Golden Bangles

Golden Bangles

 As the train moving fast towards east, towards his destination, Kameswar leaned back in his seat and started staring through the window. He was observing the trees, buildings and plain lands disappearing fast into the back. He knew that it would take another six hours or so of time to the train to reach his station where he had to alight from it. He had been doing that journey for the last two days to go to the village where he was born, where he had grown up, upto his twentieth year. More than twenty five years had passed after he left that village and came to Delhi. He did not go there even for once in the meanwhile. He did not bother about the small properties he had got in that village either. After coming to Delhi in fact he earned a lot. There was no necessity to him to worry about the peanut properties of him in that village.

      Now a situation had arisen that he must go to that village. Even he did not want the properties he was having in that village much, he had to sign on some papers in the registrar’s office for the settlement of the issues. The brothers of his father and his cousins strongly urged him to come to the village atleast for once to settle all the issues. So he had to go like this.

      Even in the beginning he did not like going there at all, there started an interest in him after he had taken the decision to go. He started remembering the days he had passed in that village from his birth upto his twentieth year or so. He stayed in their big house with his parents. He attended the high school, junior college and degree college as well from that house. In fact he had developed lot of love and affection on that house. He loved that house as much as he loved his mother. But he could not stay in that house any more after he lost both his parents in it.

      Now he closed his eyes. The memories regarding that village were flooding into his mind. At one time those memories were painful to him. He did not allow them into his mind at all. But now he freely allowed them to swarm in. There was some odd comfort in swimming those memories however painful they might be.

      He never had thought time would take these types of changes into his life at all. He thought that he could spend all his life time in that house with his parents so. But so drastically all that changed. Why people could not understand the nature of time? How anyone can think that there would be no changes in life even after seeing so many changes around? It is indeed the fault of the human nature not time’s.

      “Kamu what you are doing?” he became bolt straight in the seat. He knew whose voice that was. It was just like she was calling him. Whenever she came to him that was what she used to ask first. His mind made him remember that without his intention.

When he has decided to go that village the first person he remembered was she. She was Bangaram. A house maid in their house. Involuntarily he put his hand into his pocket. He first felt a packet and then solidly two gold bangles in it. A small smile embarked onto his lips.

“You have to buy me two gold bangles. I like so much to have gold bangles. Look at these glass bangles, how dirty they are! You sure do buy gold bangles for me, don’t you?” she very often asked him.

“I sure do buy gold bangles for you.” Whenever she asked so he used to say like that.

      “You are here! Without doing your homework! Your mother is asking for you.” This was some other common conversation going in between them both in those days. In fact after his mother became completely bedridden she had become his second mother.

      “I don’t want to come anywhere. I want to play some more time.” On one day when she said so, he answered.

      “But first come and talk to your mother. She wanted to talk to you now.” She said.

      Then he ran towards the bed on which his mother was lying for more than three years.

      “Tell me mom, what?” he asked her.

      “Did you do your homework on this day?” adjusting herself with difficulty on the bed his mother asked him.

      “I do it later. First I want to play.” His little mind did not grasp the suffering of his mother at that time. In fact she was writhing with pain on the bed.

      “You are everyday playing without bothering to study. First do your homework, study and then play. Call that Bangaram here.” Her mother said feebly.

      “I am here itself” coming there fast Bangaram said. “Kamu is playing all the time. He is not studying anything at all.” She complained.

      “I did not say that I am studying.” Kamu angrily said. “I want to play now.”

      Then his mother looked pleadingly into the eyes of Bangaram’s eyes. “Take him away from here and make him study. Until his tuition teacher comes everyday it is your responsibility.”

      “What I can do? I don’t have any education. I cannot say whether he is studying or acting.” Bangaram pitifully said.

      Hearing that Bangaram giggled.

      “See, he is laughing.” Mocking anger Bangaram said.

      “Never mind. Just see that he sits straight holding book in his hands. In one or two days his tuition teacher comes and he looks into his studies from then on.”

      “Kamu babu, please study hard. Your mother is so much worrying about your education. Please do in the way she asks.” When they both were came out of her mother’s room, keeping her hand on his shoulder Bangaram said pleadingly.

      “But why?” looking into her eyes he asked her.

      “If you study hard you do become a great man. You can earn lot of money.”

      “Why do I earn lot of money?” he asked her teasingly again.

      “I cannot answer all your questions.” Hissing out heavily Bangaram said. “Please listen what your mother is saying.”

      This type of conversation was not new to Kameswar. He liked Bangaram a lot. She used to play all sorts of games with him.

      “You are so good. You are giving me a good time pass.” He used to say to her whenever he enjoyed a lot playing with her.

      “If it is so, you have to do something after you become big.”

