Renigunta

Though I was panting as I reached Renigunta station, I was thankful that the cab driver could somehow manage to reach me at the station just in time to catch my train to Coimbatore. My grey hair and walking stick must have made him pity me and offer to accompany me to the platform and see me off on the train. I did not grudge compensating him for the favour because I would never have been able to board the train but for him. My baggage was not too heavy, but I could not have lugged it without his assistance as the first class coach was almost at the end of the platform. 

I had gone to conduct an interview in one of the colleges at Tirupati and as there were very few candidates, our panel could wrap up the proceedings earlier than expected. The College Principal offered to arrange for a VIP darshan of Lord Venkateswara to all the panelists and who could say ‘no’ to such an opportunity? I had mentioned to him that my train was in the evening and that I could not afford to miss it under any circumstances as my husband would be waiting for me at Coimbatore station as the train would reach my destination at a very odd hour of 2.00 a.m. He assured me that there would be no problem as the temple was very close to the institution and the station too was less than 10 kms. away. True, we had a very good darshan but on the way to the station, we had a flat tyre and the traffic was so bad that I just managed to reach the station in time. 

The halt at this station was fifteen minutes and after settling down I started looking out for my co-passengers. I had a lower berth and a young boy was snoring peacefully on the berth above. The opposite berth was strewn with a feeding bottle, biscuit packet, towels, napkins and such things evidencing the presence of a small kid. As the train started leaving the station, there seemed to be some commotion at the doorway. Soon a very distraught young girl with a baby came to occupy the berth opposite me. She was justifiably agitated as the kid was yelling and she was trying hard to fill the feeding bottle with milk from a flask – it was so pathetic that I spontaneously reached out and took the baby in my arms. Instantly the child stopped crying and started pulling my ear-ring and nose ring and playing with my glasses. Her mother must have been greatly relieved to have some peace at last and hurriedly filled up the feeding bottle. 

Even as she was drinking the milk, the child fell asleep. She must have been exhausted as she looked as if she was wailing for quite some time. Prajakta, that was the girl’s name related to me that her husband had got down at Renigunta to get milk for the baby, as the halt was sufficiently long. At the stall, he felt a hand reach out to his pocket and pick his mobile. He followed the culprit, but by the time he could catch up with him, the train had departed. He somehow managed to hand over the flask of milk to someone in the next compartment and asked him to hand it over to Prajakta on her seat. Prajakta had however collected the flask at the doorway itself. She then received a call from her “bawa” who told her that he would try to get the next train from Salem and meet her at Coimbatore, though it would be around 10 a.m.

In the meanwhile, Prajakta and I had got friendly and I reassured her that she need not worry about the train reaching Coimbatore past midnight and that she could come and stay with me till her husband came. She passed on the information to him when he called her from someone’s mobile and he too seemed to be comforted. Her husband did not succeed in getting his mobile back and so Prajakta could talk to him only when he managed to call her. The initial tensions having eased and with the baby Pranjal fast asleep, Prajakta got things organised in a jiffy. There was no clutter anywhere and apart from a delay of about seven to eight hours before she could be with her husband again, she did not have anything to worry about.

When it neared dinner time, she took out a few packets from her bag and offered one to me. Both of us enjoyed the masala paratha she had brought with her along with some sweet pickles. Till Pranjal woke up again, we were talking and she spoke about herself. She had lost both her parents in an accident when she was in college. With no relatives to rally around her, she managed to join a hostel and pursue her education. Being a meritorious student, she had no difficulty in securing a scholarship for higher studies in the US. She had carried out extensive research on cancer and had several patent applications pending for the wonder drugs she had found.

She also found her life partner in the US and settled down there. She was returning to India after nearly ten years. During this period, the relatives who did not console her at the time of her grief were now vying with each other to connect with her as she was now well established and wealthy. In fact, she had gone to Hyderabad to visit them. I wondered why she should even try to renew the relations, but she was magnanimous when she said that there was no need for her to pay them back in their coin. She said that having lost her parents in the prime of her youth, she longed for the comfort of a family and wished to be under their umbrella. Her husband’s parents had not met her at all but had instantly taken a dislike for her when they came to know that she belonged to a different caste. She had been prevailing upon her husband to somehow try to convince them, but the ice could not be broken. 

By this time Pranjal had got up from her beauty sleep and was in a playful mood. She gave me a very sweet toothless smile and refused to leave me. It was a very satisfying feeling. The baby’s touch was so soothing that it evoked a passionate inexplicable chord within me. As the train reached Coimbatore, Prajakta profusely thanked me for offering to take her home till her husband came. I said that it would be inhuman if I had not done so and no caring woman would have left a young girl with a baby high and dry at that time of the night!

My husband was at the station to receive me and after the initial introductions, soon felt at home with the newcomer. Once home, Pranjal showed no signs of sleep of any kind. When she was well-fed and had her nappy changes, she felt very fresh and was only too eager to drum on my husband’s pate! He too seemed to enjoy playing with her though it was so late. Prajakta tried in vain to take her away but Pranjal only pushed her away and clung to my husband. Prajakta was surprised no end since never ever had Pranjal been so friendly with anyone. 

I made her bed in the adjoining bedroom and spread a rubber sheet on our own bed and told Prajakta not to worry and that we would let Pranjal sleep with us. Half-heartedly she agreed but the moment she lay down had gone to sleep due to stress and fatigue.

Next morning she was up and in the kitchen before me. The baby too had slept well and was now showing signs of getting up. I warmed some milk, sterilised her bottle and then took Pranjal on my lap and fed her. She seemed to enjoy my fingers running through her dense curly hair as she opened her eyes for a moment and gave me a beautiful smile. My day was done!

It was as if Prajakta knew our house in and out. First she percolated some strong coffee and served both of us. I was surprised to see that she had had her bath and had even lit the lamp in the pooja room! Within no time, she found whatever she wanted and whipped up a wholesome breakfast of idly-chutney and sambar. My husband was stupefied. It was the first time any stranger had entered our kitchen and to top it all cooked for us a delicious meal.

It was 9 o’clock before both of us had our bath and done our pooja. We asked Prajakta to have her breakfast but she said that she would wait for her husband. Sabari Express was due to arrive in a short while and she was waiting for his telephone call to give him our address. 

My husband had other ideas. As Pranjal was up, he asked Prajakta to feed Pranjal and get her ready so that he could take her to the station to receive her dad. Prajakta too got ready saying that it would be easy to recognise her husband, but he brushed it away saying that her husband may not recognise him, but he would surely recognise his own daughter! His other excuse was that ours was a Nano and with the driver, there would not be much space in the car.

Anyway, Prajakta felt so much at home that she agreed to his suggestion and stayed at home with me. Both of us started planning a special lunch as we felt that their family reunion was enough cause to celebrate.

Soon the sound of the car brought both of us to the gate. First my husband got out of the car with Pranjal clinging to him and then when Pranjal’s dad came, I could scarcely believe what I saw! Somu!

Our own Somu!!! When my husband flashed me a big smile, I knew that there was now no barrier. Prajakta may be from a different caste, but she was now a daughter in our family.

Needless to say that the reunion of two families was so poignant that it was hugs all around with little Pranjal trying to comprehend what was going