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Married Life & Pregnancy - Chapter 3

Discussion in 'Stories (Fiction)' started by umaakumar, Aug 23, 2021.

  1. umaakumar

    umaakumar Finest Post Winner

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    Married life & pregnancy - Chapter 3

    Sarasu was well trained in all household activities. She fell into this routine very easily. She missed her home terribly. She was with a stranger called her husband. She had no courage to tell Vaithy how she felt. She silently cried when he was away.

    Vaithy’s routine was this. He would leave home very early depending on the time of the Pooja in his client's house. On the days he had no assignments he would go to the sabha in the morning and evening and have a nap in the afternoon. The sabha was the most happening place. All sastrigals would be around this place. Gossips happened here and also a lot of vedic discussions. Many people would visit this sabha to talk to these sastrigals about the auspicious time to do things. Some of them would be here to find a sastrigal to do some Pooja in their house. Some came to get their horoscopes read and they also brought their children to get the evil eye cast out etc. it was also a matchmaking centre.

    You could find some women who sold food items like vadam here. Some sat here seeking orders for seer murukkus and bakshanam. This trend was just beginning in the cities and unheard of in villages.

    By hanging around here, you could make some extra money by being called for some Pooja or the other. That was the reason most of them came here.

    All the dreams that Sarasu had before getting married, were now shattered. She understood that dreams and reality are two different things. She had dreamt of a loving husband, but what she got was one who was dominating her and treated her like his slave. She wanted to share so many things with him, but he never spoke to her and belittled her in everything. She was scared of asking him to buy her something that she liked. She longed to receive some small gifts from him, like the jasmine flowers to adorn her head, but he never was so thoughtful.

    Since all her house work would be over in a short while she would sit outside her house for hours together watching the streets and she got lots of friends. She would sometimes go to her neighbors house where there were many people and sit and talk to them for hours. She would also help them in their work.

    By the time she really had fallen into a routine and adjusted to her new surroundings, she was pregnant. Her neighbouring aunty was very helpful to her during this time. She had 6 children herself and was an expert in a way.

    Sarasu was plied with morning sickness. Vaithy did not understand what she was going through and demanded everything to be as usual and perfect. He would storm out of the house without a word if she had not made coffee ready after his bath.

    He would often chide her “You are the only woman who has morning sickness or what!!! Ask your aunty friend if she sends her husband on an empty stomach to work”

    Sarasu had no reply. She was taught not to answer back.

    When she discussed this with her neighbor, her neighbor said “Men are like that, you cannot change them.”

    Vaithy wrote a letter to Sarasu’s parents with the good news, and her Mom came to visit her. She wanted to take Sarasu home with her. But Vaithy told her “Mammi you can take her after the seemantham, what will I do if she goes there , who is there to cook for me”

    Her Mom could not pursue the matter further and left after 3 days. She had bought many varieties of pickles and some nutritious porridge flour for Sarasu and told her to have these. She gave lots of advice to Sarasu on being careful while pregnant.

    As was the custom after the seemantham, Sarasu went to her parents’ home for delivery. She delivered a boy and Vaithy came for the naming ceremony. They called their boy Chandramouli.

    After the ceremony Vaithy called Sarasu aside and in a very loving tone and told her, “Don’t sit here like other women. I want you to come home very soon. What will I do without my darling”

    Sarasu was not too comfortable standing like this and talking to her husband. She said “Let the elders decide on that and I will listen to them”

    Vaithy was not to give up easily on what he decided, his looks were showing that he not too happy and he pleaded and said “Elders will say you can return only after a year, do you want me to stay alone for a year, sarasu dear, I will go mad without you.”

    Sarasu did not know what to say to him and simply nodded her head, she had to listen to elders. The child started crying and her mom called out “Ade Sarasu, see the baby is crying come and feed him”

    It was on one of these days after the naming ceremony and it was a stifling hot day and Sarasu’s mom had done washing all of the kids clothes and was drying it in the sun. She was sweating and cursing the heat, when Sarasu asked her mother “Amma how many days should I stay here “

    Her mother asked “Enna, are you missing your husband already”

    Sarasu looked at her mother embarrassed and said “No mother but he told me to return fast, that is why I asked”

    Her mother looked at her sitting there with the baby in her arms and felt sorry for her and said “Oh, So he is missing you, all men are like that, if I send you within 2 months you will come again carrying one more child in your stomach. Men are like that, what do they know about women’s health and how difficult it is for us to bear children. They cannot abstain from sex, he is not missing you, but the sex, that is why he is calling you soon. I will send you only after a year”

    Sarasu was getting a little scared and asked “What should I tell him if he asks”

    Her Mother told her “Tell him what I told you and that you will listen to elders and come only after a year”

    Sarasu was not convinced that Vaithy would listen to her and said “What if he does not listen”

    Her mother in an irritable tone told her “Ammam di, I think you will go, even if he doesn't call, you strictly tell him you cannot come”

    In those days, there were no family planning methods, women would stay at their parents house for more than a year after delivery. This was the only method to space the children. Sarasu did not miss Vaithy and enjoyed being with the child and the pampering she got.


    To be continued........
     
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  2. Needtobestrong

    Needtobestrong Platinum IL'ite

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    Nice. Very reminiscent of the previous generation of 1960s and 1970s.
     
  3. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    Ok. So far so good. Only priest Vaity seems to be missing Sarasu now. Her flat refusal to join him only after a year would certainly turn him rumbustious. In those days it was quite normal & easy for married man to marry another young girl! They never used to bother about divorce procedure at all.
    It is true that those days, married men used to father umpteen legal and illegal children. That is despite miscarriages! There was no articulate methods of family planning.
    The narration is good and transport the reader to 1940s & 1950s. Readers of my age can relate to this type of turn of events easily.
    Iit reminds me of Sadasivam and circumstances that lead to marry second time. MS Amma though loved someone else, had to nod to marry as second wife to Sadasivam.
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2021
    KashmirFlower and umaakumar like this.
  4. umaakumar

    umaakumar Finest Post Winner

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    Dear Sir,

    Thank you for you comment. Please keep reading and giving feedbacks. It will help me to better my writing.

    Thanks & Regards
    Uma
     
  5. KashmirFlower

    KashmirFlower IL Hall of Fame

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    Nice narration, i could visualize and reminded me Malgudi days and some bengali movies.
     
  6. Ramyarc

    Ramyarc Silver IL'ite

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    Well narrated! All characters are well described except for Vaithy. Was that intentional? From his dialogues he seems to be a conniving guy…

    looking forward to the next part!
     
  7. umaakumar

    umaakumar Finest Post Winner

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    Dear Ramya,.
    Thank you for your feed back. I did not elaborate onn Vaithy because I wanted his character as the story goes. He was a typical male of those years.

    Keep reading and let me have your feedback

    Regards
    Uma
     
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