44

After marrying Gauri, Ramu stayed at home with her for another one week, not going to the store for work. He wanted to enjoy the bliss of his new marriage thoroughly. A week later when he reached the store, the employer called him inside his office and started reprimanding him for being absent without any information.

"But why? Why didn't you inform me for not coming to work for so many days? You know Badri is also on leave and he will be back only after another ten days. And now listen carefully, I am a man of discipline and won't tolerate any kind of nuisance in my store. If you don't want to work you can immediately leave the job. From the day you have returned from Lucknow you aren't paying any heed to your work also and now these untimely leaves and that too without any information. I think you better get out and search for another job. I will pay you fifteen days salary as a compensation which you can collect it just now from the accountant outside and leave," said the employer raging red with anger.

Ramu came out of the cabin and straight went to the accountant. The accountant knew him as a hard working fellow so he asked, "Ramu what happened? I just got the information from the boss on my intercom."

"I really don't give a shit anymore. Think what you think. Believe what you want, but just remember I cared when no one else did," Ramu replied in a fit of rage. On hearing this explosion the accountant kept quiet paid him his dues and got his signatures on the register. On the way back Ramu bought a quart of the cheapest brand of liquor and reached home. As soon as Gauri saw the bottle of liquor in his hands she blurted out, "What's all this Ramu? Since when have you started boozing?"

"Don't talk with me, I'm really in a very bad mood Gauri," Ramu called out in a raised voice. Gauri kept mum. He took out the steel glass and poured some liquor and mixed it with water and started gulping the drink in his hand. As he nearly finished the quart, he pulled Gauri by her arm and asked her to sit with him.

"Gauri, I've been kicked out of the job as one kicks a dog. The boss forgot about all the orders and business I got for him from Lucknow, but because I'd been absent for nearly three weeks in a row he shunted me out...or rather threw me out as if I didn't mean anything to him," Ramu told Gauri in an inebriated voice with lots of vice for the employer frothing out from his mouth.

Gauri had never seen this image of Ramu before. She felt scared, got up from the bed where she was sitting with Ramu and swiftly went away to make food for both of them. Ramu's head had started dizzying and he lay down on the bed itself in a deep slumber snoring loudly. After a couple of hours he woke up with a severe headache.

"Gauri!! Gauri!! Gauri!! Please can you make me a cup of tea and also give me something to eat. I'm really very hungry" Ramu called out to Gauri in a weak and painful voice.

She made a glass of tea and brought the food she had cooked. They both ate silently without even uttering a single word to each other. After the food was done, he again lay down to get more sleep, but couldn't. He kept tossing and turning and then finally got up in the evening and went out with Gauri for a stroll in the nearby park. Once inside, he felt relaxed with the fresh cool air soothing his dilapidated nerves. Ultimately after having a couple of rounds in the park they both sat on a bench.

"Why don't you try for another job?" Gauri asked him holding his hand.

"How can I? Nobody knows me here and I don't know anybody. It was Badri who had got me this job, but now even if he turns up after a week or ten days I'm not going to ask from any favor from him. He's a killer of my mother and promise I won't spare that bastard. Let him come back once from the village, then I'll teach him a lesson of his life. Gauri, you were telling me one day about the hired professionals for these kinds of jobs. You better contact your friend whose cousin is into this. I would like to talk with him to take some estimate of money before stepping forward for the act that I've thought of," Ramu confided cautiously with Gauri, making his voice little slow and smoother.

"Oh!! Yes, I remember it. On reaching back home I'll definitely call up my friend," Gauri said.

Once back home, Gauri took out the mobile from her deep necked blouse and called up her friend.

"Hello Poonam, how are you?"

"Oh Gauri, what a pleasant surprise you have given me by calling up. I'd thought you have completely forgotten me after your marriage," Poonam replied complaining.

"No, no, Poonam...how did you ever think of this silly thing? We are childhood friends. How can I forget my sweet friend like this," Gauri replied smiling.

They chatted for a while and then Gauri asked her, "Poonam, is your cousin still into the same profession as before?"

"Why do you ask this Gauri? Yes, he's still working with his friend Billa. But is there something that you are hiding from me?" Poonam asked her suspiciously.

"No, no Poonam, you know I have never hidden anything from you till now and why should I do it? I take you for my sister. It was only that my husband wanted to meet your brother; he has got some business for him. Just ask your brother to be reasonable enough to ask for money from Ramu, as he has been rendered jobless from today," Gauri said in a confiding tone.

"Don't you worry; your job will be done. I'll ask him to call Ramu. So, just text me his mobile number, I'll forward it to 'bhai'," Poonam replied back bidding her bye for that time.

Gauri immediately texted her Ramu's number.