      “Tell me what it is?” when she asked so for the first time, interest picked up in him.

      “You have to buy me two gold bangles. I want to wear gold bangles for a long time. I asked my husband to buy two gold bangles but he did not.” Showing her hands to Kameswar she said. There were only glass bangles to her hands then.

      The packet was still in the hands of Kameswar and he could feel the gold bangles in it. Not just then, many a time afterwards also Bangaram asked him for gold bangles. Whether she meant that or just asked him for fun he did not know. But he knew one thing for sure. After receiving these gold bangles she would feel so much happy.

      He knew about Bangaram well. She lived in a small hut in the suburbs of that village along with her husband. They have no children at all. After her husband went off on work, she used to come from that far to Kameswar’s home to work. She worked in his home until it was quite late in the night and then left for her home again. If there was much work to do she stayed in the house of Kameswar itself.

      But sometimes Bangaram used to take some articles stealthily from their home to her home. He quite often told about that to his mother. In such situations his mother smiled a little and said. “Don’t worry about that. Despite her stealing our articles like that, Bangaram is a very good woman.”

      He said the same thing to his father also. He frowned for a moment and then said. “Whatever items she is taking home are not costly. Don’t worry about that.” 

      Seeing the questioning expression on the face of Kameswar his father said again. “She is helping so much to our family. Without her we do face lot of problems. Anyhow basically she is very good.”

      Suddenly Kameswar came into this world again as the train stopped at a small station. He looked eagerly and found the station name. He felt happy. The journey would only be another one hour or so. He was feeling thrilled as he was nearing to the village in which he spent twenty years of his life. A very long time has passed after he went to his village.

      The train once again started its journey and picked up speed. His mind once again brought back the memoires of his childhood again.

      The two brothers of his father were also residing beside the house of Kameswar. The three brothers used to always quarrel for one thing or the other. Kameswar’s father was in business while his two brothers were doing agriculture. Kameswar’s father sold away his land and started his business with that money. Luckily he started earning money in his business while his two brothers’ agriculture never was in profits. That created jealousy and envy in his two brothers.

      “I can understand their feelings. I am not feeling proud that I am doing business and earning money. Doing agriculture is a great thing in fact.” Kameswar’s father used to say.

      Bangaram worked in the house of Kameswar’s two brothers’ houses also. But she devoted herself more to Kameswar father’s family than his brothers. Whenever she said what Kameswar’s brothers family members were talking in their homes about Kameswar’s father’s family, Kameswar’s mother felt bad.

      “Don’t worry too much about what they are talking. Their hardships now making them talk like that.” His father used to say to his mother.

      “Why don’t you help them also to do some business like you?” His mother asked his father on one day.

      “Business also is not an easy thing. Their nature is not suitable to do some business. If they sell away their lands and get losses in their business, they do become even angrier with us. You just don’t know how much hard I am working to make my business work.” Kameswar still could remember what his father said on that day.

      “I want to come to your home.” On one day Kameswar said to Bangaram.

      “Why? My home is very small one. You cannot stay in my home even five minutes and it is far from here also.”

      “Still I do want to come to your home.” Kameswar stubbornly said.

      “Alright. I ask your mother. If she agrees I sure do take you to my home.”

      “Why do you want to see her home?” Kameswar’s mother asked him with a smile. But that smile could not mask her pain completely.

      “I just want to see how is her home.” Kameswar really did not know why he wanted to see her home.

      “Alright. Take him with you on this day and drop him back yourself. Go home early on this day.”

      Kameswar became aghast on seeing Bangaram’s house on that day. He thought her house might be small but he did not think that it would be that small! He could not understand how she was living in such a small house along with her husband.

      “Where is your husband now?” Kameswar felt a lot relieved when he came out of that house.

      “He is working somewhere else. He comes home at any moment. Do you want to see my husband also?” With a smile on her lips she asked him.

      “Not now. Another day. I cannot stay here for long.” Moving away from there, Kameswar said.

      “It seems that you don’t like my home much.” Laughing loudly Bangaram said.

      Kameswar did not say anything to that. But after walking some distance he asked her suddenly. “Why mother is always on the bed? What happened to her?”

      Bangaram stopped and looked into his eyes. “Why you are asking like that?”

      “Why should not I ask so?” he questioned her. “I want my mother to be with me and to play with me. But she is always on the bed so. Sometimes I am getting angry with her.”

      “No Kamu, don’t talk like that.” Hugging him strongly Bangaram said. “Your mother is suffering from something. She cannot get up. She cannot walk. She also wants a lot to play with you but she just cannot.” Tears were flowing down on the cheeks of Bangaram.

      “Don’t weep. Why are you weeping? I am not going say like this again. I promise.” Wiping her tears away with his hand, Kameswar said.

