Ganesh spent the entire afternoon listening to Kharade Saheb’s prattle and glancing through the office files. As anticipated, complete charge was not handed that day. Maybe it would take another day. And, if Kharade Saheb continued his prattle it may also take another two-three days. From his chatter Ganesh realised that Kharade Saheb wished to continue working in the same village as being nearer to his own village it was convenient for him to work here. Thereby he would also be able to look after his agriculture. From his chatter he also made out that the villagers had played a good role in his transfer and as such his talk, in general, reflected his displeasure with the village.
In the evening, returning to his room, all tired and spent, Ganesh thought that he would lie down for a while and only then go to Sarpanch’s in the night for dinner. He unlocked the room and entered it. He switched on the light. The light came on, but it was very dim. Hell, in a village there is always a problem with the electricity.
May be dim… but at least there is some light ..
Even that is more than enough.
Seeing his bed rolled out and got readied by the Sarpanch’s servant he felt relieved. While entering the room he had purposely avoided glancing at Madhurani’s provision store. Stepping into the room, he shut the front door and threw himself on the bed. He was lying silently on the bed. But though he was lying silently, his thoughts were not prepared to remain still. His body was tired but his mind was not ready to feel the tiredness. He began to think…. He had spent the whole day in accompanying the Sarpanch, looking into office work and listening to Kharade Saheb’s chatter. But there was not a single moment when he had not thought of Madhurani. She had refused to move away from his mind’s eye. Her ardent eyes and mischievous smile kept coming to him. Even now, the situation was no different. He tried to brush her away from his thoughts and in this attempt he turned and tossed. But would turning and tossing change his thoughts? He thought a smoke might calm him. He was used to smoking one or two cigarettes every day. Today, he had not smoked even one. But for having a smoke, he must go to the shop. Then, deciding to go, he suddenly got up.
How long could he avoid facing her?
Isn’t it always better to face a problem instead of running away from it?
He got up. Went to the bathroom. Took cool water from the earthen pot in the cup of his palm and washed his face. There was a brass round jar kept nearby. He took out water from the pot in the jar and poured it on his hands and feet. Then he returned and went to his bag. He opened the bag. A neatly folded towel was kept right on the top. He pulled it out. Wiped his face. As he wiped his face the aroma of the washing powder emanating from the towel soothed his mind. At least for a few moments he remembered his wife. He removed all clothes from the bag and looked at the bottom. At the bottom of the bag there was a family photo showing him with his wife and son.
One realises the importance of people only when one goes away from them...
The thought flashed in his mind. He once again neatly packed his bag. Now, standing, he began to wipe his hands and feet. After wiping them, he began to look around for a place where he could hang the towel to dry. On the wall, near the window he saw a hook. He hung the towel on the hook. While hanging the towel on the hook he peeped out of the adjacent open window. There was quite a crowd now in the shop. Maybe because it was the evening hour. Even on the platforms outside flocks of people sat, some of them smoked beedis, some were getting chillums ready, some were crushing tobacco and others merely sat chit-chatting. He went to the door and put on his slippers. Coming out he threw a glance at the shop. Several curious eyes from the platforms turned to him. He locked the door from outside and went near a group that sat outside the shop. He sat beside them, all alone. The group comprised young men of marriageable age. The young men were busy slyly throwing glances at the cash counter. Ganesh sat pretending as if he had not noticed them.
“Must pull her into the fields and churn her nakedness,” one from the group exclaimed. “Until all hindrance tear themselves open,” another added.
Then the whole group burst out laughing aloud.
“What rot! These youngsters of today…” Ganesh thought. He never knew when he got up and stood in front of the shop, before Madhurani.
Madhurani saw him and gave him a sweet smile. Even after managing the cash counter for the whole day there wasn’t a little tiredness either in her movement or in her gestures. She still looked fresh and pleasant like a blooming flower-bud.
“Yes, Sir, what can I give you?” she asked.
“Give me some Wills”
“Why some? Take the whole thing,” she commented and let out a frank laughter. Ganesh also joined her in the laughter.
