KANNIA WAS LOST

Kannia was lost. Mr. Hrudananda and his family members are worried for Kannia as she had been working in their house from a long time .Kannia has absconded with one handsome driver Kannha. Kannia had been trying to free herself like a bird from the bondage or cage of responsibility. But Mr.Hrudananda Babu and his family are worried for this incident. Somehow she is a girl, the virginity of a girl is very important. It must be saved. Girls are like flowers if plucked from the plants, are get spoilt. They have complaint in police. But Orissa police department is so efficient in searching the lost person that is why all are worried. Kannia started working in Hrudananda babu’s house from her childhood. She was a very hard working girl. But Hrudananda’s wife Maya memsahib calls her as a greedy girl as if Kannia eats her food for the last time in her life when she eats. She can consume the equal quantity of the food as an adult person’ eats. Sometimes Kannia gets angry and cries loudly. She insists her master to send her to her own village; her parents sent her outside to earn money as they had been over burdened with debt. They kept their land on debt, now they have to get it freed from the hands of their land lord otherwise, the land lord would take the land in lieu of the interest of the loan, they had given to her parents. Kannia likes her village, her damaged cottage very much as she has been brought up there only. She enjoys eating curd rice with her brothers and sisters rather than eating alone. She does not like left over pizza and Berger given by Maya memsahib.                                                                                                       

While reaching at her village, Kannia feels as if she got heaven in her hands. She roams like a free burdon less girl whole day visiting her friends’ houses taking bath in village pond catching tiny fishes. She never forgets to climb the big trees like Bunyan tree, mango tree and guava tree plucking raw guavas only, as those are for her as tasty as nectar. Both day and night, Kannia and her friends play khoko, kabakdi and hide and seek. They go to goddess ‘Kali devi ma’ temple in the evening. There are various goddesses like Durga, kali, chandi, chamundeswari symbolic of all omnipotent power or ‘shakti goddess’ who fought against demons, satanic, evil power. Goddesses killed the demons. Kannia has faith in lord Siva and goddess Shakti. She thinks they are the destroyer of all evil things and preserver of virtues and good.

Mr. Hrudananda Babu and his family now have started learning to be independent as they realize the reality and truth that, Kannia is out of their reach and has become a dream, phantasm who will never return. They have been depending on her since a long time back, Kannia does all house works along with that she helps Maya memsahib in cooking. She takes care of Chintu, Maya memsahib’s only kid son. Kannia takes care of Chintu in various ways by feeding, gossiping and playing with him. Kannia takes care of the ‘grand ma,’ old mother of Hrudananda Babu whom she calls lovingly as ‘dadima’ and her last work is to look after the garden, watering plants, Kannia feels tired working through out the day.

Now the family members of Hrudananda Babu have started learning their own house work, became independent this way. After a few years when Hrudananda Babu’s family members had lost the complete hope of Kannia’s returning back to home, that time Kannia arrived in their house appearing before them as a curse. Nether they could not assault her nor could they sympathize with her. Kannia’s condition was like that, she was searching more than sympathy. Hrudananda Babu thought he can give shelter to any helpless needy woman but who will take the headache or tension of taking responsibility of a pregnant woman?

So that, he hesitated to keep her in his family. He could realize the seriousness of her case; Kannia was carrying a six months child along with two kids with her. He recalls of the previous incidents of her black lame cat who had given birth to so many small kittens, who used to come her house gives breast milk and hides away somewhere again, appears before them after one day. Hrudananda Babu used to hide the kittens from one secret place to another secret place by protecting them from the attack of male cats. The black cat used to search them here and there. Hrudananda Babu showed pity to Kannia as she had served a lot to his family during his past time and bad time, though she had cheated and ran away with such a loafer vagabond driver but, his family did not take revenge on her, what she got in return only betrayal, this wretched and miserable condition of her life, even Hrudananda blamed Kannia for her condition. He arranged Kannia’s shelter in his friend Mr. Rajan Naidu’s house one of his neighbor.

At last Kannia got a shelter to hide her self from such a cruel world where people do not care for poor people. No one trusts to others. No one shows pity to others where would she go in such a selfish world? People can give food but cannot give shelter to a pregnant woman. Who will take risk? Kannia was very grateful towards Hrudananda Babu for arranging a shelter for her. Once she had ditched to her master. But he excused her for her fault. Naidu Babu her master is a very kind hearted person, at last he showed pity on her giving a shelter in his servant room.

