short story

Purush-Apurush

Every night, a melodious sound reverberated in the corner room of Sayaji Patil’s house. It was a square shaped sprawling house. A closely knit group led by Sayaji Patil had made it a routine affair to sing bhajans and abhangs at night. They congregated in the room after the dinner and soaked themselves in devotional music. The room housed a Harmonium, a Dholak, Veena, and Daphli. Sayaji would sing the first stanza of the Bhajan and choir would follow him.

On the wall, there was an array of wooden framed pictures of Saint Gyanaeshwar, Saint Tukaram, Saint Ramdas and of Vitthal-Rukmai. Whenever one entered the room, he would be enveloped by a palpable air of spirituality.

When the members assembled at night, they would greet each other saying namaste and would sit cross legged on the ground uttering the name of Vitthal.

Sayaji was the driving force behind the group. Though a landlord, he had immaculately balanced his worldly life and spiritual proclivity. Like other landlords in Ambula, he had not taken to vices like liquor or adultery.

The probity that was imbibed through the recital of abhangs and bhajans had given him the sense of distinguishing between good and bad. The four Purusharthas - Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha seemed to be in perfect harmony in Sayaji’s conduct.

But unpredictable is the course of events. No one can prognosticate, when time can twirl and change the life. By some evil design of fate, Sayaji was stung by the carnal desire for the other woman. His eyes had fallen on Sambhu’s wife Ratna. Sambhu owned a small piece of land that laid at the corner of Sayaji’s expansive land.

Ratna was a well endowed woman with an earthy charm and grace. Sayaji wondered how he remained blind to the ravishing damsel in the backyard of his field. Ratna was married to Sambhu for three years and they didn’t have a child. Being a neighbor, Sayaji often talked to the couple while taking a walk around the field. He also let the couple use some of his farming equipments.

Sayaji had cultivated the trait of not casting eyes on or coveting others’ wives.

Therefore, any carnal feeling towards Ratna was not even a distant possibility. But gradually he realized that his feelings towards Ratna had altogether changed. He watched her covetously whenever she came to his field. The curves of her body and voluptuousness intoxicated his eyes. Her undulating and careless walk created thousand ripples in his heart. The stroke of the sun and blowing of the wind added fuel to his desire in that loneliness, accelerating the flow of blood to his groin.

Ratna sashayed in the field before him, like a queen of the jungle and made him forget the world. Regardless of Sayaji’s presence, Ratna walked carelessly. She lifted her saree up to her knee as she had to bend down for weeding the field. Sayaji’s eyes remained transfixed on her partially exposed and heaving low lines of her blouse. The swings of her waist and heaving of her breast maddened Sayaji. Lasciviously, he would watch the exposed portion and would imagine the richness of the concealed one.

But Ratna was completely oblivious of the fact that she had become an object of Sayaji’s fantasy. She could never imagine that a rich and righteous man like Sayaji would fall for her.

Deliberately, Sayaji began to spend more time in the field and increased his dialogue with Sambhu and Ratna. He queried about the cultivation of crops, kind of fertilizers they used and gave some tips to enhance the fertility of the soil and to increase the harvest. Sometimes, his sense of righteousness erupted, but he suppressed it by convincing himself, “If austere Vishwamitra failed to triumph over his desire, then how, a lesser mortal like me can save myself from falling for this trap?” And he let the passion rule over him. Day by day, his passion grew stronger for Ratna.

Sayaji was burning with desire. He began to ponder over ways to coax Ratna into the act. To make his interest in Ratna more explicit, he made all those tactful gestures.

When he found her alone in the field, he would appreciate her beauty and Ratna would blush like a virgin. She, too, was secretly enjoying Sayaji’s desirous glances. His imposing physique and rustic charm was gradually arousing a temptation in her. Lewd gazes and sweet words were forging a bond between the two.

The naïve Sambu didn’t realize the ulterior design of Sayaji and couldn’t think of his wife to be a partner in this design. He couldn’t have believed that a man like Sayaji, who sang in supplication to the lord every night, could cast an eye on his wife. Sayaji’s generous behavior, he thought, was very much in tune with his spiritual leanings. Being a mellow and forthright person, he took other people to be like him.

Meanwhile, Sayaji continued his devotional recital in the company of his choir. The words of right conduct and higher reality were crowding at the surface, but deep within, the serpent of lust had assumed an enduring place.

In the absence of desire, the mind is like calm water. But desire disturbs this calmness, like a hurled stone creates ripples in water. The calmness could be preserved either by discarding the desire or succumbing to it. Sayaji chose to succumb.

On that day, when Ratna was alone in the field, Sayaji went to her. The earlier gestures had helped in shedding all inhibitions and had fostered an intimacy. “Ratna, see what I have brought for you!”

Ratna, curiously looked at Sayaji and became expectant. Within a moment, Sayaji opened his hand and showed her a gold chain. Ratna’s eyes sparkled and she felt privileged. The gambit executed by Sayaji brought her completely under his spell.

Without wasting a moment, Sayaji held her hand and asked, “Want to get pregnant?” and seized her in his tight grip and kissed her cheek. Sayaji was giving a noble cause for his love and intimacy for Ratna. “Today onwards, I will not shave off my beard till you deliver a child,” Sayaji took the vow. Ratna, placing her head on his rock like chest didn’t utter a word. Her silence suggested a tacit consent for Sayaji. She freed herself from his grip and stood little away fearing the arrival of Sambu. Things had to be played safely.

“Tomorrow, I will send Sambu to the town to purchase some fertilizers so that for the whole day, you can remain in the field.” Ratna nodded blushingly. Sayaji could see his desire moving towards the fulfillment. At night, he again sang abhangs and bhajans devoutly, expounding the harmony between dharma, artha, kama and moksha.

Next day, when Sambu left for town, Ratna started towards the field, dreaming and expecting an encounter with Sayaji. From the plateau of his farm, Sayaji spotted Ratna and walked towards her.

Words had no role to play; their eyes spoke everything. Swiftly, they walked towards each other; held each others’ hands and walked through shoulder length crop of jowar. They cleared a patch of land covered with dry leaves, hay and boulders. Then Sayaji nearly lifted Ratna and hurled her towards the earth.

The thirsty souls began to quench their thirst greedily, under an open sky. Their entangled bodies struggled, swayed and bounced on the black regur soil; even the earth could smell them when drops of sweat dripped on it. Two bodies shone amidst the crop, as the sun made its way through it.

Ratna was reeling under the physical prowess of Sayaji, who had completely immersed in her. Their bodies were smeared with black and soft soil.

The most primordial act was performed in the most primordial manner.

Both lay on the earth contentedly, watching flying birds in the sky. There began, a saga of numerous such encounters…. in morning……at noon….. and sometimes under the cover of dusk depending on the convenience of the moment. Sayaji compensated all his yearnings and longing for Ratna, till her charm lost its allure.

After a few days, Ratna’s belly began to bloom. Gradually, Sayaji distanced himself from Ratna completely.

Months passed and Ratna delivered a child. Sayaji realized his vow. By then, his beard too was full-grown and was accentuating his spirituality. One fine morning, he shaved off his beard to take another vow for another hunt, perhaps!