WHAT DO I CARE?

It was a bright Sunday. Mrs Veda Ramnath, now calls herself just Ms Veda stepped out of  her apartment in Chennai to attend  the  Soka Gakkai congregation being run based on Japanese Buddhist philosophy. She carried  with her a  write up to be shared with the other members who would attend it. In the congregation, the leader of the group read out the message of Daisaku Ikeda, the present President of the organisation. It was followed by some members sharing their thoughts. Veda read her write up which was a sort of a summary of her own life till that moment. 

‘Though married to one Ramnath, today I stand before you as a single woman. I dropped the  prefix ‘Mrs’ and replaced it  with ‘Ms’ as I do not know if my husband is still alive or dead. Of course, I am alone now but not lonely,’ Veda ended her speech.

The members became speechless. But, they preferred to keep quiet and prayed for her wellness.

*****

Veda was brought up in a family of conservative brahmins with their belief system ingrained as part of her routine. She graduated in Engineering in Computer Science. She then secured admission to the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. In the Campus Recruitment, she was picked up by a USA based Information Technology company having its Development Centre in Mumbai.

Ramnath hailed from a family specialised in financial accounting and academics. His father Krishnan was a Chartered Accountant and his  mother, Radha, though a Post-graduate preferred to be a housewife supporting her family. He considered  himself an analytical minded person. He studied Commerce at Graduate level and he too got admission to the IIM, Ahmedabad. He passed out with specialisation in Financial Management. In the Campus recruitment, a good offer was made by an International Bank that he could not resist and so he accepted it.

As fate  would have it, during the IIM days, Ramnath and Veda became friends first which later it blossomed as a love affair between them. Sudha was a common friend in the IIM and she encouraged them to get married too.

Veda and Ramnath waited for a couple of years before placing their marriage proposal before their parents. Of course, both the parents were aware of the close friendship between Ramnath and Veda. In fact, this also suited both the parents, particularly Veda’s parents as they felt relieved in their efforts in scouting for a suitable boy.

Even during his IIM days, Ramnath used to trade in the Stock Market and also investing in reputed company stocks.

He was posted to the Treasury Management Department in the bank in Mumbai. The job was challenging but he enjoyed it as it enabled him to learn the tricks of playing the money market.  He started imagining that one day, he would have lunch with Warren Buffett, one of the richest investors in the money market and develop skills like him to reach such level in his career. Not a bad idea for a young man like Ramnath to think and map his career path.

The marriage of Ramnath and Veda  was conducted in a manner befitting the status of the two families. They took up an apartment in the popular Powai neighbourhood and moved in there.

Dating and loving periods had become a history and their real life started on a cordial note. Initially, they enjoyed themselves in each other’s company.

Days rolled by. The work pressure for Veda and Ramnath made them spend lesser time between themselves. She was made  in charge of USA based clients and with that her responsibilities too increased over time attending  meetings after meetings. Once back home, she immersed herself in ‘Conf Calls’ with the US Clients and her team mates working on-line from the clients’ sites.

Her job demanded her to visit USA from time to time, to discuss issues with the clients and secure new clients.

This love-cum-married life lasted for a couple of years and their son Sundar was born. Of late, Veda found certain events relating to Ram, disturbing. In the middle of the night, he would sit up on the bed and cry for some time and then go back to his sleep.

‘Ram, are you all right, dear?’ Veda asked him one such night when he was walking back and forth in the bed room. But, caringly, she put her hand on his shoulder and escorted him back to the bed.

A week later, Veda was on her way to the Mumbai Airport to catch a late night flight to San Francisco.  Ram’s parents were fast asleep in their bedroom. Ramnath  quietly left the home.  She just then alighted from the Ola cab and was about to get in to the airport.

‘Hey, Veda, it is your Dad speaking.  Ram appears to have left the house without informing anyone. Myself and Amma retired to our bed and around midnight, I found your bedroom door wide open and we found no trace of him in the house.  Have you boarded the flight? If not, please return,’ Krishnan’s voice trembled. He did not know what to do.

Veda too was shocked. She rushed back home cancelling her plan to go to USA. While returning home, she informed her Group Vice President briefly about her position and excused herself from proceeding to USA. He was kind enough to assure her of any help if needed.

Veda entered the home. She looked for her son, Sundar. He  was sleeping. Eagerness and fear of something that has gone wrong writ on the faces of Ram’s parents.

She thought for awhile and then rushed to the nearby police station to lodge a complaint about her missing husband and sought their help. With the formalities of lodging a complaint over, the Station-in-charge assured to help her in finding her husband.

She returned home and it appeared to her that night moved slower than any other nights.

