A Story

Everybody’s life is nothing but a story only. It can be either a comedy or a tragedy. What twists & turns it would take and how it would end nobody knows except Him. One needn't narrate their story.Their deeds which may be either good or bad depict their story better than anyone else. Not only a person who writes a story but also a person who tells a story can make it very popular and heart throbbing. A story teller adds salt and pepper makes it more effective and interesting . A story teller can make it full of suspense, horror, romance, adventure and what not. Story telling is an art. Some stories are real incidents that have taken place in this world. They contain facts only . Some stories are fictions. They are imaginary. Gossips and rumors can also generate stories. Stories could be built out of nothing. They are cooked up and can be called cock and bull stories. Stories can contain probables or improbable.

Stories develop one’s knowledge. Intellectual developments take place in one who reads or listens to good stories. They are food for thoughts. There are numerous varieties of them. Some stories are humorous and some are sorrowful. Some have happy ending and some have a tragic end. They are many things to be learnt from them. Some of them carry morals. Great stories are fantasies of eminent authors. Stories are like elastic. They can be stretched or abridged. Of course, when too stretched or abridged, they lose their original charm. The liking of a story depends entirely on an individual.Tastes differ. Young people like different stories and old people like different stories. Majority of people like a story only if it has twists and turns and suspense. They are various modes of narrating a story. Sometimes they are orally told. Sometimes they are written. Stories attract people of all ages. Appetite for stories in fact never recedes in some as they grow older. On the contrary it increases. That is why many old people want a book by their side when they go to bed. Certain stories are so impressive that they leave indelible marks on a listener or a reader.

Stories influence everyone in one or another way. They change course of one's life. They are an effective tool. They influence especially children more than anybody else. One of the ways to keep naughty children calm and quiet is through telling them stories. They listen to them with rapt attention. During childhood one insists their mother or grandmother to tell them a story particularly at night times. After attending to all domestic work, mother and grandmother also want rest at that hour. Mother grandmother, children, grandchildren all like one another‘s company. Generally, we find all of them inside a single blanket. Even though, children feel sleepy, eyelids are heavy; children try to remain awake to listen to story which their grandmother or mother are going to narrate. They keep their ears wide open, they expect the lights to be off or bed switch to be on at the earliest. Children cannot make out which story is fake one and which is a real one. Sometimes mother and grand mother tell real stories of those whom they know intimately that have actually taken place. From where they can bring a new story every day? Stories bring one another more closer and affectionate. Even when one grows up mother and grandmother are their favorite. Even after their demise also one quite often remembers them. Always one sing praise of grandmother, mother etc. Children are impressed by such stories. They show their reaction by way of shower of praise or sympathies to the characters therein. Children cannot be fooled so easily even. They do not listen to stories quietly. They put thousand and one questions. They want their doubts cleared. They want their queries answered. It is not easy to tell stories to children. Children generally like comedies and stories which are full of suspense. They do not like horror stories. Some have their bed wet on listening stories which are full of horror.

Thus daily a story begins.

Many times a story would have neither a head nor a tail. By the time when it is half told, many times children snore. It is all fantasy or imagination of mother or grandmother. Most of them are cock and bull stories. They are known as “Grandmother Tales " too. Poor child listens stories with all rapt attention and interest. It blindly believes whatever grandmother or mother tells. They do not bore them. Of course a cute child never remains quiet. It disturbs grandmother or mother with all types of doubts and queries. Being, unable to clear its doubts or answer its queries grandmother and mother sometimes face embarrassing position.

There may not be any substance in a story at all. The way one presents it or narrates it sometimes makes it more interesting. I remember even to day “Crow and sparrow story” which mother might have repeated a dozen times. The house of crow was that of cow dung and that of sparrow was made up of wax. Once there was heavy rain. House of crow washed away in rain. It came to the house of sparrow and knocked at the door. Poor sparrow gave shelter to the crow. Crow saw small baby sparrows in the cradle. It started swallowing one after another of them. Every time there used to be a noise and mother sparrow used to inquire what is it? Crow was promptly replying the sparrow politely and gently that it had carried Bengal gram with it, which is very good for time pass that too whenever it is boring and chilly outside. Poor sparrow believed it. By the time rain subsided no chicks were left in the cradle. All swallowed by ungrateful crow. The sparrow came to know of this only after crow left its place.

