A Bend in the River of Life (5 page)

In the next few days after Devika's wedding, the friends and family left one by one. Amit went back to his business. In absence of Devika the Roy family home felt like a dilapidated house. Rana's school opened at the end of the summer vacation. Rana though remained unusually subdued. He was going through his daily routine perfunctorily. He ran out of his usual vivacity. The River of Life hardly ever follows a straight course. Meandering is its way, mysterious is its demeanor. By early autumn Rana became seriously sick. Doctor said it was the worst type of Hepatitis virus. He became yellow. His body temperature shot up to 106 degree Fahrenheit and the remission was
not in sight. The family doctor, known to be the best in the town, showed signs of throwing in the towel. He offered to call his professor at the Medical College in Calcutta and a leading practitioner in the country. The family got frightened with the apprehension that Rana was in death bed. Some said it was a psychological effect of his agony on account of Devika's departure from his immediate surroundings. Whatever might be the reason, Rana was in a serious condition.

Sheila, Kamala, Devika, Sarojini and Padmini came to see him, perhaps for the last time. All the women cried and prayed for his life and speedy recovery. It seemed like their prayers were answered. The specialist came from Calcutta and after thorough examination changed the medication. He also changed the diet to Rana's liking. In forty-eight hours Rana responded to the treatment. In another two weeks, Hepatitis was brought under control. He started regaining his natural complexion. On his last visit, the specialist strongly recommended that Rana be taken to a health resort for a month. Accordingly, the family took him to a resort with a hot spring known to have cured many with serious diseases and disabilities. Rana came back to life. Smile returned to his face. He became his normal self again. On his return from the sojourn after a month-long hiatus Rana went to see the river, the friendly river, the only place where he could seek solace and comfort at the hour of distress. He felt exceedingly happy to be back to its peace and tranquility. Gradually, Rana learnt to live his life without the joyful and reassuring presence of his Aunt Devika, the angel of his life.

On the wings of time and tide the River of Life flows on relentlessly toward its distant destiny, carrying on its strides both the wounds of a stricken heart and healings; a child's fantasy and a grown-up's understanding.

T
ime was passing by with the fluidity of a brook, sowing seeds of change unseen in the naked eye. Another year was coming to an end. When the family needed to spread their legs comfortably after the cramped living in the first year in exile, they moved to Rampur. Due to the uncertainties of business and income associated with the turbulence of partition that was the right decision at that time. Now that the partition was a “Fait Accompli” and going back to the good times left behind was ruled out forever, Rajani and Amit had been thinking seriously for sometime about moving to the heart of Calcutta Metropolis. After the life and death situation for Rana when the specialist had to be called all the way from Calcutta to save his life, they made up their minds to relocate to one of the newer and comfortable parts of the city at the earliest opportunity. This time they did not have to sweat to find a good place. The solution was easy. The owner of the Rampur property also had a house for sale at the southern part of Calcutta overlooking the lakes. The owner was getting older. He was already well into his seventies. He wanted to sell the property because it was difficult for him to manage it from distance. The lawyers completed the buy-sell agreement. The documents were signed and money exchanged hands. The new house would be ready for occupation from the first week of the New Year just about four weeks away.

For months Rana had been hearing all the side talks about the move without any visible emotion. Now the move seemed to be real. In a few weeks they were supposed to leave Rampur forever. Rana felt
nostalgic about Rampur; about the river; about the palaces; about the wooded streets and above all the friendly neighborhood. He knew he was going to miss the tree-lined arched streets with the chirping birds playfully capering among the green landscape. His mind was really pining for Rampur. He thought Rampur would remain in his love forever. He went to the river to calm down his mind. Poor Rana! One day he would realize that the object which is the source of joy in one circumstance also becomes the source of pain under different circumstances.

