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Deceit



It was one of those winter afternoons in New Delhi, all cosy tucked warm basking in affectionate heart-to-heart, “You have no idea Mona about my Mamima, your Dida how she came wrapped head to toe in gold ornaments and costly jewelleries when Boromamama brought her home”

  

Extending arms and limbs he demonstrated, “Look from here to here and here to here” he continued “Her toe rings shimmered, her tiara crowned forehead gleamed red vermillion, those necklaces and bangles, armlets and bracelets, anklets …

  

Mona had heard her Mom’s paternal cousin who was Grandpa’s sister’s son thus a Cousin Mama (Uncle) repeat his awes - over his Mamia when he saw her for the first time - as a youngster.

  

A man account, Mona heard umpteenth times and changed the topic foreseeing nostalgic avalanches burying every one in the process.

  

However, the damage was done; she herself fell into a trance, recollecting.

  

Mona found her Dida cute, but puzzled as to why Dida always teased her. She was surely a good girl obedient to Ma and Baba. Moreover each friend and relative calling certified the same too.

  

Mona disliked the dialect Chemri a term Dida often used to address Mona. It meant girl in rustic Bengali, Chemra was for the boy.

  

It sounded awful but Dida used dialect like many others around. Of course her parents’ spoken language was melody to Mona’s ears and everyone appreciated saying it reflected culture.

  

She enjoyed all this fuss over, vernacular, speeches, spoken, understood … Often Mona heard her parents discuss languages, as to medium of instruction, schools should follow.



They reasoned that researches and science recorded in English, was the language of the future.

  

Mother Anu preferred to send Mona to the nearby English Medium Convent. It was a few minutes walk from home to school on Sayed Amir Ali Avenue. Father Shashanka supported her plan nevertheless lofty school fees.

Serving the Railways compulsory trips kept Shashanka away from home. He was hopeful Anu would manage the short distance, singly saving hours and tension.



Anu felt relaxed and secure when her parents (Mona’s Dida and Dadu) came to stay, every summer. Dida would baby sit and afford Anu unwind. Anu used her break finishing her embroidery… earlier she had a full time teaching job at a primary school in the suburb which she sacrificed for her family, like most Indian women.

  

Mona too loved her Dida and wanted to be carried like her brother Monee. But Dida refused saying she was a big girl. Mona always followed Dida like a cub whining attention, tugging and pulling at her sari end.



Dida refused to bathe her like the way she bathed Monee saying Chemri you are big enough to manage on your own. Sweet Mummy always supported Mona, Grandma was ceaselessly nagging. Grandpa Dadu never irritated Mona but…  



Hearing fairy tales from Dida made Mona thirst for more but Dida excused herself to a stop when little brother Monee went off to sleep on narrated tales. Saying he would wake up from sleep, if she conversed further. Nearly everyone and everything rotated around Mona’s little brother and her pleas fell deaf ears.





To top it Dida often said Mona was not a real family member; she would have to leave the house once married off to a man. He would come take her away and she would live in a different household.



But Monee was a boy of this house, he would marry and bring a girl home, his name too would not change but Mona’s would.



Mona puzzled more as to why her name would change and as well-read Dida who knew a lot said so – ‘How would people recognize her as Mummy’s Mona, she asked her Dida to clarify.



Promptly Dida elucidated to Mona, her mother would change too. She would get a new mother; her husband’s mother would be the new mother.



This was extremity for little Mona to bear, she would wail bitterly thumping her hands on the ground… till her mother came to pacify her with soothing diversions.



Wretched and quivering to lose her own mom, little Mona felt despair. Never in the world would she accept the best prince in exchange of her ma. She was not to marry for sure.



Continued:





Perching Monee on her hip Dida paced the room up and down; she was worried, her daughter Anu rushed Dadu to the hospital and wanted to know what the abdomen pain he had was.



Relaxed at the news from the errand boy she busied to routine feed Monee then she would serve Mona, lunch.



But Monee refused to eat fish and rice. He agreed to savour Milk-rice Payesh.



What dilemma for Grandma! Not possible to grant Monee’s wish that cookery was complete. Fire doused from portable bucket-oven made of clay; daub cleaned with gobar mud mix water, kept neat for evening cooking.



What would she do, brilliantly fixed an idea - mixed a portion of rice, milk and a spoon of sugar to feed Doodbhat to Monee saying, ‘here your Payesh is ready, come eat’



Mona saw the process and keen at Grandma’s lack of Payesh making sense rightly proclaimed loud, the white substance in the bowl was Doodbhat.



