by Vani Viswanathan
[box]Asha, Ranjeet and Rangamma are each lost in thought about different things. Asha and Ranjeet wonder about whether they have a future together, while Rangamma is more worried about life in the immediate future. What’s going on in their minds, and what happens when Rangamma gets a chance to meet Asha and Ranjeet? Vani Viswanathan has woven a tale for you… [/box]Ranjeet
Asha and Ranjeet kicked their slippers off and sat down. Ranjeet squirmed. The sand was still hot, and he could feel the heat on his backside through his pants. Cursing the city’s weather – it was, after all, half past six, and it wasn’t supposed to be hot anymore – he shifted uncomfortably to get used to the heat. Asha was, as she was often wont to do, hugging her knees and resting her chin on them, looking dreamily at the waves.
Ranjeet looked straight ahead at the waves too, wondering how on earth their relationship was going to be worked out. Asha was just out of college, and he, having graduated a year back, had a simple job which gave him just enough to get by in his parents’ house with some money to spare. Asha was already being forced to get married by her parents, and that meant she would have to soon break the news about them to her parents. Ranjeet wondered how he could convince Asha’s parents that with the ten thousand he earned each month, he’d be able to keep her happy. Asha was a girl of simple needs and wants, yes, but when you’re married, things are different.
He pondered on to think of what he needed to make this work. He put his hands on his head and stretched lazily. He needed a better (and stable, he added) source of income, something where he had some opportunity to grow. He had to move out of his parents’ house, which meant he would have to pay rent. And Asha was not a very smart girl (though she was extremely nice, he made an additional mental note) – even if she did find a job, she wouldn’t earn much. And secretly, he wanted her to stay at home – he wanted to treat her like a princess, and not make the domestic situation so bad that she had to work to keep the household going.
He sighed loudly. He had to find a way out.
Asha
Asha loved it whenever Ranjeet brought her to the beach. She knew it was because he didn’t have the money to take her to those fancy multiplexes or bowling alleys, but she didn’t mind it – the sound of the waves, the soft sand, picking shells, and just having Ranjeet beside her, sitting quiet, lost in his thoughts, simply made it a wonderful outing. And of course, the sundal, the candyfloss and the ice cream. She chuckled to herself – here she was, sitting at the beach, thinking – of all things – of food. She was a glut at the end of the day, she shamelessly admitted to herself, but she had more pressing things to think about at the moment -that cousin of hers, for instance, who her father, mother and maternal uncle were pressing her to marry. The boy was no close relative, but the very fact of marrying someone related was disgusting to her. That was besides the fact that the boy was not – and nowhere close to – Ranjeet.
She had every hope that when she eventually introduced Ranjeet to her parents, they’d accept him. Why, everything was perfect about him – he was gentle, caring, loved her, was responsible, and she was sure he would be very respectful to her parents. The only glitch was that he worked as an assistant in an internet centre – while the cousin in question had his own telephone/photocopying shop. They had to get around this. She looked at him. He had a look of mild concern on his face. Probably thinking of the way forward, too.
She sighed contentedly, happy with the thought that Ranjeet even cared.
Rangamma
Rangamma’s evening was not going well. It was half past six and there were not enough love-struck couples or college students willing to pay her a ten to hear her tell their fortune and giggle away.
Rangamma was no established fortune teller. Only point to her credit that put her ahead of the rest who had joined the bandwagon in recent years was that she had discovered this route to making money earlier. In the 80s, to be precise, when there were still quite a few genuine ones around.
But that’s not to say Rangamma was not talented. She could study people well, and based on a very quick situation analysis and some calculated guesses, could more or less predict the current mental state of her customer with accuracy. And this, was extremely helpful – more often than not, she came across as quite genuine. But somehow, things weren’t working well today; she had not had a single customer. She walked on, determined, wiping her forehead with the loose end of her checked saree, keeping her eyes peeled for any potentials.
Asha, Ranjeet and Jakkamma
Asha and Ranjeet were both brought out of their reverie by an old woman wearing a checked saree, with a large round red dot on her forehead, two diamond-studded, shining nose studs and a wire basket in her hand.
‘Kuri pakareengala?’ she asked. Would you like to know of your future?
Asha and Ranjeet looked at each other. A second later, Ranjeet waved her off. ‘No need, thank you,’ he said, and just that moment, Asha put her hand on Ranjeet’s.
Ranjeet sighed and said ok – harmless fun, something he could afford.
The old lady smiled, sat down, and took the money. Ranjeet was nonplussed that she asked for the money first, but gave it without a word. Asha smiled and put out her hand. Rangamma held it, took out a black stick out of her wire basket, and held it to her forehead, muttering prayers for a few seconds, and then cleared her throat to begin. Asha was excited. Ranjeet looked on with numb curiosity.
‘I will tell you what Jakkamma says,’ Rangamma began with a flourish, referring to the female deity her creed of fortune tellers sought for their fortunetelling powers. ‘…and you tell me if these are correct. You two are deep in love…’
Ranjeet rolled his eyes. Such gibberish! Asha was completely immersed in the old lady’s words, though. She was even faintly blushing. It was a while before he zoned back in to hear what the lady was saying. She had now gone beyond basic questions and was foretelling the future.
‘… but Jakkamma senses uncertainty in you. You don’t know how things are going to go, and that worries you incessantly.’
Asha nodded; her appreciation of this woman’s talent was growing steadily.
‘Jakkamma wants to warn you. Be careful, young lady, for what you perceive as pure could be adulterated. People you trust could stab you behind your back.’
Asha’s eyes grew wide with fear. Ranjeet had a strong urge to just pull Asha out of this place and run away. Rangamma, meanwhile, continued, in full flow.
‘What you want most will not come to you that easily. You have to work hard to get it, and Jakkamma warns you that this process will not be easy. And at the end of it, you may even wonder if all your efforts were worth the trouble.’
Asha, by now, was close to tears. This was not going well at all. Everything the old lady said seemed to indicate that it was very unlikely she and Ranjeet had any future.
Ranjeet, too, felt it had gone too far. He took out another ten rupee note and gave it to the old lady, telling her ‘That’s enough, get going now.’
Rangamma wouldn’t go. She gripped the young girl’s hand harder, her voice grew to a feverish pitch and she looked up and down as if she had no control over herself. ‘Pay heed to what Jakkamma says, pretty lady,’ she said breathlessly, ‘… for dark portents lay ahead. She warns you again, trust no one but God..’
Ranjeet yanked Asha’s hand away from the old lady and pulled Asha to her feet. Asha looked stunned, her cheeks wet with tears. He began to walk away from the scene, dragging Asha along.
Asha was perplexed. Ranjeet was dragging her and she didn’t know whether to simply let herself be led by him. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if Jakkamma could indeed be right, and if she was committing a grave mistake trusting this man who barely earned enough.
Rangamma stood up, dusting the sand off her saree. She turned and began to walk the other way, chuckling to herself. That was some entertainment. And she’d earned double what she usually earned with ten minutes of spinning tales. Jakkamma, she muttered, putting the two soiled ten rupee notes in her drawstring purse.
Pic : aussiegall – http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/
abhijeetrane – http://www.flickr.com/photos/abhijeetrane/
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