An Abrupt End

Telugu: Nori Narasimha Sastry

Night fell.  The first quarter moon was shining bright over the zenith.  There was still a long time for Rukmini’s husband to come home.  Sitting near the sacred basil plant in the backyard she started gently crooning. The song was faintly audible. Perhaps she wanted to charm the moon with the glint of her eyes! She was looking keenly at him[1]. Repeating his name time and again. Maybe it was a song extolling him.

In such a state, Rukmini heard a melodious voice near the main door. It was Rajagopalam’s.

Rajagopalam came to that place about four years ago with his mother in pursuit of further studies.  He was their co-tenant since.  He was good at singing. What to speak of his voice! It was as good as a Kinnera[2]. It was his habit to practice for a while in the evenings, after returning from office. Rukmini was fond of music. When Rajagopalam was practicing, she used to come there to listen to him without fail. And the more Rukmini listened to him, the more enthusiastically he sang.

When she heard Rajagopalam’s voice, Rukmini went there as usual.  Other than Rajagopalam and his mother, there was no one else. Rukmini sat by Rajagopalam’s mother quietly.

The song Rajagopalam was singing that day, she never heard before. His singing was even more melodious than ever.  Rukmini was enjoying the melody song blissfully.  Noticing Rukmini’s arrival, Rajagopalam was trying to sing even better.

The skies were clear with no trace of any cloudlets. One after another, the stars made their appearance over the sky by twinkling. Nature was bathing in cool moonlight. It was hard to distinguish if the music was emanating from the ambient silence or from Rajagopalam.

The song was over. And after a while the music also ceased gradually.  The moment the song stopped, Rukmini felt goosebumps all over. She never had such an experience before.  Her eyes were glued to Rajagopalam. There was a film of bashfulness in her looks unlike before.

Rajagopalam’s mother old and old-fashioned. She was utterly innocent.

“Boy! Rukmini did not hear the song from the beginning. Why don’t you sing that again?” she asked.

Rukmini wanted to say the same thing exactly, but modesty came her way. The smile flashing on her lips betrayed her pleasure that her desire was expressed by Rajagopalam’s mother.  Rajagopalam never wanted a better audience than Rukmini. Looking passionately towards Rukmini, he started the song again:

Looking at the grace of your lips that kissed the flute

Nature came to life breaking through the enveloping darkness

Gopalakrishna! The moment it eased the notes

This blessed land Brindavan is all agog.

The herdsmen came running leaving their herds

The bovine left behind their sucking calves

abandoning my man behind, O heartthrob of milkmaids!

I came running to reach your noble feet

like a droplet dissolving in river Yamuna

Like a note unifying gently with the  Raga

I merged into this surrounding nature abound

Thanks to your divine nectarous music !

It was quite obvious that Rajagopalam was singing to please Rukmini. Of course, he had no other ideas than to make a flawless rendering to the best of his ability. Rukmini was in a trance transported to a different world over those musical notes.

The song came to an end. But their indulgence in the musical experience did not cease and they were quiet. Then, unable to conceal her emotion, the overjoyed mother said with a smile, “ the song was about flute rendition by lord Krishna.”

“Yes. I have read just that part describing Krishna’s rendition of flute in the Bhagavata this morning.”

“As that boy played on his flute, the shepherdesses and the cows from all nooks of the place flocked around him, they say.  The kid could cast his spell over this world.”

“Your son Rajagopalam sings well. More so today. I was just reminded of lord Krishna today,” said Rukmini.

Feeling happier when Rukmini complimented him, the mother said, “Today he chose a good song.”

Rajagopalam sensed something more in Rukmini’s compliment.  He looked at Rukmini with the satisfaction that his desire was coming to fruition. Rukmini’s  response only strengthened his belief. In her looks, which were always serious before, he found some pleasant agreeableness.