Wild imaginations, thoughts crowded her mind. She was not sure if  she could share this news  with other relatives and friends seeking their help or wait for the morrow to get some news from the Police.

Next day morning around 10  O’clock, a Senior VP from the bank where Ram was working turned up. He appeared a bit agitated but kept his cool composure.

‘Hi, I am Chatterjee, Senior VP of the bank. Ram is working with us for over two years. I want to speak with him; can you please call him, it is urgent,’ he addressed Veda.

For a moment, she did not know the response she can offer to Mr Chatterjee. She mustered courage and said, ‘Mr Chatterjee, you want to meet Ram! He is not here. We are searching for him since yesterday night. In fact, only a few hours before I have returned from the Police station after lodging a complaint seeking their help in finding him.

‘Oh, my God, has Ram left the home? On account of his fraudulent activities in the Treasury Management Department, our bank has suffered a huge loss. We found that he has misused his position and traded on his own account instead of on bank’s account and ripped the bank off  and booked the losses to the bank. Perhaps, you may not understand the intricacies of banking. We do not want to go to the Police as it will be a reputational risk for our bank. I thought, I could discuss with him and get at the truth. I have already issued orders of his dismissal from our bank’s service. He is a crook,’ thundered Chatterjee.

She stared at  Krishnan and shouted, ‘See what your son has done to me and my family.  Heard  Chatterjee explaining the domino effect on the bank due to the mess created by his fraudulent action. You are a CA and hope you will understand the seriousness of action that would follow.’

Krishnan had no words to express or console Veda.

‘Mr Chatterjee, do whatever you want. I am for it. It is disgusting to call him my husband,’ and she moved away from the drawing room.

Days became weeks and weeks became months and months became years. No trace of Ramnath. A few visits to the Police Station also did not yield any results. Has he committed suicide, or has he ran away and hidden himself in a far off place or to another country?

‘Perhaps he would have committed suicide at the cost of my dignity and I had to suffer the ignominy for no fault of mine,’ so saying Veda removed her mangal sutra and threw it on the face of her in-laws.

She resigned her job and moved to Chennai with her son  and stayed with her parents. On hearing this misfortune which befell on their daughter, they were equally nonplussed. She stopped all her religious rituals and became a quiet woman just taking care of her son, Sundar. She was battling between the two ends of thoughts which haunted her memory now and then.

‘Whether I am a widow now? Or whether, I am still Mrs Ramnath? She felt more comfortable in calling herself a widow than to be a husband of a cheat like Ram. It was the worst of her times.’

But life has to go on and at that moment, she embraced Soka Gakkai Buddhism and renounced all her interest in life. Slowly, it gave her inner strength to face the new challenges quietly and in a  reassured way.

She secured a job as Assistant Professor of Computer Science in a college in Chennai itself and it gave her a comforting feeling of being of some help to her aging parents.  Her parents accepted the role of bringing up Sundar and allowed her to move on. She devoted her time to teaching Computer Science. She was made of a stronger stuff.

Veda retired as a Senior Professor after serving for about two decades. She is now sixty years old.  Her son Sundar was not interested in getting married as he felt that it has shattered his mother’s life. Time moved. When we want it to slow down, it appears to run like a deer and when we want it to move fast, it appears to move at snail’s pace. Post retirement, she felt that it would give her enough time to be on her own.

***** 

That day, after returning from the Soka Gakkai congregation, she sat for dinner with her parents and Sundar.

Just then, her mobile rang. It was her friend Sudha from Dubai.

‘Hi, Sudha what made you to ring me at this late hour of the night?’ Veda sounded a bit anxious.

‘Ya, last week  I found a man having similar features of Ram in our neighbourhood. I guess that he is staying alone and frequenting an Indian Cafe nearby my home. That is why I called you. But, not sure if it was he!  It is almost two decades since I myself had seen him last,’ Sudha responded.

‘Oh! it can’t be Ram. I have lost all hope of him, Sudha. I have also sought the help of some of my friends in the IT industry working in the USA, Europe and India but none responded so far. Are you sure you have found him?’ Veda sounded doubtful.

‘True, I am myself not sure if I could identify him now. But, still I suggest you come,’ Sudha exhorted her.

‘Anyway, you have rekindled my hope of meeting him. So, I will try to reach there, this Friday. It will be a holiday there. You just do as I WhatsApp my requirements. Can you do this favour for me please!’ pleaded Veda.

‘Yes, I will do. You bring with you the best dress he has gifted you. When we go and meet him, he will be able to identify you easily. You do not seem to have changed much in your looks excepting pepper and salt hair seen here and there. He also has not changed much in his looks. I could identify him by his habit of nail biting which it appeared to me that he has not been able to give up. He almost looks the same with dyed his hair black. Come prepared with a clear mind,’ so saying, Sudha ended her conversation.

