It was getting dark. Returning from work, Saru cooked food for dinner. James informed her that he would be late. Meanwhile, as she had a little time, she was surfing on the computer. She started watching the movie news she liked most. After surfing from one news item to another, she came to “Swetchcha,” the blog contributed by her mother. Her mother Mallika was one of the better known writers in Telugu.

Though born in India, she grew up mostly in America only. She could not read Telugu alphabet easily, but she could manage with a little difficulty. She learnt Telugu alphabet under the compulsion of her parents. Though she was speaking Telugu in her childhood, when she grew up she was speaking in English only. Eventually, she gave up speaking Telugu altogether. Saru was curious to know what was the topic of Mallika’s writing that time. Though she would not actually read the blog she would just look at it.

That time she wrote on “Ideals that take Firm Root.” It was clear from a look at the first few lines that she was writing on the topic of the need for women to obtain financial freedom and stand on their feet. While she was reading, James walked in. He greeted her with a smile. Her computer room was right on top of the garage. She wondered how she did not hear the noise of the garage.

“Good news for you!” Robert’s face was glowing.

Saru looked at him, curious.

“My dad and mom are coming together for our wedding. I received mail today. I have just spoken to them.”

“Both are coming together?” she asked, unable to believe. James’ mother was living in New York and father in Seattle. They had divorced long time back. That was why she had her doubt and sought clarification.

“Yes, I mailed my marriage proposal to them. After receiving it they talked to each other over phone. They promised that they would certainly come together for the marriage. One more piece of information. They said that they would pay for the diamond ring and other needs. They wanted us to make the marriage a grand event.”

She could not help laughing when the divorced couple were advising these people at  least to arrange a grand marriage!

“Good! Your parents are attending the marriage. Did you pay the deposit for the wedding venue?”

James indicated that he had done it. Actually, Saru wanted to make the marriage a simple affair. She had told James so several times. Just wanted to invite a few friends and go through the ceremony.

“James, a small request! Let’s make the marriage function simple.”

“You don’t have to tell me again and again. Haven’t I kept the cost of the diamond ring pretty low, just as you desired? Haven’t we cancelled the engagement party, too?”

Saru nodded her head.

Forgot to ask you. Have you invited your parents for the marriage?”

Saru did not know what to say. Of course, she invited both of them. Father said that he would come. Mother couldn’t decide either way. She could make out from the conversation that mother did not quite approve of the marriage. The last time they visited Boston, Saru introduced James to mother. She looked at James then. Though she didn’t say it openly, it was clear that she did not like James. It was confirmed in subsequent talks.

"Mom hasn’t confirmed yet. Dad will surely come. It is alright. First take a shower and come. We shall have dinner.” So saying Saru rose from the computer.

Even the parents of Saru divorced long time ago. Both live in Boston. father is a professor in Boston University. Mothr works in a bank. They divorced, when Saru was in junior class at school.

Saru came down to arrange the dinner

After taking his shower, James too came down. His face was sad. He sat heavily, without a word. She looked at James, enquiringly.

 “Saru, we will have to go to Boston tomorrow.”

 “Why? What for?” Saru asked anxiously.

 “Your dad has a heart attack. He is in hospital. A friend telephoned and asked me to inform you.”           

Saru was speechless.

* * * *

The next morning Saru and James went to Boston. By the time they reached there, her father had passed away. Saru could not bear the shock. She had none to share her anguish with. Soon after Murty had the heart attack, his friends informed Mallika over phone. But somehow, she did not inform Saru. She also did not feel like informing the news to her mother. The body was brought home. Learning about the demise, several friends of Murty turned up. James was looking after the arrangements for the funeral. A few of Murty’s friends too were pitching in. Father appeared to be sleeping peacefully. She was deeply sad, but there were no tears. She remained lifeless, looking at her father’s dead body.

