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മാഡം സ്‌ട്രെയിഞ്ച്‌

കൃഷ്‌ണ Published on 18 May, 2012
മാഡം സ്‌ട്രെയിഞ്ച്‌
When my landlady said that the adjacent room has been let out to a new party, I became eager to meet them.

In the evening, I met them. My landlady had said that they are from Trichy. Even before meeting them, I had assumed that they too would be poor, illiterate people, like those around the neighbourhood.

The husband worked in a cycle shop in the town. A tender smile was always there on his lips and as if not willing to disturb it, he spoke very little. So, after the preliminaries, I turned to the girl. My immediate impression somehow was that she was twenty-nine years old. She said that her name is Vichitra. Her smile was so friendly that I dared to say that, since Vichitra means strange, I will call her Madam Strange, to which she simply nodded. Her Tamil was very beautiful and cultured with an aroma of sweetness emerging out of it that I could not resist asking:

 “How far you have studied?”
She simply smiled in reply.
On an impulse, I asked: “Twelfth pass. Eh?”
She nodded her head. The loose strands of hair danced about in approval.

Then I went a step further: “It seems that you are from Trichy or Madurai.”
“How?” 
“Yes. There it is. You are from Trichy. Am I right?”

I expected that she will be flabbergasted at my ability to infer, but her face showed a different expression. An ‘I CAN SEE THROUGH YOU’ type smile!

Then a small child came to them and he took her in his arm and said: “This is our daughter Nivedita.”

And madam Strange smiled as if asking me: ‘Why you couldn’t guess it, gentleman?’

We became good neighbours. He sometimes helped me in fetching drinking water. And when I needed a tea or coffee and was not in a mood to go to the tea shop, I had no hesitation to ask her.

One day I saw a copy of Tamil version of the book ‘Bhagvat Geeta’ in a bookstall. It was so cheap that even without thinking as to what I am going to do with it, I bought a copy of it. Then an idea struck me. I gave it to Madam Strange as a gift.

One evening, while she was washing the utensils at the water tap, I asked her: “Did you read the book?”
She said “I could not complete it. I want to understand it thoroughly that I am reading it very slowly.”

Then I spoke to her about the book, to impress her with my knowledge, as I believed that she is ignorant of such serious matters. And she simply listened, while doing the works. I asked her about Nivedita, and said to her about Sister Nivedita of Aravind Ashram. And when my discourse was at its peak, she asked softly:

“Do you know the meaning of the word Nivedita?”

It was a soft pin-prick deflating my swollen pride. And I had to admit my ignorance.
“Nee Vedam Than.” She said.***
“Thank you, madam Strange.” I said.

After that incident, I looked at her with a little respect. One day I told her to be a leader of the ignorant women and to fight for their causes, but she did not take even a second to turn down the suggestion, for the simple reason that she did not want to be beaten up by some rowdy gangs.

Then for two- three days, I did not see any of them. On the fourth day they were there. The husband, as usual, was smiling-ly silent. But madam Strange said:
“Now I am going to be a real madam, with owl-like specs shielding my eyes.”
“Why?”
“We had gone to the eye hospital. And they told me to decorate my face with spectacles.”
“But why?”

She thought for a moment. I could see her mind in her eyes. Gradually, it shunned a false curtain and the purity of her sadness showed in them.

I looked at her husband. For a moment, his ever-present smile had vanished.
“My eye-sight is becoming weak.” She was trying to regain the usual posture, but the melody of a sob mixed in her voice, defeating her.
“What?” I exclaimed and turned to him.
Then he said: “The doctors say that her eye-sight is reducing gradually.”
“And after a point, the process will speed up, leading me to blind…….”
“Vichitraaa!” The voice did not come from my lips.
It came from some unknown corner of my unconscious mind, throwing off the madam Strange to a non- returnable past, and revealing the grandeur of a great relation, which was hidden there so far.
“Madam Strange.” She reminded me softly. “I like that name. Madam Strange.”
Then she looked into my eyes. And a speck of recognition showed in her eyes.
I was not feeling pity for her. Not pity. It was sadness. A sadness, which does not let the tears out, but freezes them at the throat.
After some time, I controlled myself and asked:
“Why didn’t you visit the doctor earlier?”
“We had gone two years ago.”
“And then?”
“Same thing. He advised wearing specs.”
“Then why didn’t you wear it?”
It was he who answered. “After all, why should we hide it from you? We could not buy it. We have a huge debt to discharge. And then, we had to meet her delivery expenses.”
“O.K. Then buy it now.”
“Yes. We will.” He said.
“But why should we buy it at all?” She said. “It will help only till the eyes have some power. But I know that it is sliding into zero. And we can’t get anything by multiplying something with zero. Isn’t it?”
“Enough Vichitra. But where is the prescription? I want to see it.”
She brought it. I folded and kept it in my pocket.
“I want to see it in detail.” I said.

The next day I went to her. She was alone. I extended a small packet to her.
“What is it?” She asked.
“Gifts are to be accepted first and known next.” I said.
She took it and opened. And took out the specs.
A lotus bloomed somewhere. Its soft perfume filled in the air.
The specs looked fine on her face.
“But why did you buy it for me?” Asked Vichitra.
“As an experiment to prove that when zero is multiplied with affection, the result will be never-ending affection and never-fading eye-sight.”
“So now I am a real madam Strange?”
“No. The madam strange disappeared with her fading eye-sight, and now you are our dear Vichitra with a pair of ever- shining eyes. Believe it.”
Only her eyes were speaking to me.
And today, after twenty one years, I am getting this marriage invitation card. The marriage of one Nivedita. And I saw something written in red ink at the bottom of the card.
‘Come to see your Vichitra with ever- shining eyes and her husband Vishwanath. At their daughter Nivedita’s wedding.
______________________________________________

*** ‘Nee Vedam Than’ means you are the Veda, the sacred
scriptural text of Hindu religion.

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