Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Ātā malā tū tujhī goṣṭa sāṅgaśīla kā?" Now will you tell me your story? Mandar asked Manasi. "Rahul rāva āṇi tū, tumacyāta nemake kāya ghaḍale?" Rahul rāva and you, what exactly happened between you?

"Ho, Dādā, sāṅgate." Yes, Dādā, I'll tell you. "Tulā Rahul āṭhavato kā?" Do you remember Rahul?

"Tuzhā collega-madhalā mitra, ho, āṭhavato." Your friend from college, yes, I remember him, Mandar replied. "To vādavivādaspardheta bhāga ghyāyaçā, nāṭakāṃsāṭhī lāmbalaçaka bhāṣaṇaṃ pāṭha karāyaçā ... tyāçā rājakāraṇāta śiraṇyāçā vicāra hotā." He used to participate in debating contests, he used to memorize long and complex speeches for theatre ... he planned to enter politics. Realizing the depth of detail of his regained memories, Mandar could not help feeling excited. "Tū tyācī chāyācitre kāḍhāyacīsa." You used to take photographs of him.

"Barobara, Dādā, tyā sahavāsātūna āmacyā maitrīçe premāta rūpāntara zhāle." Correct, Dādā, through that time together, our friendship was transformed into love. "Malā māhīta hote kī tyācyā gharacyāṃnā svataḥcyā Telugu saṃskṛtīçā khūpa abhimāna āhe, te Rahul-sāṭhī Telugu mulagīça śodhāyalā zātīla, āṇi to tyāṃçā māna rākhaṇyāsāṭhī malā māgaṇī ghālaṇāra nāhī." I was aware that his family has a lot of pride in their Telugu culture, they'll only go looking for a Telugu girl for Rahul, and out of respect for them, he won't propose to me. "Mhaṇūna mī Āī-Bābāṃnā sāṅgitale, āṇi te Rahul-cyā ātyā, Rama Atta, yāñcyāśī bolale." So I told Āī-Bābā, and they spoke to Rahul's paternal aunt, Rama Atta. "Rama Atta yāṃnī Rahul-lā vicārale āṇi tyāçā hokāra miḷavalā mhaṇūna Asha Aunty lagnālā tayāra zhālyā." Rama Atta asked Rahul and got his assent, that's why Asha Aunty agreed to the marriage. "Lagna ṭharalyāvara Rahul-cyā vāgaṇyāta zo mokaḷepaṇā ālā, Dādā, tyāmuḷe mī adhikaça tyācyā premāta paḍale." After we got engaged, the way Rahul's behaviour became liberated, Dādā, it made me fall in love with him even more.

Mandar thought of holding Pallavi in his arms earlier today. He felt protective of her, proud of her, aware of her feelings ... but liberated ... he thought of showing pride in Farhad with a kiss and scolding him for not taking his safety seriously.

"Tulā samazūna gheta hotā kā to?" Did he understand your feelings? Mandar asked Manasi.

"Āścarya vāṭāve itakā samazūtadāra āhe Rahul." You'd be amazed by how understanding Rahul is, Manasi replied. "Lagnācyā pandiri guñja vidhisāṭhī Nikhil-lā Āīne khaḍḍā sahā phūṭa khola khaṇāyaçā ase sāṅgitale, āṇi tyāne phakta cāra phūṭa khola asā khaṇalā." For the wedding canopy setup ritual, Āī told Nikhil to dig a pit six feet deep, and he dug it only four feet deep. "Maga tyā khaḍḍyāta ubhāralelā khāmba vādaḷavāryāta halū lāgalā āṇi to Asha Aunty-īñcyā ḍokyāvara paḍata hotā, tevaḍhyāta Pallu-ne to jhelalā āṇi tyāṃçā jīva vāçavalā." Then the pole set upright in that pit began to move in a windstorm, and it was falling on Asha Aunty's head when Pallu caught it and saved her life. "Koṇatyā śabdāṃta mī tyāñcī māphī māgū, heça malā kaḷenā." With what words to apologize to her, I just didn't know. "Paṇa Rahul malā mhaṇālā kī hyā vidhīcyā nimittāne śevaṭī Asha Aunty-īṃnā paṭale kī Pallavi-lā vidhavā mhaṇūna vegaḷe vāgavaṇyāta kāhī artha nāhī." But Rahul said to me that thanks to this ritual, finally Asha Aunty was convinced that treating Pallavi differently as a widow makes no sense.

"Pallavi-çā vidhavā mhaṇūna khūpa loka apamāna karata hote kā?" Were many people disrespecting Pallavi as a widow?

