Mahashweta by Sudha Murty Page A

with and married a very poor but beautiful girl.’
    ‘Have you seen her?’
    ‘No. I couldn’t go for the wedding as there was some problem at home. It seems Anand liked the girl so much that her father took advantage of it, and Radhakka had to perform the wedding at her own expense.’
    ‘How fortunate for the girl’s family!’ sneered the younger woman.
    ‘The story does not end there. The girl had white patches, which she had hidden from everyone. The moment Radhakka found out, she sent the daughter-in-law packing. Now she is searching for a new bride for Anand.’
    ‘Has he agreed to that?’
    ‘Of course. Otherwise why would Radhakka search for a bride? The first time, they brought home a bride from an unknown family, and look what happened. She doesn’t want to be deceived again. So, this time, she is looking for an alliance within her own circle.’
    Anupama was shocked. Till that moment, a part of her had been sure that Anand still loved her and had good reasons for not writing to her. The fact that he had agreed to remarry meant that he was prepared to discard her like a rag and move on with his life. So, when he had talked about being together ‘till death do us part’ his words had held no truth. Anupama had essayed many roles on stage—Samyukta, Vasavadatta, Noor Jahan and countless others. She would get so immersed in the characters that, long after the plays had been staged, she would still remember the dialogues. But Anand, who had never been on stage, had surpassed her in real life! Anand was a doctor; he knew more about the ‘disease’ than most people. Then why was he behaving in such a manner? What would he have done if his mother or his sister had fallen prey to the affliction? Would he have deserted them as he had her? He would probably have sympathized with them and taken care of them, but when it was his own wife, the woman he claimed to love, he had abandoned her. The rules were different. . .and society would not question his behaviour. But then, his family had never experienced a problem such as this; they did not know the meaning of suffering or poverty. They could not imagine the difficulties, the sorrow and the despair of someone in her position.
    Anupama was jolted out of her thoughts by Sharada’s voice.
    ‘But has he divorced his first wife?’
    ‘Oh, they’ve been separated for the last three years. That is not a problem. She is from a poor family. Radhakka will pay her some money, and that will be the end of the matter. She has nobody to support her, so she won’t have the courage to fight her in-laws. When the girl’s husband is not bothered about her, why should anybody else care? Sharda, do you know of any good girl?’
    ‘I don’t know anyone. Besides, I’ve heard that Radhakka can be very domineering, so I don’t want to recommend anybody. And, after all, this will be a second marriage. By the way, how is Anand to look at?’
    ‘Oh, he is such a handsome boy, but obviously very unlucky. I feel sorry for him. He has come for his sister’s wedding and will be going back soon.’
    Anand had come to India but had not even bothered to contact her! How could he have been so heartless? Anupama suddenly felt very tired and her steps faltered. She was in two minds—should she go to the temple and offer her prayers, or just return home? Could the goddess do anything for her any more? As the sun rose behind the hill and its warm rays began to dissipate the fog, Anupama turned her thoughts to her future. There was really nobody who loved her enough to bother about her.
    As a little girl, she had never known her mother’s affection. Her father, who had no self-confidence, was a puppet in the hands of his second wife. Only her grandmother loved her, but after her death Anupama had grown up unwanted. Meeting Anand brought joy in her life again. She thought he had showered all his love on her, and she too had loved him in return.
    She suddenly realized that she had reached