Hey guys,
This is a request from Alekhya, it is a Telegu film called "Godavari" (some of you might know it); she wanted me to adapt it. Actually it is a very urban, contemporary story; but I have changed it to something else completely?This is set in pre-independence era 1925 something, in West Bengal simply because I wanted to retain the earthiness of the concept the film was based on? It's not a great film but surely it has its moments?
I hope you will enjoy it!!!! Here you go alekhya, I have been delaying it since two months, as I was busy (sorry for that), and hopefully you will like it dear!!!
I am taking some creative liberties, so bear with that, I will try to keep them as realistic as possible?and you have to bear with some Bengali here (I will write the translations, so chill!!!).
ENJOY!!!!
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Flowers of Despair... ...
1A
She looked at the horizon, the pink sky merging with the blue waters of the Hooghly River, it was picturesque?it had always been, but today it looked pale, without sheen?the broken, discontinuous ranges of hills stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south?forming the eastern bottleneck of India, Bengal.
It was time to leave.
Bani carried the iron trunk; it was rusted at the sides, flakes of reddish brown rust ready to fall off with a mere touch. Picking up her jute jhola she made her way out of the room. Even in the crisp white cotton sari with a dull red border, she looked like a teenager. She stared blankly?as a man, a familiar man, a very familiar man escorted her to the car, she sat without bothering to answer any of the questions posed to her, looking out?The car started with the roaring of the engine?and within seconds it moved?toddling over the gravel path?everything which had been a part of her since birth stood behind caught in the cloud of the dancing red dust?bani turned her head looking out?she didn't want to leave, certainly she didn't? ?
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She was eight, precisely, when she first heard the word illegitimate. It was her mother who had called her that, upon breaking the blue printed saucer of bone china tea set, the most expensive thing they possessed? Even though she couldn't understand the meaning of the word but by the look on her mother's face she figured that it was not at all a lovely word?it was bad, very bad and she had felt like an insect slimy, sticky, dirty? like the cockroach which her mother killed brutally with her footwear, like the rats which ate away the ragged dusty rugs?she had cried the entire night re-telling herself her mother's unintended cruel word?overhearing her maternal grandfather reprimand her mother, which did give her some satisfaction?
"You bloody illegitimate?what ill fate I have got? I am stuck with you?get lost?" she had yelled bitterly?
Years after, about eight years later, her maternal grandfather had explained her, the meaning of it, as she had predicted it wasn't a good word, not at all?
But today after twelve long years since she first heard that word, half a decade after her mother's death, a month after her grandfather's death?the same word seemed to haunt her again?the same word revolved around her round and round and round like the earth trotted the sun?unlikely sobut today she couldn't feel any tears?she looked straight into the roaming eyes of the man responsible for her existence?he was looking elsewhere? ?
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Nishikant Dasgupta was one of the oh so wealthy people of Kolkata?a business man who owned a sweet shop whose sugary orange jalebis were famous?at that time it was great to have two servants in the household, kiran was one of them, a personal maid to his second time pregnant wife? Kiran was a young, pretty to look at lady who was in complete awe of the majesty of the Dasgupta household? and soon she found herself to be serenaded by her master, in her naivety she refused to realize the gravity of the truth?and before she could come of out of her blinded awe, she was carrying bani, an illegitimate?Nishikant's wife was miffed by her husband's adulterous act but she had no choice to forgive him for the sake of her children?kiran was adamant to keep her child, with the hope that the child will bond them together?a pact was made kiran would leave the house and live in the nearby village, a couple of miles away?Kiran had no choice but to agree?Nishikant gave her a house and sent the monthly supplies?he couldn't miss his duty, but from a young, bubbly woman kiran metamorphosed into an embittered woman who was left with nothing?
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"He doesn't love you bani?" kiran said as she plucked stones from the cheap rice?but bani refused to believe her, she kept quite?
"I know you don't believe me?but trust me dear?you have only me and I have only you?he will never come to us?"
"But?" the patriotic daughter inside her spoke up?
"It is the penance?bani?he feels guilty?that is it?"
Bani's alluring face fell down and she stood at the broken wooden doorway of their dingy thatched hut?looking out, over the small hilltop to see if her father was coming?every Friday he visited her?but the anticipation which built inside her was immeasurable with the end of Wednesday?she would take out her most fine dress, press it over and over again with her small hands to remove the creases? Thursday she would rehearse her lines, what she would talk to him, the things she would show him, her drawings which she learnt to make, the prayers which the poojari baba taught her, the new things she learnt from her grandfather that the earth revolved around the sun and yet we couldn't feel it move, that the earth's crust was very hot, that mathematics tables, everything?and when Friday arrived, she would run back from her school in fleeting steps?climb two stairs at a time and enter her thatched house?and arrange all the things?and await for his glorified homecoming?
Bani looked at the horizon?the land and sky seemed to meet, but the reality was that they never met; they just seemed to meet?how truly a truth?her eyes wandered again?in search of the thin man, with oiled hair, who wore a black jacket over his dhoti?feeling bored she picked up the hay and fed the cattle?who ate without making any fuss?then suddenly she saw the thin frame of a man hoping about?making his way up the small valley, towards her?she stood still, not wanting to upset her mother?her insides were propelled to run towards him, throwing herself over him kissing his flat cheek?but that would hurt her mother?and she didn't want to aggravate her pain further?
Nishikant smiled at her?as he saw his illegitimate daughter, she was like him, fair skin, light brown eyes, but her long hair was Kiran's hierarchy?he saw her return his smile, her eyes sparkling?he held out something for her?the sugary orange jalebis from his sweet shop which were famous?
"Bani?" he called out affectionately?she walked to him in slow steps aware of kiran's presence behind her?strangely when every Friday nishikant came Kiran dressed properly, washed her hair, combed it neatly, made into a well-settled bun?bani wondered if her mother still loved her father?but the chapter was closed long back? ?
They sat under the shade of the peepal tree in the backyard as usual, they talked endlessly while bani nibbled the sugary orange jalebis?he would tell her about the big world outside, which she never saw?he was her eyes, he was her telescope to things which she never encountered?
"When you were small, I had taken you to the lake near my house, it is beautiful?" he said dreamily?and bani could almost imagine herself as this little child cuddled up in his protective arms watching the lake near his house with sheer glee?
Kiran twitched and untwitched her thin lips hearing all the make-believe things?
And soon the time to leave came?bani controlled herself, telling herself again and again that he would come the next Friday, but inevitably a tear or two trickled down her cheek which she wiped away quickly before anyone could catch her?she watched her father kiss her forehead and leave?merging with the dark surroundings? ? becoming one among them?XXXX
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