“Hey, give one wheel,” she instructed the servant lad of the shop.
The lad was busy in serving one customer after another.
Means, he would take some more time….
Ganesh looked around. There were a few customers standing near him. Just next to him was a pretty child of 7 or 8, wearing soiled cotton frock that was darned at several places. She had lavishly applied oil to her hair and had tied her small pigtails with soiled red ribbons. She was holding a small glass bottle that had a string tied to its mouth.
“Tai… ground nut oil, one chhatak,” she said addressing Madhurani.
Madhurani could not hide her affection for her. She tweaked her cheek and said, “Just a moment, little one.”
“Youfru hafrave coframe afraffratfraerfra mafrenyfri daysfre,” even during her busy schedule Madhurani said something to the child.
“Ifra hafradfra gofronefra tofru mfrayfra ufranfracfralefra’sfri tofrawfrunfra,” the child answered her with a broad smile.
Enjoying their talk, Ganesh was listening to them gently smiling to himself. However, Ganesh couldn’t make out what they had said to each other.
“What is it?” Ganesh asked, his curiosity raised.
“Nothing… It is our special language,” Madhurani said naughtily and once again tweaked the child’s cheek. Possibly it was their code language. He remembered that his sisters used to talk similarly in his presence. When he asked them what they were saying, they would not reveal anything. He had tried hard but till the end, his sisters never let him into their secret language.
On the other side of the child was an old woman clad in a nine-yard sari. And next to her, stood a woman, who looked like a labourer wearing sari-like cotton attire. While looking around Ganesh’s glance fell on the sky above. It had become quite dark. Just then electric street lights on cement poles were put on. Ganesh noticed that many of those sitting on the platform raised at least one of their hands and did a revered namaskar.
Ganesh once again became introvert and got immersed in his thoughts. He realised that though he was standing before Madhurani and was not looking at her, yet the attraction in his mind for her seemed little satiated.
“Yes, take this, Sir”
Her melodious voice brought him to senses.
Seeing the cake of Wheel soap that she had kept on the wooden box before him, Ganesh could not help laughing. He began to laugh loudly.
“What happened?,” she too laughed and asked.
“Not wheel soap, I had asked for Wills cigarette.”
“Is that so? … Sir, here you can only get Bristol or Charminar… No one here smokes Wills or Wheel, whatever you call it,” she clarified.
“Then, give me Bristol. … and also a match box.”
“Hey, give Sir , one Bristol and a match box,” she instructed the servant.
She would tell him to bring an article and the servant would silently hear her. He neither said ‘yes’ nor ‘no’. But he paid full attention to her. Even now he heard her. But now he had taken the bottle from the child and had gone to pour oil in it.
“Hey, give him first. He is waiting from such a long time,” she interrupted. The servant threw a glance at her and holding the bottle in his hand he took out a packet of Bristol and a match box and gave it to Ganesh.
Complete novel - Honey - A story of a feminine power
Re: Complete novel - Honey - A story of a feminine power
Standing at the roadside corner, Ganesh began to deeply inhale his cigarette. He felt a little calmed. Near him, in darkness, a group of youngsters sat along the wall smoking and chatting. Taking advantage of the darkness they were lustily looking at Madhurani’s shop. Maybe, as it was dark here, they were not seen from over there. But as Ganesh was standing at the corner near them he was able to see them all.
“Hey Rama, give me a connection,” one of them held a fresh cigarette in his lips and said to another.
The other person pulled a burning cigarette from his mouth and gave it to him. The first person held the burning end of the cigarette to the end of his own unlit cigarette, took a couple of deep puffs and when his cigarette got lit, returned Rama’s cigarette.
Seeing the meaning of ‘connection’ Ganesh was amused.
Having drawn deep puffs, Ganesh exhausted his cigarette quite soon. He pulled out another one from the packet and lit it using the earlier cigarette. In other words, he gave her a ‘connection’. He smiled to himself.
