mother and a father too. Both, of course, were responsible for bringing her into this world. Destined to be enjoying a little bit of comfort which an ordinary destitute might accept as much more sufficient than that would be expected, by anyone whose mind is trained in line with the saying 'Half a loaf is better than No Bread'.

After her birth that actually had happened in the absence of her father, she was showered with an unfathomable degree of sublime love from her mother who proved herself to be the only guardian, protector, or wellwisher. It was, no doubt, the effect of their past karmic influence that both the mother and the daughter happened to be dumb although they were not at all deaf.

It was also known that this mother had consented to be married to an equally handicapped one who the neighbours predicted would never look after the mother or the child in the future. What the good neighbours had predicted has now come to pass as true. The mother and the daughter are now, so to speak, left in the lurch and with much difficulty, they earn their living without much ado or dependence on the neighbours who, the people say, are well disposed towards the two.

Within a considerable period of time, the child was seen jubilantly playing about their domain which the nature has lavishly provided with sprawling green patches of pasture. The locality could, certainly, be described as one big kaleidoscope of an alluring scenery with scrub jungles, patches of green grass, a slowly meandering rivulet, tall spreading trees, bowers decorated with a profuse of colourful wild-flowers.

The daughter was, virtually, under the protective eye of the mother. The offspring of her kith and kin whose very appearance could favourably be compared with that of her daughter, were living peacefully here and there.

Their movements were not, at all, restricted by any law; yet the daughter and all the others of her age seemed quite at home, in the locality. Ample stock of food, beverages or water for their sustenance were always available at hand. They had the courage to provide themselves with suitable protection over their heads from rain or sun without making a big grouse.

This community of inhabitants is leading a contented life!

The daughter whose beautiful appearance which, is endowed with an unblemished character at the moment, naturally beckons anyone to cost his or her eyes at her more than once. Even old people who go past her domain stop for a while and admire her playful ways; sometimes she comes very close to every passerby and shows an audacity to brush against them; she looks straight in the eyes of any visitor who, she thinks, lavishes love on her.

She stays with him or her for a fleeting moment and then romps away swiftly leaving the party agape. She cannot express her aspirations, for, she is dumb from birth!!!

The mother, daughter or their kith and kin are always at others' service. Day in day out, they work incessantly for the good of the friend and the foe. Very rarely they raise a finger of protest at anybody, for, they known that their humility has come down from generation to generation undisturbed but sufficiently unaccounted for.

The motto that her forefathers cherished 'We assure you of our best services at all times' has been, so to speak, finely ingrained in their hearts. The posterity never wish to deviate from this practice for any material gain.

It is, however, very unfortunate that the precious qualities which many of us do not possess, have never been sufficiently recognised by the so-called civilized society. None of the members of this daughter's clan surmises, at least for a fleeting second, that the rulers of the world's domains have failed to formulate necessary legislation to safeguard their interests or aspirations!

She instinctively looks at me whenever I happen to walk along the footpath that traverses the domain demarcated by a fragile fence. At times she rests assured that she is not unnecessarily disturbed in her pensive mood.

Whilst lying peacefully on the edge of the path she looks far far away into the deep azure blue sky as if she thinks of a plan to escape the wrath of the unreliable members of the so-called civilized society.

At times she wears a look of despondency on her unwrinkled face as though she has fully comprehended the inexorable law of impermanence in all component things rather than those who have really come face to face with that sublime doctrine embracing this priceless law.

She hasn't had an education; what sort of an education for a dumb like this daughter whom the so-called well-informed, well recognized, erudite and highly educated lot of the society, has discarded as a scallwag!

Much has been spoken of the lifestyle of the inhabitants of this particular domain or the locality. Though the inhabitants are dumb, most of them are quite healthy and strong.

Almost all the female members of all the families look very beautiful with well proportionate bodies; buxom breasts, well formed posteriors, sharp facial features, round dark eyes, glistening white teeth, robust limbs, do invite the male of the species for a romantic association which in all probability, terminates with a love tryst.

