Shastri : By Swathi T

Shastri got up as usual sharp at 7 AM in the morning. Changed himself into a track suit and went out for jogging. While jogging Shastri used to observe the world around him.. mothers standing along with their kids waiting for the school bus, milkman going to different houses and delivering milk, men waving hands to their wives while going to work….After an hour of jogging he came back to his empty home….Its been 25yrs since he waved his wife while going to work.

Shastri, 55yr old man, lost his wife Radha while delivering their only daughter. Life has not been same since then for Shastri. Bringing up a daughter alone without mother was a tough job. Shastri didn’t come in terms with his wife’s untimely death for a long long time and often thought he was responsible for her death. Doctors told him that Radha’s pregnancy might have some complication from the very beginning. He wished that Radha would have aborted the child in the beginning itself but Radha wanted the child very badly and Shastri couldn’t say no. Shastri’s daughter Archana almost grew up on her own without much attention from Shastri. Shastri gave enough freedom to his daughter and never restricted her much thinking that she is a child without a mother and left her to the way she was happy. Lot of his friend suggested Shastri to marry again but he was not able to make his heart for another woman and also he was scared about the other woman’s behavior with Archana. He wanted to live his life with memories of Radha and bringing up Archana.

One day after coming back from the work he found a note on his bed. He opened it and started reading

Daddy,
By the time you read this letter, I might have already got married with Ajay. I know you don’t like Ajay but I cant live without him. Please don’t try to search for me. I am 18yrs old and I have got full rights to marry the man I like. Takecare of yourself.
Archana.

Shastri fell down on the bed with the letter. The only reason for his living has gone. Archana expressed her interest in Ajay to him but Shastri wanted her to wait as she was very young for marriage and Ajay didn’t had any job and was still a student. He often thought that had Radha been alive she would have never brought up Archana this way.

Since last 7years Shastri lived alone at his home. He felt that Archana might come back one day realizing her mistake but she never did and he hoped she is happy wherever she was.

After coming home Shastri did his meditation for another half an hour. Then bathed and did his daily Pooja. Later went to kitchen, made himself a toast and ate. Finally at 9:30 AM he left home for work. That was his daily routine.

Shastri had his own printing business. During past 7yrs he often tried to suicide but stopped himself thinking about the life of workers working in his company. They all have been with him since last 30 yrs and he cant snatch their bread and butter from them. In a way his workers have become his family. He often felt at home whenever he was at work. Everybody in his company respected him a lot.

He had the habit of having tea as soon as he reached office. That day Chotu came and kept his glass of tea as usual on his table. Shastri was reading something and while taking his pen from the pen stand his hand stuck the tea glass and spilled on the newspaper. He hurriedly removed the newspaper’s first page and cleaned his desk. Chotu brought one more glass of tea for Shastri. While having tea Shastri’s eyes fell on one of the ad in the matrimonial section of the paper.

It was in bold letters right in the middle of the paper.

Are you looking for a good family?
We can provide you one. Looking for a groom who must be more than 45 years old. Caste No Bar. Widowers or Innocent Divorcees are welcome. Groom should be well mannered and from a respectable family. Contact on 11-23417894.

His eyes were fixated on that ad for a while and the sentence “Are you looking for a good family?” lingered in his mind for a long time. He was also amused at the same time that why does this family looking for aged grooms? What could be reason? For 2-3 weeks that ad came in the newspaper every day and he couldn’t control himself from not looking at the matrimonial section.

One day while having dinner alone at his home he got an urge to call that number in the newspaper. More than the prospect of marriage, he was more attracted to the word marriage. Radha’s memories never left him even for a single day but as he was getting older he wanted some companion someone to look forward while coming back home. Next day in the morning he called up that number.

“Hello “ said Shastri with nervous tone.

“Hello Shankar Rao speaking, May I know whom I am speaking to?” said the voice on the other side of the phone.

“ I am Shastri. I am calling you regarding your ad in newspaper for groom.” Said Shastri.

“oh yes yes. Are you the groom’s father?” asked Shankar Rao.

Shastri became embarrassed with the question and wanted to keep down the phone “no..actually..actually I am the groom.”

“oh ok ok” said Shankar Rao.

“Is it possible for you to come down to my house some day during weekday?” continued Shankar Rao.

Shastri was slightly puzzled that he is directly asking him to come home without knowing his details much. So shastri volunteered himself “Don’t you want to know anything about me?”

“yes ofcourse, that’s why I am asking you to come home so that we can know about each other’s family” said Shankar Rao.

Shastri got relaxed and took the address from the Shankar rao.

He confirmed Shankar Rao that he would visit their house on coming Thursday.

Address was quite far from his home and he reached Shankar Rao’s given address on time. They lived in a decent locality and their’s was a ground floor apartment flat. When he pressed the door bell, after a while an old man around 70yrs old opened the door with a smile.

“Are you Shastri?” asked Shankar Rao.

“yes” Said shastri pleased to see Shanka Rao, who looked jovial even at the age of 70 and had a pleasant face. He was wearing proper tucked in shirt and pant.

“Come in come in” said Shankar Rao after greeting Shastri with hand.