Next morning at 7am Ramu suddenly got up in frenzy by the ringing of his phone. Still in his sleep Ramu received the call, "Yes, who is it?"

"Oh!! Is that Ramu I'm speaking to, I'm Poonam's brother Radhey, what can I do for you?" Radhey asked in his husky voice. In the meantime Gauri too stood wide awake and sat by the side of Ramu while he explained everything to Radhey. After listening patiently to Ramu, Radhey said that the fee of his boss is Rupees 2 Lakhs for eradicating.

"Oh!!! That would be too much!! I haven't seen this much of money ever in my whole life. Okay, if we beat that person black and blue or break his arms or legs, then how much will your boss take?" Ramu asked him sounding timid.

"For you, and you only I can ask my boss to take just ten percent of the amount which comes to Twenty Thousand Rupees," said Radhey sounding a little bored by now.

"Okay then!!! I'll let you know as soon as that fellow comes back from the village, maybe in another one week," said Ramu with a fear in his tone.

"But, you'll have to show the person to me first and tell me about his whereabouts. One thing make sure that the money has to be paid in advance. We don't give credit to our clients," Radhey said laughing while disconnecting the call.

"But Gauri, this is all the savings I have and that guy is asking for Rupees Twenty Thousand and this job of teaching a lesson is also a must for Badri," Ramu said sounding serious.

"Don't you worry, I have nearly Rupees Fifty Thousand in my savings with me. We'll spend from that and God willing you will soon have a job too," Gauri said in an assurance tone to Ramu.

For Ramu, Rupees Fifty Thousand was big money. He daily started asking for money from Gauri to get himself liquor from the nearby store and gulping down nearly half a bottle of it and kept on lying on the bed all the time. For Gauri it was something ridiculous, Gauri's family had never drunk much, indeed, they rarely touched a drop. However, within no time that what seemed a healthy marriage quickly developed into a heavily co-dependent relationship with alcohol at its heart.

One day, out of rage, Gauri confronted him.

"Ramu, do you know what you are doing? Simply finishing off the well saved money of mine which I had saved for a rainy day and not for your drinking habits. You have already finished Rupees Five Thousand of my savings. Why don't you go out and try for some job? It's not necessary that you will need somebody's help to get you one. If you don't get any job in an office or a store start being as a laborer. These days so many constructions are going on. I'm definite; you will surely get a job over there."

Ramu denied everything about his newly formed drinking habit. His denials triggered in Gauri's mind a need to control both him and his drinking. Deep down, she was terrified of where it would all lead to.

"You are just a mad lady for policing me all the time. I'm not a drunkard or an alcoholic. I just take a couple of drinks for fun sake, just to forget about the times am going through without a job," Ramu grumbled at her, his intoxicated eyes directly looking inside the innocent and worried eyes of his wife.

There were two sides to him though. He would accuse Gauri of being crazy one minute, but then declare that there was no one he loved more and that she was his best friend in this world. Filled with helplessness and shame at the way Ramu was playing with her, she was reluctant to tell anyone, even her close friends of which she had a couple of them.

A week later, Ramu came to know from his reliable sources that Badri had returned from the village. He called up Radhey, the goon and informed him about his whereabouts.

"But I would like to see him in person Ramu," Radhey said sounding irritated.

"Don't you worry, just come down to my place tomorrow by 9am and I will show him to you while he's going to the store where he works," Ramu said timidly.

"Okay, I will be there by 9am at your place," Radhey blurted out.

Next day morning, Radhey reached Ramu's house at the appointed time on his motorbike and knocked at his door. On seeing him, Ramu stepped out and accompanied him towards Badri's house. After a five minutes ride there were just standing opposite his house. At that time Badri was putting a lock on the latch while fiddling with the keys. As soon as he turned his back to ride on his bicycle to go for work, he could see Ramu and Radhey in a conversation standing opposite his home. Although they both tried to hide their faces but for Badri it was a clear view of both of them as the road was too narrow to take a hiding behind the lamp post.

On seeing Ramu, Badri stopped for a while to say 'hello' to Ramu but Ramu turned his face away. Seeing his expression, Badri quietly bicycled his way to his work.

"Yes, I've seen him closely now. Your job will be done in another one week. Get back home and pay the money as told," Radhey told Ramu.

"Don't you worry, I've already kept the packet of the dough aside for you," Ramu quipped back smiling.

On reaching hone, he gave him the envelope consisting of Rupees Twenty Thousand.

"Why don't you come in and join us for a cup of tea?" Ramu asked him inviting him inside.

"No, we don't take food or tea with our customers. That's a rule of our boss," Radhey said neglecting his offer. Once inside the house, Ramu screwed open the bottle of liquor and started making a drink for himself.

"Why? What's wrong with you Ramu? You've started drinking early in the morning itself?" shouted Gauri on him.

