On a Rainy day - A Preview

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On a Rainy day



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On a Rainy day

Asha Annie



NotionPress5 Muthu Kalathy Street, Triplicane, Chennai - 600005

First Published by NotionPress

Copyright © Asha Annie 2013

All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 978-93-82447-65-8

This book is sold subject to condition that it shall not by way

of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold or hired out, circulatedand no reproduction in any form, in whole or in part (except

for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews) may be made

without written permission of the publishers.

This book has been published in good faith that the work of

the author is original. All efforts have been taken to make

the material error-free. However, the author and the publisher

disclaim the responsibility for any inadvertent errors.



Dedicated to My dearest Father.



Acknowledgement

I am grateful to my daughter, Aastha, the source of my energy and my mother, the pillar of my life.

Thank you Satish for your unconditional support all thetime.

Thank you Neelkanth Sir and Sunny uncle.

How can I forget my friends and colleagues – A bigthank you to all.



K

11

“I need a change!!!” Neha screamed and thenlooked down from her terrace to see if anybody

at home heard her. But as it was a busy evening with

lots of noise, it was unlikely they heard. She was sittingon the terrace of their 2-bedroom house. Though it wasan old house, it was in the central place of Solapur.

Her Baba, Mr. Waykar, came to Solapur some 20 years ago, after he was married to her mother, Shalini.He thought he would start his own garage here. Hehad his ancestral house and field, but he also wantedto start his own garage. As soon as he got married,he came to Solapur with Shalini. At that time, hepurchased their house at a very low price. He says hebought it for some one and a half lakh rupees.

There were very few automobiles back then, but hestarted his garage on the highway, and his businessprospered as the days passed by. As it was on thehighway, there were always big vehicles at his garage

for repair, and then, as years passed, Solapur turnedinto a happening city with industries, factories, colleges,etc. Baba, as Mr. Waykar was popularly known as,flourished, and though he could not be rated as a richman, he was quite well to do with a two-bedroomindependent house, his own garage, and two acres of land in his village and ancestral house, Wada .

Baba was blessed with two daughters; Chaaya andNeha. Chaaya was the elder one. She was not interested

in studies. She passed her 12th and then opted to stay at home helping her mother. She was an introvert andengaged herself in household chores. She talked very little, and whatever she did, it was done very gently.She was teased by others that, when she walked, she



walked as if her steps would not hurt the ground or

her footwear. People teased that, when she spoke, shespoke so softly, as if her voice would not hurt her throator the air. When she swept, they teased her that shedid so as if the broom and floor should not be hurt. Shealways remained silent. She was a beautiful girl withbeautiful features; the best of her features were heralmond eyes. Those eyes always seemed to be talkingand surprising. Nobody ever knew what she wanted,

and she never said or complained about anything. Shealways seemed to be content. She was a timid humanbeing, unaware of the world, shut in her own housethinking that was the only world for her. She was very fond of television, and so after finishing her chores,she would spend hours in front of the TV until Babareturned home from work.

Baba was a very strict father, and he didn’t allow hisdaughters to go anywhere or mingle with people. They never went out, and if they did, it was only with him.Though he resided in the city for so many years, histraditional and conservative thoughts did not change atall. In the beginning, he was very adamant that Shalinikeep the pallu on her head whenever she stepped outof the house or when anybody visited their house. Afterhis daughters started going to school, and after he sawthat none of the ladies nowadays kept pallu, he allowedher to uncover her head. He didn’t allow his daughtersto speak or laugh aloud. They were never to leave theirhair open; it should be tied up or plaited. He said girls

were always watched by people, and if they found any flaws in them, then nobody would want to marry them.

He was even afraid of his family’s reputation.Shalini, his wife, was from a small village, and soshe backed her husband. She was a humble lady, butsometimes, she felt her daughters really needed somefresh air. They were not allowed to sit with him onthe sofa as he thought it showed disrespect for themaster of the house. He always considered himself as

2 On a Rainy day



the master of the house and, in turn, master of his wife

and daughters. Ladies always had to sit down accordingto him. They never had food along with him. The malemembers ate first, and only after that were femalesallowed to eat.