It learnt a lesson that what would happen if we give shelter to wicked and ungrateful. Sparrow hatched a plan to teach a lesson to crow. Next day it invited crow again for dinner and with the help of iron rod made it vomit all the chicks it had consumed.

As said earlier, story telling is an art. This small story could be told more interestingly in some other ways. Really, it is difficult for poor mother or grandmother of a child to come out with a new story every day. Sometimes they repeat the same old story. These stories no doubt influence a child in life. In a way they mold the children.

A big river is made up of many tributaries. Similarly a long story generally comprises of small stories within it.Epics contain innumerable stories .A person who narrates great epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata is known as Haridasa. Haridasa with his knowledge, skill, and devotional songs in between keeps the audience spellbound for hours. Here he makes use of many small stories which are full of humor to make his narration interesting and as a result nobody feels bored. Harikatha is an art of storytelling A story can have either happy ending or sad ending . It can have neither happy nor sad ending too.When stories are told by one person to another person they undergo several changes and takes up different shapes.

But the story, which I am going to tell you, is a real story of a woman who was born in 1930 and passed away in 1990. She was attending school for elders’ sake. She was not interested in studies at all. Besides,women literacy was not much encouraged in those days. It was also not a must for them to get married. Moreover, scope for employment of educated ladies was a little at that time. In addition to this, what was taught in school she could not either grasp or understand also. As a result , by seventh standard she was detained twice in the same class. We cannot expect everyone to be good at studies. Her mother was an illiterate and was not aware of value of education. Moreover her mother was badly in need of an assistant to take care of young children at home. There was no family planning in those days. As a result,a family used to be big and used to comprise of at least half a dozen children. Some families consisted of more than a dozen children too. It was impossible for a mother to take care of her numerous children and pay individual attention to every child. There were not adequate toys and games to keep them busy and occupied. Either there were a few number of play homes and baby sittings or one could not afford them also. Bringing up children was an herculean task.

Thus her studies ended at seventh standard. She had no regrets or objection for it at all. In a way she liked discontinuation. She used to take pleasure in carrying a child on her bosom and roaming. She could spend her time as she liked chit chatting and wandering . Nobody would question her and tell her you do not know this or that. She need not cut a cut a sorry figure. She need not face any humiliation, which she used to face in a classroom when she had to answer a simple question from her teacher. Nobody will call her a dull herd hereafter . Everybody cannot be intelligent in a family. Most of the people in the locality where she was growing were also uneducated. Moreover they were poor, and backward. They were earning their bread as laborers. Bragging, chatting etc were their pastime. They were source of all local news. Majority of women forget while chatting with others everything. Even if something happens in the vicinity, they do not notice. They forget even something which they might have kept on oven too. She was also of that type. Thus she became one among them in all respects.

Now-a-days, we do not find a cow shed in most of the houses. But, in those days, there used to be a cowshed in every house. Then, canned, pasteurized milk was not at all available at doorsteps as we get to-day. People used to have livestock in their house. A person or two were essential to look after and milk them. Cowshed had to be maintained neat and clean. Those who are not good at studies etc were generally entrusted work of cleaning and maintaining cow shed. Cakes were made out of cow dung and saw dust and were used along with firewood in those days. It was a major work. As such she was entrusted with all that work at home.

She was more concerned about welfare of her family. She was rejoicing giving bath to her younger brothers and sisters. She was supervising and taking care that they do not fall and get hurt or they do not quarrel among themselves. She was a left hander. Whenever her little brothers and sisters did some mischief, she used to hit them on their head with left hand so suddenly and quickly that it was a treat to watch. They too even to-day remember that. She too was affectionate to them . In those days, there were no play homes or kindergarten classes. Somebody is always needed for it. Controlling small children always requires tact and she had it. She was good at household work like sweeping and cleaning the floor too. She was neither intelligent nor cunning. She was straightforward. Majority of the female are beauty conscious. She was unlike them. She was always simple though strong and sturdy; good-looking but never spent time on fashion or dress.