"No Gauri, don't stop me now, as I'm very happy today because after a week Badri will be lying in the hospital with broken bones as promised by Radhey. I'm just celebrating the occasion thinking about my revenge plan falling in place," said Ramu laughing at her.

Gauri came suddenly from behind and took away his bottle.

"I'm going to make you some breakfast. You better eat something and go out to search for a job," Gauri called out to him as if ordering him. She was swamped by a feeling of utter hopelessness as she waited for him to destroy her with a few caustic words for taking away his bottle. But he continued watching her silently, his face unreadable. It seemed as if he was waiting for some cue from her. The dilemma lasted for several seconds until Gauri solved it by bursting into tears. She raised her hands upto her face blotting her streaming eyes. Suddenly Ramu was next to her, touching her shoulders and arms lightly. Lovingly he reached out to pat her back.

"Don't cry. Everything is fine. Bloody hell, don't do that."

As she continued to weep Ramu hovered her in baffled dismay.

"Okay okay, I'll be going out looking for a job right after breakfast," he said cupping her cheeks in his hands. Suddenly Gauri was leaning on him, her small head resting at the center of his chest. The long skeins of her hair draped everywhere entangling him in a fine russet web. Ramu lifted his hands to ease her away. Instead, her arms slid around him. She was pressed against him length to length.

"Hey Gauri," he said with great effort, but she nestled deeper against him muffling her gulping sobs in his shirt front.

He smoothened his hands over her hair and urged her head into his shoulder.

"It's alright," he said gruffly. Everything is fine now, I told you na that I'm going out to search for a job. Don't cry anymore. Just lend me a hundred rupee note as my pocket is totally empty."

Gauri got up, gave him the money, and sent him off wishing him the best of luck. Ramu's face brightened up while pocketing the money. He went out and straight away made his way to the 'desi' liquor shop which was in the nearby market itself. From there he bought a bottle for rupees seventy five and the remainder amount he spent it on having some 'pakodas'. He hid the bottle in his clothes and went to a park nearby which was practically secluded at that time of the day. He sat under the thick foliage of a peepal tree which was on the furthest end of the park, laid down his packet of 'pakodas' on the ground and started drinking straight from the bottle. After about half the bottle had finished, he started feeling drowsy and he lay down there on the grass and drifted away to a deep sleep. At around four o'clock he suddenly got up with a start having a throbbing headache. He kept on sitting like a fool for another fifteen minutes thus taking in the surroundings of the huge desolate park. Being from a rustic background he could sense from the shadows of the trees what time of the day it was. He stood up in a lazy manner hiding the bottle in his trouser pocket and trudged his way back home. On reaching, hearing the knock on the door, Gauri came running and opened the door. She was stunned to see the condition in which Ramu stood in front of her. His hair was a mess and untidy, his eyes swollen and his clothes were all messed up with dry grass and mud strewn all over. She immediately sensed that he had been drinking in a park and had never gone to find a job.

"So, here you are standing like an alcoholic idiot. You had been drinking all this while, when I thought you were searching hard for a job," shouted Gauri at him.

Ramu seeing her shouting started yelling at her, calling her names and threatening a divorce.

"How have you the guts for slandering me, abusing me, chiding at me for no fault of mine? My only fault is, I'm giving you my money to spend on your boozing and your eating. You are just a good for nothing fellow," Gauri grumbled at him in a shrieking tone.

Hearing this, Ramu gave her a slap with all his might on her face, which made Gauri falter and fell semiconscious on the bed. On seeing her falling down, Ramu took her by her hair and banged her head on the side wooden plank of the bed. She lay still, half on the floor and half on the bed. Suddenly he could see blood dripping on the floor from her lowers. He panicked and rushed to bring a glass of water and sprinkled some on her face. He kept on doing this until Gauri faintly opened her eyes. Slowly he made her lie on the bed by holding her legs and gently keeping them on the bed. The blood oozing out had become more severe now. Sensing trouble, he swiftly opened the door of the room and rushed out to call the doctor in the vicinity. The doctor too came hurriedly and after examining her announced that the child she was bearing had miscarried by the sudden jolt and fall. He gave some medicines and an injection and went away wishing her good luck. Gauri feebly got up and sat on the corner of the bed and started crying loudly, on seeing her condition of being fully drenched in blood and understanding the seriousness of her condition. Ramu too got worried and rushed out to their immediate neighbor (who was a widow) to call her for help. She too came running and seeing the condition of Gauri, immediately asked Ramu for some hot water. In another fifteen minutes Ramu stood there with a big utensil in which he had boiled the water. The lady asked Ramu to go out for a while and started cleaning the private parts of Gauri with the hot water. After that she gave her some milk to drink and gave a strict instruction to not get up from the bed for another atleast twenty four hours.