Kannia got a roof on her head. But Kannia had to share her balcony with the driver Venkateshwar Swammy, whole day and night, the driver sits in the balcony playing cards with his friends, so that Kannia feels very awkward with her children all the time shutting on her windows, blocking the fresh air to pass through the room. Sometimes Kannia feels embarrassing because at night she used to sleep without sari only wearing lehanga with blouse, as Kannia is at her young age, so she looks very pretty, so, Venkatesh used to peep through the window to observe her way of careless sleeping.

When Hrudananda Babu’s mother fell sick that time Kannia helped her a lot. She tried to prove her sincerity, honesty and after all humanity. She nursed ‘Dadima’ as far as possible without any selfish desire. May be Kannia had understood the need of sympathy and help or she might have got a more miserable sufferer a sad woman than her. But Kannia could not understand that bitter truth and secret philosophy of life is, all human beings in this world are born sad, the human birth is always miserable. Human life’s succumbs to suffering. No one is happy in this world, though Kannia does not unravel the philosophy of life but, she understands the deep moral value of human life. She has immense faith in Hindu gods and goddesses, in the omnipotent power of goddess kali, Durga and Chandi. She is uneducated and ignorant but keeps more faith in goddess.

Some times Kannia keeps asking certain silly questions to her husband due to her ignorance while Maya memsahib was taking her daily tuition class with Kannia. She says, ‘Kannia the earth is just like an round orange where the outer part is hard, that is called land and the inner portion is soft, I mean, beneath the land or inside the earth there is only fire the burning fire, that is called as lava’ but still now Kannia can not understand the meaning of her statement, how can fire remains inside the earth? Because she knows that beneath the land or inside the earth, water remains which, people use is known as bore well water, then again she asks Kannia, about the father of our nation who brought independence to our country ‘India’. Have you not heard about the name of ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ ‘bapuji’ the father of our country? Kannia can not give any answer to his difficult question. She is puzzled. Even she could not know the significance of independence that time. Maya memsahib was angry she shouted angrily on Kannia, we rule our country, casting our valuable votes electing our representatives to ‘loksabha’ or parliament who make rules for us. They do not rule us, we rule ourselves. You foolish, ignorant and dirty girl do not know anything. Have you seen tri color independence flag, Ashok chakra, lion face on it? No, nothing. You have not observed anything. Even Kannia still now can not understand the significance of all these things.

Kannia sometimes repents for her fault, she curses to her fate, and she scolds her husband badly calling him as ‘a swine crooked non-sense, rascal, idiot, bastard fellow, destroyed my life very badly. You must die the death of a very dangerous disease falling paralysis or leprosy. No one will be there to give you food and water. Your children will not recognize you as you have given up them.’Kannia’s husband kannha married her in temple in front of god chanting a lot of holy mantras and chants, taking so many oaths, assurances in front of god and holy fire but, again he sold her to several customers taking huge money. Kannia managed to escape from her husband. Her children have got one identity they are the children of Kannia, their mother and father both. Still then Kannia feels proud of her status as she is married and her husband is alive. She can save her self from such a cruel, greedy perverted society.

Kannia thought about her friend’s condition how ‘Lakshmima’ suffered a lot due to the death of her husband. When he was alive that time he beats her wife very badly breaking her hands, hurting her forehead, making bruises on eyes and lips. When both husband and wife drink, then they start throwing things on each other. Police arrested ‘Lakshmi’ on her husband chinnapa’s murder case. Police accused her as culprit as she used to fight with her husband. The main culprit absconded giving bribe to someone. Lakshmi had to live in a condition of being tied with iron chain on her whole body so that she could be able to walk but could not run away. She worked hard in jailor and constable houses doing gardening and servicing to cows. There also she was ill-treated, tortured and physically harassed by the police.

Kannia’s daughter ‘Mandar’ has grown up in to an adult. She also looks like her mother same features, sharp nose, thin pink lips and big wide eyes. Mandar is at her young age. So she is more looked like a dancing female deer that can attract others towards her with her dazzling beauty. Kannia too is not looked like so aged though she has become much matured with the passage of time still she is looked young attracting others with her mischievous beauty. Now- a- days Kannia’s financial condition has improved. She has purchased beds, television set, cooking gas stove, cupboards, steel racks and many others costly furniture in her house, because, her sons and daughter both are earning. Her sons are working as workers in cycle, motor bike repairing shops. Kannia herself takes order of catering, cooking from rich families during the time of functions and parties. She gets invitation, order from very rich royal families as expert cook hence, drivers with white ambassador cars reach in front of her house to pick up Kannia.

