EMENDATION  

(DIDDUBATU)

By Gurajada Appa Rao

 

 

Tak! ... Tak!... Tak!...", Gopalarao tapped the door gently with

his knuckles.  There was no response.  The door wasn't opened.   He waited for a while.

The clock struck one.

"My God! I'm late again... Too late !... I've been a fool ! ... I must be careful from tomorrow. Far from being an anti-nautch, I slid down to watching this nautch-girl with interest! Why should I wait like a lecher till the end of the show? Why that eagerness to talk to her on some pretext? I do hereby resolve : I shalln't visit the place again from tomorrow. Certainly not!.... Tapping the door more vigorously would wake up Kamalini. If I can wake this fellow Ramu up and sneak into the bedroom, I can pass off for a gentleman !

Gopalarao tried the door. To his surprise, he found the door was ajar, not bolted from inside. He opened it fully. There was no light in the doorway. He walked upto the bed room. There was no light-there also. He tiptoed to the bed to see if Kamalini was still awake . He couldn't make out. He drew out the match box from his pocket and lighted a match. Kamalini was not on the bed. Astonished, he dropped the matchstick. Darkness pervaded his heart as it did the room. Strange apprehensions and equally strange fears swelled up and disturbed him. He wasn't sure whether his annoyance was with himself for his misdeeds or with Kamalini for her absence. He felt greatly irritated.

He came to the foreyard and called out his servants. No body answered his call. " These fellows must be hanged!", he said to himself in despair, returning to his room. He lighted a lamp and searched for her. He saw his old servant Ramu in the middle of the road, blissfully smoking a cigar and watching the'stars !

"Ramu!", he roared, "Come here at once!"

Startled, Ramu threw away the cigar and ran to his master.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Where's she ?"

"Who ? My wife sir ? ... She's at home sir!" '

"You fool ! ... Where's my wife ?"

"Oh! You mean Madam, Sir? She must be sleeping inside, sir!"

"She's not"

Ramu looked surprised. Slowly fear seized him. The moment he steeped into the house, Gopalarao gave two heavy blows on his back 'n a fit of anger. Ramu dropped down with a thud to the floor, moaning "You've killed me, sir!"

Gopalarao was a gentleman. He realized his mistake of venting his anger on the servant and regretted it. Soothing Ramu's back with his palm, he lifted him up and took him into his room. Seating himself in a chair, he asked, with agony clearly perceptible in his voice," Ramu! What happened ?"

"It looks a mystery to me, Sir!"

"Has she gone to her father's place ?"

"She could have. If you don't take me amiss, Sir, what else is expected when a women gets educated?"

"You stupid! You don't know the value of education."

Gopalarao leaned over the table and held his head between his hands, brooding. Suddenly, he saw a note in Kamalini's hand, on the table. Involuntary, he took it in his hand and started reading;

"'Sir!'

"What a pity! She's addressing me like a stranger. The warm 'dear' has disappeared and slipped down to an alien salutation, Sir!", moaned Gopalarao aloud.

"What Sir ? Where was the deer Sir? Where did it disappear ?" Ramu asked innocently.

"You idiot! Shut up!"

Gopalarao continued reading the note :     

"'It's ten days since I have seen you coming into the house at night. You've been telling me that you were busy with social work and attending meetings on that score. But, I came to know the truth from my friends. You've had to lie because of my presence at home. I can spare you that trouble if I go to my father's place. You can be as free as you wish. What else could a wife do under the circumstances than to Keep herself away form her husband? I'm going tonight. Be happy. If, arter meeting your expenses, you can spare any, please send me."

Folding the note, Gopalarao shouted aloud.

"I'm an ass!" ;

"What master ? Why do you say so ?" "I'm a real big ass!!", he said again taking no notice of Ramu. Ramu had been finding it very difficult to suppress his laughter.

"A woman of great character, a bundle of virtues, obedient and educated — she taught me a befitting lesson"

"What did she do, Sir?"

> "She has gone over to her father's place.   But how could she go

without your knowledge?"

Ramu stepped back a little and said, "I must've been sleeping then. If you don't mistake me, sir, a woman should be shown her proper place by giving a thorough dressing down. Then she would stay put at home and never talk of going to her father's place without permission! Strange things like this happen only when women get educated and start writing as men do."

"Bloody fool you're! The most valuable thing in God's creation is an educated woman. Even our Lord Siva gave his consort Parvati, half of his self. An Englishman calls his wife better-half. Do you know what it means? It means that a woman is superior to man. Understand?"

"I don't understand anything, sir, " Ramu said suppressing his laughter with great difficulty.

"Your daughter is attending the school just now. You'll realize the value of education soon. Forget it! One of us must go immediately to Chandravaram to bring her back. For the next four days, I .can't move outoftown. You'reourtrustedfamilyservant. Go and bring her. What will you tell her ?"

"I Know, Sir!.. I'll say: Madam! Master broke my back. Please come home!"

"Useless fellow! Don't you ever speak about the beating. I'll give you two rupees for forgetting it"

"Yes, sir!"

"I'll tell you what to say. Hear me carefully. You'll say: 'Master has realized his mistake and will never visit nautch-girls again. He'll not move out of the house at night. It's a promise!' ... Understand ? Say: 'He begs you to return home in a day or two without divulging anything to anyone there. He's feeling your absence and is counting days. Tell these words with a finesse.' Followed?"

"Yes, sir"

"Repeat to me what I asked you to say."

Ramu scratched his head. "I'll say... I'll say .. I forgot all that you h ve said sir! But I'll say this: 'Hear me madam! I've seen so many couoles a woman should always obey her husband and keep quiet. If ou don't like his father, my master will also maintain a nautch-girl. For your information, recently a very beautiful young girl has landed in the town and our master is losing sleep over her already. It's upto you now!'"

"You rascal!", Gopalarao leaped from his seat. Ramu shot out like an arrow.

A serenading laughter and kinkling of bangles was heard from beneath the bed.

 

Translated by

Sri R.S.Krishna Moorthy

Sri N.S.Murthy

courtesy:"The Palette"       

                                  

  

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