In his seventy fifth year, he lived alone, without any assistance. Saru was attached to father. It was a long time ago that they divorced. All that happened before she came of age and understood the world. She stayed with mother for sometime. After she joined the college, father used to visit her. He paid for all the expenses of her education. More, he used to give her pocket money, too. At first, when her mother learnt about it, she used to ask Saru  not to accept it. But unwilling to hurt her father, she used to accept it.

After she took up a job in California, father used to come and meet her often. When she went to Boston, she used to meet, without her mother’s knowledge. Mother would not agree to Saru meeting her father. And if she went, defying her wish, there would be a lot of trouble. That was why she used to keep her visits to her daddy under cover. Actually, even for the divorce, her mother seemed to be responsible. Daddy was quite soft. But only mother would stretch every issue to an excess. If daddy argued, she would complain that there was no freedom for women and because of him she turned into a slave. Though she had not known when she was a child, as she grew up, she realized that her mother was head strong. She would not modify her views even on minor matters. As a result, there were frequent rows between them. She was not grown up to an age when she could advise them to adjust to each other. At that time she did not know how to advise, either. More, mother used to complain against father. She would say that father had no love for Saru and that he was always concerned about his job and friends and was least bothered about family. After she grew up to be able to judge the truth and falsehood of those complaints, she realized the truth of the problem.

Somehow, even Saru made no attempt to bring them together. Occasionally, she would feel pity for the father, who was living a lonely life. It was the same feeling with her mother, too. But she did not have the courage to request them to compromise. Though she was hopeful that her father might listen to her, she was sure that her mother would not listen to her and so made no attempt at bringing about reconciliation. She knew that, though he was putting on a smile, father was never happy in his life. Father promised to come for the marriage, but it turned out that way.

Daddy’s friend Rajan and his wife stayed there since morning and were looking after every matter.

“Thanks, aunty, for all your help?”

“Don’t mention it, dear. Murty garu is like my elder brother!”

“Please don’t say like that. I always remember all the help you rendered. Right from the time dad had heart attack, you and Rajan uncle admitted him in the hospital and were attending on him all along. Though we are all there, we almost do not exist!..”

Rajan’s wife handed a cup of coffee to Saru.

“Is any one of your people expected to arrive?” Rajan’s wife started again. Saru knew the implication of ‘your people.’

Her mother had been known to them for over twenty five years. Did she say like that feeling uncomfortable in mentioning mother?   

“There are no other relatives I know of, aunty. The few relatives we have are in India and they cannot anyhow come! I shall inform them, in course of time.”

After listening to Saru, Rajan’s wife continued, “Soon after the heart attack, we telephoned your mom….”

Saru did not answer. She knew very well what was the answer expected from her. She wanted to cut it short.

“Is that so? In the morning I noted a few missed calls. I don’t expect that she will come, aunty. Our relationships have so snapped that they cannot join together again! For those who set high value on freedom, there won’t be any need of others! … I don’t even think about mom not coming!...” Saru went on slowly, as her voice turned hoarse.

Listening to Saru’s answer, Rajan’s wife did not prolong any further. Saru too remained silent, went on sipping the coffee and started thinking. The ways of people were strange. They had all known that her parents had divorced over fifteen years ago. But they still treated them like husband and wife. They telephoned the wife as soon as the husband suffered heart attack. Lot of expectations in their behavior! Once upon a time, she also had such expectations. Not now; only when she was a kid. She could not admit openly.

As she was sipping coffee, James arrived. Behind him, Mallika. Walking in, she placed her hand on Saru’s shoulder and said, warmly, “Saru!” Saru raised her head and looked at her mother. Not a tear drop in mother’s eyes. No feeling whatever!

“Why have you come, mom?” Saru just said that, effortlessly – without a feeling.

Mallika was shocked at the unexpected question shot at her all of a sudden. She bent her head down.

“I have come for you, Saru…” she said in a low voice.

“If it were for me, we three would not have been in this situation, mom! Please, go away from here!”

Rajan’s wife and James looked aghast. The sorrow suppressed till then welled up like a flood and Saru leaned on James’s shoulder, crying.      

Though he did not understand the words, James could grasp their feelings.

