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‘I used to sing that song to my wife when she was away, in her parent’s house. My wife, Jaya. She was very beautiful, long hair neatly plaited. And jasmine flowers everyday, to decorate in her hair. Her ever smiling face used to cheer me up in any tough situation. She was a woman of less words but a careful listener. Long back, before you were even born Keshava, I met her in the arranged marriage fashion. The guy goes to the girl’s house and all that, you would have seen in the movies. So, I also went to my sweet Jaya’s house in Maddur. The house was filled with guests, running around and fetching things for the ceremony. People were laughing and passing around plates of sweets and snacks. I had eaten so much that day. Inside my heart I knew this was the woman of my life, before I even laid eyes on her. I waited impatiently for the moment when I would see my beloved. Even the different kinds of sweets laid in front of my eyes didn’t distract me that day. I rubbed my fingers constantly in tension. And my eyes were searching for my bride. How will I recognize my bride? Every one wearing sari here with heavy jewellery. I began scanning their feet; married women always wear a silver belt around their feet. I must have looked like a boy who had some serious problem in the head because my father in law looked at me probingly. My uncle, having realized the gravity of the situation handled it well by saying that I was just looking at a rat which was passing by notoriously causing trouble to the household. Synchronously there was lots of shouting heard among the women ‘Rat, drive that away’ and my gaze turned to normal. Clever uncle he saved me that day. I just bent down my head and started to count numbers silently. They say it’s a good technique to control anxiety, this counting thing. So that’s what I did for a few minutes. Then there was silence and then giggling of girls. Slowly my Jaya walked in to the room around her were fifteen women. As soon as I looked at Jaya I knew it was her. There was no confusion. It was her. Wearing a red sari, she looked as lovely as any woman can be. I could still hear the sound of her anklets inspite of the noise. My ear was somehow fixed like a radio and I picked up her frequency only. Her face looked like an angel, she was the most beautiful woman I had seen in entire Maddur. I got up as she came and sat and cleared my throat. My father in law began to panic but I raised my hand in consolation and said ‘I liked the girl. Please arrange the marriage early’ and then the whole room fell silent. ‘But, what about…..’ my uncle asked in broken words and my only reply was ‘I know she’s the one. No questions. No dowry. No singing needed to confirm it.’ I looked at her for one last time before I made my heroic exit.

‘I don’t know Keshava, what came on to me that day! I was beaten black and blue when I came back home by my father for being disrespectful. There were threats made but I took them all in my stride and patiently waited for the date of marriage. I returned to Bangalore to continue in my job. Back then I was working for the government primary school. I waited eagerly for my father’s forgiveness and more so for the good news of my wedding. Now in my free time I began asking myself ‘Did she like me? I made such a big fool of myself in front of her. Hope she isn’t scared by the way I acted. I should write her a letter and explain myself more clearly’. Keshava, those days were not like this. E mail, Chat and dating were un-heard of. People from good families never spoke to or wrote to their fiancée before the marriage. But I was a modern man, I was educated and somewhere in the corner of my heart I had one and only one single doubt about Jaya, ‘was she literate?’ it kept haunting me every day and night for twenty three days. Then I found the answer to all my doubts. Because then, I was married to her!’ at this point of narration Thatha took a break. He fell silently for a few moments and stared at the ceiling for a long time. I must have fallen asleep after that......