Surangi, The Child Bride

Part 54

Surangi's heart beat faster each minute as the steamer approached Bombay. They would be alongside in an hour's time. The passengers on board looked relieved, their bags and bundles all packed and readied for disembarkation. As Surangi stood by the taffrail with an excited Madhu, the eager boy bombarded her with incessant questions. It was his first trip outside their little village in the Konkan. They were accompanied by his parents. The family was on their way to attend a  wedding in the city. Madhu was inseparable from Surangi who was practically his foster mother. Needless to say Surangi was equally attached to him. Nurturing him had helped her deal with the long separation from her significant other. 

"Sungi, are we getting closer or is the land moving toward us? Are we going to ride in a taxi or a tonga? Is Dada meeting us at the pier? Are there mango trees in Bombay?" The curious child was hardly aware of the surge of emotions within Surangi as she looked forward to meeting her husband. As far as Madhu was concerned she was an authority on Bombay, having spent at least one summer in the city. Madhu had only heard about Madhav in the course of the conversation about him between the family members and was more curious about the sights and sounds of the city while Surangi's mind was occupied by the thoughts of her husband.

She was nervous about not being able to recognise Madhav, he was sure to have grown taller. She wondered if he sported a moustache now. He had been so busy with his education that they had barely communicated. She took the separation in her stride, knowing fully well that the real reason why Madhav moved to Bombay was his thrust on academics. But now that the vessel inched closer to the wharf  she was filled with a longing to be noticed for the transformation she had undergone in these years.

It had been a long time since Madhav and Dinkar's visit to Konkan and Surangi had not laid her eyes on her husband ever since. Madhav was too preoccupied with his Matriculation and later the Intermediate examinations, the latter being the pre-university level. He studied hard to secure a seat in the most prestigious medical college in Bombay and had to move into the campus hostel a couple of years ago. Surangi had just taken her Matriculation exam whereas Waman, who was a year ahead of her, had moved to Bombay the previous year as their village did not have institutions for higher education. 

That same year, having had enough of her books the simple minded Chandri had opted to settle down in matrimony with Shivram whom she had always hoped to marry. Fortunately for her everything fell into place after Vidya convinced Shivram to take the plunge. Unfortunately for Chandri her parents and brother could not attend her wedding as her alcoholic father was now confined to bed and needed looking after. 

Nevertheless Chandri' s mother wrote to Vidya requesting her to  solemnise her daughter's marriage. In any case, Vidya was now the girl's guardian, and had encouraged an otherwise unwilling Chandri to finish school. To Vidya's delight Chandri cleared the Matriculation examination, albeit by the skin of her teeth. To reward her for her success Vidya put together a decent trousseau for Chandri. Vidya's husband gave the bride away in a modest ceremony. The seven year old Gaju enjoyed the customary privilege of pulling Shivram 's earlobe during the nuptials. An emotional Chandri broke down and cried in Vidya's arms when Madhav and Gaju were escorting her to her marital home.

"Chandrey, stop crying! You are moving just a couple of lanes away, and you are welcome to visit us anytime!" Vidya comforted her as she dried her tears. 

"Yes, Chandrakka, do you want your neighbours to remember you as the bride with a runny nose and cheeks smeared with kohl?" Gaju, who could not figure why the girl whose eyes faithfully followed Shivram would be sad at the time of starting her new life with him. 

"Gaju, you don't understand! What will the neighbours say if I don't shed tears while leaving here? Tai, you are my mother now and  your home is my maher. I only wish my Aai and Surangi Vahini had been here to see me get married!" Chandri sobbed, her mind clogged with the mixed emotions of contentment and sadness.