Sometimes, he behaved as if being a female wasa curse. Shalini knew that her husband loved theirdaughters very much, and he was working hard tomake money so that he could arrange their marriages

in a nice manner. She knew that he was afraid of social status and that was the reason why he kept hisdaughters under control. She knew he worked day andnight in the garage and went to the village to look afterthe fields once a month; he worked hard to keep hisfamily well fed and well clothed. All this was true, butshe would sigh, thinking why he should behave as if

he was the owner and they all were his servants. Yet,she and Chaaya accepted all this wholeheartedly. They never raised their voice, they mutely accepted whatever

was given to them, whatever was told to them.Neha was entirely different. She was today’s girl.

She had a thirst to prove herself. She had clear goalsset that she wanted to achieve. She always chattered,laughed, and lived merrily. She was afraid of her Baba,but she knew she was the only person in her home

who could talk to him eye to eye without any fear. Sheslowly changed the rule of sitting down. Instead, talkingto her Baba sweetly, she started sitting on the sofa, andeventually, all were allowed to sit on it. Neha knew thatBaba, though very conservative, had changed a lot andadapted to changes like this.

Sitting on the terrace, she stared at the sky. “Oh God, when will I be free from this jail? Deedi and Ma are alright, but I am not. I have so many things to achieve. I have to complete my examinations, prepare for my entrance; I want to learn to drive, join a dance class, enjoy with my friends, and travel to explore places, but nothing is allowed here. I wish, at least,

Asha Annie 3



Baba allowed me to do my MBBS. I would sacrifice all

other things in return for this goal.” She thought abouther friend Smitha, how she was like a free bird, alwaysroaming here and there, nobody to ask or restrict her

with limitations. She thought of why her life was likeit was. As she grew, she could not accept or adapt tothe way of their living. By the time she was in eighthstandard, she literally hated to be at home, especially

when her Baba was around. She would sneak out to

the terrace, saying she was studying. Here, she wouldsit for hours, dreaming and planning. She believed that,one day, she would fulfill all her ambitions.

““Baba saheb, ” the advocate said, “you and wahnisaheb have to come down to the village at least once because he needs your signature on some papers.” Baba was in deep thought when he heard Madhu, the

caretaker of his fields, say this. There was some disputegoing on, and the case was about to be closed asthey had won, but for the formalities, he would haveto take his wife along with him as her signature wasalso required. Until now, he travelled alone so that hisdaughters were not left behind alone, though he wasalways worried to leave the three ladies and go.

But this time, he would have to take his wife along with him, and he could not even imagine how he wouldleave his daughters and go. He had an idea of takingthem to the village also, but Neha said she had her classexam, and she could not miss that. Baba really wasin a fix. At last, with a heavy heart, he decided to go

with Shalini, and Chaaya would accompany Neha to thecollege. Until her exam was over, she would wait for

Neha in the ladies room, and they both would returnhome together, bolt the door, and would not open itto anyone unless their parents came back. He thoughtthat both of them would not remain alone for a singlemoment. Anyhow, it was just a matter of a day, and sohe was relieved somewhat.

4 On a Rainy day



Both of them nodded their heads and agreed to his

proposal. Neha was overjoyed to hear this, because the whole day, from dawn to dusk, they would be on theirown without their father. Neha felt somewhat guilty to think like this, but then she changed her thoughtsafter realizing Baba always dominated them to theextent that even breathing freely seemed difficult. Andit would be such a wonderful thing to be on their own,though only for a day.

“So beta tomorrow morning at around five, we will leave. As I said, you go with Neha for her exam, and after coming back, just bolt the door until we come back at night.”