*****

On reaching Dubai,  Veda  was  picked up by Sudha and her husband Sridhar at the airport.  As they were driving down towards their apartment, they discussed at length about Ram.

‘Since when he is in Dubai? What are the places he has been frequenting? How can we meet him?’ Veda sounded very excited at the thought of meeting her husband.

‘Sridhar, you also come with us when we go to meet him,’ Veda requested him.

‘Sure, I will join you if it is going to help your mission,’ Sridhar replied.

****

‘Oh ho! It is nearing six; it’s time for a cup of tea and snacks. I will have to come back quickly to do some work too.’ I closed the laptop, locked the door and walked down the street to reach the Indian Cafe.

‘There was a couple sitting in the cafe when I walked in. As the light was low, I did not know who they were until the woman turned around, and I saw it was my wife.’

On seeing her, I was about to rush out of the Cafe.  But, she has also seen me and rightly identified me as Ram, her husband.

‘Hey, Ram, it is Veda. Please come.’

For a moment, Ram did not know how to respond. ‘Shall I ignore her call and run away from this place? Or should I say hello and meet her?  Who was the guy with her? Is he her new husband after I deserted her decades ago and they are holidaying here?’

He walked towards her cautiously.

Veda got up from her seat and almost ran towards him and hugged him. ‘Why did you do that to me and your parents? It is God’s grace, I could see you again. She was all in tears.’

Meanwhile,  Sudha returned from the Rest Room. On seeing both Veda and Ram, she felt that her job was well done. She also expressed her surprise in meeting Ram.

Sudha, ‘Hi, Ram, hope you still remember me. Your batchmate in the IIM. This is Sridhar, my husband.’

‘Hi, I am Ram. Veda’s husband.’

They had a quiet time recalling good and not so good events that traversed the life of Veda and Ram.

‘Ram, you just return to India and nothing will happen. I have moved to Chennai and we can stay together once again. If needed, we can relocate to Mumbai where your parents are residing.’

Very reassuring expressions from Veda confused Ram. ‘How foolish I was in mistaking Sridhar as her new partner!’

‘Much as I would wish to come to India it may not be possible now, Veda. My Pass Port is with my employer. To get it back is very difficult and time consuming.

‘Why should you work? Your dad’s firm is still doing well. In fact, he is waiting  for Sundar, our son to help him in his work. The income is enough for all of us to live comfortably. So, you should come. In case you are not sure of getting your Pass Port from your present employer, we will go to the Indian Consulate General Office here and explain and request for a special Visa and travel documents for  your journey back home,’ Veda was insistent.

‘Ok. That sounds well too. So, tomorrow, we will go to the Consulate Office,’ Ram consented to Veda’s proposal.

‘Sudha, I will go with Ram and stay with him overnight. Is it OK Ram?’ Veda winked at Sudha and moved with him to his apartment with a small sling bag in her hand.

Veda feigned illness and said, ‘Ram, if it is fine for you, I will sleep on the sofa in the hall.’

Ram tried to convince her to sleep with him in the same bed. ‘You look tired.’

She declined and so with reluctance he too retired to his bedroom.

*****

It was a bright sun shine outside Ram’s apartment. Veda woke up early and took a quick shower and wore the saree Ram had gifted her.  Veda was ready with a cup of hot coffee to serve him. He was flabbergasted.

Both reached the Indian Consulate General Office. ‘Is Mr Sridhar there? I have an appointment with him.’ Veda enquired with the officer at the entrance.

‘Ram was shell shocked and confused too. Why did’t she tell the previous day that Sridhar was working in the Indian Consulate? 

‘Please wait and I will call him.’

As expected, Sridhar came out of his cabin and said, ‘OK, Veda you have already given the necessary papers and we will process for his immediate extradition to India. Leave him behind. Thanks for  your help.’

Calling an officer, Sridhar ordered him to take Ramnath to a room inside the office. He continued,  ‘Ram, you are in our custody.’

‘As promised  I have handed  him over to you and now it is for you to extradite him to India and take suitable legal action as deemed fit for the criminal offences committed by him. He is a disgrace to my family,’ Veda was composed and then stared at Ramnath.

‘You, wretched woman, you have duped me with your sweet quoted words yesterday. Don’t  you care for me?’ Ram yelled at her.

‘What do I care is none of your business.’

Veda did not want to spend a minute more, thanked Sridhar and swiftly walked out of the Consulate to take her flight back home.

Komacha/ Santhanam

22 Oct 2019

***************