“On the banks of river Yamuna, in Brindavan, when Krishna played his flute on moonlit nights, they say, shepherds abandoned their cows, and the cows abandoned their calves running up to him. I think those lines were also there in Rajagopalam’s song.  “Rajagopalam, won’t you sing that part again?” she implored.

Rajagopalam got goosebumps when Rukmini asked him. He started to sing from there. Rukmini started singing along.

When she came to, “abandoning my man behind, O heartthrob of milkmaids!

I came running to reach your noble feet ,” her voice shivered.

Rajagopalam’s mother asked,  “Why? Can’t you spell those simple words?”

Rukmini was taken aback.  Rajagopalam was eager to hear Rukmini’s reply.

“Did the old lady sensed her weakness?” Rukmini was ruffled.

After a while she got bold to answer evasively, “how could ladies sing as confidently?” and turning towards Rajagopalam she asked, “ the song is so nice. Can you write the complete lyrics for me?”

Teasingly he asked her with a smile, “What will you give me if I write you the lyrics?”

“Whatever you want,” she replied.

“Can you give me whatever I want?”

“Yes.”

“Whatever?”  he asked again stressing ‘whatever’.

“Yes, whatever you want,” she replied.

“What more can I want than to let me look into your eyes forever?” he thought within, and said, “Just to tease you I said.  I will give it to you tomorrow afternoon.”

Rukmini felt happy. But the hangover of the song did not leave her. She asked him to sing the song again.

He started to sing again.

The moon was gently raining his light over the world.

Rukmini lost herself in the song.

Suddenly there was a knock on the main door.

Rukmini ran up there to attend on her husband.

After the song was over, Rajagopalam got up for dinner.

2

Rukmini’s was a second marriage to her husband. After his first wife died when he was thirty-five, he was not inclined to marry again. He stood firm for a long time but had yielded ultimately. He married Rukmini without taking any dowry.  Of course, there were rumours that Rukmini’s parents were paid some money. Nobody could prove or disprove them.

It was five years since. There was no wrong note in her married life. Rukmini served her husband with devotion. Though he passed forty, he did not allow anybody to say he was old. People thought that they were a lucky pair.

Rajagopalam rented in a portion and was staying with his mother for almost four years. The two families mixed well and started helping each other in need. Thereby, Rajagopalam and Rukmini became more familiar than relatives and started addressing each other in second person singular. Like a brother and sister they talked to each other without inhibitions.

Rukmini was a beautiful woman. And her eyes lay her chief attraction. People acclaim that there is a glow in her eyes. They were not capricious. They bear a dignified and serious look.

Her eyes did not fail to attract Rajagopalam’s attention. Until four years had passed, he did not realize that her eyes cast a spell on him. They had been calling for his attention since the beginning and it only strengthened by every day. When he realized that he was in love with Rukmini, he tried to dissuade himself from that attraction but no, the more he tried the more he failed. Having entered the whelming stream, it was beyond him to swim upstream.

He tried desperately to know if Rukmini was in love with him. Every day, she came to hear his song. They talked about several things every day. But she always kept a serious mien. Rajagopalam did not have the courage to express his love before her. Rukmini never entertained an iota of such thought.

Ultimately, he was happy that he saw the first signs of love from Rukmini for his song that day. His mind was totally agitated, and he was not at peace. Eagerly waiting for the day to break and anxious to  see Rukmini and hand over the lyric, he could not take a wink. Rehearsing how he would express his love to Rukmini the following day, he slept in the wee hours.

3

Next day, Rajagopalam was at his desk looking into a book.  Though his looks were on the book, his mind was elsewhere. He was disturbed by every little  sound and was getting up to check if it was Rukmini. Time appeared to him dragging slowly. No matter how long he had waited for her, Rukmini did not turn up to get the lyrics from him.

At last, he heard footsteps by the door.  He eagerly opened the door. It was his mother. Containing his eagerness, he asked, “What is the matter?”

“Boy!  There is a Purana rendering program till evening. That brahmin has been reading well. So, it will be late by the time I return home.  Don’t go anywhere,” she said and left.