      “Alright then.” Both of them started walking towards their home again. “You need to keep your promise. Don’t forget.” She said.

      “Alright. I never say like this again.”

      “Not this promise. The other promise.”

      “What is the other promise?” stopped walking and looking surprisingly into her eyes, Kameswar asked her.

      “You forgot already!” She put her both hands on her hips while frowns gathered on her forehead. “You promised me to buy two gold bangles. How did you forget about that?”

      “I sure do buy you two gold bangles. I never forget about that.” Hissing out heavily Kameswar said.

      “My good Kamu.” She hugged him strongly and kissed on his cheek.

      Kameswar felt so desperate to take the gold bangles out and look at them but he did not. He put the packet once again into his pocket. That Bangaram was like second mother to him. She did not let him feel the pain of her mother being bed ridden like that. How could he remain without seeing her all these years? 

      After he became some more big, he could know that his mother was suffering from some serious spinal problem and she never could get out of the bed not to say walk or play with him. She was alright until the birth of Kameswar, then the spinal problem suddenly started in her. His father tried in all the ways he could to cure her from that but he could not. Kameswar could see that pain in his father’s face always.

      Kameswar was studying intermediate when his mother died. In fact she relieved herself from lot of pain by her death. Even Kameswar became sad to the maximum, he felt happy that his mother was relieved from the unending pain. After completion of intermediate, Kameswar joined in degree college in town taking a room along with his friends. After completion of degree, he joined in MBA in a prestigious institution in another town staying in a hostel. As Kameswar’s father’s business was going well, Kameswar did not suffer financially. After completion of MBA first he joined in an organization as an employee. After gaining enough experience, he started his own business. In the first year of his business, his father died with heart attack.

      Suddenly the train gave a big jerk pulling him out of his reverie. He looked carefully through the window. Train stopped at another small station and now it would not take another half an hour or so to him to reach his station. He hissed out heavily, closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

      In one way, he was feeling uneasy, thinking how the sons of his father’s brothers receive him. Only one of his father’s brothers was alive on this day and he was the eldest. He became very old. The brother who was the youngest was also died due to cancer. By the time he left the home town, the relationships between his father’s family and his brothers’ families were not good. They were not even talking with each other then. Of course, it was mainly for them he was going to that village now. But how they do feel him among them he could not guess.

      His mind once again brought back the memories of Bangaram. Bangaram used to be helpful to him in many a way. She sat with him while the tuition teacher teaching him mathematics, science, etc. She never let the tuition teacher beat him at all.

      “I cannot teach him at all if it is so.” On one day the tuition teacher complained to his mother. “Please ask her to stay away from us both.”

      “You cannot teach my Kamu anything by beating. I am not going to allow you to beat him even a little.” Bangaram angrily said.

      “Oh, Bangaram, this is too much!” his mother smiled and said. “If our Kamu do everything as he is asked, why our tuition teacher beat him at all?”

      “Our Kamu is a good boy. He is doing everything he is asked to do.” Keeping her both hands on Kameswar’s shoulders she said.

      “No. Kamu is not doing most of the work I am giving him to do.” Tuition teacher complained once again.

      “Then Bangaram, it is your responsibility to see that Kamu does everything that his tuition master asked him to do. Otherwise he beats the hell out of him. I am not going to stop.” she said.

      “Kamu babu. Please do all the work. I cannot bear if anyone beats you.” With a pleading look in her eyes, Bangaram said.

      “Why cannot you bear?” looking surprisingly into the eyes of Bangaram, Kameswar asked him.

      “I cannot say. It is just like that.” After kissing on his cheek, Bangaram said. “Will you please listen to me?”

      “Yes, I do listen.” Seeing the pleading expression in her face, Kameswar strongly decided to do everything that the tuition teacher would ask.

      “Will you keep your promise also?” there was a frown on her forehead.

      “What promise?” he said but then suddenly remembered. “Yes, those gold bangles. I sure do buy you two gold bangles.”

      Making a big howl the train came to a complete stop. His station has come. Now he has to alight from the train and go to his home.

&&&

      As soon as he entered into the house, his father’s brother hugged him strongly and wept. “Why did not you come at any time before?” he asked him.

      Kameswar also became very emotional seeing his uncle so. “I am sorry. I should have come.” He said.

      “It is not your fault.” Putting his hand on Kameswar’s shoulder his cousin said. “You were not properly treated here. So you did not come.”

      “It is not like that. It is not like that.” Kameswar hastily said.

      “We are keeping your home so good. I want you to go inside and see. You really like that.”

      “No, I cannot enter into the house now. I cannot bear those sweet memories. They would be too painful for me now.” His voice shivered while saying that.