"Adhūnamadhūna kuṇītarī bolāyaçe, paṇa Kākū nehamī āpalī mulagī aśī Pallu-cī oḷakha karāyacī." Occasionally someone would say something, but Kākū always introduced Pallu as her daughter. "Āṇi tyā dṛśyāta Raghav zasā bolalā tasā samoraçā kuṇīhī bolela kī Pallavi kāhī vidhavā nāhī, tī tara Deshmukh-āñcī mulagī nāhī kā?" And the way Raghav spoke in that video, anyone else would argue that Pallavi is no widow, isn't she the Deshmukhs' daughter? "Kākūne Pallu-çe dusare lagna ṭharavāyaçā prayatna suddhā kelā." Kākū even made an effort to arrange a second marriage for Pallu. "Bāppācyā kṛpene tase kāhī ghaḍale nāhī, āṇi Raghav-śī kharyā arthāne Pallu-çā punarvivāha ghaḍalā nāhī." It's Bāppā's mercy that nothing like that happened, and Pallu didn't get remarried to Raghav in a real sense.

Āī had tried to get Pallavi remarried! Mandar recalled Farhad's words: "Pallavi jī doesn't have to be married to you to be part of your family." Was it possible that Pallavi could remain a Deshmukh even if Mandar could not?

"Lagna moḍalyānantara tuzhe Rahul rāvāṃśī kāhī bolaṇe zhāle kā?" After the wedding was called off, did you ever talk to Rahul rāva? Mandar asked.

"Moḍalelyā lagnācyā divaśī mī tyālā phone lāvalā to Asha Aunty-īṃnī uçalalā, āṇi tyā mhaṇālyā kī mī svataḥ lagna moḍalyāvara tyāñcyākaḍūna kāhīça apekṣā ṭhevū naye, Rahul-lā mājhyāśī bolāyaçe nāhī." On the day of the cancelled wedding, I called him but Asha Aunty picked up, and she said that after calling off the wedding myself, I shouldn't expect anything from them, and Rahul didn't want to talk to me.

"Tū svataḥ lagna moḍalaṃsa, asaṃ tyā mhaṇālyā?" You called off the wedding yourself, that's what she said?

"Ho, Dādā, kāraṇa Asha Aunty-īñcyā āśīrvādāśivāya mī āṇi Rahul kasalā sukhāçā saṃsāra karaṇāra hoto?" Yes, Dādā, because what kind of happy married life could I and Rahul have had without Asha Aunty's blessing? "Jyā kṣaṇī tyāṃnā kaḷale kī gharātalyā kuṇītarī garbhapāta kelyāçe Raghav bolata suṭalā āhe, tyā kṣaṇāpāsūna tyāṃçā lagnālā virodha hotā." The moment she learned that Raghav had started talking about someone in the family aborting a pregnancy, from that moment she was opposed to the marriage. "Raghav-lā pratyeka samārambhāta bolāvūna Āīlā kāhī nā kāhī tamāśā kelyāśivāya rahāvenā." Āī had invited Raghav to every ceremony, and couldn't resist making some sort of spectacle every time. "Amruta-ne Raghav-cyā shirt-lā lāvalelī uṣṭī haḷada Āīne Pallu-cyā hātālā lāvalī." After Amruta put haḷada on Raghav's shirt, Āī put the leftovers on Pallu's hand. "Dusaryā divaśī Raghav-cyā managaṭāvaracyā mendīta paḍalelyā sākhaḷīne Pallu-cyā taḷahātāvara chāpalelī ādyākṣare pāhūna Āī bolata suṭalī." The next day, seeing that the chain from Raghav's wrist had fallen into mendī and printed his initials on Pallu's palm, Āī started talking. "Maga saṃgīta kāryakramātūna Pallu kāmāsāṭhī nighālī asatānā Āīne sagaḷyāṃnā sāṅgitale kī tī Raghav-lā bheṭāyalā gelī." Then when Pallu had left the saṃgīta program for work, Āī told everyone that she went to meet Raghav. "Āṇi Gaurī pūjecyā divaśī āpalyā dukānāvara bāyakāṃçā morcā ālā, bhara bāzārāta Pallu-ne garbhapāta kelyācī ghoṣaṇā karāyalā, to Āīśivāya āṇakhī kuṇī pāṭhavalā asaṇāra?" And on the Gaurī pūjā day a mob of women came to our shop to announce in the crowded market that Pallu had an abortion - who other than Āī would have sent them? "Asha Aunty-īṃnā kadācit mulāsāṭhī garbhapāta kelelī mehuṇī çālalī asatī, paṇa dararoza nave kārasthāna karaṇārī vihīṇa kaśī çālela?" Maybe Asha Aunty would have accepted for her son a sister-in-law who had an abortion, but how could she accept a co-mother-in-law who plans new conspiracies every day?