Just then Ganesh heard someone quarrelling and shouting, “That bastard Gramsevak… “
“A mother f ***”
Someone was cursing Ganesh. He got scared. He was puzzled to hear someone cursing him loudly on his very first day. Maybe someone was abusing the former Gramsevak, he thought. And he looked at the direction from where the abuses were hurled.
They surely must be abuses for the former Gramsevak.
For, from today’s chatter, it did seem that the former Gramsevak was not getting on well with the villagers. It was dark ahead. Perhaps, beyond the by lane some one was quarrelling near the Sarpanch’s house.
“Sala, he has started his Ramayan,” Ganesh heard someone exclaim from the group of youngsters gathered nearby.
Even now choicest abuses continued to be hurled at the Gramsevak.
Ganesh thought.
Come … let me go and see what the problem is.
He began to walk in the direction from where abuses came..
Ganesh saw that a man, standing in the dark, was abusing Gramsevak. He went closer and was stunned by what he saw. The person was Sada. Sada, who had carried his luggage in the morning and led him to the Sarpanch’s house. He could not believe his eyes. From the manner in which Sada babbled and the stance he took it was evident that he was dead drunk. When he saw Ganesh he made him his target.
“Look… Here comes the Gramsevak… Don’t know what he thinks of himself.. a big Lord?.. Mother f *** asks me to carry luggage from the bus Stand! Mother f ***”
Seeing that he was being abused openly, at first, Ganesh was puzzled. He did not know how to react. Then he gathered himself. He began to get angry. The abuses were so pointed that his temper rose to full height. Provoked, he began to move towards Sada. He was in a hurry to hit him hard under his ears. As he moved towards Sada, he felt his body flaming with anger. His face turned red. Lips began to tremble and even hands and feet began to shake. By now he reached and stood before Sada. But there was no change in Sada’s behaviour. He continued to hurl loud abuses at him. He made up his mind that come what may, he would hit him hard. He was about to hit him hard under his ears when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned back and looked. It was Sarpanch.
“Ganeshrao .. come here.. this side.” Sarpanch, placed his hand on Ganesh’s shoulder and guided him a little away.
“Earlier .. when you told me in the morning that he had brought you to my house .. that time itself I had a grave doubt.”
“Why? What doubt?” Ganesh asked. He was thoroughly puzzled.
“This man.. Sada.. once he gets drunk he has no control on himself.. He does not understand what is going on around him .. he keeps abusing all those whom he had met in the day.”
“Seems a strange case” Ganesh said wiping the sweat that had gathered on his forehead. “Why don’t you do something about him?” he asked in anger.
“What are you talking Ganeshrao … You were the one to tell me in the morning that this man seemed very kind and helpful,” Sarpanch said trying to tease him.
“Yes, I did say that .. But I didn’t realise that he was this much kind and helpful,” Ganesh said trying to give a forced smile
“Hey Rama, give me a connection,” one of them held a fresh cigarette in his lips and said to another.
The other person pulled a burning cigarette from his mouth and gave it to him. The first person held the burning end of the cigarette to the end of his own unlit cigarette, took a couple of deep puffs and when his cigarette got lit, returned Rama’s cigarette.
Seeing the meaning of ‘connection’ Ganesh was amused.
Having drawn deep puffs, Ganesh exhausted his cigarette quite soon. He pulled out another one from the packet and lit it using the earlier cigarette. In other words, he gave her a ‘connection’. He smiled to himself.
Just then Ganesh heard someone quarrelling and shouting, “That bastard Gramsevak… “
“A mother f ***”
Someone was cursing Ganesh. He got scared. He was puzzled to hear someone cursing him loudly on his very first day. Maybe someone was abusing the former Gramsevak, he thought. And he looked at the direction from where the abuses were hurled.
They surely must be abuses for the former Gramsevak.
For, from today’s chatter, it did seem that the former Gramsevak was not getting on well with the villagers. It was dark ahead. Perhaps, beyond the by lane some one was quarrelling near the Sarpanch’s house.