Rajagopalam threw his book away and started pacing up and down the room.

Suddenly the door opened and Rukmini freely rushed in.

“Will you write me the lyrics now?” she asked.

Rajagopalam, who was already ready, began writing it on paper.

“Poor boy! You are ready with pen and paper. Do one thing. If you write it on loose sheet, it will be last. Write it in my songs book,” said Rukmini.

Rajagopalam could not say a single word he had rehearsed all through the night. Like a mechanical toy he followed Rukmini to her room.

By the time they reached the lobby, an inkbottle and pen were set on the mat.  Rukmini brought her songs book and gave it to Rajagopalam.

Rajagopalam started writing the song. Rukmini sat beside him and started humming the song as he wrote it.

He completed four lines.

He was about to begin the fifth line.

Rukmini interrupted him stretching her hand across and said, “Keep that book aside for a while and reply to my question.”

Keeping the book aside he asked, “What is your question?”

“What is your age?”

“Twenty-two.”

“So many proposals for marriage you set aside. Are you not going to marry even this year?”

Rajagopalam blushed and did not reply for a moment. Then he said looking at her, “No.”

Putting up a serious face she said, “Don’t wait till you get old. Young people who marry the old cannot lead a happy life,” she advised.

“Why? Aren’t you happy?” he wanted to ask but refrained. He was not sure whether she would get hurt or feel happy for the question. The seriousness in her face did not cease. He could not dare. So he was back to writing the lyrics.

He wrote another four lines.

Snatching the book from Rajagopalam’s hand, Rukmini sang the song exceptionally well. As she sang, Rajagopalam felt her eyes performed dance recital. He went into a kind of trance. He wanted to say so many things but not a word came out. With so much effort he pleaded with her to sing once more.

Pleased with his request, Rukmini sang the song once more. Rajagopalam noticed the eyes swayed with the song more clearly now.

“Did I sing properly?” she asked, after the song was over.

With his looks glued to her face, he said, “It is divine!”

Ignoring his words, she said, “Why you always look into my eyes silently? I am afraid that someone might cast an evil eye on them.”

Realizing his mistake he suddenly cast down his eyes.

Bursting into laughter, and patting him on his back, she said, “Take it easy. If you start worrying for every small thing, how can you lead a happy family life tomorrow?” She gave her songs book back and asked him to complete the song.

When her posy hand touched his back, Rajagopalam went into raptures.  But was utterly ashamed for her comment.

“Why should I fear?” he said without lifting his head and resumed his writing.

“Over,” he announced putting down the book and pen.

“So quickly?  Check for any typos.” She said.

Rajagopalam checked it and said there were no typos.

Rukmini checked whether the song was complete and for any typos. There were no errors.

There was some movement of footsteps near the main door.

“Shall I take leave?” said Rajagopalam getting up to leave.

“Wait! What do you want from me for the lyrics?” Rukmini asked.

“Come on. How can I take anything from you for writing the lyrics?”

“But yesterday you said you wanted something in return? Ask whatever you want,” she said.

“What do I need, after all? I said that  yesterday for fun,” he said.

“It was only for fun? You don’t need anything from me?” Rukmini’s words sounded harsh with hurt.

Rajagopalam could not say that it was for fun now.

Without lifting his eyes, he started mumbling… “those eyes…”

Rukmini lifted her face up.

Rajagopalam’s lips were about to kiss her eyes.

There was a bombarding on the main door.

Rajagopalam slowly slipped into his room.

Rukmini ran up to the main door to open it for her husband.

4

One evening Rajagopalam’s mother asked him, “You used to practice singing in the evenings.  Why are you not singing these days?”

“I am attending exams and the days have drawn near. That’s why,” he replied.

*

(Original: Gaana Bhamgamu)

[1] Moon is masculine in Telugu.

[2] Kinneras are a class of deities noted for their singing.