“Yes, Baba.” “And Neha, I know you are happy that we will not

be here for the whole day, but mind you, don’t run

yourself into trouble. Come back from your college and study for your exams. Don’t forget that your parents are going reluctantly and with a heavy heart.”

“Yes Baba, don’t be tensed. We will be fine and we will do as you say. Please don’t worry.”

“Hmmm. Shalini, tomorrow by 5 a.m. we have to leave, ok?”

With a worrisome face, Baba and his wife setfor Navegaon, their village, early in the morning. Heassured his daughters that they would be back by evening. Their mother looked at them and nodded, asif asking them to take care. She too was a bit tensedbecause she knew how impulsive Neha was. Neither

were worried at all about Chaaya, because they knewshe would not do anything, but Neha was a different

character. Her mother knew very well that Neha wouldnot miss a chance and that she was craving for freedom.She could not blame her daughter, but then she couldnot cross her husband’s words as well. They both setoff, and Chaaya and Neha waved them goodbye andclosed the door.

Neha jumped with joy and Chaaya smiled sweetly.

Asha Annie 5



“Arey, Neha, are you gone mad, why are you

jumping on the sofa like this?” “Deedi, I am so happy today. For at least one day,

we go without his domination.” “Neha, don’t say it like that, he is our father.” “Yes, deedi, but he has restricted us from everything.

When he is around, I feel like I am in a prison. I too love him, deedi, but I am really happy for this freedom and I want to enjoy it to the fullest.”

“Enjoy, Neha? You forgot you have your exam today. What time do we have to leave?”

“Deedi, well my dear deedi - I don’t have any exam today.. Deedi, I am sorry, but I lied. If I didn’t say this,Baba would have taken us along and we would miss this freedom.”

“But chotti, how did you lie like this?”

“Now, deedi, leave it, don’t waste time. This entire day is ours, nobody to hold us back or stop us. So, let us decide what we will do, ” she said, smilingly.

“What do you mean, chotti?” “Deedi, let us go somewhere and enjoy our

freedom.” “No, no, chotti. I am not in this. I will spend my day,

as usual, at home. I don’t want to hear Baba’s scolding if ever he comes to know. Spare me from this.”

“Deedi!!! Now don’t moan like a child. You will never get another chance like this. I will be there. Trust me, nothing will happen. We will come back before evening and again live our boring lives.”

“But chotti.” “No buts, my dear deedi. Come on, let us get ready

and go. We will not go far away. We are just going out for some fresh and free air, what is the problem in that?”

“You are right, chotti, but like this, without Baba’s permission? What if he comes to know?”

6 On a Rainy day



“How would he come to know, deedi? Anyhow, he

knows we will be going to college na, so let that be as it is. Now, you get ready and we will go.”

“Are you sure, chotti?” “Of course, deedi. Don’t you feel like roaming

freely?” “Yes, I do, but I am afraid.” “Don’t worry, nothing is going to happen. Let us go.” Unwillingly, Chaaya agreed, because deep in her

heart, she too wanted to go out and be free for alittle while. They both got ready and, before leavingthe house, closed all the windows and switched off allthe lights and fans. Neha unplugged the telephone wire,

just in case Baba called, which she was sure he woulddo. They could say the phone was dead, which wasa common problem anyhow. While locking the door,

Neha remembered something and again unlocked thedoor, went inside to her father’s room, and found hisscooter keys. Chaaya was surprised and looked at her,raising her eyebrows.

Understanding her question, Neha said, “Deedi,sometimes in college, I skip my lectures and practice riding on Smitha’s bike.

“Really, chotti, you are impossible. From where did you get so much courage to do such things?”

“Now, deedi, if Baba doesn’t allow me to do it, what shall I do? I don’t like and don’t want to pack myself within the four walls like you. I want to explore the world, learn all sorts of things.”