“Sala, he has started his Ramayan,” Ganesh heard someone exclaim from the group of youngsters gathered nearby.
Even now choicest abuses continued to be hurled at the Gramsevak.
Ganesh thought.
Come … let me go and see what the problem is.
He began to walk in the direction from where abuses came..
Ganesh saw that a man, standing in the dark, was abusing Gramsevak. He went closer and was stunned by what he saw. The person was Sada. Sada, who had carried his luggage in the morning and led him to the Sarpanch’s house. He could not believe his eyes. From the manner in which Sada babbled and the stance he took it was evident that he was dead drunk. When he saw Ganesh he made him his target.
“Look… Here comes the Gramsevak… Don’t know what he thinks of himself.. a big Lord?.. Mother f *** asks me to carry luggage from the bus Stand! Mother f ***”
Seeing that he was being abused openly, at first, Ganesh was puzzled. He did not know how to react. Then he gathered himself. He began to get angry. The abuses were so pointed that his temper rose to full height. Provoked, he began to move towards Sada. He was in a hurry to hit him hard under his ears. As he moved towards Sada, he felt his body flaming with anger. His face turned red. Lips began to tremble and even hands and feet began to shake. By now he reached and stood before Sada. But there was no change in Sada’s behaviour. He continued to hurl loud abuses at him. He made up his mind that come what may, he would hit him hard. He was about to hit him hard under his ears when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned back and looked. It was Sarpanch.
“Ganeshrao .. come here.. this side.” Sarpanch, placed his hand on Ganesh’s shoulder and guided him a little away.
“Earlier .. when you told me in the morning that he had brought you to my house .. that time itself I had a grave doubt.”
“Why? What doubt?” Ganesh asked. He was thoroughly puzzled.
“This man.. Sada.. once he gets drunk he has no control on himself.. He does not understand what is going on around him .. he keeps abusing all those whom he had met in the day.”
“Seems a strange case” Ganesh said wiping the sweat that had gathered on his forehead. “Why don’t you do something about him?” he asked in anger.
“What are you talking Ganeshrao … You were the one to tell me in the morning that this man seemed very kind and helpful,” Sarpanch said trying to tease him.
“Yes, I did say that .. But I didn’t realise that he was this much kind and helpful,” Ganesh said trying to give a forced smile
Re: Complete novel - Honey - A story of a feminine power
Ganesh woke up late in the morning. It was two days since Ganesh had arrived here. He looked through narrow slit of his eyes. A ray of sun had sneaked in through the window. Sounds of people going about outside also were coming in. At night Ganesh was unable to sleep for a long time. Yesterday night, too, he faced the same problem. The whole night he kept remembering Madhurani’s intense looks. He got up and hurriedly went to the window. From the window he had a glimpse of Madhurani sitting at the cash counter and felt calmed. She was not looking his way. She was busy in her work.
“What is this that is happening to me?”
Ganesh fell to thinking.
Never before had such a thing happened to him.
Such great attraction for a woman!
This was no good.
Maybe, separation from wife was making him thus.
But what separation?
I have come here hardly two days back.
But it is possible. .. It is likely that we begin to miss our beloved person only after being away from her.
He took slow steps towards his bag. But his mind refused to move away from the open window. With heavy steps he went to his bag and opened it. He removed articles kept on the top and plunged his hand right up to the bottom. He took out the family photo of his wife and son from the bottom. For a long time he kept staring into it.
With such an attractive wife, why should my mind get disturbed?
No. I must control my mind…
He took a firm decision.
Ganesh was taking his bath. He was feeling a little better after taking that firm decision. But he must stick to his decision. While taking bath a thought flashed in his mind.
The entire magic is in Madhurani’s ardent eyes.
What if I avoided looking into her eyes? …
Then, it would be possible to stick to the firm decision.
Not just possible, he must somehow firmly stick to the decision.
Ganesh who, till then was taking bath leisurely, now was in a hurry to finish it. After bath I must go to her shop. Any way he had to buy a few things for his house. He decided that he must go to her shop. Buy the things needed. Perhaps, if she talked to him, he should also talk to her. But come what may he should avoid meeting her eyes. Yes, it is now decided.