      By the time the other cousins also came there. “Don’t feel fear to the memories. They are only of your father and mother’s. You must come and see.” One of them said.

      As he thought, when he entered into his house, the memories became quite painful to him. When he entered into the room where his mother was always bedridden, he just could not bear anymore. He burst into weeping at once.

      “No, please. If you are feeling this much emotional, we do go out now.” The cousin who encouraged him to go inside and see said.

      “No” Kameswar nodded his head in negation and stood up. “In fact I need this release. I want to see the whole house now.” Then he had seen the whole house bearing the intense pain that the past memories creating in him. But, there was an odd comfort.

&&&

      The work he needed to do at the registrar’s office was completed fast. “I don’t want anything now. I am earning enough. If you want to share my properties also I don’t have any objection.”

      “Never.” The son of his father’s living brother said. “We just want your love and affection, not properties. The situation changed a lot now. We are also in very good position.”

      “What he has said is true.” One of the other cousins said. “We are not suffering for anything and feeling so happy. If you come here with your family and settle here, it would be even better.”

      “I sure do try.” Kameswar smiled and said. Then he asked them about Bangaram.

      “Her husband died a long time back. She is living in that same old house. She became very old and she cannot come anywhere now.” His cousin said.

      Kameswar felt very bad on hearing that even however much natural it had happened like that. On the evening of that day, he started walking all alone towards Bangaram’s house. Even after this many long years, he still could remember the way. It took him half an hour or so to reach her home.

      There was a very old woman before the hut of Bangaram then. Kameswar could not recognize her first. Even Bangaram could become very old in this long passage of time, he did not think of that she would be turned out so. He went very near to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

      “Who it is?” making an effort to look straight into the face of Kameswar, Bangaram asked.

      “Your Kamu babu, have you forgotten about me completely?” putting his both hands around her, Kameswar asked her.

      Her face was suddenly lit with pleasure and her eyes became maximum wide. “Oh, my Kamu babu! Is it is true or am I just dreaming?”

      “You are not dreaming. It is true?” still keeping his hands around her shoulders, Kameswar said.

      “Then how are you now? What you are doing? How are my daughter in law and her children? Did you take them also with you to this village?”

      “This many questions at a single stretch!” Kameswar laughed and said. “I came all alone.” Then he explained why he has come all about that.

      “Yes, your father’s brothers and their sons completely changed.” Bangaram said. “I am not going that far now. Working only nearby. I became too old, you see.”

      Kameswar felt immense pity on hearing that.

      After some more talking Kameswar said, “I kept my promise. I have those gold bangles for you now.” He took out the packet from his pocket and opened it while Bangaram was watching him curiously. Then he took those both gold bangles out from that packet and propped them towards Bangaram “Take these. You many a time asked me to buy gold bangles for you.”

      “Thank you, thank you very much Kamu babu.” Bangaram’s eyes were sparkling while she was looking at the gold bangles. “You kept your promise. I am feeling very happy.” Her voice shivered. She observed the gold bangles for some seconds, then she moved away from the place she stood and went into her hut. As the hut was too small, Kameswar did not want to go inside. As Kameswar was watching the entrance through which Bangaram went inside of the hut, after few minutes she returned with a plate in her hand covered with a cloth.

      “Now I am going to give you something which you should give to my daughter in law. You must not say a ‘no’ to that.” looking into his eyes, Bangaram said. 

      “Alright. Why do I say a ‘no’ to that?” with a smile Kameswar said.

      She removed the cloth over the plate in her hand and in that there were turmeric, betel-nut leaves, four one rupee coins and on top of all these, those two gold bangles which he just gave to her. She came opposite to Kameswar and propped that plate towards him.

      “Take this. You are going to give this to my daughter in law. You promised me that you would not say ‘no’.

      “But you are giving me back the gold bangles also! You desired to have them so much. You wanted them so much. Why are you giving them back to me now?” he was overwhelmed with surprise and agony.

      “If you have taken these gold bangles some ten years or so back, I would have worn them. But now my husband died, I became very old and I don’t need these. Please give these gold bangles along with these to my daughter in law. That is the only wish to me to say.” With a firm voice she said.

      “But….” Kameswar tried to say something but he did not know what to say.

      “You say that you would not say ‘no’ to this. Just give this plate like this to my daughter in law, that is, your wife. Tell her that her mother in law gave these to her with lot of love and affection.”

      Kameswar stunned on hearin that. Bangaram, a servant maid, who had stolen the simple and small articles in their home, now, in her old age when she needed so much, declined and refused to take those two gold bangles! What he could understand all of this? He had underestimated her great character.

      Kameswar took the plate from her hands and put it aside. Before Bangaram understood what was happening, he hugged her and kissed on her both cheeks strongly.