Mandar held out his arms, and Manasi gratefully accepted the hug.

"Tū pūrṇapaṇe vicāra karūna, ghara tuṭū naye mhaṇūna, khūpa dhīrāne eka avaghaḍa nirṇaya ghetalāsa, Manasi." You thought carefully, and to avoid a rift in the family, you took a difficult decision with a lot of courage, Manasi, Mandar said, feeling guilty that his own behaviour with Farhad was so thoughtless and spontaneous. "Rahul rāvāṃnī mātra kāhītarī mārga śodhāyaçā prayatna karāyalā havā hotā." On the other hand, Rahul rāva should have made an effort to find some way out.

"Asha Aunty malā Rahul-barobara bolū deta navhatyā mhaṇūna mī Rama Attaṃkaḍe tyācyāsāṭhī niropa ṭhevalā kī mī Āīśī saṃbandha toḍāyalā tayāra āhe, nāhītara tyāne lagnāsāṭhī itara aṭī sāṅgāvyāta, paṇa asalā abolā malā sahana hota nāhī." Asha Aunty wasn't letting me talk to Rahul, so I left a message for him with Rama Atta that I'm ready to break off relations with Āī, or he can tell me other conditions of our marriage, but I can't bear this silent treatment, Manasi shared, and Mandar patted her back as he used to do when she was a baby, thinking that no matter what Manasi said, it would break her heart to turn against Sulochana Kākū when she found out what Kākū had done to him. "Āṇi Rama Attaṃnī malā uttara dile kī Rahul malā kāhīça doṣa deta nāhī, paṇa gharacyā sagaḷyāṃçā virodha asalyāmuḷe to mājhyāśī kadhīça lagna karaṇāra nāhī." And Rama Atta replied to me that Rahul doesn't blame me at all, but since everyone in his family disapproves, he will never marry me. "Rājakāraṇāta tyālā khūpa kāhī karāyaçe āhe, tyāmuḷe tyālā Āīsārakhī kārasthānī āṇi abrūnukasāna karaṇārī sāsū paravaḍaṇāra nāhī." He wants to accomplish a lot in politics, and so he can't afford a mother-in-law like Āī who conspires and defames. "Mī Āīśī saṃbandha toḍale tarī tiçā bharavasā nāhī." Even if I break off relations with Āī, she can't be trusted. "Rahul-lā tyāçe mājhyāvaraçe prema visarāyaçe āhe mhaṇūna to malā bheṭaṇāra nāhī āṇi mājhyāśī bolaṇāra nāhī, ase Rama Attaṃnī malā sāṅgitale." Rahul wants to forget his love for me, so he won't meet me and won't talk to me, is what Rama Atta told me. "Puḍhe Rahul-çā Saroja nāṃvācyā mulīśī sākharapuḍā zhālyāçe malā Photogram-varūna kaḷale." Later, I learned on Photogram that Rahul and a girl named Saroja held their engagement. "Kāhī āṭhavaḍyāṃpūrvī tyāṃçe lagna hoṇyāādhī Rama Attaṃnī malā tyābaddala kaḷavale, āṇi mī tyāṃnā śubhecchā pāṭhavalyā." Some weeks ago, before their wedding happened, Rama Atta notified me about it, and I sent them my congratulations.

"Śābbāsa, Manasi!" Bravo, Manasi! Mandar grinned, and Manasi gave him a brave smile in return.

"Malā vāṭale kī viṣaya titheça sampalā, paṇa āza Rahul-ne bātamyā pāhilyāvara malā lekhī niropa pāṭhavalā." I thought the matter ended there, but today Rahul saw the news and texted me. "Tyālā vāīṭa vāṭataṃya kī āmaçe lagna moḍalyāvara āmacī maitrī paṇa sampalī." He feels bad that when our wedding was called off, our friendship ended too. "Māzhā Mandar Dādā jīvanta asalyāçe āṇi Raghav-ne mājhī sagaḷyāta zavaḷacī maitrīṇa Pallavi hicyāvara zulūma kelyāçe aikalyāvara Rahul-lā mājhyāśī bheṭūna bolāvese vāṭale." Upon hearing that my Mandar Dādā is alive and Raghav was abusive to my closest friend Pallavi, Rahul felt like meeting me to talk. "Asha Aunty-īṃçā virodha gṛhīta dharūna āmhī ṭharavale kī udyā Rama Attaṃcyā gharī Rahul āṇi Saroja yetīla āṇi mī tithe zāūna tyāṃnā bheṭena." Taking Asha Aunty's disapproval for granted, we decided that tomorrow Rahul and Saroja will visit Rama Atta's house, and I will go there to meet them. "Dādā, tīna mahinyāṃnantara tyālā pāhilyāvara, tyācyā zoḍīlā dusarī mulagī pāhilyāvara, mājhyā manāta kāya bhāvanā zāgyā hotīla, te māhīta nāhī, paṇa āmhī ekāça śaharāta rāhato, tara mī tyācyāpāsūna lapūna rāhū śakata nāhī!" Dādā, seeing him after three months, seeing another girl as his partner, I don't know what emotions will stir in my mind, but we live in the same city, so I can't hide from him!

