BAIKENAMA3

                                 

BY

SHRIDHAR    TILVE

TRNSLATED

BY

PRIYANVADA NARVEKAR-PARKAR

CHAPTER 3 :ABSENTING BIKE

When I reached, I saw a foreigner lady in my home.  My father told me that she is waiting for me. My mother was hesitant as she doesn’t know how to speak English. She became relived when she saw me. Lady was drinking a tea. Mother has offered me a tea when I went into the kitchen  

“Who is that lady?” I asked when I entered in

“She came from Canada” mother

“But why did she come?” I

“Better you ask to your father.” Mother

“Where is the father?” I

“He is taking a bath.” Mother

I came in the kitchen and had a tea. I felt fresh. House maid came for work.

“How many died?” she asked

“I didn’t go to count the dead people” I

She didn’t dare to ask further with this answer.  Father came. Surely he had finished half of the water in the tank. We were facing shortage of water in our Meera-Bhayender area. But still father uses plenty of water to take a bath. I realized that he left a less water for me to take a bath.

“When did you come?” Father asked in a fatherly tone.

“Just now I came” I said in irritation

“I was waiting for you” Father.

“Why?” I

“You have to speak with this lady” Father.

“Why?” I

“She came here to help the victims in the earthquake at Kilari. Someone in Borivali has suggested my name to her.” Father

I was surprised with this statement. It was quite surprising that someone has suggested my father’s name for such a good work.

“What kind of help she wants to do?” I

“She wants to provide clothes” Father

“Have you spoken about this?” I

“Do I speak English?” Father

“English is not necessary to talk” I

“Are you ready to speak with her?” Father

“No I am not.”

“Why did I admit you in the English medium school?”

I was quite.

“I thought son will speak excellent English.” Father

“I don’t know how to speak English.” I

“But you read English newspapers and magazines. How come it is possible?” Father

“I can read English but I can’t speak. That’s enough for me.” I

“I know what do you know and what you don’t. You want me to feel insulted. So you are pulling my legs.” Father

“Take it in your sense.” I (Consider whatever you wish)

My mother realized our growing tone. She doesn’t like disputes at home because father bursts his anger about me on her. She realized the situation and said,

“Why are you being so stubborn?  Tu hatt ka kartos. Speak to her for father’s sake.”

I surrender myself in front of mother. After a long drive whenever I suffer form back ache mother gives a good massage. Her healing touch comforts me. One day my knee was injured but without any hesitation Mother had taken a good care of it. In those couple of days father did not inquired about me. Mother never speaks much but her loving touch and caring eyes speaks a lot. But I am very outspoken. I speak to her what ever comes in my mind. My mother had having a good knowledge about music but her father was drunkard. He didn’t allow her to do a career in it. My parents’ marriage is love marriage. Before they got married my father told to my Mom that he will explore her talent in music. Mom was fed up with her drunkard father so she became very happy when they got married. But my father made her perfect housewife. Later she remained only housemother. She learned few Ragas after marriage. Later Father had refused to give money for her training. Then her enthusiasm automatically died. My sister said herself as feminist but she couldn’t do anything. Mom’s all the wishes were vanished when her daughter didn’t help her. My sister had never helped her in the kitchen. Naturally, mother has taken my help. She never told me to cut vegetables but she was helpless. She has suffered from arthritis. She doesn’t feel fit to do whole household work but she does it because she knows if she won’t does it father would take divorce. Father has his argument if she does any complaint, “You don’t have n-laws not even I have any sister who could trouble you. You are queen, I am king & we are living happily with our prince & princess. There are only four members in our family. Why do you do complains about it?  You have very less work compare to others.”

Recently he kept one housemaid for work when he realized that after household work she could sleep with him!! My father was bisexual but mother never made complain about it. She does complain when father tried to experiment the same thing on her. My father was totally freaked out about sex. My mother used to get tired. She was afraid about me. She thinks that even I will become bisexual. Several times she had discussed her worry with me. Each time I was tired to explain her that I don’t have any interest in male’s body.

I sat in front of foreign lady and outlined a helping programme for killaris and  that typical driving joy arose with satisfaction on my Mom's face.