Oh My God! Episode 8

<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="Street"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="address"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <wunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <wontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->

Part 11


​

​

Dushchasana drags her to the <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Royal Court</st1:address></st1:street>. She first complains to the elders like Drona, Vithura and Bheeshma. They simply hang down their heads and let her down. Known people, friends and relatives have let her down. Duschasana is now trying to disrobe her.

She then appeals to her husbands. Not one but five husbands, all of them have taken vows on fire to protect her life and honour. All the five are matchless in their valour. Even then they did not do anything.

Now Draupathi is let down by those near and dear. Duschasana is even more enthusiastic and is trying to grab her saree.

She then summons her intellect to her assistance. ‘My husband placed himself as a bet and lost. Therefore he became a slave. How can a slave have mastery over me? The game where I was placed as a bet is void from the beginning. It’s illegal.’

There is truth in her argument. But nobody listens.

Duschasana simply laughs and tries to take off the saree from her body.

And then as a last resort she uses her physical strength. She holds on to her saree with all her might. But what can a frail woman do against the strength of a man determined to insult her?

And then at that moment, at the height of her crisis, Draupathi is enlightened. Now she knows for sure that she is absolutely helpless against her circumstances.

Hitherto she was fighting for her honour which to her is even more important than her life. Now she knows for sure that even her honour is in God’s hands.

At that moment of great realisation she lets go. Lets go of her hands that had been holding on to the saree. Lets go of herself. She is no longer desperate to protect her honour.

“She offers her honour, her chastity along with her life and belongings at the feet of Lord. She lifts her hand high in the air only to tell the Lord that she has surrendered at his feet. And to protect her or let her down is only in His hands.

“Duschasana is now delighted to see that there is no resistance from Draupathi and he pulls the pallu of her saree with all his might. It’s a question of a few nano-seconds.

“Before the saree is removed from the body another saree appears in its place. And another. And another. Duschasana is engaged in pulling Draupathi’s saree for four hours. Her sarees seem to grow eternally in length.

“Everything, every one, our intelligence, wealth, strength and even our closest relatives can let us down, Malya. But not God.

“Not only that. The great epic Mahabaratha vividly describes the last days of Lord Krishna. He is going to shed his body and resume his original divine form. Somebody asks him, ‘Oh Lord, you were born as a human being and suffered with us. Now that your life is going to end do you have any regrets?

You know what our Lord said? ‘Yes I do. When Draupathi called for help I should have gone there earlier. In fact I should not have let things advance to that stage. I will forever be indebted to Draupathi for this lapse.’ Such is His love for us. Tell me one thing Malya, do you believe in His love?”

“I do, Sami. In the same way he gave a lifeline to Draupathi at the last moment, he gave one to me. In your form. For had I not seen you on that fateful day I would have killed myself. When I approached the house-owners they not only refused to give their house to me, but also insulted me with strong words.

“I was crying in anger and humiliation. If only you had done like them I would have gone out and killed myself. Your trust in me saved my life. If it’s Kannan for Draupathi it’s Sami for me. ”

 

Part 12


​

​

And then one day Malya did not turn up for the class. KG waited for her till half past 9. He then got ready to go to office. Arvind had gone to college.

Before going to office KG went upstairs to find out if Malya was all right. She was not.

She was still in bed. She had fully covered herself with a heavy woolen blanket. Yet she was shivering inside.

KG removed the blanket and felt the temperature on her forehead. Oh My God! screamed KG. Malya had a very high fever. She was also delirious.

KG woke her up.

“I’ll send our maid to you. She will give you some bread and coffee. I’ll go get our family doctor now.”

“Sami, I don’t want your Doctor.”

“Idiot, are you kidding? You have a high fever. Should be 104 degrees. You need to see a Doctor.”

“I do need a Doctor. But not your Doctor, Sami. But mine. Please ask this man to come.”
Malya took out a small piece of paper from under the pillow and gave it to KG.

“Listen to me, my man is the best. He has been in the profession for thirty years. Easily the best GP in the city.”

“Sami, Please call this man. I want to see him. I can’t see anybody else. Please, Sami. Have mercy on me. Please don’t ask me why.”

KG called his office and asked for half a day’s leave. He hired a cab and went in search of Malya’s personal physician.

The Doctor’s clinic was crowded. Somehow KG managed to see him in ten minutes and told about Malya’s condition.

“Oh My God!” shouted the Doctor.

KG was puzzled.

“Do you have a vehicle?”

“I do. It’s a cab.”

“Come let’s go.”

As the cab was speeding towards Triplicane the Doctor enquired KG about his connection with Malya. KG told him the whole story from the very first meeting he had with her. By the time the cab had reached its destination.

As the Doctor and KG were climbing the stairs the Doctor told him in a whisper.

“I am sure Malya won’t mind if I told you the truth. Malya has AIDS.”

“OH MY GOD!”

 

hi krips,
thanks for being the first to respond to this episode. I just had a rough idea of what is to be conveyed. And then started weaving a story around it. The story went up to 8000 words more than the length of two normal sized episodes.
Like a typical accountant I wielded the knife at the exact middle point. The first episode did not have much charm then. And then donned the hat of a writer and wielded the knife. You will appreciate my dilemma when you read the next episode. Just remember the whole episode is a prelude to something else.
If somebody scolds you for a puffy eyes then make them read the episode. To be able to cry in love, to cry for others ,to weep thinking about God's love for us -well, it's a blessing conferred on a rare few. Tell them that you have that blessing. Given that fact being puffy eyed on a Friday evening is the most auspicious sign.
Now you have an important task krips. Please don't forget the next episode on 22nd May.
thanks once again.
love,
sridhar