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Articles: Short Stories | idi nIku tagunA nEstaM?
- Mrs. manjari
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Hi Darling, Good news!. Sravan was shouting with utmost happiness and glow in his face from the gate. Sarayu came out “Wav, what is it? Show me that envelope. She was almost jumping over him to pull it from sravan. Sravan mischievously put his hands up and sneaked into the house.
As soon as Sarayu ran inside behind him he closed the doors. He took sarayu’s face in his hands and showed his love and made her speechless. By the time she came out of the shock she came to know that their application for immigration to Australia is approved and they got PR. Now one year time is given to pack their things and fly to a beautiful and wonderful country.
Sarayu freed herself from her husband and happily entered kitchen and made good pakodas and hot hot coffee and brought into the living room and then both of them started chatting and dreaming about their future and started running around the beaches and enjoying the beauty of picturesque places in Sydney non-stop for hours together till they got tired and went to Bed.
To come to the story, Sarayu and Sravan got married just one year back and Sravan is a computer software programmer and Sarayu has just finished her post graduation in History. As they have no other responsibilities both of them packed their things and landed in Australia just in two months time.
Sravan is a practical and very homely and cultured person. He made friendships with some Indians and within one month he got a job in a software company with very good salary. Sarayu due to her education in a remote place in Andhra and because of non-exposure was finding it difficult to communicate in English. Sravan put her into coaching of English speaking and he made her learn driving and now Sarayu is a fully changed person.
Wearing Jeans and short skirts and very modern and fashionable young lady. Because of her bubbly nature generally has a tendency to attract men. One such good friend got her a job in a call center and sravan’s joy knew no bounds. Every day he comes home and appreciates Sarayu for her easy adaptation of life style.
They have started saving and Sravan told Sarayu one fine Sunday morning that he would like to buy a beautiful house, so that they do not have to pay these weekly rents which are very high. Due to their salaries in good range, getting loan from the bank is also not difficult.
Sarayu did not jump in to say “Yes”. No darling, why to get into unnecessary burden of mortgages and other responsibilities. Then we have to control our expenses. There is still time to think. Anyway Sravan, today I have an appointment in the beauty parlour. I will have to go.
Sravan was a bit disappointed. He thought When all the ladies fight with their husbands to buy a house and make it a beautiful home, why sarayu is typically different to this idea. Anyway, he did not give it much thought and he also went out to meet his friend Kalyan for a discussion about some project.
Kalyan and Sravan came back home and when they were just parking the car and about to step inside, both were a bit embarrassed to see a White guy closely hugging Sararu and saying bye kissing her on the cheeks as is the normal way of saying bye to westerners. As soon as she saw Kalyan she hurriedly invited him in and was just jovially talking this and that and gave lunch and all this while Sravan was almost silent and a bit moody.
He was just wondering who was that guy whom Sarayu brought home. Again he thought “Shit, why am I so stupid. We are in a foreign country and if Sarayu behaves like a belly girl, it does not look good. I should not make it a issue. He has complete faith in Sarayu which he does not want to shake a bit.
Slowly after few months passed by and Sravan realized that their life is becoming mechanical and no romance and no sweet things to talk and no common parties or going together and both of them have become so busy and Sarayu took up two jobs and is keeping herself so busy and hardly gives time to Sravan even to discuss anything. Sravan thought that she is earning money working for two shifts and he does not have to make much loan when he buys a house etc.
It was again weekend. Saturday as usual Sravan got up late and was planning to go out to Gold Coast as it is a long week end. He came into living room and saw Sarayu sitting in the sofa quietly dressed up and in another chair Mark, her friend. When Sravan saw him, He greeted him “Hi Mark, good morning. How come you are here early morning”? then Sararu interrupted “Sorry sravan, I forgot to tell you yesterday. Our office people planned a trip to Gold coast and as you know I am getting too tired and bored with the work and I thought it is not a bad idea just to refresh myself and have some fun”.
Sravan’s face changed colours. But to keep his respect and etiquette and seeing the picnic bags packed neatly in the room said “Ok. Fine . Go Ahead”.. Have a nice weekend”. The Car and the couple moved out happily. Then realization dawned upon Sravan “Am I giving too much freedom to my wife? Is She right in doing things like this? No. I should put a full stop to this. It is not getting into their life style and changing ourselves completely forgetting family. It is just not adapting to new culture. It is beyond that.”
Four days passed so grimly and lifelessly for Sravan and he did not share his time with anyone for fear of being ridiculed. First time he started thinking “did I make a mistake in coming here to this country? Where did I go wrong?”
Sunday it was past midnight. He just came to the Glass Ranslider and pushed the curtains when he heard a Car parking. His lights were off and the portico lights were on. Sarayu and Mark coming out of the car and Mark hugging her and saying “Tell your bloody Indian husband that you don’t like him anymore. Tomorrow you are moving out with me. I can not wait for much longer”.
Sarayu was pleading with him “give me sometime Mark”. He slammed the Car doors and sped away in rage. Sarayu came in and opened the door and saw Sravan in the sofa sitting and staring at her. She said “Why darling, you are not sleeping. I am not a small baby that you should get worried.” Sravan had no words to speak. She went in changed her dress and slept.
Next day morning Sravan, a devastated soul got up late as he was awake whole night with the nightmare he has witnessed. He got up and came to living room and the whole house seemed empty like his heart and mind. There was a yellow printing paper near the phone neatly folded and on top written “SORRY SRAVAN. I AM MOVING ON. I LIKE MARK FOR HIS FUN LOVING AND PRACTICAL WAY OF ENJOYING LIFE. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO CONTACT ME. THIS IS THE END TO OUR RELATIONSHIP”.
Sravan just looked at the Sai Baba photo in front of the door. He felt Baba telling him “Do not worry. I am there with you. It is good she is gone out of your life. It is better to leave a person without morals and good conduct in life rather than repenting for them and thinking that it is your mistake. You also move on in life – But to a righteous path and purposeful life. Do not despair. I am with you”.
He got much more strength and enlightenment and packed his bags and went back to India, where he has good memories of life and sweet things to relish rather than a Land which is not ours which can never be like ours even if we try for ages. After all Mother’s place nobody can replace. India is my Motherland. Thinking in those lines he spent his life happily and got married again with a cultured girl and never tried to change her with the fear of losing her forever, though it may not be the case with all.
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