PARTY

             

Brahmananda and Monalisa have their good reputation as an ideal couple, as they treat their friends lavishly open hand. Yes Odiya friends residing in Vijag, really enjoy the parties arranged in their house, once again Odiyas gathered in Major Brahmananda house to attend the party. Ladies started gossiping on peculiar ladies stuff comparing each other vanity, wealth and money. Mrs. Bansidhar khuntia said, ‘do you know, my husband loves me very much, he has purchased this costly saree for me, and the cost is five thousand only’.

Suddenly Mrs. Patra said proudly, ‘you know yesterday, my maid did not come, so my husband cooked all meals for us, he said me darling you take rest. I will cook for you, not only yesterday when ever maid does not come he becomes my maid, does all house work’. Again Mrs. Mohanty said, ‘so what ?it is not a big thing, my husband has kept a cook for me, so I never cook, if cook does not come, then we eat in restaurant giving order’, Mrs. patra felt awkward, in this remark, her expression of vanity was lesser than Mrs. Mohanty. She was thinking something how to bring down Mrs. Mohanty .Suddenly Mrs. khuntia said, ‘no Mr. khuntia never eats at home, he eats outside in his office restaurant, so I get rest whole day, why should I keep cook?’                                                                                    

Like this gossip goes on for a long time, in between the gossip waiters come, distribute various snacks chicken pakoda, fingers role, french fried chips, manchurian veg, nonveg etc. Odiya children gossip happily. They enjoy the party. They used to talk more in English, less in odiya, in each sentence they say ‘I like, you know, I mean’, etc, as if without talking in English they can not speak odiya properly, if odiya language is not exaggerated with English ascent or style, then how can they speak it?

Bansidhar khuntia enquired the reason of the party, why suddenly Monalisa arranged. ‘Mrs Dash, why did you arrange this party any reason? Is not your anniversary? Do not hide, please tell, if any specific occasion or not, we forgot to bring your wedding anniversary gift, just came empty hands’ he asked. suddenly Monalisa replied ‘no, it is okay, no formality please, you all came that is my greatest gift, the most precious one, your presence made me happy then what else do I need?                                                                   \

 Brahmanada was angry listening her wife’s loving gossip with other boy friends, he said, ‘What Mona darling, you look so happy and relaxed talking with Mr Bansidhar ? Why do you get angry while talking with me? Am I your enemy you think, ‘no no Brahmanada ji, this is the secret of our love, as we used to see the boring face of our husband every day, so we get angry. we rarely meet our boy friends so, if we show our sweet loving face at times, our husbands can give us gifts at times, gift like saree, ornament etc can be demanded, the value or price of the gift is fixed accordingly with the quality of the work in different gradation, like, laugh, cook ,talk, and other secret works’ suddenly said Mrs Khuntia.

 Today they have called their friends for a family party as usual they call. Monalisa is very serious in her duty. She used to get up early in the morning then her first duty is to clean the kitchen preparing breakfast, lunch, for Brahmananda in time. She supervises her maids in such a way that, they do regular dusting of all cupboards, furniture’s, doors, windows of the house, She cleans all toys, books and decorative show pieces so nicely, as if they are living beings. Living beings can not be so cleaned than non-living beings. Then her main work is to clean the white marble flooring of her bathrooms so nicely so that any one can like to stay there for a long time. Brahmananda too likes cleanliness. He gets his garden cleaned so nicely that no one can find bits of papers or dry leaf in his garden.                                                                                                                        

He too is very punctual and particular about his scheduled work, like early morning walk and evening walk. He does all his routine works in time like bath, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mona took reading of her fever as she was having high temperature Brahmananda gave medicine ‘a crocine tablet’ to Mona with a glass of water then, he ordered for his lunch in near by restaurant where he used to order his food very often. Now he was little bit relaxed again he started teasing Mona. He said, ‘Mona I think, I have to replace you from the cook job because, you are falling sick very often, I must appoint a new cook in your place who will do her work sincerely and efficiently. Now you are not able for your job, better you take retirement. I will dismiss you.’                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                              

Mona kept silent as she was not feeling well. She was not in a fighting mood, other day she would reply her answer very strongly. She must have scolded him as she frequently rebukes him as ‘you are a useless fellow, good for nothing. Who will cook for you? The maids will not stay for more than two weeks then they will run away with your advance money which they must have taken as deposit or advance.’ But Mona did not feel like to give back answer, the humiliation, teasing comments of Hrudananda could not hurt her as the bullets of his comments could not enter inside her mind.

