Battle for survival

Dr Tilak S. Fernando

The vice squad having raided several star class hotels in the town on this particular night, the ‘Murungawatta’ police station looked like a disturbed beehive. There were a few foreign women with oriental and western features inside the police cells. In a corner cell two Sri Lankan women looked smart but perplexed. One appeared young and sophisticated while the other, a matured and motherly type. The fragrance of feminine perfume filled the whole atmosphere inside the police station. Achala looked impatient and breathless inside the cell.

“This is my first night in a police cell. I don’t know what to expect,” she muttered to herself, biting her fingernails.

“What can you expect......? Expect only to lose all of today’s earnings,” a swift reply came from the young woman who was in the same cell with Achala.

“Have you been in a police cell before?” Nervous Achala asked the young woman.

“You look new to me..... Yes, on and off, ……..I have been locked up till dawn and released. This is all a game my dear; they also have to do their job but why are they trying to make a quick buck whenever possible? It’s always the poor who become victims! Never mind about that, you can forget about it whatever money you have with you in the morning.”

“I am nervous,” replied Achala.

“Today everything has become a business Akka. Do they really understand why we have to degrade ourselves by selling our bodies to men to earn a few rupees? No! I don’t think they have an iota of what we have to go through and how unpleasant this job is, to submit yourself wholly to all kinds of male brutes without any self respect just to feed a few hungry mouths at home.” The young woman vented her frustrations.

A police constable walked towards the cell, unlocked the door. “Anna Loku Mahattaya enna kiyanawa,” (Hey, the big boss wants you.)

Achala came out of the cell in an apprehensive mood and entered the Chief Inspector’s room. CI Kamalasena gave her a surprised look the moment she stepped into his room.

“Take a seat.”
Achala sat and looked down.
“What’s your name…?”
“Achala...” She mumbled.
“Achala who...?”
“Achala Kamalasena....” She answered without lifting her head.
Inspector Kamalasena gave a strange look.
Achala’s thoughts flashed back instantly to the past.

She remembered how she had been a bright athlete as a school girl and had even represented the national netball team once. On this particular occasion her memory went straight back to a sports meet where she became the junior champion and Sub-Inspector Asarana Kamalasena from the local constabulary being the chief guest.

When she received so many prizes from the chief guest, their eyes met more than once she noticed a glint in his eyes.

S I Kamalasena found her to be very attractive. Her tall athletic frame gave a mature outlook than her age and the white top and the short pleated skirt exposed her well toned calf and thigh muscles.

During the prize giving, perhaps unknowingly, their eyes were trying to communicate with each other but died a natural death as a passing cloud on that day.

Later, Achala was surprised to hear from the school principal about the Olympic Committee decision to include her into the team to represent Sri Lanka.

That afternoon she rushed home with excitement.

“Amme! ... Amme!! I have a chance to go abroad; for Olympics” .
“Where to my darling .... Where to…? Her mother sounded anxious.

“Yes, Amme to China, but I do not have any decent clothes or even a pair of good shoes to wear ! How can I go..”..? She sounded frustrated.

“Don’t worry Putha, even if I have to go without food for a week I will buy you new clothes and shoes.. I am so proud of you darling and I will make a vow to Lord Katharagama also. Come... come... let’s go to the shops.......”

On their way to the town centre a police jeep came to a stop with a screeching braking noise in front of them. SI Kamalasena gave them a charming smile.

“Ah, ammala duwala... beherakda?” (Where are u going?)
“Going to the town to buy some clothes for my daughter, Sir.”
Achala gave a shy smile and Kamalasena quipped.
“I can’t remember your name properly, but remember you as a good athlete.”
“Achala...... sir.”
“A-c-h-a-l-a......ah! That’s a lovely name........”

“Are you going to be married Achala“ ?
“ Aiyo! No sir, she has to go to China, for Olympics,” Achala’s mother answered.

“Congratulations! I am certain you come back with a gold medal. I will come and see you again before you leave”

A few days later when the police jeep arrived at Achala’s home, she ran into the kitchen.
“Amme, that police sir is coming to our home this time!”

“Oh my God ! Let me go and see.”

“I was just passing through this way and thought of dropping to say hello,” Kamalasena tried to put them at ease. Achala went into the kitchen and kept on peeping through a tiny gap between the door and the curtain while her mother spoke with the police officer.

