Dollar Bahu (11 page)

S
ix months had passed since Gouramma’s arrival in America, and winter had given way to spring.

Chandru wanted to take his mother to New York, to show her another American city. Chandru and Jamuna had several friends in New York; there was also a Kannada Sangha and several temples. He thought his mother could do with a change.

When told, Gouramma was very enthusiastic. She began preparing sweets and savouries to carry for their various hosts in New York. Jamuna was also keen on the trip, as she wanted to do a lot of shopping. This would be her first vacation after the baby.

From the day Gouramma had arrived, Jamuna had not stepped inside the kitchen. In fact Chandru had once said worriedly, ‘I think Amma is being overworked here.’ But Gouramma had politely refuted this. ‘No, I don’t have anything else to do, this keeps me busy. It’s fine.’ She was happy to hear Chandru express his concern for her, but secretly, she wanted Jamuna to say such things. Jamuna too expressed her concern, but although she would say, ‘Amma, tomorrow onwards you take rest. I will look after the kitchen. I will prepare Pongal,’ those were only charming words; they were not followed by action.

On the drive to New York, Gouramma noticed how different the scenery was from the time that she had first arrived in America. All of nature had spread out its bounty; flowers of a myriad colours were blooming. She thought how lucky she was that her son owned such a beautiful car. But when she heard Jamuna telling Chandru, ‘I am tired of this old car, next year, we should buy a new car,’ she realized that everyone had better cars and there was nothing special about Chandru’s car.

While driving Chandru said, ‘Amma, we are going to Shrikant’s house. He is out of town. We can stay as long as we want. Keeping his house as a base, we can visit Rajiv, Mohan and others.’

‘Who is Shrikant?’

‘Shrikant was my senior colleague. His wife Roopa was a paediatric doctor from Chennai. But now they are divorced. He has gone to India to see his daughter who is with Roopa’s parents.’

‘Why did he divorce?’ asked Gouramma.

‘I am not sure what the problem was exactly, but people say it was because Roopa was earning more than him and she used to boss over him. He didn’t like that and they used to fight. Finally they separated. Shrikant gave up his job and now has his own business. He has an office in India, so he shuttles between the two countries.’

‘Now he must be making more money than his wife, I suppose?’ said Jamuna.

‘Maybe he is. I don’t know.’

Chandru remembered something. ‘Amma, we are going to meet Tara in Rajiv’s house. Do not ask her anything personal like marriage or children.’ Gouramma felt insulted at this admonition in front of her daughter-in-law and though she was curious to know about Tara, she felt she couldn’t ask.

Jamuna said, ‘I really feel that it was a marriage in a hurry and Tara was the victim.’

‘Why?’ Chandru countered. ‘We also got married in a short time. It is just Tara’s bad luck.’

Seeing the look of curiosity on his mother’s face, Chandru continued, ‘Tara was married to Ramesh who was a family friend’s son. Tara’s parents had sold their property in order to give her a lavish wedding. After the wedding, Tara came to the US and she learnt that Ramesh was already married to a white girl and had a son. She decided to get a divorce but did not want to go back to India. After the divorce, though, she did not know what to do. She was trained to be a good homemaker, not a professional. So she now works part-time in a library. She’s related to Rajiv, which is why she’ll be there this weekend at Rajiv’s place.’

‘What did Tara’s father-in-law say?’ asked Gouramma.

‘He asked for forgiveness and scolded his son but what was the point? He too was innocent and knew nothing of his son’s deceitfulness. Ramesh puts the blame on his father, saying that he married because of family pressure. It is better to verify the details before the marriage than suffering later.’

‘Yes, I agree. My father had enquired discreetly about you too, before putting forth the proposal,’ Jamuna proudly spoke of her father.

Gouramma thought of the time she had been so angry with Vinuta for having made enquiries about Shekhar, and how she and Surabhi had abused her. Surabhi’s life could have been like Tara’s, and thank god she had been saved this kind of humiliation.

‘Chandru, why shouldn’t Tara marry Shrikant? Both are divorcees anyway.’ Gouramma made a quick proposal.

Keeping his eyes on the traffic, Chandru mused, ‘Amma, after staying here for so many years, we absorb this culture without realizing it. Though Shrikant is my close friend, I do not interfere in his life. In this country, everyone loves the complete freedom of their private life. Even parents do not ask personal questions of their children. There is an invisible line in any relationship. And no one wants to cross it. They don’t mind sacrificing anything for their privacy. Sometimes it ends up in divorce.’

‘Tara knows Shrikant and if they find each other compatible, they will decide about marriage. They are grown up and we should not even suggest it,’ said Jamuna.

It still did not make sense to Gouramma.

