45

Internally, Ramu standing outside the house was feeling sorry for what he had done in a fit of rage. The lady came out after nearly half an hour and signaled Ramu to go in and take good care of Gauri. Feeling guilty inside, he stepped inside the room to find Gauri lying down on the bed. He took her hand in his and blurted out, "Sorry, for all this. I shouldn't have hit you so hard and promise this won't happen again."

Gauri looked away avoiding his eyes and started sobbing. Ramu put his hand across her shoulder and started waving through her dismantled hair. He got up, and brought some food for her to eat.

"No, I don't feel like eating anything right now," Gauri said in a feeble tone, pushing away the steel plate in which the food was.

"But you have to eat something otherwise how will you take the medicines," forcefully he fed her with some rice and some vegetables and then gave her the medicine with some luke warm water to swallow it. The whole evening passed without any of them talking to each other. In the morning, Gauri was feeling better and her condition had also improved. She called out to Ramu to come and sit next to her.

"I want to talk to you about something very important."

Ramu came and sat beside her with a glass of tea in his hand.

"Now, look here Ramu, if you don't want to work it's upto you. Then I'll be going out myself in search of a job and I know I'll get a job quickly as I'm a high school pass and know little bit of English as well. But from today onwards, I'm not going to give you any money for your personal spends but only for the rations of the house. So, for your personal spends you beg, borrow or steal, I'll be least bothered. And the next time you behave like this with me, I'll inform the police," Gauri said in a soft tone to Ramu not showing the pain she was going through after last evening's incident.

Ramu looked at her disdainfully, got up, made another glass of tea for himself, took out the left over rice of last evening and started eating without bothering for Gauri and her words. But, as he was partaking his breakfast his mind was all swaying with the evil idea of stealing some money from Gauri's wallet which was always kept under the mattress of the bed on which Gauri was sitting. Suddenly, he remembered the small gold earrings which she had worn on her marriage with him. Now his eyes were all set on those earrings which he knew were kept securely in the container where the sugar was kept. On the pretext of taking out the sugar for his tea, he took out the earrings and pocketed them secretly without the knowledge of Gauri.

After his breakfast, he quietly got up, changed to his trousers, opened the door of the house and silently stepped out without uttering a single word to Gauri who was still under the impression that he had gone to look for a job without a single penny in his pocket. He trudged his way to a jewelers shop to sell his booty. The moment he reached there he was disappointed to see the shop still shut. On enquiring, he found that it would open in another one hour. He sat there on the footpath outside the shop, waiting for it to open. Ultimately, after an hour of long wait, the shop finally opened and Ramu rushed inside.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" enquired the shopkeeper.

"I want to sell these earrings," blurted Ramu.

"These have not been stolen?" asked the shopkeeper eyeing him suspiciously.

"How can they be? I'm in dire need of money for the treatment of my wife that's why I came to sell them, otherwise who sells their own jewelry?" spoke Ramu convincingly.

"Okay I'll pay you Rs.2000/- for both. If you agree it's okay, else you can see some other shop," called out the shopkeeper with a smirk on his face.

"But I think we bought them for Rs.3000/- just a few days ago," lied Ramu.

"If you want Rs.2000/- let's do business else you can carry on," the shopkeeper said getting irritated.

"Okay give me the money, I've to rush back home as my wife will be waiting to take her to the hospital," Ramu lied again showing some urgency in his tone. Ramu took the money, and happily came out of the shop. For him it was a lot of money. Coming out her straightaway went to the liquor store which was nearly a ten minute walk from there. From there he bought a bottle of country liquor and a couple of packets of salted peanuts from the nearby shop and made his way to the park. Reaching there he occupied the same place under the huge peepal tree as the last time. After consuming nearly more than half the bottle, he kept sitting against the trunk of the massive tree and then without knowing he drifted off to sleep in the sitting position itself. After about a couple of hours he opened his eyes and wanted to get up, but couldn't because of the intoxication. Again he sat there and shut his eyes and was back in a deep slumber.

Ultimately in the forenoon he woke up again, feeling a wee bit fresh with his stomach burning with hunger and thirst. He made his way to a nearby small eatery and ordered for a chicken dish and few rotis for himself. After eating to his heart's content he dragged his way back home with Rs.1500/- still left in his pocket.

Reaching home, he banged the door loudly to make it audible to Gauri whom he thought might be sleeping. Gauri came and as she opened the door to let him in she could smell the odor of liquor from his mouth.

"So, you had been drinking again, but where did the money come from?" shouted she at him.

"That should be no concern of yours," Ramu too shouted back at her hoarsely, pushing her aside to let him in. stepping inside, he made his way to the bed and lay there quietly. But Gauri was fuming with anger. On seeing him lying down quietly, she again vented her anger at him.

"You didn't go to find a job and instead you had been enjoying all this time. Ramu, just tell me one thing, how long will this go on? Ultimately one fine day we'll just become paupers with nothing to eat or wear."

"This is my house and I'll do whatever I feel like. If you don't like my lifestyle you better get out from my house and fend for yourself," Ramu too shouted back in the same tone as Gauri.

Gauri was dumbfounded to hear these harsh words from Ramu's mouth. She just cursed her luck to have tied the sacred knot of marriage with a person like this.

Next day morning she got up early, readied herself and went to the metro station to catch an early morning train to Chandni Chowk, where the business hub was. The stores over there had just opened. She started visiting each and every shop over there, asking for work as a salesgirl or a helper but was turned away due to recession in the market. It was late afternoon and the sun was shining brightly when she entered a store of readymade garments wanting to try her luck over there as well. The proprietor of the store was in his early forties. On seeing her mesmerizing beauty he immediately agreed to appoint her on trial basis as a salesgirl on his vast counter which was spread from one end to the other.

