Chapter III
After climbing up on the hilly road of Central jail, he reached near a bridge. While a policeman, who is one-third of a person's height, was regulating the traffic, George stood near the sidewalk and observed that Thiruvananthapuram city has not that much changed in six or seven months. In the evening sun, the white portion of the Methan Mani bell tower clock shined. The crow sitting in the edge of the tower clock was seen flying towards the sky, marking the significance of the liberation George has attained.
"Do you have a matchbox, bro?", a short man with a cigarette in his mouth asked George. He gave him the matchbox.
He lighted one matchstick and while touching that speck of flame to the mouth of the cigarette, a strong wind came for a moment, which blew it out and gone. That man looked at George, smiled indifferently and started to light the second matchstick. This time he did it carefully and returned the matchbox to George.
He asked for a matchbox! Very casually he lit the cigarette and left like nothing happened! Similarly, seven months ago, I kindled only one matchstick…
Don't George, never let those painful memories touch you! We came up with the decision to throw away the past life, like tearing up an old newspaper into pieces. Then what?
Okay. Jaya?
She too. She was also a part of his past life. The part that must be forgotten.
When he knew the news that she got married, the relationship between him and her remained in his dreams only. He lamented day and night for a whole week in jail, wandered around like a crazy dog without food, water and sleep. Is that not enough? " Hey man! Do you have no intention of going out free? Are you going to die in this prison itself?", the other prisoners mocked at him. George was exhausted. It's all done and dusted. Then what?
"Jaya is now only in my dreams, I'm in no way related to her today ", he said to himself, but his foot disobeyed his mind. It dragged him to the busy market side.
When he was a laborer in the industrial area, she was a food vendor, seven months back.
He would gently tap those delicate, soft, and young hands with trembling fingers whenever she provided the left out of the meal after her sales.
"You see, I have only glass bangles, you are going to town often, Why can't you purchase me some covering bangles at least?", one day she whimpered.
"Yeah! I'll buy it. Give me your bangle for size", he tried to take off her bangle. "How can I give you the one I wear", she said and took one white card from her handbag and with a pencil from his pocket she drew the bangle size on it. She gave that card to him. "I'll surely buy this for you when I go to town next time", he convinced her. It was just like that all this had happened yesterday in his mind as fresh as it is.
That was the last time he saw her.
He arrived at the market to buy bangles. While drinking tea in one of the tea shops, then was when he was caught.
George knew well that it was a CID coming in civil dress from a distance. He immediately plugged his purse on the roof of the tea shop. But that's not a robbed purse. He wondered many times in prison why he has hidden it.
"I want to inquire about something with you, come", CID said in a very rough tone. He understood that he was trapped.
After that, he could not come out or the Police didn't permit him to come out.
What if the purse that he has hidden on the roof of the tea shop was still there even after seven months? Everyone will laugh at me, if I say this. May be an illusion he thought.
George took left and walked towards the Imperial hotel. When he went near the junction leading to the park station, he realized that it was wrong to think that Thiruvananthapuram had not changed.
The road was split in to two to construct a subway. The shops that were outside the market were now not there. With little confidence guiding him, he crossed the road and went to the opposite side.
That tea shop was not there. I can no longer find that red plastic purse that I had hidden on the roof of that tea shop. Inside that was the card she had marked, hopes and dreams were also gone.
" Buy a pen sir, one rupee only", some vendor repeatedly annoyed him. George slightly moved away from him. He entered the market through a narrow way that was near the compound. Oh, God! How many shoe stores, Clothing stores, plastic, jewelry stores are here! That’s when he noticed that many of those shops once outside the market were now occupying here.
George paused and looked around. There were three to four tea shops. He didn't know how to figure out that specific tea shop, in which he had only spent a matter of minutes. He got confused and explored each shop. But there is no need to spend more time than a few seconds. That is him! That single-handed man the only identification he remembered. Due to stroke, his left hand became like a dry sapling in the sun. Even though he does the work with ease professionally.
He went towards that shop.
"Single tea?", when he asked George, the vapor that came from the boiler covered his face. As the vapor vanished, he realized that he was as young as he was months back. But George knew he could not maintain such a happy expression throughout, like that man.
