Love (a story of Ramanath)

Ramanath was growling. It was still a dark day with this continuous rain. It might have been poured draught in Tarai but here its unwanted rain. Ramanath doubted at the intention of God.

But he had to go to his work. He wore his coat, picked up his umbrella and came out near to the door. It stared rain harder; it seemed as if the rain mocking him. Current of water was falling from the eaves. The rain drop is falling from the roof. The sky looks black and blue. The sound of raind drops on the trees and the tin roofs was monotonous. The road was quite, not a single soul was there. The rain beat so hard that the trees around the house were bowing their head. Time to time cold breeze hurtled like storm; the smallest drop of water goes here and there. With this sight, Ramanath felt sad. He felt as if he was all alone.

But he had to go to the work anyway. Today he felt as if kick the job and walk away. In such a day he wished to take off from work, he said himself, why do I have to report to the office every day? He wondered, with the administration/set up of the society? One is working so hard without caring storm and typhoon while people on those big houses are sleeping rolling in blanket until their body ach. Is this a world's management/set up? Richs play with wealth and poor robbed their bones only to survive. It is said that there is no discrimination between rich and poor in Russia, I have no idea whether it is true or lie. You know rich people harm society much, that much not harmed by other. I don’t remember where I have read this but I felt I have read somewhere that "Elephant may enter through the hole of needle but rich one could not enter through the heaven's door. In his resentment, Ramanath poured his rage towards the rich.

The road was full of mud everywhere. The water was running in streams in the streets. He felt hard to move his legs because his shoes were becoming heavier as the water soaked through and the mud jammed to the sole. It was raining so hard that the water penetrated his umbrella and fell, so the drop of water dropping in his coat and hat. As soon as he reached down to Dhirdham, his rage crossed the limit. The municipality has been delaying to make such a small road.  He said to himself "All the men belongs to municipality are lazy, they only know how to pull money from the people and how quickly they collect taxes from us but to make such tiny road they are taking long time like "movement of Tortoise". Its been a three days since they dug up the road now they left the road in mess with mud. Many may have slides down here. There is not light in the city nor well supply of water but they felt proud to called themselves City management organization and we are the "City Managers".

He turned on a lamp once he reached at the office because there was no enough light. In one corner he hanged his umbrella and from the tips of umbrella water fell that made wet on the floor. He took off his coat and hanged in the nail then he sat in the chair and started to look on papers. Today, not much work to do, he felt but government said," even not much work, having paid, you have to carry worries for the office." Everywhere from bottom to top, even in every work, or even in every management we find frauds and corrupted people. If I didn't have come today, there would not have any loss. I wish if I could leave this world and go somewhere. It was better to die then to do such meaningless work.

Being free Ramanath pulled sleeve up to the elbow then put his chin in bowl like palm and indulged into thoughts. Rama had written to him that she would come soon but had not come yet. When they go to their mother's house, women hardly remember their own house. It has gone few months since she left but there is no sight of her coming back. In the past I have received some letter where she used to said, "will come back soon" but now the letters have completely stopped comming. She has no any sign of love for her home. It is so long since a letter had come. Months weeks and weeks..8 week, Tuesday nine, Wednesday….it's been 10 days since  letter had come.."She should have written to me, I know she is not that type. Or might she fall ill? Ramanath robbing his hand stood up from the chair and started wandering in the room. If she had fall ill, father-in-law should have written letter and give message to me. These hill people , in such case might not know they ought to write letter. They never think much of an illness until it gets serious. Because of their ignorance our hill brother who came with long life but they compel to die early. Ram's health was not that good. Few cold was enough to make her suffer. And once she caught with common cold, she gets fever, cough and pain in the chest. I wanted to care her nicely and medicate her with a good doctor, but by the chain of work did not let me do anything until now. Well, She is so naughty and also to be blamed that many times brought medicine but she didn’t follow the medicine properly. Is medicine testy? She ought to take care of her body herself too. She even don’t care about dieting, she eats anything she wants. Nothing would go right only with my care. What would happen only with my care"?

