Forsaken - Chapter 9

Chapter 9
Ajit was firm in his decision. He would return by evening once he dropped Ammachi to his grandfather’s ancestral home. His grandfather, Mr. Thommy Idikkula had passed away even before he was born. Grandfather’s younger brother’s granddaughter was getting married. The place was fifteen kilometers from Ranny. It was a laidback village, with its mud roads and peasant-like neighborhood. The place was called Ayroor. It was here that Ammachi lived after her marriage to Mecheril Thommy Idikkula before they sold his share of property and migrated to Ranny.

As he was leaving for college in the morning, she reminded him about the impending trip to her husband’s ancestral home. It always brightened her otherwise somber mood. Most of the gloom came from thinking about Ajit and his future once she departed for her heavenly abode and he definitely knew about it. So he would not want to spoil her good mood and agreed to drive her there.

He skipped the afternoon session of college, and came home by 2:00 PM. Ammachi was all ready, packed her bags and fully dressed up in her “Chatta and mundu” with a Kasavu Neriath (a traditional Keralite Christian dress). Ajit showered and finished his lunch in haste. Then he went to the garage, removed the parking cover of his father’s Maruti 800. He was aware about his father’s admonition. “If you ever touch the car, I will break your hands.” But Ammachi had insisted and assured him that she would take all the blame, if Kurien ever came to know.

Ajit did not possess a driving licence, but he was confident no policeman would stop him. He had driven this car many a times, mostly taking Ammachi to her relatives or going to church. On a couple of occasions, the police did stop him. But seeing an old woman travelling in the car, they invariably let him go. Ajit’s appearance too helped. He had developed a suggestion of a mustache and had started shaving once in a week. His voice acquired a baritone. He looked much older than his seventeen years.

The wedding was scheduled for Thursday. He could understand why Ammachi was going two days in advance. She had not been there for too long. It’s the time to catch up with old acquaintances and share their life stories. But Ajit was adamant that he would return the same evening and come back to the wedding on Thursday. He had a practice match of cricket the next evening, preparing the college team for the upcoming inter-collegiate tournament.

The drive to Ayroor was uneventful. They reached the Mecheril tharavadu by 3:00 PM. Seeing the car coming in, the host, the bride’s father, came out from his serious political discussion with his guests, to receive them. Johny was in his late forties and was very close to Ammachi, much closer than he was to his own mother. He used to call Ammachi “Aley Kochchamma.”

As Ammachi was climbing down from her seat, Johny came forward to offer his hand. He took her hand and helped her get out of the car. Then they embraced each other.

“Do you still remember the way here?” Johny complained about her not visiting for too long.

“Poda. I am getting older and can no longer travel in bus. What happened to you? You could come there as well?,” she retorted.

“Kochchamme, you know how things are. I have to look after the farms, the house and everything. Not a second to spare.” he expressed his apparent inability to come and visit her very often.

“Ok. Ok. Where is Gracy?” Gracy was Johny’s wife.

“She is in there. Come, I’ll take your bag.” He hoisted her shoulder bag on to his back and walked a few steps along with her. Then he suddenly stopped and turned back.

“Oh! Monay I completely forgot about you. Come on, why are you standing there. It’s your house!” he called out to Ajit.

Ajit was standing next to the car watching the conversation between Ammachi and Johny. Johny Uncle and his father were almost the same age. Johny was very fond of Ajit and was very critical about Kurien’s attitude towards the boy.

He walked back to Ajit, sized him up, and put his hand around his shoulder.

“You have become a man, son!” He exclaimed as he pressed him against his side. “And strong too!”

“Kochappa is not weak either!” Ajit playfully poked him on the rib. Every one in the family was aware about Johny’s weakness. His being extremely ticklish around his ribcage and the mere touch would make him jump. The same happened this time too and he jumped away from him while laughing.
Johny came back raising his palm as if to spank him and gave a playful pat on the boy’s back. “If you do that again, I’ll beat you to a pulp. Do you understand?” He got hold of the boy and together, laughing, they headed towards the verandah, where the others were sitting. They exchanged pleasantries with Ajit. Most of the queries were regarding his studies and some enquired about his father. Whether he would come anytime soon, would he write letters to him etc. He politely answered the queries about his studies, and smiled and nodded for the other ones. His eyes searched for Ammachi. She had already found few of her contemporaries and had started an animated conversation.