She was envisaging interest in removing nails from hands of kids, removing dirt from ears with buds, combing hairs of younger sisters and finding out lice which mostly get hidden amidst bunch of hairs. Killing of tiny lice produces a tick noise that she used to enjoy. If one lady or girl has lice in her hair means, she starts scratching her head and slowly transfers some of the lice to her friend too. Lice never allow any body to relax. Once we get rid of lice’s means we feel much relieved. Lice’s are so small and quick that one needs good eyesight and concentration to locate them and finish them. If we are not clean, and do not have head bath from time to time and allow the perspiration and dust to accumulate, that helps lice to spread more. Generally, people brand those who have lice as dirty and never allow them nearby.

Some women do not know how much food to cook, especially illiterate women and as a result they cook excess food. If that food is not consumed or utilized for the next meal by next morning, it gets spoiled. Some say that such food tastes well. Some say if such food is consumed that one’s intelligence gets reduced or does not improve. She loved her father so much that she never wanted anything to be wasted. In order to avoid wasteful expenditure to her father, she always preferred next day the food cooked previous day .Her mother had also this habit of consuming food cooked on previous day. Though ,it is quite natural for a daughter to have qualities of her mother, this daughter had more qualities of mother than other daughters of that family.

Even though she grew up her intelligence never improved with the age. One could have fooled her very easily. Time is not static. She became twenty years old. In those days it was mostly all arranged marriages. It is said that marriages are made in heaven. The boy was a relative of her. He was the eldest son of a priest of a temple. He was said to have all the good qualities. He was well built and handsome also. He was undergoing some course in a hospital. Hospitals function through out a day. Nurses and midwives, doctors etc have to work in shifts to care of the patients. All is not well in majority of the hospitals. We find people of all types of character in this world and so too in hospitals.

Her husband was no exception. At the young age he became a womanizer. Who knows this? After completion of course, he was posted to a small hospital near Uppinagadi as pharmacist. A small house was secured on lease by him there to start their married life. Unlike his wife he was very smart and capable of hoodwinking anybody. He made friendship with many people. He used to pose like person who knows more than what a doctor knows. In reality his knowledge was limited. On account of urgency, people consult such quacks. A few months passed, she became pregnant. On completion of sixth month, her mother arrived to take care of her. As earlier said both mother and daughter were chatter box. They used to be very busy chit chatting. They used to think that son-in law had rested in the outside room. This son-in -law used to keep a pillow inside the blanket and go out for his nocturnal activities. If caught he used to say one or another reason for his absence. He was good at bluffing.

From this place, he was transferred to Barkur. Barkur is a historical place in Karnataka. It was a blessing in disguise to him. Even at Barkur, he did not improve. The neighbor was a school going Christian girl by name Miss Rebecca. Hers was a respectable family. She was studying 10th standard. She was not good at studies. He started giving her tuitions. His poor innocent wife thought that her husband was helping Rebecca in her studies and hence did not object at all for his advances. Rebecca was in his net. Barkur is a small place. Everybody there came to know of this affair. So too that poor wife came to know of the true colors of her husband. What poor lady could do other than weeping and abusing? Moreover; she was pregnant for the second time. Pressure was brought on parents of Rebecca and ultimately she was sent to Mumbai. Thus that affair came to an end.

Simultaneously, her husband was transferred to a place called Gangolli. Gangolli is a small village on the banks of river Pancha Gangavali in Kundapura Taluk. It suited him well in all respects. Now he wanted to undergo vasectomy and he under went that too. It cleared him all the ways. During those days there were many womanizers at that place who were looking after two or three families. As such there was nothing for him to feel awkward or ashamed at that place. He started private medical practice at home. Many women used to come for consultation to him. Our unscrupulous lady did not learn any lesson from Barkur episode. Once bitten, she should have been twice shy. One has to learn lessons from one’s mistakes. One has to gain from one’s experience. One has to become wiser and wiser as one becomes older and older. Our dull herd lady though day by day grew older and older but intellectually never improved a bit. God only knows of what mettle she was made up of. She continued her chitchatting friendly nature hereto with many ladies and allowed some of them access to her kitchen even.