Ramanath started to think, "Servant Rame needs to dismiss from his service. He does not work well but talks a lot. When I am alone at home, he disappears himself all day long. He does not know how to be good at work. When he cleans the pots, he leaves oil stains all over. The Bahun also complains about Rame's work by saying pots and dishes are not clean enough.  But even the Bahun does not make kitchen clean. Who complains so is Bahun himself how much clean? I have given him soap many times to wash his cloths but he is habituated to be dirty since childhood. He always looks dirty. When Rama comes, I will dismiss both of them and will keep new people in service".

At the stroke of four o'clock, he got out of his chair, put on his coat, took umbrella and left out from the office. The rain had stopped, but clouds was still there in the sky. Many people came out in to the streets when it stopped raining who were staying in all day. Ramanath was exhausted. As soon as he reached home,he determined, he would sleep covering up with blanket not going anywhere. One of his friend was coming towards him from opposite direction, Ramanath thought," how long he was going to make stand here, he worried".

That friend came close, put his hand at humeral of Ramanath and asked,"where are you coming from, Ramanath, from office"?

Ramanath felt angry, everybody knew that at this time Ramanath always returned from his office, so what was the reason to ask such silly question?

Again his friend said,"its rained the whole day." With this sentence Ramanath's anger crossed the limit. Why did he make Ramanath stand at the middle of the road? Is it to talk such nonsense? Yes, it rained all day, everybody knew this, why he wanted to remain this to Ramanath. Being so called friend…..Ramanath kept silence.

It was hard for him to escape from his friend. Finally, he was able to escape; now he reached home. His servant Rame took a long time to open the door. He became very angry to Rame. He almost strikes the servant with the umbrella but Rame attracted Ramanath towards an envelope, Ramanath opened it quickly that was from his wife. The message was about coming of his wife tomorrow.

Rame had already knew about the letter where it had come from. Though, showing his teeth, he asked "when is the madam arriving?" Ramanath face was bright. He said to Rame "tomorrow" but you must clean the room well. What would she tell? You have not groomed house the since she left, right? (Ramanath robbed his finger in the table and showed dust towards Rame and said) "Lots of dust everywhere, what would she tell?" Saying  these word he moved towards his room.

After a while he called Rame. Rame arrived, "Yes master" he said. "Have you seen, this almirah is standing in middle of the room" As soon as Rame reached there, Ramanath said, "Let's put this shelve/almirah  on that corner. It does not look good here. Table and the Chari should be  placed near to the beds pillow. Hey, you hold there, hold it perfectly ok."

During the dinner time, Ramanath asked the Bhaun to bring meat tomorrow. "So, do you love to bring same varieties of vegetable always? Or there are no other varieties in the market…?"

The next morning, His body showed unique freshness, it seemed as if his body was flying. There were no clouds in the sky. The golden rays of the sun were spread over the mountains. Being glad, he asked Rame from the bed, "Rame do you know the arrival time of train?"

Rame replied, "Is she coming on Train, isn’t she? She would arrive faster if she came by Bus."

Ramanath became confused, is she came by Bus where should he go to receive her. When will she arrive? If she knew to give message, she would have known to inform about time and how is she coming about. Thinking for a while, he ordered Rame, "You go fast and wait at the bus station. If she did not come on bus, I will go myself to receive her at Train station; Train arrives at 12 noon, right?"

"Yes sir", Rame answered.

When Rame was almost leaving, Ramnath again asked, put some fresh flower at flower pot, you have no common sense; you have kept them until rotten.

Ramanath went to kitchen and asked the Bahun, "What have you brought for vegetable, Baje? It's better to cook late, not sure when will they arrive; even further late if they come by train, so better to cook late, Baje(old man). Whats the use of letting the food go cold"?

After he had taken his bath Ramanath stood in the middle of the room for a moment  he asked himself "what to do next"?

Ramanath put on his coat and walked towards the road road along which the Bus would come. Rame was sitting upon a stone by the road side, and seeing his master approach towards him, he stood up. Has not she come yet?" he asked,Rame answered, "many motors have come but she didn’t."