He gave the river a long hard look and said to himself that during his three-year stay in Rampur he did not seem to notice any change in the river and the activities around it. The river was still murmuring its way to the ocean. Ferry boats were still carrying the passengers across. Barges and steamers were still cruising along in a business like manner carrying loads of supplies and passengers to their destinations. Devotees were still standing in the waist deep water performing ablutions and offering prayers to the Almighty. Yet in these three years there had been so many changes in his life. Saroj and Kanika passed away. Devika was given in marriage and never again would his relationship with her be the same as before. He himself came back from the jaws of death. In a few weeks Rampur would remain only in his memory as did Nawabpur and Dacca. Many such thoughts kept coming to his mind. He was intrigued why there were so many changes in his life when everything else appeared to remain the same. It was a pity that at that point in time the child's mind in Rana was incapable of capturing the essence of life. Change is the only constant in life. Stagnation is death. For change connotes vitality. Without change life loses its dynamics. It loses its creativity. Without change life is bound up in lethargy and torpor and eventually stumbles and dies an unceremonious death. Yet change is frowned with apprehension. To some, change is even frightening. But the plain truth is if the world does not want to flow with change, it will be left behind by change in a hurry.

In the afternoon of the second Sunday in January the Roy family matriarch Rajani moved their abode to Lakeview Boulevard in Garden Lakes. Rana left behind another stop in the journey of his tortuous life. The new house overlooked a two mile-long man made lake with a stadium and water sport facilities. For Rana it was a different experience altogether. Garden Lakes did not have the old aura of Rampur, with its palaces and a breathtaking view of the river. However, it was a relatively new development, better planned with broader roads and modern amenities. The river was far away from Garden Lakes. But the lake was big enough with green surroundings to offer a frazzled mind the serenity of its placid waters.

However, in one area Garden Lakes had clear cut superiority over Rampur and that was education. The worries that Rajani and Amit had in the matter of Rana's education, subsided with the move to Garden Lakes. There were many schools to choose from. However, the one that was chosen for Rana was a missionary school, one of the finest in academic accomplishments. Rana soon accepted the loss of friendly and regal Rampur and embraced the elegance and comfort of Garden Lakes. He exchanged the ever flowing river with the ever serene lake. He began learning from his short experience that life was a constant trade-off. One has to forgo something to gain something else. One bank of the river is washed away to create another one down the way. Thus the River of Life flows on, always deceptively rapidly. Years come and years pass by often imperceptibly. Time and tide wait for no body. In a few weeks, the Roy family would complete a year in the new residence almost unnoticed. In the scheme of creation, many more years would come and leave them behind without their discerning the passage of time. For time is an integral part of the River of Life and there was nothing to prevent them from flowing together to their endless destiny, the ever receding Eternity.

Christmas season was upon the earth once again. This would be their first Christmas in the new house. Rana's ninth birthday was also round the corner. Amit came to the town on a short vacation.
However, to take advantage of his presence in the town, his partners requested him to extend his stay for a month to audit their Calcutta office. No one was happier than Rana. It was the first time in many years that his father would be present on his birthday. Kamala and Devika came with their children and stayed back for a few days. Came around Sheila also and at Amit's request she too stayed back for a week.

On one cool and sunny afternoon during that week Rana returned home from the school. While he was still sitting in the school bus very close to their house, it appeared to him that Rajani and Sheila were waiting for him rather anxiously on the front balcony of the second floor. He sensed something unusual. By the time he entered the house Sheila had already come down from the second floor. She almost swooped down upon him and said, “Hurry up, your mother has come!”

She was breathing heavily. She appeared to be excited but not nervous. Before Rana could realize or say anything she literally dragged him up the stairs to the second floor and dropped him on the lap of a lady. Rana did not look at her face but felt a drop of tear on his right cheek.

Sheila said, “Talk to your mother.”Rana did not know what to talk. He was dumbfounded to hear that his mother was still alive! But before any words were exchanged Rajani rushed in and said, “Taxi is waiting, we got to go.”

