Calling it a house would be an understatement.When I entered, I saw cracked walks with ants . Few burned logs in the corner and one charpai
(Charpai : A bed made of wood and jute fabric)
I mean it is a village , I'm just happy to have a roof over our heads.
Vishwa enters while cussing at me .
" Oww that freaking hurt , crazy lady!! " He say
" I was hoping that it would " I reply mindlessly while clearing out dirt from the bed.
" Its like the moment I've met you I have been getting hurt in one way or another . Maybe I should call you Lady Killer . You know , the way you are trying to kill me with your foot stomping and hitting me in my face." He says.
" Whatever. Look, you should take some rest . It was already 2 pm when we left the clinic . The doctor gave me some pain killer tablets for your injury . Take them after you eat something."
I tell him by giving him the tablets
He takes them ."Ahh , pain killer from pain causer . Hehehe. Get it ? " he jokes
" Hahaha .... Yeah send that joke to Swathi paper ( Local Newspaper) when we go back" i sarcastically laugh
He rolls his eyes and marches towards his bags .
" I have some banana and pomegranate with me , maybe we could eat tha .....," But before he could finish , Bamma comes inside .
" No need , I have Pappu Annam ready ( Dal rice) " she says as i see her and one girl around with a kid of 8 or 9 yrs I think coming inside with one plate in each hand and two steel containers.
" Ayyayyo Bamma , there was no need. " I tell her. And even Vishwa also insists that we would manage .
". I won't hear anything, You guys eat till you are full . " She orders.
She wouldn't listen even though we told her that we would have managed. She even denied taking money from us.
I start to dig in but see him sitting idley
" What happened?"I ask
He looks at me like 'are u serious ' .
I mentally slap myself when I realise that his shoulder is injured and his arm is bandaged. I smile sheepishly at him
" Right... How are you going to eat then ?" I ask him
" Feed him" we hear Bamma say
" I ... Oh umm..."
" Its ok , I can eat with a spoon ..." Vishwa interrupts
" Why , isn't she your wife? "
We look at each other and I just sighed . I pick up the plate , mix the dal and ghee together and start feeding him .
" There . Now was that so hard? Your generation are just too shy to even feed each other ."
We both just politely smile at her . If she came to know what we did in clinic earlier ..... Leave it .
I feed him a few morsels and make him drink some water in between . Suddenly Bamma start talking.
"You know when my husband came from war , we used to do it every night."
This makes Vishwa to choke and spurtter few morsels on me .
" Ughh"
" Ahh?" Vishwa and I exclaim at the same time
" We fed each other every night." Bamma says with the most innocent face.
Right .. what was I thinking?
I finished feeding him and then started to eat from my plate.
I was washing my hands and the plates outside when I notice the lady from earlier who gave us lift .
" Oh hi Andi ( honorifics)." I say
"Ela unnru meeru ? Babu ki ela undi? " She asks ( How are you two? How is he?)
" Tanu Baagane unnaru le. Doctor tablets icharu kaani napi ki." I tell her
( He's good. Doctor gave medicines for his pain though.)
"Meeru nizanga bharya bhartalu kaadu kada" she ays
( Your guys are not husband wife right.)
I looked shockingly at her.
"Umm ... That....."
" Arre kangaru padaku . Doctor maaku telisina vaaru. Atanu Anni cheparu.Maa musili ni pattinchikoku .Tanu maa atthayya.Aame koncham puratana Kalam nunchi. Nischitatham ayina kuda ammayi abbayi kalisi unda kodadi Anni oo sodi cheptauntadi."
(Arre don't worry. The doctor is close to us. He told us everything. Don't mind our Oldy. She is actually my Mother in law.She is from the stone age.Telling nonsense like even the already engaged couples should not meet till their wedding ." )
Oh thank god. She didn't catch us.
" Pelli mundu nannu na bhartha ni kuda kalava niyyale.Arre pillalu koncham baitaki veltha anukuntaru. Aame ki cheppina ardam kaadu."
( Even my husband and i wanted to meet outside before marriage but she didn't allow . Arre youngsters want to enjoy outside.She wouldn't get it.)
" Ohh ha yeah..." I mumble .What else can I say.
I feel someone tugging my saree pallu . I look down and see the girl .
" Amma amma , akka ni mana tho adi pista."
( Ma , I want want to play with us .)
" Ae pareshaan cheyyaku aame ni.Inka tanu akka kaadu Aunty ra. Aame ok teacher anta!"
( Don't bother her. And she is not akka ,but Aunty. She is a teacher.)
The lady says to her daughter in a stern voice
" Avunna ..." The girl looks at me in disbelieve.
Why God why ?? Why do I have a baby face.?
" Nuvvu akka ane pillu Nani" (But you can call me as akka , sweeti) I tell the girl
" What's your name?"
" Kamala" she tells me
" Oh like Kamala Nehru"
" Who?' she asks me
" You don't know her?"
She shakes her head.
I take her towards a concrete podium and make her sit on it. I also see some children playing nearby.
" She was Jewaharlal Nerhu's wife . But what many don't know is that she was also a freedom fighter. She fought alongside her husband and was also involved in women empowerment."
Kamala looks at me with awe. I notice that few of the kids have also gathered near the podium.
" Akka ,do you know about Chandrashekhar Azad? We studied about him yesterday" One of the boy ask
" Why yes! As everyone knows he was also a freedom fighter. But do you know his real name is Chandrashekhar Tiwari ,not Azad. Can anyone tell why?"
They all look at each other and then turn towards me.
" He used to irritate the British police a lot , wouldn't follow rules and one time he was taken by the police, he was beaten with lashes 15 times!" I say
All the kids gasp
"Yes. But every time he was beaten he was shouting Vande mataram!! When he was released people started calling him Azad( Free). Therefore he change his name from Tiwari to Chandrashekhar Azad. Because he knew even under British rule, he was Azad( free)"
When I finished I saw everyone looking at me.
Oh. Was i a little overwhelming?
After a few seconds i see Kamala clapping her hands which is followed by every kids clapping loudly .
I see towards the house and see Vishwa smiling.
At that time my heart filled with warmth.
I sign to everyone to calm down .
I proceed to tell them even about foreigner freedom fighters .
YOU ARE READING
Short Stories
Historia CortaShort stories with plus-size leads Different stories with different personalities of the character. And also it won't always contain your stereotypically shy or insecure chubby character. Cute , spicy , funny and absolutely romantic stories . Let...