They reached Shrikant’s house in the early afternoon. To their surprise, a young woman was waiting for them. Lunch was served on the table—fresh, hot food in beautiful casseroles and neatly arranged cutlery.

She introduced herself. ‘Please come in. I am Malati. My husband works for Shrikant. He has gone out. We received an e-mail about your arrival. So I thought I would prepare some food for you while you are here. I have to cook for the two of us anyway, so I can easily cook for three more.’

Malati had kept the house very neat and tidy. After lunch, everyone retired to their rooms. Gouramma never slept in the afternoons. She went in search of Malati, to chat with her, and found her in the kitchen preparing snacks for teatime. There was another woman helping her in the kitchen. Gouramma immediately said, ‘Don’t exert yourself, Malati. I have brought lots of eatables from home.’

‘Don’t worry, Aunty. Martha is my helper in my shop. When the shop is closed, she helps me in the kitchen. Though she is a Colombian immigrant, I have trained her in all south Indian cooking,’ Malati said proudly, smiling at Martha in appreciation.

‘Then you are a businesswoman!’

‘Yes, but not a very big one. I run the shop from my house. I buy fancy stuff from India, like beaded handbags, embroidered chappals, silk scarves, Banarasi cushion covers, dhurries, brass lamps, small idols of different gods, etc., and sell them here.’

‘Who are your customers?

‘Mostly Indians. Not everyone can afford to go to India every year. So my shop is convenient for them. Similarly, I have one more shop in India. There I sell corals, jade, Spanish saffron, cinnamon, etc.’

‘So you keep shuttling between India and the US?’

‘Yes. Whenever Shrikant is in India, my husband and I are here and when he is here, we are generally in India. In my absence, Martha looks after the shop. In India, my brother looks after that shop. Normally we commute three times a year.’

‘What does your husband do?’

‘My husband is an ordinary graduate like me. He was a medical rep before coming here. We are honest and work very hard. In three years, we have made good money. Now we are building a shopping complex in Jayanagar. This country rewards those who work hard. We are both extremely happy and admire and appreciate this country. It has changed our life. No wonder people call this a land of nectar and honey. That’s why when people criticize the US, we get mad.’

‘We too are from Jayanagar. Who are your in-laws?’

‘My father-in-law is a retired postmaster. My husband Gopinath is well known in his area, because of his involvement in all extra-curricular activities.’

Just then, the telephone rang and Malati went to attend to it. Gouramma was shaken. This was the very same boy whom Gouramma had forced Surabhi to stop associating with. She had always felt that her daughter should have plenty of money. Today, Malati was enjoying all that. She remembered how Girish had been positive about Gopinath but she had been blind. She sighed deeply.

The next day Chandru took them to see the Statue of Liberty, the Rockefeller Center, some temples and then they went to Padma’s house.

Gouramma was amazed at the temples in America. There were temples of all the gods in one complex, unlike India. Chandru explained, ‘Earlier there was only the Venkateshwara temple in Pittsburgh. Now, due to the software boom, lots of professionals come here from different parts of India. It is difficult to build a separate temple for each deity. That’s why you find Hanuman, Ganesha, Kumaraswamy, Rama and Sita, Shiva-Parvati, Lakshmi, all in one temple.’

‘But what about the priests?’

‘They are normally imported from India. They get a special visa for five years. In their free time, they also help perform functions like naming ceremonies, marriages, etc., in some houses.’

As it was a holiday, there were streams of devotees, but still the temple premises were absolutely clean and orderly. The floors were shining. There was a reserved car park for the handicapped, and waste paper baskets were neatly lined up. Gouramma felt Indian gods looked brighter under the sparkle of American cleanliness.

The prasad was distributed in the temple office. Though there were devotees of different colours, features and languages, all Indians were connected by the same string of devotion. In one corner of the temple, there was a wedding ceremony being performed. A Hindu boy was getting married to an American girl. In another corner, the thread ceremony of a Tamil boy was being conducted. The American-born and brought up child was finding it hard to recite and repeat the Sanskrit slokas. For Gouramma, this was all a very new experience.

When they reached Padma’s home, Gouramma felt more at home. Padma was a warm and hospitable person and had wholeheartedly agreed to host them though she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy. She already had a three-year-old son, Vivek.

The following day Padma told Jamuna and Chandru, ‘Please leave Amma for three or four days with me. We are going to have a get-together of Kannadigas. Rajiv will be visiting Nashville this weekend and he can drop her back.’ Rajiv joined his wife in the persuasive invitation. ‘Chandru, I am going to Paris on some work for the next three days and Padma will be alone.They will be good company for each other. I take personal responsibility to see that your mother reaches home safely.’