As Sheila pulled him aside from the lady's lap to help her stand up on her feet, Rajani held her hand and walked down the steps rapidly. Sheila took Rana to the front balcony. But the taxi drove off faster than a nor'wester. All these happened in such a flurry that Rana was literally dazed. His eyes became wider at the horrendous prevarication of the entire family. He thought his mother Monika was dead! That's what he was told since he was not even two. He reflected upon in utter disbelief how could a dead person come back live in flesh and blood? Was Monika's death a lie? Suspicion clouded his trust in
everyone. Deception and untruthfulness of those on whom he reposed unwavering faith stupefied him. He remained speechless and dejected. Sheila realized his puzzled state of mind. She sat next to him and tried to explain why and where Rajani took Monika. She did not say how an individual pronounced dead many years ago, could come back hale and hearty. She did not say where Monika came from and why everyone had to lie to him about her.

The reason Rajani had to rush Monika from that house was to protect her from the rage of Amit. The mother in Rajani was pleased that Monika came back of her own accord. She was also happy for Rana, although she took his astonished and wounded feelings for granted. Obviously, she was oblivious of the lie and deception of the entire family to Rana when he was not even in a position to understand. But knowing how angry Amit could be, she had to take an on-the-spot decision. Sheila supported her judgment.

Few years earlier Rajani had purchased a property at the outskirts of Calcutta with the purpose of constructing a family hub which would replicate the ancestral mansion that they had left behind in Birpur. Rajani's mother Nandini and her two sisters also settled down next to that property. However, the Divine Wisdom had a different idea for that property. As Monika's brother dropped her off at the Roy family residence at the Garden Lakes, Rajani and Sheila conferred and decided that the best way to avoid a dangerous confrontation was to move her to Rajani's country house in order to allow sufficient time for Amit to blow off his steam. In their judgment, that was the only prudent solution immediately. So after eight years of her own ego-driven, self-imposed exile, Monika's second exile began.

Sheila was left with the most unenviable task that could be imagined to convey the message to Amit and keep him pacified at the same time. If there was anyone in the entire family who was capable of accomplishing that task, it was her. She was mentally preparing herself to break the news to him at the right moment. She was calm
and poised. She had no doubt that the best time to divulge the message to him was after dinner when Amit loved to talk. To make doubly sure that no one else blurted out the message awkwardly, she kept a vigil all the time before dinner and made a point to serve him the dinner herself. After dinner she was with Amit as usual discussing the sweet memories of the childhood. No one knew when the matter concerning Monika's return was discussed.

Nevertheless, without an iota of doubt Sheila kept control over the discussion. There was no fire or fury, no exchange of words, no raised voices. Sheila tamed the tiger. It appeared to be simply God's design and grace that Sheila was on the spot at a crucial moment to avert a possible disaster. Otherwise, it was well-nigh impossible for Rajani to douse the fire alone.

Rana remained totally distressed since he returned from the school in the afternoon. He was simply astounded by this sudden exposure of the dirty linen of the family, not knowing whom to trust. So he did not know how to react to the situation. He went through the act of doing his homework for the next day. Nothing entered his perplexed brain. He ate a quiet and uneasy dinner and went to bed early. He could not sleep and tossed on the bed the whole night. He was not sure what to expect next.

The following morning, Amit's official car came to take him to work as usual. Rana's school bus came on time to transport him to school. Before he returned home in the afternoon, Rajani had already come back from her country house. Monika remained there alone but in the good company of Rajani's mother and sisters. There was no further visible reaction from any side. Everything remained hush-hush! In a few days Amit went back to his work place. Sheila too bade goodbye. Rana learnt from Rajani's monologue in his presence that by strict instructions of Amit, Monika was barred from coming to the Garden Lakes house. Neither was Rana allowed to go to the country house to see Monika. Amit also made it abundantly clear that if there was any breach in carrying out his instructions, he
would stop the flow of money. Nonetheless, Rajani was also a tough and shrewd weather beaten bird without being unnecessarily cantankerous.