Mandar told Manasi that he was proud of her for facing Rahul and his wife, and then he left her room for his own. As Mandar was getting ready for bed, so were Pallavi and Farhad's Ammī.

At dinner, Farhad had told his Ammī-Abbū about the video that had made news today. Noticing Pallavi's silence, Gulshan had only said that Pallavi shouldn't worry, the gossip won't last, and Allāh Miyā will bless her with a good life if she does good. Rehana had been outspoken as always, saying that she was proud of Pallavi for promising to expose Raghav Rao's indecency to the world, and now Allāh Miyā had made it happen.

"Pallavi, is Raghav Rao trying to force you to return to him?" Rehana asked, wondering why Pallavi seemed distracted even when it was time to sleep.

"No, Ammī," Pallavi answered automatically, thinking of how Raghav had come running to protect her today. Raghav claimed to accept that she was Mandar's wife, and Raghav wanted to do what he could for her anyway. He was ready to admit his guilt and only asked her to believe that he had repented. Yet Pallavi still felt angry that Raghav had forced her into bigamy and incriminated her with his CCTV. Amma had told her Raghav's secret ... Pallavi held the power to ruin Raghav as he had ruined her ... but she didn't want to be vindictive. Bābā would be disappointed if she exposed anyone's sexual history to gossip. Bābā believed that sex workers deserve compassion and opportunities for self-improvement, not to be held back by their past.

"Well!" Rehana interrupted her thoughts. "Listen, beṭī, if that man doesn't keep his distance, you just tell me and I'll be your shield."

Pallavi said nothing, and only nodded gratefully. She remembered almost kissing Raghav, wearing that dress for him. Only five nights ago, she had wanted to overcome her memories of Raghav's violence and let him come closer. She hadn't questioned that Raghav had experience with other women, that he didn't share her belief in waiting for marriage. There had been no doubt in Pallavi's mind that very first night when Raghav had rear-ended her scootie and drunkenly sneered that girls can't drive, and she had seen a woman standing through the open roof of his car, drinking from a bottle. After that, Raghav's sex scandal hadn't surprised Pallavi. When Raghav had asked for a chance in Mandar's name, and had been willing to wash Bābā's feet and drink the water if it would reunite her with her family, Pallavi had accepted that she was married to Raghav. She couldn't change his misogynistic and criminal past, but he was trying to control his urges for her sake. Padarī paḍalaṃ āṇi pavitra zhālaṃ! What falls in our lap becomes pure for us! She had observed the Vaṭa-Paurṇimā fast for him. Today, hearing from Amma that Raghav hadn't done it all with other women, Pallavi had felt curious. But why should it matter to her anymore? She was Mandar's wife. A few moments later, learning that Raghav had been selling his body years ago, Pallavi had felt cheated, which she had no right to feel! It wasn't her loss if Raghav didn't wait for someone special! She should feel righteous anger, Pallavi told herself as she lay on her side in the dark room, because Amma had thought her prostitute son could give her a good life. As a widow whose name had been smeared, was she worth so little? Prostitute, drunkard, racketeer, profligate, embezzler ... the ugly words made tears spring to her eyes and roll down her cheeks.

"Beṭī, if you want to talk about anything at all, remember that I am a mother, and think of me like Sharada jī." Ammī was trying to help, but Pallavi had heard enough talk today. She just wanted her life to be so ordinary that no one would feel the need to talk about her.

Pallavi remembered the words that Raghav had said to her on the terrace yesterday. "You are innocent on the inside, no matter how much ugliness you see around you. You're the treasure that I aspire to earn in my life." How could those words come from someone whose own practices were so hideous? How dare he expect anything!

Hearing Pallavi's quiet sobs, Rehana patted her shoulder repeatedly to soothe her to sleep. Pallavi lay awake thinking, what Āī taught me from Bhagavad-Gītā is right: paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ, anyone else's dharma will only bring anxiety! I believe in family, purity, honesty, the same values as Mandar. Raghav's dharma is money, revenge, vanity. I shouldn't have thought that we could be married.