She saw ma make Payesh and knew exactly. Mona simply wanted to help guide Dida who just dismissed her assistance, in a manner of disturbed scorn.



Hearing Doodbhat from Monadidi Monee refused to eat. Dida cajoled him while Mona insisted Dida learn to cook from her. Left with no choice but to learn, Dida took the bowl, placed it on the empty oven, fake-stirred with a spoon as if cooking.



‘Monee Payesh is ready please have’ said Dida.



At this Mona turned to her brother and said, Monee, it is not cooked’ then addressing Anu’s mother, ‘Dida you have to fire the oven and it is done with lighted newspaper through the gap, pointing...’



‘Ok, here is the newspaper’ rolling the same to a stick like, she inserted through the oven inlet.



‘But you have to use the hand fan so that it catches fire and burns the coal’ Mona uttered with intent. She was a bank of knowledge and too clever for her age, grandma thought in her mind.



Dida pulled the leafy fan out moving her hand vigorously under the bowl alternately stirring in sham. She had to prove her mettle that her grandson ate without more fuss.



Before Mona could further impart her know-how, swiftly Dida carried the bowl and Monee away declaring Payesh as cooked.



“But it is not cooked Dida you have forgotten to put coal and wood and then there would be smoke before the…”



Was Dida unable to match her granddaughter’s acumen? She hatched a plan whispering something into Monee’s ears. Monee agreed to eat wisely answering her elder sister it was Payesh and he would eat.



Mona wanted to help but Dida ignored her support and to top it she was duping Monee. ‘But Monee, it is not true…Dida is …’



Mona was being honest but Dida refused to understand and rebuked, ‘Chemri keep quiet!’



How come? Dida always asked Mona to tell the truth but now she gave Doodbhat as Payesh to her brother Monee. Was it not fooling? She felt queasy.



Called a Chemri a hurt Mona coiled away from both, engaged in preparing dolls wedding ceremony to be held next day along with her friend Pinkie.



By the time Anu returned from the hospital grandfather in tow, Shashanka too was home. The family discussed grandfather’s health over tea, relaxed at the test results.



Dida as usual with Monee on her hip, Anu asked her mother to put him down.

‘Better not to avoid an upset stomach; you know he is in the habit of putting everything from floor into his mouth’ explained Dida

‘Ok mother, you know better, only your hips must be aching, you hardly take rest!’ Anu exclaimed concerned.



Suddenly, Mona attracted Dida’s attention. She wanted to have some fun and began with the worst failure of her … she mocked Mona pestering with the same old tune, to annoy.



Mona could take no more irritation; leaving her engagement unexpectedly leaped over Dida grabbing her long tresses, pulling at it with all her might.



Tucking Monee onto Anu’s lap, Dida shrieked, ‘Mona leave my hair’ to deaf ears. Mona knew her own mind; she was determined to pull each strand of Dida’s hair.



No words but a calmly furious Mona went into action. Her little fingers entangled more as Dida tried to break free.



Shanshanka ran to her rescue helping to disentangle her mother in law, it was a scene indeed! Grandpa Dadubhai too came running, lifted little Mona away freeing his wife from the rage of his loving pixie grand daughter.



The next what followed, was remembered by Dida forever, barrage of scolding from all corners. She swore peace with her grand child never to utter, Mona did not belong to this house and her only mother was not Anu. No more leg-pulling after a severe hair-pulling ache, incident.



As for Mona she was planted kisses but a firm never to touch anyone’s hair. Never older people’s because that annoyed Shiva and Mona knew what angry Shiva did, thunder and lightening… Mona never touched anyone’s hair to hurt.



She felt a tug at her blanket to wake up from the past… Mamima ready for everyone with hot cups of tea served along cream cracker biscuits. She was my Mamima. Mona’s Mama (uncle) took a sip to whet his throat from infective reminiscence, life is cosy in the warmth of affection; she felt loved and loved to love…





Mona: daughter Monee: son

Ma-Anu: Mona’s & Monee’s mother

Baba-Shashanka: Mona’s & Monee’s father

Dida: Mona’s & Monee’s grandmother

Dadubhai: Mona’s & Monee’s grandfather

Didi: elder sister is addressed by younger siblings

Boromama; Mama: Eldest maternal uncle; maternal uncle

Mamima: Aunt - wife of maternal uncle

Payesh: Indian art Milk rice preparation, cooked together.

Doodbhat: rice and milk mixed but both items cooked separately.

Gobar: cow dung

Photo info: Baby on hip by Jamini Roy, Girl, art on a scan copy done by me. Bride, my friend’s daughter, school, original school