What Is My Name ?
What Is My Name ?
P.Anjana Suharika who was studying tenth standard in Sri Kakatiya Merit School, Bhimavaram. Her parents are P.V.V.S.N.Murthy and Sarada. Other than writing stories she has some hobbies like listening music, dancing, reading autobiographies and story books etc. This is the summary written from the lesson “What Is My Name?”.
Every young woman, before being a wife might be an educated, cultured, intelligent, quick-witted, with a sense of humor and elegance.
By her beauty and intelligence, and also the dowry given by her father , a man named Satyanarayana Murthy married her. Her father introduced his son-in-law`s as her own house by addressing her as `Ammadu`. The young lady started her work in the house. She used to clean, swab the house spotlessly. She was extraordinary in making muggulu designs. By seeing her talent, her husband used to appreciate her. So that she increased her skills more in that swabbing, drawing muggulu,cooking etc. On cleaning, swabbing etc., all the domestic work on a fine day she saw a name board in front of their house. She read the name on that board and so recognized that on cleaning her house, she forgot her name.
She scolded herself that how she can forget her name so easily. She hoped that anyone surrounding her would know her name. so that she asked the maid about her name. The maid was stunned of her question and said that she did not even tried to know her owner`s name. Then her children came to eat lunch. The confused house wife asked her two little children about her foolish name. The children laughed at her and said that they would always address their mother only by using the word `Amma`.
A neighbor came to her house in order to invite her for a kum-kum ceremony. The disappointed wife asked the neighbor about her name. Her neighbor giggled and replied that they would address her by right-handed side, white storied building down floor lady or by using the fair and tall lady or the wife of manager of pharmaceutical industry. The house wife hoped that even her respected husband would know her name. During the night meal, she asked him to tell her name. He burst out laughing. He was surprised to listen this from his wife.
He said that since they were married he used to call his wife as yemoi as she never told him to address him with her name. He told that everyone addresses her as Mrs.Murthy and it is sufficient for her. But the wife argued that she wanted her name. Her husband suggested her to keep some name or the other but she did not listened to him and said that she wanted her own name. Murthy gave her an idea to verify her certificates as she was well-educated. The wife started searching all through the house but she did not find them. Then she remembered that she had left all the certificates in her parent`s house and did not even bother about them. Then the wife asked her husband to give permission to go her parent`s house. Murthy rejected her proposal and said that who would scrub the house these two days. The wife said to her husband to manage these two days somehow or the other.
The housewife wen
t to her parent`s house and her parents were shocked to see her coming alone and they stared asking the questions arose in their minds.
She than explained them about the purpose of her immediate visit and with anxiety she asked her mother to tell her name. Then her mother exclaimed that the house wife was their elder daughter, she was married with fifty thousand rupees as dowry, she was educated up to B.A. and about her deliveries and all. The house wife said that all she said was her history and she only wanted her name. She asked to at least show where her certificates were. Her mother replied that all the old papers inside their almarah were cleaned out and were replaced by some glass ware. The papers which were considered as important were kept in the attic and she can search for them tomorrow. She suggested her daughter to take a bath and have good meal.
The housewife took a good bath and ate her meal, but she could not sleep. Next day morning, she went to the school and college where she had studied. But she could not know her name. The wife asked everyone she met-the trees, the anthills and all finally she met her old friend.
That friend was also married and a housewife but scrubbing was just only a part of her life. She remembered her name and all other friend`s names.
The housewife felt like a person who was totally dried up and going to die of thirst who suddenly got a cool water from an earthened kooja by the shouting, “Sarada! My dear Sarada!” from her friend. Her friend said that The house wife was Sarada, she came first in their school in tenth class, she got first prize in singing competition, she used to paint good pictures too and they were all tenth friends, she was the only person living incognito. Sarada thanked her friend Pramila by saying that she would have gone mad if she had not met her.
Sarada returned home and saw her achievements in the attic. Her paintings, prizes etc., were seen by her and she went to childhood memories.
Overjoyed, she returned home. Her husband claimed that the whole house was so dusty as it was not dusted for two days and he felt like a festival by her presence.
Sarada said that just scrubbing the floor would not make festival. And she told him to call her as Sarada instead of yemoi and geemoi.
Sarada always used to care about scrubbing, cleaning, muggulu designs etc for the first time sat on the sofa which contained so much dust. With enthusiasm, she showed her children an album her paintings that she brought for them.
Sarada recognized that more than scrubbing and cleaning her identity was more important i.e., her name. A woman without identity does not make sense to her living.›