Shastri went inside to look at a beautifully decorated home. He could smell the agarbatti sticks and was soon impressed by the atmosphere at their home. Shatri made himself comfortable in a sofa. At the age of 55 he was bit embarrassed to come all this along to see a bride that too alone.

“Shastri please wait I will bring my wife.” Said Shankar rao and went inside the other room.

Shastri helped with a glass of water kept on the table.

Shankar Rao came to the hall pushing his wife’s wheel chair. Shastri soon stood up looking at Shankar Rao’s wife and bowed "Namaste".

“Shastri this is my wife Suvarna” introduced Shankar Rao. Mrs Suvarna looked around the same age as Shankar Rao and her face almost reminded Shastri of his favourite singer M S Subbalakshmi.

Shankar Rao sat on the chair opposite to Shastri near to his wife’s wheel chair and started..“Shastri before you tell me about yourself, I want to tell you about my family and my daughter. My daughter has gone to office, that’s why I called you today” Said Shankar Rao.

“Oh ok” said shastri slightly intrigued about what he may tell about his family.

“Shastri, I am a retired army officer. I have 3 sons and a single daughter. 3 sons are settled in US. I have total of 6 grandchildren whom we have not seen yet!! My daughter is all we have” Said Shankar rao with sadness. Shastri slowly got clarity of things.

“Now about my daughter Sunita, she is 42 year old but has a mind that of a 10yr old. She is kind and innocent but not intelligent like a matured woman. Frankly we needed some company for my daughter Sunita so that after when we are gone, there would be somebody to look after my daughter. All my property is on my daughter’s name. I want a very responsible person to become my son in laws who would look after my daughter as well we both old people. Shastri, we are looking for a son in the form of Son-in-law. Till now you are the only one who has responded to our ad in the newspaper. You can tell us your opinion without any hesitation” continued Shankar Rao with honesty and sad eyes.

Shastri dint know what to speak. He was totally taken aback by the situation and empathized with Shankar Rao’s situation. Till now he thought he was the only one with whom God did injustice but there are people who are going through worse situation.

“Shankar Rao garu, I don’t know if I would be your good son in law. That is up to you to decide. I am 55yr old man. I have my own printing business. My wife Radha died 25yrs back. I had a daughter Archana, and she eloped with a man she loved 7yrs ago never to return back" Shastri became silent for a while and then again continued "My parents died long time back. Radha’s parents have left contact with us since the time she died. I have no one in my family right now” said Shastri with tears in his eyes making sure it doesn’t fall on his cheeks. He felt at ease to speak about his family to Shankar Rao. Shankar Rao listened intently to whatever Shastri said and kept looking at his face.

“Son, I believe you. Your face tells about your honesty but still I don’t want to keep you in illusion. My daughter needs lot of attention and patience. She luckily got this job as peon in army head quarters due to my recommendation. She does things very slowly and each work has to be explained many times for her to understand” said Shankar Rao.

“I understand sir. Well I don’t have anyone in my family. I came here not with the thought of marrying your daughter but with the thought of becoming a part of a family. I will be more that happy if you accept me as your son-in-law” said Shastri

Suvarna was silently listening to the conversation and finally spoke “ Don’t you want to see my daughter first before making your mind?”

Shastri looked at Mrs Suvarna “No Suvarna garu, that wont be necessary. Looking at both you kind people is enough for me to make my mind.”

But both Shankar Rao and Suvarna insisted him to see their daughter on coming Saturday and Shastri had to reluctantly agree.

After going back home, he felt happy and content. He always used to think that nobody is there to take care of him but was elated to know that now he got chance to take care of others. He never thought that at this stage of his life he would be useful to someone and also he would get someone to call his family. He didn’t keep any notions about the Shankar Rao’s daughter Sunitha and went with an open mind to Shankar Rao’s house on Saturday.

That day Shastri was served with lot of snacks. Shastri felt more at ease this time. After half an hour, Shankar Rao went inside one of the rooms and came back along with his daughter Sunitha.

Sunitha was wearing a red Zari saree which was not neatly worn. She was quite fair complexioned as her parents. She kept her eyes low and was holding her father’s hands tightly. She was wearing big spectacles in her eyes. She was very lean but had a good height as that of her father. Shankar Rao made her sit in opposite chair of Shastri.

Sunitha was no way comparable to Radha but he could see child like innocence in her face. She didn’t lift her eyes even once.

Shastri kept talking to Shankar Rao and showed him some documents related to his business and house. Shankar Rao was very happy with Shastri’s sincere approach.

After a while sunitha broke out “Daddy till when should I lower my head,my neck is aching..can I lift now?”

To that Shastri and Shankar Rao looked at Sunitha and smiled looking at each other.

“Yes now you can lift” said shastri.

“No, I will listen to my daddy” said Sunitha.

“From now on, you should listen to me, I am going to marry you” said Shastri.

Sunitha lifted her face and looked at Shastri innocently and then looked at her father.

“Is it true daddy?” said sunitha

“yes dear” said Shankar Rao.

“yeeeee..that means now, even I will wear mangal sutra and sindur like other ladies” said Sunitha with happiness and started clapping her hands.

Everybody laughed and Shastri felt blessed.
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