The first visit was followed by another until it became frequent. One day Kamalasena broke the ice and spoke to Achala’s mother direct.

“Amme, I have been thinking quite a lot and waiting for an opportune moment to have a one-to-one chat with you…”

“What is it about sir?”
“ To come straight to the point Amme, I would like to make Achala my wife.”

“Ane Budu Mahattayo! What will your people say? We are very poor people sir. I don’t think your parents will ever give you the consent to do this. Please do not misunderstand me sir,” lamented Achala’s mother.

After much persuasion and procrastination Achala’s mother gave the seal of approval for Kamalasena to marry Achala, but it became an uphill task for the Sub Inspector to convince his parents.

At the end he on his own accord got married privately at a registry office, with Rohan as the Bestman. He was ostracised by his family.

For nearly two years they lived happily, confining themselves to their own world until neighbours and relations became inquisitive and gossip mongering.

One fine day Achala’s mother surprised her: “ Duwa, don’t you like to have any children? It’s nearly two years now and people are beginning to think you are infertile” !

Achala and Kamalasena started to worry at first, and then treated it as a social menace peculiar to Sri Lanka society , yet at times such curiosity disturbed Achala to no end. One day she decided to discuss this with her husband.

“Kamal. I can’t bear to take this kind of nonsense any more. It’s very embarrassing and annoying, can we consult a specialist and see whether there is anything wrong with us “?

“Okay …Okay……then, if you insist. I will ask Rohan to take us to a good gynecologist.” He has good contacts being a doctor himself.”

After the medical consultation, Rohan became closer to Kamalasena and Achala and their socialising became a regular event. With Kamalasena’s promotion to Chief Inspector, not only did his area of responsibility expand but working hours too began to be elastic. Both Kamalasena and Achala thought it was a blessing to have a good and reliable friend at times of need.

On a Poya holiday, Achala decided take her to the temple. Kamalasena, as always, obliged without hesitation whenever his wife made a request.

Achala in a white sari and Kamalasena in an immaculate tunic started their journey early in the morning to avoid the rush hour traffic to pick the mother.

Seated in the front seat of the jeep she was preparing her mind to disclose some good news to her husband and waited for an opportune moment. When the vehicle was on a lonely patch of the road she decided to break the news.

“Kamal...”
“Yes my darling...”
“I have some good news for you” !
“What is it my honey.... anything interesting.”...?
“You are going to be a father.... soon!”

She expected Kamalasena to greet the news with gladness but instead he jammed the breaks hard and the jeep came to an instant stop with a loud scream.

“You are a dirty bitch Achala! Whose bastard are you carrying in your stomach” ?

“Don’t be silly Kamal, what are you talking about? Why do you want to be so irrational”?

Am I being irrational...Ha.? You are a bloody whore Achala if you ask me. I can tell you that right now to your face,” Kamalasena shivered with anger.

Achala started sobbing and pleaded with her husband to trust her.

“Oh God! Kamal, who has poisoned your mind? Believe me darling, this is your own child I am carrying. How can you say a thing like this on a Poya day “?

“Achala, don’t make me mad. You know that I carry a revolver with me, and if you say one more word I am going to blow your brains out. You stupid whore…..”

Achala started sobbing not knowing what to do when Kamalasena behaved in that manner.

“ I will tell you something to you right now Achala. You remember how you made a fuss to consult a doctor and my friend Rohan took me to a specialist ! Yes I got a full test done and the results indicated that I will never be able to father a child.” You didn’t know that, did you …?

Chief Inspector Kamalasena kept on looking pathetically at Achala who was still seated in front of him speechless, while tears rolled down her cheeks. Finally, composing herself she started to talk for the first time.

“Sir, that day after you threw me out of the jeep and drove away in a rage and later divorced me, I became helpless and desperate. My mother too died of a heart attack Sir. Then our good friend, Rohan, the only support I had, also left Sri Lanka to take up a post in a UK hospital. All that placed my son and me in a very desolate situation Sir. Please have mercy on me.

I am not selling my body for the pleasure but don’t you think that my child and I too have a right to survive in this world? Is it a crime Sir, Please try to understand.”

Chief Inspector Kamalasena became tongue-tight and pressed a bell to summon a subordinate to his room. Soon a Police Constable rushed and he gave an order:

“Ananda, can you release this woman…….and let her go.”

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