Some times at late night, she fights with drivers for some reasons she starts quarrelling with them and hesitates to go. Often she abuses them as making allegations that, ‘Kannia does not serve others unless she gets money, she knows to return the price of money also.’ Rarely ‘Mandar’ is arrested goes to jail in connection with theft cases. Some rich people write ‘F.I.R’ against her taking revenge on ‘Mandar’ as she does not obey her master’s order. Mandar is badly ill treated in jail; though Mandar has the habit of being ill-treated and physically abused but, the physical torture of jail becomes more violent with the symbols of rapes in her body which she cannot show any one.

Mandar has married. She is the second wife of her husband. Her husband’s first wife is staying in village carrying three children with her; Mandar is staying with her husband in city Bhubaneswar, because he is working as a peon in Government College, so her identity as a wife is nothing better than a prostitute. Kannia was happy in her daughter’s marriage. She said, ‘listen my daughter, you need not be worried as long as you have money and beauty no male or husband can betray you. I know very well to this male world as they used to dominate the women in various ways. It is better to be the second wife than the first wife ,then he would leave you and would have married again, now he will never leave you as he is already married, you must be relaxed ,try to save as more money as possible nothing can help you except property and money in future. If you have bank balance and money then all your husband and children will take care of you otherwise you will find yourself lonely’. Suddenly Kannia was sick being the victim of an acute disease which she also does not know, she became extremely weak her children were worried for her they advised her to consult a good doctor. At last Kannia went to a government hospital. She used to scare both doctor and hospital as she had been suffering a lot in her past days.

Now doctors explained precisely that, ‘Kannia you must know about your disease. You have been the victim of ‘Aids’ disease. Do you know anything about this disease? Suddenly Kannia was worried. She started screaming in fear ‘what? Doctor I know, I know about ‘aids’. Can I be cured from this disease or not? It is a contaminated, infected disease, I know, no one will touch me, no one will come near to me ,even my children will not talk to me, definitely I will die a pathetic death without my children’ ,then suddenly Kannia sobbed into tears. Doctor tried to console her. ‘Kannia, do not panic, do not panic, listen to my advice only, yes, it carries virus of ‘aids’. But do not worry it is not a contaminated or infected disease. It is carried to others through blood. The patient gets this disease from her parents or taking blood from infected aids patient. Even the patient gets this disease through unsafe sexual relation with the aids patient, who gave you this disease through your unsafe sexual relation with other customers that you do not know. Now you must be careful and do not do this prostitution business, definitely you can be cured, there is medicine for it, and you got this disease through sexual contact with other people.

I came to know about your previous history or biography of doing the illegal business of prostitution. So you do not know who gave you this disease? Now you must stop this business because through you, others can get this disease as you people do not follow the safety, various sexual precautions like using condoms’. But Kannia had heard about condoms. She felt very shy to tell all these things to doctors. She started becoming panic. She said, ‘doctor, I can understand. This disease is not infected like common cold or cough. Neither it happens through touching others but my children nor will friends not understand all these things. Please keep it secret from them, do not disclose the disease any one. I will keep it secret till the end of my life’. Kannia tried to pacify herself; she could not understand that who gave her such dangerous life taken disease.

Doctor promised her he will never tell about her disease to others. He promised her. He gave her assurance that she will definitely be cured through his medicines. Many patients have been cured. Currently it is not at all a big disease. Kannia with her heavy heart left the hospital. She could not know that who had given her such a dangerous disease. Though her children and friends did not know about her disease but, they could suspect that Kannia would never recover from this disease. They behaved with her differently being scared to stay with her for a long time. They did not hate her but thought of getting infection from her, so they started avoiding her. Kannia started living a life of untouchability, but she did not loose her confidence and faith from her, she never begged pity, any kind of physical service, and financial help from her children. She proved herself as a winner not a looser. As she hates suicide, she never thought of committing suicide. It is a coward attempt. Those who defeat, unable to face the hardship of life is not fit to live in this troublesome world. They are called as defeaters are not fit to survive. Kannia struggled for her survival till the end of her life; at last she died but lived her life happily till her death without regretting for what she had to suffer. Kannia the girl, the woman, and the mother were lost for ever from this world.