Jamuna did not like this idea. She said, ‘Amma may get bored here. She does not know anybody, and Manasi will miss her.’

I can’t be with you forever. Let me have my freedom, Gouramma felt like shouting at the top of her voice, but restrained herself.

In spite of Jamuna’s protest, Chandru agreed to leave Gouramma with Rajiv and Padma.

Jamuna left in a bad mood.

V
atsala, one of Padma’s friends, came to visit and brought along a box of sweets. She said, ‘Padma, I thought you were alone so I came to enquire about you.’

Introducing Gouramma, Padma said, ‘Thanks, but Aunty is with me. If I need anything, I will surely let you know.’

Vatsala left immediately.

‘Vatsala could have stayed back for dinner. What was the hurry? Padma, when I am here you can call any guests over for lunch or dinner. I will help you.’

‘Normally Vatsala does not visit many people. She is a top executive and extremely busy.’

‘She must be highly educated. Is she from Bangalore?’

‘Actually she only studied till the tenth standard when in India. Her father was a rich merchant in Bidar. They were very orthodox. So she was married off when she was sixteen years old. Her husband was working in the US. When she came here, she had a baby very soon, but she also worked very hard. She went on to complete her graduation and later finished an MBA. Today, she is one of the top women achievers. She is one of the very few women who have succeeded so well in a faraway land, and that too, after marriage.’

‘What is so great about that? Even in India, many women study after marriage.’

‘But here, there is no family support system. Vatsala single-handedly did all the work. Since here you can study whatever you want, at any age, she took advantage of the system. Also, in the US there are very few unannounced visitors dropping in to chat, so she could pursue her studies diligently. She not only worked at home and took care of her son, she did very well in her course. Her son, Ashok, is a very well-behaved boy. Largely, there is a fair system of appreciation. Because it is a country of immigrants, you see people from all over the world. There is practically no discrimination at work.’

‘Is Ashok staying with his parents?’

‘No. He stays separately, but in the neighbourhood.’

‘Why? Has he fought with his parents?’

‘No, no. But here, when the children grow up, parents feel they should be independent and learn the ways of life by themselves. Children also prefer it. Children visit their parents during the weekends.’

‘What happens when parents grow old?’

‘As long as they are healthy and independent, they stay independently. If they are unable to, then they go to some old age home. There they have the advantage of mixing with people of their own age. People here don’t think of living in an old age home as punishment.’

Gouramma clicked her tongue. She could not understand this very different world.

That night, Padma felt uneasy, although there were still a couple of weeks till her due date. First, she got up and called the hospital. Gouramma heard a sound and got up too. Padma was preparing her bag to go to the hospital. Gouramma asked, ‘Should I pack it for you?’

‘No, thanks Aunty. It’s easier for me to do it since I know where everything is kept.’

‘Should I call Vatsala to drop you to the hospital?’

‘No. I have already called the ambulance.’

‘Can I massage some oil on your stomach?’

‘No, that is not required.’

‘Can I get you some coffee or tea?’

‘No. It is better to be on an empty stomach.’

Gouramma felt helpless. None of her advice or help seemed to be of any use.

‘Shall I light the oil lamp in front of the god?’

‘No, Aunty. It is a wooden case. You can switch on the electric lamp.’

‘Please inform Rajiv.’

‘I have already done that.’

The ambulance arrived and Padma walked to it with a small bag. Even in a moment like this she remembered to say, ‘Aunty, don’t worry about me. I had registered my name in the hospital long back. They will take care of everything. You stay with Vivek. Don’t send him to school tomorrow. Write down each call. This is unexpected labour. I am very happy that it came while you are here. It is a great comfort to me. I am sorry if you are finding it inconvenient.’ Waving, Padma went away to hospital.

Such a wealthy country, and a pregnant woman had to go to the hospital all alone! No one had the time to accompany her. Everyone was just too busy with their own lives. Their dedication to their jobs was amazing. But, the flip side was that loneliness was growing, human bonds were weakening. Gouramma was unable to sleep. She prayed for a safe delivery.

Early in the morning, Padma called and told Gouramma that she had delivered a baby boy. Rajiv and Chandru had already spoken to her in the meantime.

Rajiv cut his trip short and returned the very next day. As Padma had delivered on a working day, there were hardly any visitors at the hospital.

Gouramma stayed on for another week and looked after Padma when she came home from the hospital. Padma was deeply touched by the affection with which Gouramma took care of her.

Jamuna kept calling her mother-in-law, asking her to return. When Rajiv was due to take her back, Padma handed over an envelope to Gouramma. ‘I wanted to buy a sari for you. I will never forget the way you looked after me, just like my mother. Please buy a sari in India and think of me as your daughter.’

Gouramma was moved to tears.