"Yeah proceed". He had some money with him which he earned as wages in the prison.
How to ask about his filthy purse? He was embarrassed at first. By this time more than half of the glass of tea was over with this confusion.
"Hello, bro! I have to know about something", at last George asked.
" What is it sir?"
"Seven or eight months back, I had a tea in your shop. That time, I left a purse on this roof. While shifting the shop...Did you…"
"Oh! Is that yours? I got it while shifting the shop", he chuckled and said.
"Is it there? Really?" George could not believe it.
"Oh! Have you remembered the thing now only after seven or eight months?"
"That...I went to my village... Just got a chance to come again to City…Then... Do you have that purse?"
"Yeah! It's there in my house!"
"You kept it without throwing?"
"There was a hundred rupee note in it. Why do we need someone's money? So, I controlled myself.
" Other than the note…"
"There was a card and some round like figure drawn on it"
"Yeah! Exactly. Where is your house?" George asked eagerly.
"I will close the shop at nine. Come with me. Either you can stay here, or you can go somewhere and come back."
"Where am I going to go?" George said and sat on a stool that was in front of the shop. It seemed to him that the true love between Shirly and him was protecting that card.
He stayed there patiently. By that time, he gets to know that the tea shop owner's name was Kannan and he was recently married.
"This is my house", Kannan opened the doors of the last hut in that street.
Between the Central and Market, there were a row of huts present on the banks of the sewer drain. Slightly farther away, a four-storey building was constructed by the Slum Clearance Board. The blue board indicating its plan ,was fixed just outside Kannan’s house. George saw that there were no streetlights in any of the streets except for the moon light showing here and there between the moving dark clouds. In the opposite side, there was a primary school.
There was no one in the hut. There were only two old trunk boxes in a corner. Kannan opened one of them with much strain as he was using only one hand. The creach creach noise which came when he opened that old trunk box irritated George.
"Is it this?" he gave that plastic purse to George. Then, "Where did she go? Jaya? Jaya? he yelled.
"Jaya?" It was only when Kannan said "Yes. Jaya - my wife. I called her!" The heart beats of George reached the nth level.
She came from outside. It was her- Jaya.
It was heard that she was already married. Although, He did not expect to meet her so close, so soon. Also, He did not know what to say or speak to her in that situation.
But that struggle does not seem to be with her, and she was perfectly normal.
George even thought at first that she didn't recognize him. But, what else could that mean that surprise that flashed in her eyes for an instant.
"Don't you tell in advance that there is a guest?" she pinned him.
"Okay. Go and buy some fritters at least!"
"Okay!", Kannan left.
George thought ' I'm a fool'. How will she express herself in front of her husband? Now, he has gone outside. So…
She would fly towards him like a love bird who was missing her mate for a long time, lean on his chest, put her hands around his neck, her eyes and lips would alternately moisten his chest, he thought that would happen and for that he felt of replying, "Look Jaya, Now you are married. Our past is past” and would wipe her tears and console her.
But in reality, nothing happened. She kept her busy with making broomsticks; Stitching her torn saree with the help of a needle; intentionally called the next-door little girl and combed her hair; poured kerosene into the chimney lamp.
Didn't look at him, didn't speak to him. She didn't even show a single sign that she knows him.
When standing shocked, his plastic purse fell down opening wide. The card inside fell on the floor. She took it in her hand." Jaya! Do you remember this? You gave this as a sample for bangle size", he asked her in a begging voice.
Still, she said nothing.
He was afraid that his heart might explode if he stared her for a second more. He came outside.
Kannan who was coming with a parcel in his hand asked, "Why are you in a hurry to leave? Let's eat and go, come, sir!"
"No, thanks! My stomach is not good. I'll go and lay there", George just walked towards the porch of the school opposite.
He lied on the cold cement floor with one of his hands bend and supporting his head as a pillow.
But he could not sleep. The crescent was moving fast. There were number of stars in the sky. The stench of the sewage in the air made his sleep very uncomfortable. The golden times when she cuddled and hugged him in the past, all this and more, he compared with the present pains he is experiencing. He thought that life in prison was far better than these sufferings. When he was grieving, he realized that someone was coming and lying very close to him. That exotic fragrance and warm breath revealed who that is.