Consoling Saru tenderly, James hugged her lovingly.

Mallika left, with head bent.

* * * *

Saru could not stray in the house, where her father was not, a moment longer. Rajan assured her that she would look after the affairs of father’s property matters. The only property father had was only the house She had spent her childhood there. Saru did not meet her mother again. Though she noticed a couple of missed calls, she did not feel like calling back.

On the return flight, James asked her, “Saru, if you don’t mind, can I tell you something?”

“Alright!” said Saru. 

“When your mom came at the passing away of your dad, maybe you shouldn’t have talked that way…”

Saru did not reply.

”Whatever it may be, they lived together for a while. After all, you cannot deny that they are your parents. You ought to respect their private space. Let’s look at my parents! They have also divorced quite some time back. My dad married again. Still, they have decided to come together for our marriage. Why? Because I am the only bond between them. I wanted to tell you then itself. But I didn’t, because you were in deep agony.”

James took Saru’s hands in his. She could see the viewpoint of James.   

“James, I didn’t talk like that out of anger. On the one side, I was agonized by my dad’s helpless condition. On the other, mine was similar, too. Though they had been in the same town, it had been years since they met each other. And a person like that, it seemed to me that she came only to satisfy the people around. She did not come even after dad passed away. She was afraid that families of our acquaintances might say, ‘She could have come at least for her daughter!’ It was only that! No special affection for me! All this is hypocrisy! If only she had a thought for me, she would not have severed relationship with my dad. She only wanted her freedom, but she never thought that I needed the love of both of them! She had no concern other than her worry about the denial of her freedom as she was a woman. She was always concerned about her self, her ideals and her freedom. She never considered my feelings. My psychological needs never interested her.

“When I was a child, I used to miss my dad. Filling me with wrong ideas about dad, she brainwashed me. In the early days of divorce, he used to come during weekends to take me to his place. Whenever he came, there would be a big row. Getting fed up, he stopped coming. He could have approached court. But he was not keen on unnecessary row. He started living his own life. Dad was not really bad at all! But he used to quarrel with mom. I don’t deny that. Like us he was also an ordinary human! He also had strong feelings! It took a long time to recognize the true nature of my dad. Certainly, she had differences with him. Could she not have adjusted? She was always insistent that her word must prevail. She did not know the term, compromise! I asked my dad about this several times. Even though he was ready for compromise, mom would not agree. When they divorced, I missed out on many things. If two persons have to live together, how can it be achieved without a little compromise? When she forms a firm opinion on any matter, mom would not change it. Why so far? I know that she does not like my idea of marrying you. I could guess her dislike, though she did not spell it out in so many words. You will be surprised to know the reason for it. She asked me to marry the person I liked. But she murmured, why I could not marry an Indian. When I said that she too was an American citizen, then your race came in the way. As you are a colored person, it was much more objectionable. But she did not speak out. Do you know why I am saying all this? I have already missed out a lot on account of my mom. I don’t wish to miss out any more. My life is mine own. That is why, first I looked at you as a person. I am not concerned about your race and color. I respect her for giving birth to me and bringing me up. That is all! She has lost my respect as a person. You know, what is the biggest irony? She writes stories extensively on freedom for women, bringing up children, family values and all that. Her blog is full of that stuff. After observing her closely as a person, and on reading all her stuff, I have no sympathy for her for living a lonely life,” Saru went on  feelingfully.

James had never seen Saru speak with such emotion. He held her hand affectionately.

Saru said again, “Will you give me your word, James?”

”What about?”

“Will you promise that our children will not suffer my fate?”

He hesitated for a moment. He kept thinking. She asked again.

“We cannot say how future will shape up. When we have differences, we cannot speak as tenderly as we would when we are in love. What if I give word now and fail to keep after ten years?” he said.

“It is OK. Maybe, I am thinking too deeply?”

“It is not like that. Are you asking me to compromise even before marriage?”

“No, I am asking you to recognize my ‘adjustmentality’…..”

Both broke into a hearty laughter.