Contemporary Literary Review India | Print ISSN 2250-3366 | Online ISSN 2394-6075 | Impact Factor 8.1458 | Vol. 7, No. 3: CLRI August 2020
Love - the Key of Life
Dr Katta Rajamouly
Those were the auspicious days for marriages. Anand and his wife, Anuradha were in search of a suitable match for their beautiful daughter Anushka. They wished her that she should live happily and comfortably. They thought of the ways and the situations to achieve perfect happiness for her. She should live happily with her would-be husband.
The parents too had a son named Anurag who had already married and was working as a Software Engineer at a company of high repute in the city of Hyderabad.
Anand and Anuradha thought that they were ideal as they thought like the parents in the twenty-first century. They thought of the ways:
"The life-partner of my daughter should be very handsome."
"He should be either a doctor or an engineer from an aristocratic family."
"He should have a class job to draw a high salary."
"He should have immovable properties in the city and about a hundred acres of land in the village by the roadside."
"He shouldn't have parents and sisters."
The parents went to many national, state and local marriage bureaus and registered as members, paying big amounts. They did not give the complete details of their daughter in the profile. They made up their mind to give the details to the boy of their choice after the selection was over. They at the same time told the managers of the bureaus to give a special preference to their daughter Anushka in finding a very suitable match, promising them tip after the marriage.
The parents searched for a match without parents. They did not find a match without parents. Then they tried a match without sisters but failed to get. They decided to compromise with a match having parents and sisters. They wished that the parents and sisters should be away from his daughter, Anushka.
Although the parents, Anand amd Anuradha could not find a suitable match for a long time, they did not try to call for any match. They had a lot of confidence that the boy would come to them definitely.
On a fine day, the manager of a famous marriage bureau called Anand and Anuradha and informed a suitable match for their daughter, Anushka.
"A suitable match is there for your daughter, Anushka but the thing is that the boy has parents and a sister."
"I see... Do the parents stay in the place the boy works?" said Anand
"They live in the village looking after fields,"
"Very good...You didn't tell about the sister?"
"I doubted that you would ask this question...That is why I enquired about her studies... She completed her studies. The parents are searching for a match for her," said the manager.
"She'll get married and go way to her in-laws. I wish that she should get a match in Delhi not in Hyderabad where my son Anurag is working. Very good, your preferred match for my daughter, Anushka, is also working in Hyderabad...Well done, I welcome your wise preference," said Anand happily.
"Okay I give the match, Akash your details. They contact you on the phone before they come to you," said the manager of the bureau.
The boy Akash with her parents Raghuram and Janaki came to Anushka's house after informing her parents. Anand with his near and dear waited at the gate and received them to the house. They directed them to the hall. There were four big sofas for twelve people to accommodate. All sat in the hall. It was time for Anushka to appear before the boy with her scintillating appearance.
As per the auspicious time, Anushka appeared and occupied her seat specially arranged for her to sit. She was very beautiful as per the dreams of Akash. He was in very good impressions about the girl.
Akash felt like telling Anushka, "I love you." He did not tell so but he smiled to her heartily, giving a chance to his parents to speak to her.
Meanwhile, Raghuram and Janaki asked her to tell her name and study details. Anushka told them her name and her study details.
Anushka smiled all the time, looking at Akash. It all seemed that they were ready for their marriage. The smiles of the boy and the girl were a clear sign of their liking each other very much.
"We like the girl," said the parents, Raghuram and Janaki
Akash felt that he had ascended the first step in the marriage process.
After discussing certain things, they fixed a date for the marriage. Akash felt that he had ascended another step. When the date of their marriage was near, he felt on the top of the world.
Within that short period before their marriage, Akash and Anushka spoke to each other several times. He sometimes visited her before their marriage. He did not find any objection in visiting Anushka.
Their marriage was a big celebration in the city-famous function hall. The guests were in seats leaving no seat vacant. Amid the tunes of musical lutes and drums, the priest (Purohith) was chanting marriage mantras. As per the auspicious time, Akash tied the holy knot to her neck when she bowed her head in grace. Her face glittered with smiles. Later she lifted her beautiful face and looked at him, smiling heartily. All the guests blessed the newly married couple while Anuradha and Anand looked successful as they got a match as per their wish.
Akash was very happy. His parents were also happy. The parents of the couple met their guests in the function-hall and thanked them for attending the marriage.
The photographer was busy taking photos of the couple during all the stages of the marriage as he was to arrest all the memorable scenes in the camera.
There was a call that the dinner was ready for the guests. They had sumptuous food items to their choice. After having dinner, they left the function hall.
Marriage celebrations came to end with the new couple. There was the loveliest scene of the bridegroom's showing the star of Arundhati to the bride in the skyline. Anushka saw the star Arundhati in the sky when Akash was showing it, by raising his hand. The photographer cared a lot to photograph this picture very realistically.
Later, the new couple sought the blessings of their parents and all elders. All, the parents of the new couple, and near and dear blessed them happily.
The couple, Akash and Anushka had meals along with their parents, and near and dear. Anushka was busy speaking to her husband, Akash.
Raghuram and Janaki sat with their son Akash and their daughter-in-law, Anushka were sitting separately to relax for a while after their being busy and tired of marriage preparations. Their faces were aglow with the wedding joys. They were happy for their son Akash to have married the girl of his choice. They congratulated their son and daughter-in-law very happily,
"Live a long life in all joys in the sojourn of married life."
"Thank you," said the couple, touching their feet.
They fell in a casual conversation about the future in the wake of his son's marriage, celebrated grandly.
"Dear parents, you've been in the village looking after agriculture. You spent all your days in toil. You can relax by giving the lands for lease and stay with me in the city," said Akash to his parents.
