Balram is 89 and he is.counting his last days.Every system in the body has failed except his memory.His eyesight is fading and he can see only the shades of the people gathering around him.Though it is his house, he has been brought to the verandah and stranded in a coir mat for sanitary reasons.Still an aura of bad stench and a foul smell surrounds him, though he had stopped eating ten days ago.Now he is having only a few spoonful of water every now and then given by his daughter-in-law.
But Balram has been introspecting about his past.some episodes of his life are pleasant and some are sorrowful.But one particular episode he thinks often is about his visit to 'Dhamal'which he cannot forget until he breaths his last.
Balram was then 29. His betrothal was over only a week ago and his bride was at the village 'Dhamal'.There was a furore in the house all about a message they received from the bride's house.The message was 'The bride wants to see the bridegroom alone urgently'.The elders indulged in active parleys.After all the betrothal was already over and the marriage is fifteen days hence.Under the circumstances stated above, the bride wants to see the bridegroom that too alone urgently.It was not the custom to allow both the bride and the bridegroom meet privately before the marriage.Finally it was left to the decision of the bridegroom Balram.
The next morning Balram went all alone to Dhamal at about 0800 am.He was received well befitting that of a bridegroom.His future-in-laws enquired about his parents.The bride also invited him with a pleasant smile.His future-in-laws asked him to have his tiffin which was ready by then.Before which his future-in-laws also asked him,
‘How about taking a bath?Hot water is ready,you can take a bath, if you please.'
Balram thought it was only part and parcel of the reception offerred to him and it would not be polite to turn down their offer.Hence he simply nodded and was ready to take a bath.
He was directed by the servantmaid towards the well situated in the garden.He was offerred a towel,some frangrant materials like soap-nut powders etc.Balram began to take bath.But he failed to take notice that his-future-in-laws and even some third parties have been watching him secretly while he was taking his bath nearby the well in the open air.Balram refreshed himself after finishing his bath.
Then the bride served him a varieties of tiffin like iddlis, dosa, vada, appam and pongal etc.But again Balram failed to take note that the usual smile from the bride's face was absent and also it was the first and last tiffin he had at the bride's house.
When Balram finished his tiffin, he was ready to leave.But again Balram failed to note down that the reception offerred to him on his arrival was absent now.He bid farewell to all and of course the bride was not to be seen when he left.He returned back to his house.His parents asked him umpteen number of questions about his visit to Dhamal and Balram answered them patiently.Still they could not understand why Balram was invited to the bride's house that too immediately after betrothal.
The next day a messenger came from Dhamal with a message.The message read as follows :'Stop the marriage The bride is not willing for a marriage with the bride-groom who has been having the complaint of eczema (a skin disease) all over the body' Balram then only understood everything behind the visit of Dhamal. But still he did not know that an anonymous letter was posted by one of his relatives stating that 'the bridegroom Balram is having eczema all over his body.'
But Balram has been introspecting about his past.some episodes of his life are pleasant and some are sorrowful.But one particular episode he thinks often is about his visit to 'Dhamal'which he cannot forget until he breaths his last.
Balram was then 29. His betrothal was over only a week ago and his bride was at the village 'Dhamal'.There was a furore in the house all about a message they received from the bride's house.The message was 'The bride wants to see the bridegroom alone urgently'.The elders indulged in active parleys.After all the betrothal was already over and the marriage is fifteen days hence.Under the circumstances stated above, the bride wants to see the bridegroom that too alone urgently.It was not the custom to allow both the bride and the bridegroom meet privately before the marriage.Finally it was left to the decision of the bridegroom Balram.
The next morning Balram went all alone to Dhamal at about 0800 am.He was received well befitting that of a bridegroom.His future-in-laws enquired about his parents.The bride also invited him with a pleasant smile.His future-in-laws asked him to have his tiffin which was ready by then.Before which his future-in-laws also asked him,
‘How about taking a bath?Hot water is ready,you can take a bath, if you please.'
Balram thought it was only part and parcel of the reception offerred to him and it would not be polite to turn down their offer.Hence he simply nodded and was ready to take a bath.
He was directed by the servantmaid towards the well situated in the garden.He was offerred a towel,some frangrant materials like soap-nut powders etc.Balram began to take bath.But he failed to take notice that his-future-in-laws and even some third parties have been watching him secretly while he was taking his bath nearby the well in the open air.Balram refreshed himself after finishing his bath.
Then the bride served him a varieties of tiffin like iddlis, dosa, vada, appam and pongal etc.But again Balram failed to take note that the usual smile from the bride's face was absent and also it was the first and last tiffin he had at the bride's house.
When Balram finished his tiffin, he was ready to leave.But again Balram failed to note down that the reception offerred to him on his arrival was absent now.He bid farewell to all and of course the bride was not to be seen when he left.He returned back to his house.His parents asked him umpteen number of questions about his visit to Dhamal and Balram answered them patiently.Still they could not understand why Balram was invited to the bride's house that too immediately after betrothal.
The next day a messenger came from Dhamal with a message.The message read as follows :'Stop the marriage The bride is not willing for a marriage with the bride-groom who has been having the complaint of eczema (a skin disease) all over the body' Balram then only understood everything behind the visit of Dhamal. But still he did not know that an anonymous letter was posted by one of his relatives stating that 'the bridegroom Balram is having eczema all over his body.'
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