( Recap – In the last part, we began with the facts of story about the marriage of Manik and then how Ganak got implicated in so called murder case (as Ganak happened to claim). In last part we read Ganak was put behind the bar. Now in continuation to that —– )
Ganak remained behind the bar, in the capacity of judicial custody for three months and after that he was granted bail by the court. About his jail stay, Ganak used to brag often , “I happened to put on some body mass and three Kg weight there during my stay in jail. The food of jail suited me best, Big brother!” Any way, the criminal case he was indicted had no strong base and not worth sustaining from the law points. He was charged on feeble grounds. After two years run of ‘Session Court trial’ he got acquittal.
After being released on bail and after wards, both brothers kept on staying in the same house under the aegis of mother. Might be the counselling of mother would have played a big role in this reconciliation between brothers. In due course of time, superficially, it seemed, everything came to normal level between both brothers; but seldom, deep rooted bitterness in their demeanor surfaced up. These were the facts, that made me realize that ‘bitterness’ in their conversation never was the phenomenal “sibling rivalry.” But the root cause rested some where else. No doubt, it was a natural outcome which hardly could be avoided.
When I happened to come in contact with Ganak, that was the time, when the relation between brothers had resumed to normal level and both they conceded to follow the principle, ” let bygone, be bygone.” Whenever, I used to suggest Ganak to get married, it always appeared from his talks that he was in search of a presentable, educated girl, who also should be skilled in managing house hold affairs. I already have mentioned about his this desire in previous episodes too. But there goes a proverb, ” Man proposes, god disposes.” I found getting this proverb realized to an amazing way in case of Ganak, how we are to be governed by the whim of that almighty god. That all will be described in some coming episodes.
Now, the main problem regard the marriage of Ganak was concerned, he was the part of a community, where a man of thirty-five years were considered as an “out dated or old enough.” In his community, the last bar to get married for a boy was twenty- five years. Secondly the family history too was full of weirdness and it haunted them every where. Truth was, The wife of eldest brother had deserted him by eloping with his one intimate friend. The spouse of second brother committed suicide. It was like the aspersion on the family.
Now, if we talk of Ganak, he was used to all kind of intoxication. As I just said about his age, that has put him into the rejection slab already. Despite of all this, whatever you name him, he was one of the great optimists, I happened to come in contact in my life. When ever we had some conversation regard the topic of his prospective marriage, he by becoming very optimistic used to say, “No doubt, the god certainly would have sent some girl for me on this earth too.” he was true to his this conviction. But, after a lapse of period, when that woman appeared in his life, she was weirdly different from his imagination.
Now from here the story of “Bablee” takes a shape. The character of “Bablee” too was of its own kind. I have no hitch to proclaim that now I by myself am going to become an active character of this story. No doubt, Ganak too has to remain a part of it. Further more, with so many other characters the reader will encounter like Ganak and I. But “Bablee’ was the girl, after being defeated by whose demeanor, Ganak disparately became firm to get married any how and with any one and at once; the only condition was she should be a woman.
The conviction to get marriage was to the point, that he consoled his heart, at least the bride would look after the mother, feed her and his pack of street dogs comfortably. But, in some way, his dream of mother be served by his prospective bride fallen flat in mid way. It occurred in the sense, his mother suddenly fell ill and in short term of ailment died. Now only three brothers left in the house. As I told earlier, the eldest brother was “saintly” by nature. In the early morning, he would prepare meal for all. That all three would ingest. Then, he was scheduled to come back late night and was forced to cook food for all. But how life in this way could run?
After the demise of mother, one notice worthy development in the house-hold affairs of Ganak’s family came in another way. Some one offered Manik to become a care taker of a deserted temple of a remote area village. There, he was to look into all kinds of affairs of the temple, even he was to work there in the capacity of Pujari (priest). The sole purpose was, at least the temple could be maintained as enliven one and villagers opt to visit the temple as daily worshiper.
Manik found it suitable for his “single status.” Since, in Hindu’s temple offerings were enough to sustain the life as a priest. Somehow, this decision eased his life and he entirely devoted himself for that cause. Back in the ancestral house, now only two members i. e. eldest brother and Ganak and pack of dogs left. Till the time, mother was alive, an animated air in the home were felt. It happens with every home, to run and manage, the soul key lies in the hands of the woman of the house. May whatsoever, a man keep on try to run a house, the same kind of enlivenment ? he can’t generate in the home’s ambiance.
Here was, altogether weird situation. Eldest brother had to embark for his job early in the morning and retreat late in the night. The entire house now looked messy and scattered with things. Above this all, the tamed pack of mongrel dogs used to wander in the house in unruly manner. No doubt, Ganak as a pet-lover had the great fondness for them, but to bake the Indian bread for them was an arduous task for him which he ever avoided. When he had some money, he would buy some buns or bread loaf for them and threw away to them some crumbs . Some times in the evening time, eldest brother when cooked some food, he was to provide some leftover crumbs of cooked chapati, but this sufficed them meagerly.
In total, Ganak now felt intensely the need of a woman to run the house properly. But again, he was possessed by the idea of dream girl; the future image of wife deeply inscribed in his mind. In between this, a thought developed in my mind to get white-washed my market located office. About four years ago, I had got it done white wash last time and now it needed new coating of color. For white-wash, but natural I had to seek the help of Ganak. I already described my office situated on a bye-lane, in a way, it was in a mini bazaar. On both sides of the lane, row of shops stood. ( End of the Part – 7 Cont’d ). Penned by – – Vinay Pharasi —–