"We're also planning in that way," said Raghuram and Janaki.
Meanwhile Anand and Anuradha joined them, taking their seats.
"I'm very happy that you stay with us happily retiring from farming," said Akash with a glittering smile in his face.
Akash looked at Anushka to see happiness in her face on the happy occasion.
"My dear brother, Raghuram is interested in agriculture very much. I heard about him highly in the village," said Anuradha.
"Yes...he, my brother-in-law is a model farmer...He's an inspiration to his fellow farmers," said Anand.
"He's a model farmer. He got the best farmer ('Uttama Karshak') award. The people in the village revere him," said Anuradha.
"Who else has got that honor in the region?" said Anand.
"My brother, Raghuram got it...I'm proud of him," said Anuradha.
"Congratulations, my dear uncle. I heard about your greatness for the first time," said Anushka with all smiles.
"Now it is the time for marriage procession. Get ready. All are waiting for the couple,' said Anurag coming to them.
Akash and Anushka were in the car, decked superbly to suit the occasion.
The marriage procession, "Baraath" started in a grand manner. The people joined them while the musical pipes and drums were going on. The enthusiastic youths danced to the tunes of songs of the films released recently. The marriage party came to the boy, Akash's village.
The girl, Anushka entered the in-laws house with a selfish goal. She was from a rich family. As per her plan, her in-laws should stay separately. She planned to live with her husband happily.
Raghuram and Janaki went along with their son Akash and daughter-in-law, Anushka to stay in their house in the city of Hyderabad as per their plan.
Anand and Anuradha with their son Anurag came to them and lived with them for some days. They secretly put their efforts in reaching their selfish goal.
Two months hardly passed. One night, Anushka and Akash were busy to settle an issue in a heated discussion,
"Dear Akash, I don't want to live here...You've another building in the city, Let's live in that building," said Anushka.
"Why...?," said Akash.
"That building is near your office," said Anushka.
"With my parents...," said Akash.
"You don't know many things. For a marital life, we should have privacy. You never feel so and realize so," said Anushka, shouting.
Raghuram and Janaki heard her shouting. They understood why she had not been speaking to them for some days. They recalled what her parents had said on the day of the marriage. They made up their mind to go to their village to look after the farming in the village.
The next morning, they called their son, Akash. He joined them after a considerable lapse of time.
"Dear son, Akash... I feel like watching my fields. I feel like living in my house in the village," said Raghuram.
"Yes, we want to go our village..." said Janaki.
"We'll be happy there, working in green fields and watching nature filled with the sights and sounds of chirpings of birds," said Raghuram.
Raghuram and Janaki went to their native place and lived there.
Time passed on its wheels to witness Akash and Anushka blessed with the twins named Rashmika and Rasika,. They were school going to study in their first standard. They were brilliant. They drew the attention of the teachers and the Principal by their cuteness and goodness.
One day, the teacher informed the children that there would be the Grand Parents' Day celebrations on the sixteenth of this month after two days, saying
"The children, Rashmika and Rasika, Bring your grand parents to the Grand Parents' Day celebrations this time. You did not bring your grand parents last year." said the class teacher.
The children recalled what happened the last year,
"Mummy, call my grand parents," said the children.
"Shut up...Don't talk of your grand parents," said Anushka.
In that way, the children did not force their grand parents to the function last year.
After listening to the teacher's instructions to bring their grand parents, this year, the children went home. They told their parents about the Grand Parents Day celebrations after two days.
The children forced the parents to show their grand parents as they saw their friends enjoying the company of their grand parents on the eve of the Grand Parents' Day last year. They wanted to see our grand parents this year.
"Without grand parents, we do not want to go to school this time," said the children earnestly.
They got the phone number of their grand father, 'Raghuram in their father' mobile. They called him from Akash's mobile, speaking to him,
"You and grand ma... should come... to attend... the Grand Parents' Day without fail... This programme starts... at 10 o'clock sharp. You should be here... by 8 o'clock sharp... on the sixteenth, the day after tomorrow. If you don't come, we don't go to school," said the Rashmika and Rasika.
The previous night and the early morning at 4 o'clock on that day of the Grand Parents Day celebrations, the children reminded their grand parents to come without fail.
Raghuram and Janaki got ready and went to their grand children by car as per the promise. They reached there by 8 o'clock. The grandchildren rushed to them and hugged them happily, saying
"Thank you, grand pa, grand ma"
All including Anushka and Akash went to the school. They Principal and the staff received them with due regard,
"Welcome, sir"
The programme went on successfully. The children talked on the occasion, Grand Parents' Day.
Then the Principal came to the dais and spoke nicely to the gathering on the importance of Grand Parents' Day.
"Nowadays, the relation between the grand children and grand parents is missing. The grand parents have a lot of love for their grand children. There is no chance for them to evince their love for their grand children, as they are not living together. Family does not mean parents and children. It includes the grand parents to show their love for their grand children. Then it is a complete family and all have to welcome the gesture heartily."
Anushka listened to the Principal attentively and realized her mistake in ill-treating her in-laws. Anushka only said,
"Grand parents are the members of a family."
"I'm not just the daughter of my parents, wife of my husband, Akash, mother of my children, Rashmika and Rasika but also the daughter-in-law of my parents-in-law, Raghuram and Janaki. This is my role."
"My children's love for their grand parents, Raghuram and Janaki transformed me into a good wife to her husband, Akash, a good daughter-in-law to them, her husband's parents to be a good mother to my children and good woman to the women world."
"Every woman is a power to promote her family, in turn into the world family for peaceful existence of man's race."