Part II WHO KNOWSA Story by Ananya A woman's journey through memories Though it is a silly thing....but if everyone laughs at you, won't you cry as well? And I was young then.... And now? Now....dresses are getting shorter.... Pleated braids getting longer.... My uncle instructed mom," Get some cloth and sew a proper shalwar kurta for her. Her knees show in frocks." Mom did that. Plus a two and half meter long dupatta !!!! My brother danced around me, clapping hands and singing... One feet high is little pony Two feet long is the tail..... " Not fair...Maduri is still so young and you have wrapped her up like that?" " What do you know? A girl in our town was of same age when she eloped with a muslim boy" " He must have kidnapped her. You hear such stories everyday" She stood up with her hands on her hips, ready to battle it out, " You think Hindu's are better? I can tell you same stories about them by dozens" " OH please, shut up. We are talking about taking care of a growing up girl, not discussing Hindu Muslim" " Why not a talk about caring for growing up boys?" " Ask their parents, ok? Now shut up. So, what happened to that girl?" The story resumed," What could have happened? Disgraced publicly....Nobody wants to associate with them now," " Rightly so...couldn't she find anyone good in all the Brahmins, Kshatriyas or vaishyas?" "Gramma, gramma," Kids came rushing back," Uncle aunt are going out again." My son and daughterIn Law are working hard...Court, Lawyers, stamp papers...what not... Elder one had insisted that I accompany them... "Amma, please come with us. Younger one is not coming but sending only his kids with us. And, anyways, you know these things better. Whoever we sell it to, you might be able to bring about a better bargain." " Yes, gramma, yes,please"...Kids have pleaded along Future, present, past.... Childhood, youth and old-age... Dark corridors and court lobby all together... No, I am not talking about you. Why would you stay with me? Even our lanes are not same. Yours must be the one on the back... Must be...matters none to me. You too, don't know about my bungalow..no? Everyone thinks so... But I know that you know... How? One day, when I was walking home from school, you too were walking behind me, talking to your friend. Perhaps you were going to the football stadium, there could be no other reason. And when I ran inside the gates of my home, you must have noticed...not me, but my home. Why would you look at me? You are a good boy. Topper in class.. And I too did not look at you. I am a good girl too. We shouldn't notice each other...we didn't. My aunts were talking about the daughters of a relative," All of them are so fashionable ...Always wearing make-up...powder-Bindi kaajal. Smiling and laughing at everyone. They are going to disgrace their parents one day, you note it down. Why should girls stand on windows and look at who is going or coming?" Scared, I closed my eyes tight, so that I won't see you. But what could I do at stationary-shop... I had gone to buy a chart-paper. Counted money and as I was giving it, there you were, in the glass showcases ...one two three....tens of you...asking the shopkeeper for a geometry box. I saw very well...I mean, just by chance I saw you. You were smiling, not at me but while talking to the shopkeeper . I couldn't think what to do so I ran away. But all the way I felt like you were smiling, looking at my long braids dancing on my back... It felt good that you did not see me face to face.... You too, must have heard from one of your aunts " Look at that woman's son !! He always wears tight pants, always seen combing his hair, whistling on roads. Failed thrice in twelfth standard...Now thats how he studies..Romeo...So young yet using imported scent and roaming around. Good boys keep busy in studies...no time to know which girl lives in which street." And thats perfectly right. I only said about my bungalow because its the largest in the lane and every passerby looks at it and says ," Poor Shukla ji, he made this house with such love but passed away within months of moving in here...leaving behind a young family.." Our life was going on...living with the families of my uncles... To be CONT......
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