On many occasions, strong robust young Romeos who had the courage to venture into the domain for a taste of love making with these beautiful Juliets met with strong opposition from their cousins who claimed that their maternal and paternal female cousins belonged to none other than themselves. Most of the adventurers were gorged into bleeding and they shamefully, took to their heels.

The young lasses, though they wished to be loved and possessed by some eligible lads from amongst the populous of the neighbouring domains, yet that cherished aspiration could hardly be fulfilled at their will.

More often, their desire for union in wed-lock is satisfied quite unexpectedly and unannounced. The good news that a young lass has become pregnant at a tender age is brushed away by all the members of the clan. The event is never celebrated. At times, a pregnancy occurs as a result of artificial insemination.

On one of my recent visits to the domain of the dumb, I purposefully looked for the particular lass whom I had taken a fancy for, I looked beyond the periphery and I saw her just browsing aimlessly. By instinct or so, she knew that one who was looking at her lovingly has come back after some time.

I forthwith stopped; she looked at me lovingly, slowly came over, stopped in front of me. I lovingly caressed her forehead. I felt her eyes were glistening with moisture, perhaps tears of happiness. Surely it occurs when attachment to each other is sublime, pure and fused with desire for possession.

Instinctively, I learnt that she possesses an offspring. For reasons not known to me, perhaps not known to her, too, her offspring had long been separated from her. She seems to be wanting to tell all that to me.

Yet an explanation cannot be forced out of her, because the hindrance placed between us cannot be removed. She still loves me as she had been accustomed to be. I should expressly say that my love for her has not been abated in the least. The saying 'out of sight out of mind' had not become relevant in this instant.

My inner satisfaction that I shall not be leaving my home for quite some time to come, will allow me to go up and down along the periphery. This situation affords me an opportunity of being as close as possible to the persons whom I love very much.

That is the behaviour of that sublime feeling called true love. Both of us can see each other at very close quarters; I can caress her forehead lovingly; she can look at me straight without fear; one strange phenomenon I discerned was that when I engage myself in caressing her forehead her beautiful eyes get filled with tears. Those tears are, in all probability, tears of happiness! She is free to enjoy that happiness to her heart's content.

To all intents and purposes, both of us had fallen in love head over heels with each other. Yet it is an irony of fate that both of us are debarred from living under one roof which is a very loose epithet used by the present day lovers. Still, I had no alternative but to find solace in the meaning elucidated by an old pundit of repute in his valued saying that 'two irons would not join together without being made their ends red-hot under fire.'

One of my usual rounds, one day, I noticed that my pet was not coming to meet me over the border. I came up to the spot where we met each other. I scanned the area thoroughly. I could gather no evidence of her presence even at the far end of the enclosure whence she put on a brisk walk towards me. My conscience seemed to be holding a riddle in front of my mind's eye to be analysed.

The picture presented at the end of the analysis was dark and horrible. I forthwith dragged my shivering limbs to a place beyond the town limits. I reached a spot which, day in and day out, emanated a foul odour; a ramshakcled, improvised hut that was named 'Abattoir' by the local authority language parlance.

Tied on to a post of the abattoir is found my precious property to be sacrificed for the pleasure of some town folk on the next day. They, no doubt, relish the tender sinews of my lady-love over an animated conversation of adventure.

I am now trying my best to see that such a disaster as an untimely death for that innocent, dumb, yet lovely young lady does not take place as long as I am alive. Hither and thither I ran; I found the abominable creature called abattoir keeper.

I had a brief discussion with him. He directed me to the local authority beef stall owner - ugliest human being I ever met in my life time.

My discussion with him was very short. He exchanged the half-starved, thirst unquenched, fear stricken heifer my precious object with a wad of green currency notes pushed by me into the dirty, shivering, greasy palm of the devil that guards a corner of the hell for cattle.

I gleefully brought home RATHEE the heifer.