He came to our kitchen door one evening. “Kadungan” is a Harijan (that’s what Gandhiji taught us to call them) and is the remnant of a feudal era where they were supposed to work under a Feudal Lord, in his paddy fields or house. Now that, Feudalism has been flown to air in Kerala, their young generation has chosen to seek work independently – a very few have chosen to brave the path of higher education and better jobs in spite of all the hardships.

Yet the old generation like “Kadungan”, who is very old, chooses to stick to the old practices. He is too old to work. No one else would give him proper wages even if he work for one day because that work would be only one fourth of what an average man does. Hence if he is in short of money, he comes to my house, simply takes the spade from the courtyard, does some work in the homestead till evening. Or, he offers to take the rice or dried spices to the mill, which is only a few meters away; still it would earn him some money for the day.

He came to my home with two small kids – 9 years old and 6 years old. The elder one wore her neat yellow silk skirt and matching blouse. The other girl was in a floral printed red skirt and red blouse. I made limejuice for them and took out some banana chips and halva as per my mom’s instruction. I asked him whose kids they were.

I knew “Kadungan” had 2 sons and 3 daughters, all married. His youngest daughter, Bindhu was my classmate in Lower Primary School till 4th standard. After that we went to different schools. I know that she studied till 10th, after that she started baby-sitting for kids of doctors etc and thus chose her profession. Staying with good families, she developed a culture better than her family – She was cultured in her language and way of dressing.

To my question, “Kadungan” answered that they were his second daughter’s. He added that she was pregnant, and had some complications and needs medicine. Since I give money through my mom only, I just sat there and listened. After some time, he left with the kids. A 5 minutes later, he came alone and asked for a 50 Rupees to mom. I felt bad that I made him ask that. Anyway, mom gave him.

After he had left, mom gave me an update about his two younger daughters’ life. I was shocked to hear that both of them were married to the same person. Their husband, who is as lazy as anyone can be, sits idle at home pretending sickness, and just spends whatever the wives bring home after a day’s hard work.

Mom narrated the funny story of how “Kadungan” tried to make his son-in-law work by bringing him to our house to cut some palm leaves from a palm tree. After reaching top, he felt dizzy – don’t know if it’s because of no working for a long time, or just his pretence – and my father asked him to climb down fast and said, no more work. I could have pushed the story as yet another exploit. But somehow, it stings inside heart. I could just sigh and think – “Life’s like that”

There are lots of situations in life where we get cheated within the blink of an eye. Bindhu had to face it from her brother in law, in the way that he blocked any alliance came to her and finally offered to marry her. She is accepted to the fact, and has become yet another girl of their premises and live on…

Again, life is like that… I used to think why all these mega serials have so much climaxes and anti climaxes… which never ends.. The mega serials in which the heroine and all the women are scripted to cry only… But when I stand in this junction of my life, I perceive -

“It is in real life, the most extra ordinary things happen; things which a novelist even dare not imagine” – Tagore, in his novel the Wreck.