What's her mistake ?- 20

I was so shocked looking at the completely bald head of Dammu that I forgot what Nammu Aunty was thinking. When I turned towards her, it looked as if she was having a worse jolt.

It was Dammu’s peals of laughter which helped us in mitigating the shock we were undergoing. In fact, Dammu’s laughter was so infectious that we had to forget everything and join Dammu in her ‘joyous’ mood.

“Oh Nammu, I wanted to tell you from the day I saw you that this...”she showed her wig, “is not real. But I did not get a chance. Remember I lost both the breasts due to breast cancer? The chemotherapy helped in killing the cancerous cells, but it also made me go totally bald. Remember, I am very rich? So, with the implant of artificial breasts, I also got a nice wig from US of A which is frightfully real. Isn’t looking so real?” asked Dammu.

Nammu had almost recovered from the shock of Dammu’s hair loss. She went near Dammu and said, “Dammu, I beg you. Please put it on. I can’t bear to see you like this”

Dammu smiled and wore it. It was not fitting her cent percent and it looked comical on her head now. But still, it was better than her baldness.

The day passed quickly. I went to the garden and plucked a few tender grass leaves which were trying to germinate out of the pots which had lovely roses.

The roses were looking so elegant. By watching them I felt very serene. There were many new colors which I had never seen earlier.

The evening turned into the night. We had food at the dining hall. I could feel that Nammu Aunty was still keen to know what happened next in Dammu’s life. I was equally interested.  A stone gets beaten by the chisel of a sculptor before it becomes a lovely piece of art.

Likewise the God ensures that person undergo a lot of torture in life before the person becomes who can be called ‘perfect’.

If the person comes out of the torture victorious, then he will ensure that he doesn’t get affected by any more difficulties. But if someone becomes totally defeated, then it is his/her fate.

I have read somewhere... I think a quote.... we have been cut, broken, cussed, ... etc., all types of torture, but we still here to see what in the hell will happen next...

Dammu started talking. “I have read Manku Timmana Kagga  written by Dr. DV Gundappa. In one of the poems he says, Vidhi or the fate wets us, bakes us, cuts us, slices us, puts us in heat, fries us in oil, fires us and burns us in the oven of earth and smacks her lips” she looked at us and continued, “so true! We have to undergo all these tortures and still feel ok, because there has to be a reason for which we are still alive” she touched Nammu Aunty’s hand and said, “yes Nammu, I am still alive to see what next”

Nammu Aunty was looking at Dammu with look of wonder in her eyes. “Oh, Dammu, you put it so succinctly about what one should do. I would love to read the book!” she said.

“That’s not a problem! Young man! You go to the library room and pick up the book for Nammu” said Dammu looking at me.

I nodded. But Nammu Aunty said, “I shall visit myself and see what books I can read. I was an avid reader before .... my kids were born....” She stopped.

“Later you looked after them till they become independent. Later you had time but no inclination?” Dammu continued Nammu Aunty’s sentence and smiled. I knew that she was trying to remove the barb in her talk by smiling.

Nammu Aunty was totally silent.

To break the silence, Dammu said, “Alright. Let me tell my next step of the story. It is not at all entertaining. But still....” she sighed and said, “ I found out that my ‘husband’ had run away from home  and his folks were searching for him and he was hiding in the house next to ours”