"Now look here madam, I'll be paying you Rs.8000/- and the duty hours will be 10.30am to 8pm. I will see your performance as a salesgirl for a month and if you are upto the mark I will increase your salary to Rs.10000/- plus commissions on the sales that you do, and if you are not to the company's satisfaction, you will be shunted out," said the shopkeeper trying to make her understand.

"Don't worry sir, I'll try to be upto your expectations," said Gauri beaming with happiness.

"From tomorrow you reach the shop by 10.30am and that boy Ramesh (pointing his finger to a boy) will show you the stocks and will make you understand the prices at what to sell," the shopkeeper said looking into her eyes.

"Thank you sir, will definitely be there by the appointed time," replied Gauri feeling obliged.

Beaming with joy she came back home, making all silly plans in her head of the money she'll get. Reaching home she found Ramu sitting on the bed, half asleep and the empty liquor bottle lying nearby. She thumped her forehead in despair, looking sternly at Ramu and chiding him from within. She sat on the side of the bed cursing her fate to have wedded with Ramu.

Ramu, on hearing the creaking of the bed suddenly opened his eyes in dismay at seeing Gauri sitting at the other end.

"Where have you been all this while? You know I'm very hungry and there was just nothing that you have cooked," he said loudly in a complaining and angry tone.

"Now look here, Ramu, I'm not your bought slave to tend to your needs. I also have my life to live and by the way, from tomorrow, I'll be going to Chandni Chowk where I have bagged a job for myself. So, from tomorrow you better take care of yourself. I'll be back by 9pm. I'll see what can be cooked for you in the morning and that too if I have the time to do so," replied Gauri in the same tone as his.

Ramu tried to get up from the bed to slap her, but couldn't as he was totally intoxicated. Sitting on the edge he shouted at her in full volume of his hoarse tone.

"You bitch; I know what job you must have found for yourself. I want food and if you can't give it, you are free to leave my house."

On hearing the commotion, their neighbor who had helped previously as well stepped in the house.

"Ramu, why are you scolding your wife? She's such a nice and caring girl," she asked Ramu giving a friendly smile on her face.

"Aunty, you just don't know how she is!!! She has refused to give me food and I'm dying of hunger over here," Ramu replied, looking angrily at Gauri.

And then Gauri explained to the neighbor everything. After listening to her, aunty gave a reassuring clasp on Gauri's hand, "Don't worry, everything will be alright. I have made some porridge today and I will come and give it to you myself in a few minutes. Till that time, hold on Ramu and stop talking like this to your wife," she said full of smiles and went away.

After around ten minutes she came back with a bowl full of porridge and gave it to Gauri.

"Now look here both of you, you are just like my children and please stop fighting over trivial matters. You eat this to your heart's content and leave the rest to God."

Ramu looked at the porridge with starved eyes, pounced at it and immediately started eating from the bowl itself. After eating till his belly was about to burst he left some for Gauri. Gauri took the leftover, drank some water and lay down in the bed.

Next day again she got up early in the morning. After freshening herself with a cold bath, she lit the fire to cook some rice and vegetables for herself and Ramu who was still asleep. By 9am she left the room for catching the metro train to reach Chandni Chowk well in time. In another one hour she was standing outside the store which was still closed. After about fifteen minutes of waiting the other employees of the store started trickling in. she started introducing herself to them one by one and by the time her introductions finished the employer also came in his BMW car, alighting at the doorstep of his store. He felt delighted on seeing Gauri at the appointed time. All the employees greeted him and the store opened for the usual business. On entering the store Gauri asked Ramesh, the salesperson to explain everything about 'selling' to her which he readily did, describing her how to bargain with the customers.

"Don't stoop too low on the price as the customer will not value the product being sold to them. Don't worry for a few days I'll be standing beside you while you attend to the customer just to boost your morale, so that you don't get nervous," said Ramesh smiling at Gauri.

Gauri thanked him from the bottom of her heart and stood behind the counter assigned to her. The whole day passed with Gauri and Ramesh together attending various customers and it was time to close down now. As they were closing, suddenly a couple of customers entered the shop who wanted to buy some dress material. As Gauri was taking out the cloth bundles from the shelf, her employer called her and said, "Gauri, you can go now as you have to go very far. Don't you worry; there are other salespersons who will take care of them."

Bidding 'Namaste' to the employer she immediately left for the train taking her back home. At 9.15pm as she opened the door of her unlocked room, she was astounded to see Ramu sitting on the floor with a liquor bottle and a glass filled to the brim with the liquid in his hands. Gauri stepped in quietly, not even raising her head and went towards the other end of the room.

"So, my bitch is back!! How much did you earn on your first day? Where's my food? Give me soon or I'll starve to death!!" Ramu called out to her in a croaky voice.

Without uttering a single word or reacting to his allegations, Gauri quietly lit a fire, took out some rice from a tin box and kept them for boiling. After about fifteen minutes, when the rice was done, she poured them into a steel plate, keeping some pickles in the corner of the plate and took it for Ramu. On seeing the plate full of rice and pickles, the face of Ramu blazed in anger.

"And now you want me to eat rice morning and evening. I want some chicken dish to accompany these. Since you are earning now, I won't eat this crap. Just take it away from me or else I'll throw them on your face."

Gauri silently withdrew the plate and went to the other side of the room and started eating herself as she was also too hungry to resist. Ramu got up with staggering steps and went out of the house to have his fill from the nearby barbeque shop. He still has Rs.1300/- left in his pocket and he wanted to spend them wisely as he knew that after this money was finished he'll deprived of his liquor. After a couple of days he got a phone call unexpectedly.

"Hello, I'm Radhey over here. Remember me? Your job will be done tomorrow as promised to you," Radhey spoke in a goons tone and disconnected the call.