Saying so, Neha locked the door, popped the keys inher bag, and they set out to enjoy their freedom. Once

they were in the compound, they went to the backyardshed where the scooter was kept. Neha took the scooterfrom the stand and pushed it out of the gate. Chaayalocked the gate and went to Neha. Surprised, she

watched her sister start the scooter with just a singlekick. Hesitatingly, Chaaya sat on the backseat of thescooter and off they went.

Asha Annie 7



Surprisingly and luckily, nobody saw them go as it

was a busy time in the morning. All the men were outat work, children at school, and ladies busy in theirchores. They were a bit afraid to cross their garage, butagain to their luck, nobody could be seen outside thegarage. They were relieved.

They were very much excited about their freedom.They had some money saved, which they could use tobuy themselves a little food and maybe a bottle of cold

drink after filling the petrol tank. After filling in thepetrol, Neha headed towards the Pune highway. Chaaya

was a bit tensed to see chotti riding on roads wherethere were only heavy vehicles. But Neha, at ease, wenton riding. Soon, they saw a small park and decided tosit in it for a while watching the trees and birds. By noon, they were somewhat tired and thirsty, so they

decided to ride back as they had crossed quite a longdistance. Returning back, they stopped at a roadsidedhaba to have their lunch and ordered for aloo paratha and a glass of lassi .

Both were unaware that the clouds had gathered up.They enjoyed their lunch, eaten freely for the first time

without their father’s gaze on them. They heard thethunder, but took no notice of it. They never noticedthat it was a roadside dhaba with many truck driversstopping there to have lunch, drink beer, light a beedi ,or take rest. All stared at these girls, who seemed totake no notice of their surroundings but giggled and atemerrily; one of them who was timid and shy, the otherbrave and bold. As they had their lassi , they felt theraindrops on their skin. Both looked at each other first

and then looked up and saw heavy raindrops pouringdown.

It was already 2 o’clock, and they had come very far from their home. They did not have any time to

waste, so they got up and paid their bill, and for thefirst time, they noticed their surroundings. There weremany men, mainly truck drivers and cleaners, all staring

8 On a Rainy day



at them. They were totally drenched by now. Neha had

a thought of waiting until the rain faded away, butChaaya insisted on moving from that place because shecould smell some unhealthy intentions there. So they started the scooter and went off.

The roads were full of water. They could not seeahead due to heavy rains. Chaaya started praying toreach home safely, in between sobbing and blamingherself for coming out like this. They should have

anticipated this and stayed at home, instead of gettingsoaked in this heavy rain.

Neha, though a bit tense, enjoyed the rain and theride. She stayed calm. By now, they were crossing busy streets and saw that shops were closing down. They

were witnessing such a heavy rain after many years. Allroads were flooded. Neha found it difficult to find her

way. She was assured they would reach home safely and in time because she could still see some scootersand bikes on the road trying to find their way. Shefollowed them, but when they came to the Saatrastachowk, all the vehicles turned down different routes.Their vehicle was the only one to head towards BijapurRoad.

Neha was anxious and Chaaya afraid. But Nehathought they had to go anyhow, and so she continuedahead. After a while, there was a sudden jerk and thescooter stopped. Not a single soul could be seen on theroad. They both got down from the scooter and Nehastarted to kick it, but all in vain. Chaaya ran her eyesaround to locate where they were at, and she was abit relieved to know that they were not very far from

their home. They had crossed the Lake Bridge, and nowthey were in front of the lake. The municipality peoplehad planted many saplings long before, which grew intotrees, and there were some statues of national leadersand freedom fighters. She knew it was just some twokilometers to their home.

Asha Annie 9



Neha, still fighting with the scooter, heard a scream

and turned around. She saw that a huge man with a bigmoustache and ugly beard had caught hold of her deedi and was dragging her behind a big statue of Jhansi KiRani. She was shocked frozen to see this, but withina second, she regained her consciousness, turned, andran, dragging the scooter with her. Be it her luck orher intensity, she banged the man with the scooter frombehind with such a force, he fell and hit his head on a

tree trunk. His eyes closed as he lay motionless.The scooter fell from her hands. She realized she

was shivering all over and took a moment or two tocontrol herself. She looked for her deedi . She saw thather deedi was sitting down in the mud and weeping,not bothered by her surroundings. She was too scaredto even look up.