One such lady was Shalini. Shalini was an unmarried schoolteacher. She was neither beautiful nor strong and sturdy. In short in no way a match to our lady. But Shalini was very cunning. She belonged to a low bi caste. Her father was a drunkard. She made friendship with our lady and won her confidence. It is not only ladies, but also every man wants somebody who is intimate to share their personal matters. However those with whom we share our personal matters should be very reliable and trustworthy. We cannot keep everything within ourselves. Our lady who could not make out which is water and which is milk, or who is good or who is bad could not make out true colors of Shalini. Our lady took blindly Shalini into her confidence. Our lady was not aware what one should share with others and what one should not share with others also. She shared with Shalini her husband‘s misadventures at Barkur and other places. Instead of showing any sympathy to our poor lady, Shalini shed crocodile tears for her. Shalini might have remarked to herself what a foolish lady she had come across.

Shalini had her own crooked plans. Shalini had neither conscious nor love for anybody. She decided to exploit the innocence of our poor lady to her full advantage. She took her to movies at nearby Kundapur. Shalini started telling how her drunkard father comes and beats her etc. and won her sympathy. Unfortunately for our lady owner of present house asked them to vacate and the house that was next to that of Shalini had fallen vacant. Tactfully Shalini made the pharmacist to occupy that house. When everything was going on adversely for her, our unscrupulous lady could not make out that illegal relationship had developed between Shalini and her husband. Anybody would have sensed that illegal relationship by that time. Unfortunately, she was not having that much of a common sense even. One should not be either so much innocent or ignorant at any cost. One who does not have that much of commonsense and who cannot smell a rat, have to pay for their ignorance heavily. Ignorance has a terribly high price tag. One cannot blame fate for the untoward happenings that follow there afterwards at all.

Once or twice, the drunken father beat Shalini and our foolish lady gave Shalini shelter in her house. The ungrateful Shalini threw her hide and seek game into wind. She openly started romancing with the great pharmacist. Shalini betrayed a woman who had trusted her fully. She stabbed her at the back. She spoiled the family of a woman with two kids. That is why elders say that we should not feed a cobra with milk. How can a woman tolerate this? Our lady became virtually half mad. She tried to end her life by jumping into Arabian Sea. The waves did not accept her. A wave threw her out and she was saved. She jumped into a well and her adventurous husband rescued her. Death does not come as and when we beacon it. Most probably creator wanted her to live for some more time and suffer more. Thus our lady was thrown out of her own house-giving place to Shalini.

With her two kids she started living in a small house at an age not exceeding thirty. Her health deteriorated. She was always hoping that her husband would change and she would have a new life. It is the hope that keeps one alive. Sometimes only hope materializes. By and large it disappoints. That is why the saying hope for the best but always be prepared for the worst too. She was hopeful that her husband would come back to her one day. She had no money at all. She was left with a silver plate weighing about a kg or so. A close relative of her who had studied up to matriculation was in a remote village where superstition and blind beliefs were deep rooted in the minds of people. Those villagers believe that black magic does wonders. Being in their company this urban lady had also become one among them. Our lady parted the only silver plate she had for performing black magic etc. with hope that all her difficulties would be over and her husband would come back from clutches of Shalini. Nothing happened except losing the valuable silver plate. She spent rest of the days scolding Shalini and her husband with Tom Dick and Harry. She was almost mad. Mental agony that she had undergone cannot be described at all. The thought that if I had completed my education I could have been a teacher at least might have entered her mind several times. She used to receive from that husband food grains and vegetables. Just like one who receives ration from a fair price shop. Years passed her position did not improve. Her husband did not change. She worked as a housemaid in one of her relatives’ house where also she met with inhuman treatment also. She never enjoyed life. Her life was full of woes only.

Are some people born to suffer only? I met her after a long time. One would not remain as they were through out. Many factors affect one's appearance. She had grown so thin that she resembled a skeleton. I could not recognize her. She was nearing sixty. There was a little change in her behavior. She went and told everybody in the vicinity that I have come from her native place. Her hospitality had no bounds. She was innocent and affectionate as before. Tears rolled over my eyes. Thereafter I could not meet her. One fine morning . I came to know that she had breathed her last. Nobody wept for her. She was relieved of all hardships. May her soul rest in peace. Every story has an end.