Finishing bath, Ganesh quickly put on clothes. He took down a cloth bag hanging from the hook on the wall and began to trace quick steps towards Madhurani’s shop. However, one thought could not but enter his mind.
Why this hurry?
Why this inexplicable pull? An explicable desire to look at her and an inexplicable desire to avoid her eyes, too. Everything seemed so strange.
Holding the empty cloth bag and determinedly trying to avoid her eyes, Ganesh stood before Madhurani’s cash counter. He gave the empty cloth-bag to the servant. “Yes, Sir … what is it that you want?,” Madhurani looking deep into Ganesh’s eyes and asked.
Avoiding looking back into her eyes he began to look over her head and said, “Here is the list.” He handed the list to Madhurani.
“Sir … you must be the first customer who is coming to my shop with a list,” she took the list and looked into it on both the sides.
Then returning the list to him she said, “Why don’t you read it aloud? It’s the same if I read it or you.”
He took back the list and began reading aloud.
“Lux-one’ Rin-one, tea leaves-a pack of a hundred and quarter grams, sugar-one kilo, incense-one pack .. give one having a nice aroma.”
The servant began to quickly take out things he needed.
“A little slow, Sir... Let him take out things, one by one. Otherwise there will be confusion like the other day,” Madhurani said smiling sweetly. Looking at the row of her teeth gleaming like pearls Ganesh also smiled. However, at the same time he tried hard to avoid her eyes.
The servant stuffed all things in the cloth-bag and gave the bag to Ganesh. Just then Sada came there. Ganesh ignored him. He had not forgotten his abuses of the other day. On his own, Sada went to Ganesh.
“Namaskar Ganeshrao,” Sada greeted him politely.
Ganesh ignored Sada. There was a difference of earth and Heaven between his behaviour today and his behaviour of the other night. That is why Ganesh could not decide how to treat this person. Ganesh picked up his bag and got ready to leave.
“Give it here, Sir. I will carry it,” Sada said taking the bag from Ganesh’s hand.
“No.. Let it be… “ Ganesh said almost snatching the bag from Sada’s hand.
Madhurani began to laugh heartily.
When Ganesh started to leave for his room, Madhurani said –
“ Whefrenfra woufruldfra youfru coframefra afragaifrenfra?”
“What? What did you say?” Ganesh turned and asked but without looking into her eyes.
“Nothing. .. Seems I’ll have to teach you this language,” Madhurani said oozing sweetness.
Listening to the sweetness of her talk Ganesh was tempted to look at her. But no, better to avoid it.
Seeing that cupid’s arrows sent through her eyes were having no affect, the enemy seemed to have used another weapon…
With great difficulty Ganesh controlled himself and ignoring Sada walked back to his room.
After reaching home with the purchases, Ganesh first shut the door. He looked through the window and saw that Sada had gone away. His attention went to Madhurani. She was busy in her work at the cash counter. Moving away from window Ganesh placed the cloth bag in a corner. Took out a cigarette pack from the upper pocket of his shirt. Taking out a cigarette he lit it with a match from the match box. He now began to draw long puffs. He was happy that in the shop not once did he meet Madhurani’s eyes. The disturbance of his mind also seemed to have lessened. He was victoriously glad that he had made all the cupid arrows shot from her eyes ineffective.
“What is this that is happening to me?”
Ganesh fell to thinking.
Never before had such a thing happened to him.
Such great attraction for a woman!
This was no good.
Maybe, separation from wife was making him thus.
But what separation?
I have come here hardly two days back.
But it is possible. .. It is likely that we begin to miss our beloved person only after being away from her.
He took slow steps towards his bag. But his mind refused to move away from the open window. With heavy steps he went to his bag and opened it. He removed articles kept on the top and plunged his hand right up to the bottom. He took out the family photo of his wife and son from the bottom. For a long time he kept staring into it.
With such an attractive wife, why should my mind get disturbed?