Neha hesitatingly went over to the unconscious,prostrate man and took a close look. She was sure theman was dead. Literally dead. She did not hit the manso hard, but his head had fallen on the tree with force,and so he died. There was no time to waste. She wentto Chaaya, helped her to stand up, and pointed at theman. Chaaya was shocked, and it added to her fear.

Neha hushed her, asked her to be quiet. She said,“Deedi, if I had not done it, then that man would have torn you into pieces.”

Chaaya seemingly understood the situation. Shetried to hold back her tears and remained silent. They both took the scooter from the ground and pushed ittowards home.

10 On a Rainy day



K

22

Nobody was seen anywhere and the rain was stillpouring cats and dogs. They slowly pushed the

scooter towards their home, running their eyes around

to see if anybody was watching them. Once they reached the gate, Chaaya opened it and Neha took thescooter back to the shed. She cleaned the scooter dry and cleaned the floor.

They entered the house, and still, nobody wasanywhere to see them. It was 5 o’clock by then. They cleaned themselves and changed their clothes. Chaaya

was too quiet, she acted mechanically, but Neha tried toconvince her, calm her. She too was nervous, but there

was the relieving factor that nobody saw them at all.They dumped their damp clothes in the bathroom

behind the door. Chaaya, soon after bathing, went intothe drawing room, sat crouched on the divan, andswitched on the TV. Although, she was watching theTV, she seemed elsewhere. Neha went to the kitchen,

made strong tea for them, then went and sat besideher sister, handing her a cup of hot tea. She realizedthat the telephone was still out of the socket. She wentahead and plugged in the wire. As soon as she turned,the phone bell rang. Chaaya was startled, but Nehacoolly picked up the receiver. It was their Baba calling.

“Hello, Baba.” “Neha where were you? I called so many times, but

you didn’t pick up the phone. Where is Chaaya?” “Baba, the phone was dead, and here it is raining

cats and dogs. We came back in the afternoon.” “Were you wet then?” “Yes, Baba, we got somewhat wet.” “Where is deedi?”



“She is here; you want to talk to her?”

“No, it is alright. You both shut the door and sit.We will be back by eight or nine, ok? After we return,I will call out. Only open the door then.”

“Ok, Baba.” Neha calmly put down the receiver. Chaaya

wondered how chotti took things so easy. She hadliterally killed a man but still remained calm. But shethought, if it had not been like that, she would have

been raped by that huge ugly man. Just the thought of it gave her goose bumps and she started to shiver. Nehacame to her side at once, cradled her and said it wasalright, but Chaaya could no longer hold back her tears.She sobbed her heart out. Neha just held her, trying tosoothe her. She didn’t say anything. Chaaya soon fellasleep on the divan.

After about ten minutes, she could feel a cold touchon her forehead; she opened her eyes and saw thatNeha was still sitting beside her. She could not keepher eyes open for too long, she felt weak and feverish.She dozed off again.

By now, Neha was worried because Chaaya wasrunning a high fever. Her deedi was shivering. She

wrapped her with a blanket, turned off the fan, loweredthe TV volume, and sat beside her, patting her back andlooking at her now and then. She thought, ‘How brave am I? I should be given a bravery award for rescuing my deedi from being raped. Nobody will ever come to know how that man was killed and that it was not entirely my doing. He went and banged his head onto that tree, what could I do?’ She tried to defend herself

particularly to no one but herself. She decided it wouldbe a long lasting secret that only they shared. Chaaya

was very timid, but she would not reveal the secret toanyone, Neha was sure of that. But then she thought,‘well somewhat sure.’

Apart from that incident, today was a perfect day.She loved the freedom, enjoyed the lunch and the drive,

12 On a Rainy day



On a Rainy day

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