Surangi, The Child Bride

Part 35

Among  Hindus, a menstruating woman was considered impure during her period. She was isolated in a certain part of the home and could not access the other rooms. The kitchen, the grain store and the altar room/temple were particularly forbidden. The family members avoided physical contact with her for as long as she remained confined. During the period her meals were dished up on a tray and passed to her. After the flow stopped the woman would take a top to toe purifying bath and put on a fresh set of clothes before being allowed to re-enter the home.

The custom among the Brahmins to observe the menstruation taboo created an odd set of circumstances in the household. In some homes there was just one woman. When she was on her period it was the onus of the other family members to cook the family meal. As a result most Brahmin men had to learn basic cooking skills or else the family would go hungry. Sometimes the men became expert cooks and outdid the women in culinary skills.

Even though the custom of isolation of menstruating women seems degrading it had its own benefits- it gave the women a break from their domestic chores so that they could get complete rest. This was particularly advantageous to those women who suffer from symptoms like cramps and backache. The men in the family had no choice but to manage the home in the woman's absence much to the women's comic relief.

Since Aaji was old, Surangi was too young and Sharayu was now almost six months pregnant it fell upon Yashoda to manage the bulk of the demanding work around the house. On the days when Yashoda was "sitting aside" during her period, the Oak family men helped Sharayu and Aaji by fetching the water and firewood and also offered assistance to prepare meals. Surangi was familiar with the custom of women "sitting aside" but was shocked to discover the underlying reason that compelled them to do do.

Aaji took her aside one day and attempted to explain the menstrual cycle. "Surangi, when you are old enough even you will have a flow between your legs for 4-5 days each month. You will have to place reusable rags to catch the flow. Once that process begins you are likely to become pregnant if your husband gets intimate with you." As Aaji tried to explain the facts Surangi became uncomfortable with her newly acquired knowledge. Her immediate response was to go in denial.

"But Aaji, I think that only happens to the girls whose bodies are too heaty. I don't think mine is so!" She tried to fend off the phenomenon in her mind.

"No, you silly girl! As long as your body is normal some time between age 11-14 even you will begin the monthly flow. The cycle enables a woman to conceive a child. If your flow is irregular or does not begin it means there is a fertility issue. Anyway you are still young. You may have to wait for a few years before you begin to worry about these things." Aaji clarified.

Surangi still had a host of questions that were left unanswered because she was too squeamish to pursue the topic with Aaji. She could not figure how one could bleed over days at a regular interval. She had observed that one only bled if one had a cut or wound. And that bleeding stopped in minutes because the blood clotted quickly, especially if one pressed ground turmeric as an antiseptic over the cut. She wondered why women did not try to stop the flow from between their legs by applying turmeric. And what was the intimacy Aaji had spoken about, would she become pregnant if Madhav slept in her bed? And what had that to do with the flow between the legs, it was all very confusing to Surangi. She wished it would never happen to her, but Aaji did say that if a woman did not bleed regularly she could not become a mother! And Surangi was sure she wanted babies.

She was aware that Madhav probably knew everything about the subject but she found it awkward to talk to him about something so personal. She decided to ask Yashoda for clarification once she came out of her period of isolation. 

"What is it? You look like you have a lot on your mind!" Madhav asked her. Waman burst out laughing to see her water the tulsi for the third time in the morning, it showed that she was clearly distracted. 

"Nothing, I am fine!" She blurted out hastily, resolving to pay more attention to her work. The children left for school and the rest of the day passed uneventfully as they were occupied with schoolwork. She could not ask Chandri or Arundhati her doubts as the boys were within earshot when they walked home from school.

Meanwhile Surangi and the boys did as much as they could to help with the evening chores. It was obligatory to make the sweet stuffed bread called puran poli as it was time to celebrate the spring festival of Holi. The villagers lit a bonfire with deadwood to symbolise the immolation of Holika, the evil demoness of Hindu mythology, who had tried to harm her pious nephew Prahlad. It was custom to offer a coconut to the bonfire as part of worship. The roasted coconut would then be opened, divided and shared as prasad by the people.

The next day of Holi was a public holiday, reserved for revelry when people threw coloured powder over each other. For children it meant clean, innocent fun. The girls screamed as they ran from each other avoiding being splattered and by noon everyone's faces were unrecognizable. The boys were more restrained but hooligans among them would try to fling the vulnerable ones in tubs or tanks filled with water. When the sun came overhead and bellies began to crave food everyone headed home but were not allowed in until they had scrubbed themselves clean of every trace of colour. Then they were free to enjoy lunch, the highlight being warm puranpoli doused generously with melted butter.

This year's Holi would have been no different except for the incident that managed to jolt Madhav. He did not realise when, while playing with colours, a hand dragged him into a thicket and he turned to face Rohini. 

"Play Holi with me, Madhav!" Her eyes had an unfamiliar gleam that made Madhav uncomfortable.

"We should not be here, Rohini. I must leave!" He responded quickly as he tried to walk away from her.

"No, you cannot leave. Krishna is obliged to indulge Radha on the day of Dhulwad." Rohini remarked.

"What do you mean? I don't understand!" Madhav was not sure he wanted to be in this situation.

"Oh come on, Madhav. Stop playing innocent. I have seen you stare at me, I know you think about it too. You know I can give you what that bit wife of yours won't be able to for years." She threw her water gun aside and flew into Madhav, throwing her wet body upon him. The moment their bodies connected Madhav was flooded with a range of emotions and sensations. He felt a thrill coursing through him as his torso made contact with the swell of her bosom through her soaked bodice. There was an involuntary stirring in his groin as his hormones responded to the stimulus and to his embarrassment he felt the wood rise between his legs. Rohini felt the same and tried to grind her body against his swelling. Her act brought Madhav to his senses and in an instant he pushed her away from himself.

"You know this is wrong Rohini, it will always be. Henceforth I don't want to have anything to do with you!" He looked her in the eye as he spoke.

"Is it? But your body says otherwise! Both Krishna and Radha had their own spouses, but it did not stop them from becoming lovers! Even our mythology condones what happens between a man and a woman!" Rohini offered justification.

"Then you have misread something. The same Krishna preached righteousness in the form of the Bhagwad Gita. I am willing to forget this incident and you should do the same. I have to leave now!" Madhav turned to beat a hasty retreat.

"Forget that you were clearly aroused while in my arms? I wonder what little Surangi will think about our little secret, Madhav?" Rohini called out. 

"If you want to keep your mind in the gutter it is your doom. A man's body is programmed to respond biologically. But you have forgotten that choice is what sets him apart from other beasts. You are letting your desire control you before the time or even the person is right. Get married, Rohini. That is probably what you need right now!" Madhav left her behind and sped homeward. 

His mind was racing with the speed of light as he tried to process what had happened. Rohini was turning out to be a pest, and he had a nagging sense of guilt as her words echoed in his mind. No, I was not about to betray my wife, he told himself. I have to be careful henceforth. I have set higher goals for myself, I cannot afford to ruin things by letting these distractions affect me! It was a different Madhav who sat down to the Holi lunch.

"Madhava, you are dipping your puran poli in the water tumbler!" Sharayu's voice called out. There was a glow about her as a result of her healthy pregnancy. It was now Surangi's turn to giggle. 

  "What is it? You look like you have a lot on your mind!" She asked Madhav who simply glared at her and Waman joined her in laughter.