No. I must control my mind…
He took a firm decision.
Ganesh was taking his bath. He was feeling a little better after taking that firm decision. But he must stick to his decision. While taking bath a thought flashed in his mind.
The entire magic is in Madhurani’s ardent eyes.
What if I avoided looking into her eyes? …
Then, it would be possible to stick to the firm decision.
Not just possible, he must somehow firmly stick to the decision.
Ganesh who, till then was taking bath leisurely, now was in a hurry to finish it. After bath I must go to her shop. Any way he had to buy a few things for his house. He decided that he must go to her shop. Buy the things needed. Perhaps, if she talked to him, he should also talk to her. But come what may he should avoid meeting her eyes. Yes, it is now decided.
Finishing bath, Ganesh quickly put on clothes. He took down a cloth bag hanging from the hook on the wall and began to trace quick steps towards Madhurani’s shop. However, one thought could not but enter his mind.
Why this hurry?
Why this inexplicable pull? An explicable desire to look at her and an inexplicable desire to avoid her eyes, too. Everything seemed so strange.
Holding the empty cloth bag and determinedly trying to avoid her eyes, Ganesh stood before Madhurani’s cash counter. He gave the empty cloth-bag to the servant. “Yes, Sir … what is it that you want?,” Madhurani looking deep into Ganesh’s eyes and asked.
Avoiding looking back into her eyes he began to look over her head and said, “Here is the list.” He handed the list to Madhurani.
“Sir … you must be the first customer who is coming to my shop with a list,” she took the list and looked into it on both the sides.
Then returning the list to him she said, “Why don’t you read it aloud? It’s the same if I read it or you.”
He took back the list and began reading aloud.
“Lux-one’ Rin-one, tea leaves-a pack of a hundred and quarter grams, sugar-one kilo, incense-one pack .. give one having a nice aroma.”
The servant began to quickly take out things he needed.
“A little slow, Sir... Let him take out things, one by one. Otherwise there will be confusion like the other day,” Madhurani said smiling sweetly. Looking at the row of her teeth gleaming like pearls Ganesh also smiled. However, at the same time he tried hard to avoid her eyes.
The servant stuffed all things in the cloth-bag and gave the bag to Ganesh. Just then Sada came there. Ganesh ignored him. He had not forgotten his abuses of the other day. On his own, Sada went to Ganesh.
“Namaskar Ganeshrao,” Sada greeted him politely.
Ganesh ignored Sada. There was a difference of earth and Heaven between his behaviour today and his behaviour of the other night. That is why Ganesh could not decide how to treat this person. Ganesh picked up his bag and got ready to leave.
“Give it here, Sir. I will carry it,” Sada said taking the bag from Ganesh’s hand.
“No.. Let it be… “ Ganesh said almost snatching the bag from Sada’s hand.
Madhurani began to laugh heartily.
When Ganesh started to leave for his room, Madhurani said –
“ Whefrenfra woufruldfra youfru coframefra afragaifrenfra?”
“What? What did you say?” Ganesh turned and asked but without looking into her eyes.
“Nothing. .. Seems I’ll have to teach you this language,” Madhurani said oozing sweetness.
Listening to the sweetness of her talk Ganesh was tempted to look at her. But no, better to avoid it.
Seeing that cupid’s arrows sent through her eyes were having no affect, the enemy seemed to have used another weapon…
With great difficulty Ganesh controlled himself and ignoring Sada walked back to his room.
After reaching home with the purchases, Ganesh first shut the door. He looked through the window and saw that Sada had gone away. His attention went to Madhurani. She was busy in her work at the cash counter. Moving away from window Ganesh placed the cloth bag in a corner. Took out a cigarette pack from the upper pocket of his shirt. Taking out a cigarette he lit it with a match from the match box. He now began to draw long puffs. He was happy that in the shop not once did he meet Madhurani’s eyes. The disturbance of his mind also seemed to have lessened. He was victoriously glad that he had made all the cupid arrows shot from her eyes ineffective.