For a while he stood there and determined, they won't come on motor vehicle. So he asked Rame to go home. "look" you come here at 12 noon with an umbrella and a rain coat, until that I wander around  here.

Ramanath  looked to the sky, the sky was becoming cloudy. It seemed it may rain soon. He moved to the station but station was calm. The clerks were busy in their office, doing their work, the platform was empty. He sat down some time on a bench. Again, he started moving around the platform. He started reading advertisement one after another. 'Statesman is the largest selling national paper of Hindustan (India), if you want to make connection with the world read this. Horlicks Milk is an energy giving drinks; feed this to small kids and sick people. In one advertisement there was picture of an old man smiling with rosy check. Looking at that thoughtfully, Ramanth concluded later that was an advertisement of Wake's  Beer.

After some time he went close towards the station clock to see if his watch was correct. He found his watch was fast by five minute. Again he wandered around the platform then sat dwon on the bench.

Gradually, people started to arrive at the station. The bell rang Tin..Tin..It was time of arrival of the train. He got up from the bench. Rame came with the umbrella and rain coat. Just then train arrived making big noise.

Ramanath's eyes caught sight of his wife's head who as looking through the train window. He went towards her, and she got off. Leaving the luggage to Rame, the couple came out from the station. Ath the same time it began to rain heavily. Ramanath wore the rain coat and held the umbrella over his wife. Rama "look" it is raining to welcome you home." In poetic tone Ramanath further added "it was not raining until you arrived. How perfectly the rain is timed to coincide with your arrival." Ramanath found truth in his reason.

"You may get wet." Ramanath said, "Walk under the umbrella."Don’t rush. The road is very slippery Look; Municipality started making the r road wider because it has become narrow. They are planning widen it by three more cubits. Look how they dug up the land there. I don’t think it will finish in couple of days rather it will take another 15 days. The men are working day and night. I am saying, you may slip…….Hey, hold my hand and walk."

Ramanath giggled once when his wife slipped in the mud. The next turn was himself to slide on the ground. The umbrella fell from his hand, skipped along the road and rested against a fence. His wife also giggled. "What a big fish!" she shouted, are you ok? You are not hurt, are you?"

Ramanath stood up, grabbed umbrella and said, "No, i am not hurt, but did anyone see this or not?" His wife turned around, there was nobody, the road was empty. He locked his arm into his wife's and walked down the slope.

Once they reached home, Rama checked the stuff that the porter had carried. Rame stood by the door with grin on his face. She asked how was Rame's performance at his job?"

Now, Rame's grin became wider, showing all his teeth. Ramanath with laughing said, he did well. He managed everything in time. Only I don’t know how he got lost during night." He winked his eyes once and looked towards his wife.

It was raining outside. Rame went to the kitchen. His wife prepared herself to take a baht. She opened a box and took out her clothes. Rama stood close by her, and she asked, "don’t you need to go to the office today?"

"Well, today….who cares? Not me," Ramanath replyed, as he tapped his fingers on his wife's head as if he were playing the harmonium.

Rama went to take bath. Ramanath sat down on the bed. His soul was feeling glad. The sound of water being poured from a jug reached him every now and then. He started fantasizing that his wife is very close and now she is taking bath. His cup of happiness was full to the top.

Through the kitchen the sound of putting vegetable in the oil pan came. Bahun started to fry something. The bathroom door opened. His wife came out covering her body only with Sari. She managed it nicely when she came to the room. The fresh flowers are blooming. Ramanath lying on the bed was observing everything. His wife after wearing Sari wore Blouse. Ramanath was silently looking at her. As soon as she finished wearing Blouse, she came and sat close to her husband in the bed. When he felt tender touch and smells of his wife's body, Ramanth felt to be alive (has the meaning) is the most pleasurable conclusion of this world.   

Note:-Bahun/Baje: Name in honored in Brahmin expression. In the past rich Brahmin used to keep Bahun/Baje as a cook. Sign of having good status.

(This Story is translated version of B.P Koirala's story PREM, submited to MPhil first semester)