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Devadasi
Chapter Listing
Chapter XIII
That day, she was particularly happy, Udayar had been away but was expected in
the evening. She was tying some flowers to put in her hair when Muthu arrived
with tears in her eyes.
'You have ruined yourself my daughter,' she cried as she came into the house.
'You wouldn't listen to me, your poor mother ! You knew better ! You could
trust him ! Udayar's word indeed ! He has betrayed you and now we are ruined!'
'What is all this mother? ' Meena inquired. ' Calm yourself and tell me how I
have been betrayed.'
Even in her grief, Muthu had a sense of drama. She would not come to the point.
'You trusted him ! You gave up your life of glory and ecstasy for a life a
mediocrity and monotony. You sacrificed your youth and your beauty at the altar
of love, and what have you got in return ? '
'But tell me what has happened,' Meena asked anxiously.
In reply, Muthu went to the door and called out. ' Suborn ! Suborn ! ' and came
back ' Let Suborn tell you,' she said wiping her tears.
Suborn, a middle aged man who had done odd jobs for Muthu for many years, came
in looking nervous and anxious.
'Suborn! Tell us what you told me a little while ago,' Muthu demanded.
'Amma, I hope I don't cause any trouble', he mumbled. 'Three days ago, I took a
load of bananas to Sirumudi village in my bullock cart. I started talking to
one of the ladies who was buying my bananas at her door step. She wanted to
know where I came from and when I told her, she asked about Udayar Master.
Without thinking, I told her about him and you, and how he had set you up in a
nice house and how he spends half his time here and the other half in his own
village of Achipatti. This lady who was listening quietly, suddenly started
shedding tears. " What is the matter Amma ? " I asked her. " Nothing is the
matter " she said. ' That woman cannot be happy at the cost of another's
misery, she will surely pay for it." " Are you related to the young master ? "
I asked her. " Related ? " she said, " No. I am not related. I am only his
wife."'
' So there you are ', Muthu shouted triumphantly in spite of her apparent
grief. ' He told you he wasn't married. He told you he would support you for
life. And all the time, he has a wife hidden away without your knowledge.'
' I don't understand ', Meena said almost to herself. ' I don't understand.
There must be some mistake somewhere.'
' There is no mistake my daughter ', said Muthu. ' Before coming here, I went
to the Chettiar who is friendly with your Mr. Udayar and he confirmed it. He
was married nearly two years, before he came to us. No, there is no mistake.'
' I might have known that you would have had it verified before coming to me.'
Meena said bitterly. ' You have been determined to break us up. But there's
something I cannot understand, some link that is missing.'
' My poor girl ' Muthu spoke tenderly. ' I have only tried to protect your
interests and your career, but I can understand how you must feel. You lost
your heart to an undeserving man. I knew it would happen but I was powerless
to prevent it. But it is not too late '.
' It is too late mother '.
' I will tell you what you should do.' Muthu become conspiratorial. ' When he
comes this evening, pretend as if nothing has happened. Ask him for some
expensive piece of jewelry that have taken your fancy, ask him for money for
the household expenses. Get as much out of him as you can on some pretext or
other. After two or three days, I will send a message to say that I am ill.
You can come to see me, but bring all the jewelry, money and clothes with you.
And then, I will see to it that he doesn't trouble you any more '.
' I can't do that mother. If I am to leave him, I leave him now and with the
same clothes in which I came here. But he has done so much for me, risked so
much. We have gone through a lot together that you don't know about. This is
why I feel perhaps there is some explanation, some factor .... '
' No ' Muthu shouted. She was afraid that if Meena stayed on Udayar would be
able to give some excuse and persuade her not to leave. ' What explanation can
there be except that he has tricked you into giving up dancing ? After the way
he has treated you he deserves whatever you do to him. Yes, leave immediately.'
' I do not want to see him again and I will come away with you ' Meena said. '
But I do not want to take a single thing from here that will remind me of him.'
Muthu's pleading and shouting was all in vain. Meena would not touch a thing.
The steel trunk, the bed roll, the beloved Kooja, even the doll Kaveri were
left behind. She left the house wearing the same clothes in which she had come
there. She locked up everything carefully and left the key with the servant
girl.
' I think you had better stay in Lakshmi's house for some time.' Muthu said.
Lakshmi was her cousin. ' Otherwise, your Mr. Udayar will come and create a
scene in our house.'
' All right mother', Meena had no strength or will power left for further
arguments.
So, they went to Lakshmi's house and Meena went straight to bed and stayed
there for three days without food and without sleep, shedding silent tears,
the meaning of which her mother or her aunt could not fathom. She cried and
cried until her heart was dry. Only a hard core of bitterness was left in her
soul.
When Udayar sent Ganapathy to Muthu's house to find out what had happened,
Muthu heaped abuses on men in general and on Udayar in particular, and sent him
away. Then, Udayar came himself.
' Where is Meena ? ' he demanded.
' She is not here: she is not anywhere where you can find her. But I can tell
you this much. She doesn't want to have anything more to do with you.'
' Come on woman. Where is she ? '
' I have told you, she doesn't want to see you ' and then Muthu added coyly. '
You are not the only man in town.'
He was about to hit her then. But he found it was one thing to stand up against
a group of bullying men and a totally different thing to hit a woman. The
raised hand flopped down.
' Why doesn't Meena want to see me ? ' he asked.
' I have already told you: you are not the only man in town to look after
Meena.' She knew these words of hers would hurt him most.
He went through the house to see if Meena was in any of the inner rooms. When
he did not find her, he came out fuming.
' You ungrateful wretches, after all that I have done for your daughter !'
And he walked out.
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