 After some days Mona went for her health check up. There she could discover the truth that there is a hole in her heart she has to go for a bye pass surgery. So Mona and Hrudananda both were very upset. They decided to go to Bangalore for the surgery now, Mona was busy with her arrangement to leave for Bangalore, and in the mean time her friends came her home for a visit. They consoled her not to be worried for her health. They hoped everything will be all right. After she returns, their friends will demand a party from her, until that time they will be waiting for her. So Hrudananda started arranging every thing for their departure, they booked flight ticket along with that, he made health insurance and other necessary arrangements as they will have to stay for a long time.

                                                                                                                             

While Mona was arranging to leave the place one day before, Mona and her husband started fighting for a silly matter. Hrudananda scolded her as a ‘use less; bloody fellow good for nothing can not do any work correctly’. Mona had lost the original copy of his passbook accounts paper. So Hrudananda was worried accusing Mona as an irresponsible fellow what hurt Mona.

  

Mona too shouted at her husband throwing temper tantrum, she said, ‘why am I irresponsible for you? Do you think maid will serve as sincerely as your wives serve you, you are absolutely wrong, my husband. Servants work for their selfish motives to snatch money from you as advance or loan, they will never serve you as you think. Now time has changed. No one is ready to serve others unless they get benefit from you, other way they never obey or respect you as the godly ,boss, image in their minds as you feel, rather they get angry reacting for silly things, if you scold them or try to hurt their sentiments, they immediately get a suppressed feelings of insecurity, inferiority and inadequacy, feelings for any command creates anger, anger burst out as fire on them. They are very clever people make others dependent on you, then start exploiting easily, they know how to handle their masters’. Now Monalisa looked very weak, whole night fighting with his husband, he looked very sick and tired as if a fresh flower fades away in the morning. Now the friends interfered in their family quarrel.                                                    

 They suggested Brahmanada to renew another health insurance application or for the passbook. They said, ‘if you need our help, please, never hesitate to ask either for finance or any type of help, they will be present there as soon as they receive his call’. But they knew that, Brahmanada had done all arrangement before, Monalisa can get all type of treatment under the health scheme. He had done health insurance before . Now Brahmanada proposed his friends for a quick tea party in the house as plane time was late in the night, ‘one more party, quick party now’ he said, Mona also was very happy, both laughed loudly. They agreed for the party. Mona assured her friends for arranging nicely a party now, but their friends denied forcibly. ‘You need not be worried, first you recover from your illness then, we will not leave you. We must demand for a grand celebration, a great party in your house. But this is not a correct time for party’ they said.                                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                

After some days, Brahmanada and Monalisa gave a very good news to their friends that, operation was successful in Bangalore, ‘Manipal hospital’ . So, they were expecting to return soon getting totally recovered from her long time illness, her chronic heart disease. Everything was okay. Suddenly Brahmanand’s friends got a very shocking and bad news from Brahmanada that, Monalisa was totally all right but what happened, suddenly at night she collapsed . She got heart ache, heart pain, got a mild heart attack, then she died in the hospital in that night only. No one could get the reason of the sudden attack, it is an totally unique case never happened such type of case before.                                                   

                                                                                                                          

Monalisa body was cremated in Bangalore according to Hindu tradition, funeral ceremony. But, again she will be given a tribute, condolence ceremony in her Bangalore house, so Monalisa’s friends were waiting to attend that day. They were so unfortunate that, they could not attend the real funeral ceremony of ‘Monalisa’. Now no one was invited for the celebration of any party in Brahmananda house . Yes, in Bangalore there were parties conducted in many Odiya houses but , the pleasure, happiness the guests were having in Monalisa’s party that no one could experience again. It was unique type of party in Monalisa’s invitation, the affection no one could get in other parties. All were missing Monalisa and her party in real. They never went to Monalisa’s house to attend any party, there was the end of the party with her death.