Ajit hated to go to any family gathering just because of this. These uncles and aunts and cousins and god-only-knows-who relatives keep asking him about his father’s return. The very topic he loves to hate. He promised himself that he would leave as soon as he got a chance.
Mecheril house was a palatial bungalow. It was built half a century back by the great-grandfather of Ajit, Mr. Idichandy Idikkula. The Patriarch was a feudal lord at his time and owned almost half of that village. As time passed, the next generations sold off portions of the vast empire as Ajit’s grandfather did. As the youngest child, Johny’s father got to keep the house and the others, a proportional share of the properties. The bungalow had huge teak pillars at the front portion, running along the verandah. The floors were relaid with cement and black oxide and polished with tons of egg-white, as Ajit had been told, to obtain a glazing, deep black hue. It had eight bedrooms, a very big hall, which was meant to serve as a meeting place for the patriarch and his family, but now partitioned into two to serve as a dining hall and living room. The ground floor has three bed rooms and the upper one had five.

After putting the bag into a room that was arranged for Ammachi, Johny announced that tea was ready. They all congregated into the dining hall where tea was kept, took a cup each, grabbed one pasham pori (ripe banana dipped into gram flour, and fried) and moved to their respective gangs and continued the discussions. After helping himself to a tea and Pazham pori Ajit ventured out.

Ajit was standing near to the edge of the farthest verandah, when he heard footsteps. He turned back to see Johny coming towards him, a tea cup in his hand. As he has done earlier, he put his free hand, the right one, over Ajit’s shoulder.

“Come, I have to talk to you.”

Ajit obliged by walking with him. They were heading towards the backyard. Once out of everyone’s earshot, Johny asked him.

“So how are your classes going?”

Ajit instantly knew Kochchappa had something more serious than enquiring about his studies. Nonetheless, he answered dutifully.

“Going okay, Kochchappa.”

“It shouldn’t be just okay. Okay?”

“No. I am trying hard.”

“Yeah, I know” He gave a deep sigh and was searching for a right word.

Few moments passed with both of them lost in their own thought.

“I heard Kochchamma telling Gracy about that incident when you broke your leg”

Ajit did not reply. The wounds were still afresh in his mind. The mere thought of that night brought back all the pain.

“He is a creep. You don’t worry. You have us. Okay?” Johny saw the pain in the boy’s eyes, the big feminine eyes.

Ajit felt like crying. He was craving for a touch, a hug, a soothing word from a father-figure. True, Ammachi always was there, but having an assuring touch of a man, the secure feeling when you are enveloped in a strong, masculine hand, can not be substituted with anything else. When he found it, his heart melted. The next moment, he hugged Johny and sobbed.

“Hey, hey, don’t do that. You are a big man. Everything will be all right” he said in a soothing voice while he patted the boy’s back.

They stayed that way for a few moments. Then Ajit wiped his eyes and straightened.

“Monay, you see, He will come to you one day. He will repent for what he is doing now, I am damn sure.”

Johny wasn’t sure things will ever change. He was aware about Kurien’s feelings towards Ajit. The problem was that nobody could admonish Kurien. After all Ajit was his son and Kurien would definitely tell them off.

“Ok. Forget all that crap. Now I want you to drive me to town. I have something to purchase.”

“Kochchappa, I have to go back today. I’ll come back on Thursday morning” Ajit revealed his intention.

“Why? Your wife is waiting there?” He scorned him.

Ajit smiled at this. Then he replied.

“I have to go to college tomorrow. We have a practice match. Our Inter-collegiate tournament is coming up.”

“I know you can do without this practice. You are a good player man. You are not going anywhere.” Johny said.

Ajit tried to convince him. But Johny was adamant and finally Ajit had to give up.
As things unfurled, his life would have been totally different if he would have gone back.