Professional Documents
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Fathers, Sons
Fathers, Sons
(Thandrulu, Kodukulu)
Tripuraneni Gopichand
Translator
GRK Murty
About the Author
along with the rest of the relatives who came to attend his
marriage. He requested him to stay back for another ten days.
Not being able to turn down Kutumbarao‟s request, he stayed
back.
2
Raghuvamsam—an epic in Sanskrit written by Kalidasa.
3
Meghasandesam—a lyrical poem in Sanskrit written by Kalidasa.
At that time his brother was studying final year in the school.
Fearing that his son might face difficulties in going to school, his
uncle took a house on rent in the town and also arranged a
cook for him. In those days, his uncle had no other vocation
except being happy watching his son. He was spending any
amount of money for his son. He still remembered it. One day
his uncle went to school to see his son. In that very school, the
son of a zamindar of nearby village was also studying. Looking
at the dress he wore, and regretting that his son didn‟t have
such clothes, he took him immediately to a shop and bought
clothes of better value than those of the zamindar‟s son. The
school authorities were giving a special chair to the zamindar‟s
son. He quarreled for a similar chair for his son too, questioning,
“In what way is he greater than my son?”
Kutumbarao felt like asking his uncle for more details. So far, he
had heard what others had said about his brother. No need
that they should say the truth! Many are there in Andhra who
float a rumor, watch the fun and enjoy! It is therefore better to
know the truth.
“Pedananna!”
“Yes, my child?”
“What, my son?”
“About brother.”
“Pedananna, please …”
4
Mathabu—a kind of fireworks that emits bright light when burnt.
He could withhold his sobbing. Heaving a sigh, he said, “Don‟t
ask about him, my son—if we rip off the belly, it would fall on
the legs.”
“Why?”
No sooner had his wife joined him, than he—who had been
looking after his parents till then with devotion—suddenly
changed. It seems his son asked him: “Why have you
established a cloth shop? Who asked you to construct a
factory? Why have you spent so much on our education? Who
asked you to do „works‟ that are beyond our reach?” He
quarreled for returning the dowry that his in-laws gave him at
the time of marriage. Not being able to put up with him and
fearing that the family affairs might become public, he had
5
Annayya—brother.
transferred the ownership of the house constructed by his
ancestors in the name of his daughter-in-law. Next day, it
seems, annayya had driven them out of his house. Since then,
he says, they have been living in the hut taken on rent in the
neighboring village. Not being able to stay away for long, if
they ever visited their house, they were bullied by them. Even
the grandchild was not allowed to go near them. They would
not serve food even once. Saying, “Look he has come for
eating,” his daughter-in-law would draw the attention of the
neighbors towards him. Narrating all these incidents,
pedananna shed tears. “Is it fair, my son? Listening to wife and
treating parents like this? You know who she is? She is from the
pedigree of dukkamukkala. She cannot tolerate our very
presence. Remembering the past, she is today avenging the
old feuds our and their ancestors had, perhaps, in this style.
And, is he to play to her tune?” pedananna trembled with
indignation and anger.
“Yes, I did give. I could not but give when he asked for it. Why,
that‟s not the only thing! Disposing of the one acre in our village
that is in the name of your peddamma6, I had purchased ten
acres in the village that I am now residing. It‟s a goldmine. But
often it gets swamped under drainage water. If I spend
6
Peddamma—wife of pedananna (wife of father’s elder brother).
hundred rupees on it, it would produce superior kind of rice. I
don‟t have the money. I asked him, „Just give me hundred
rupees. I‟ll not ask you again.‟ Of course, I had no inclination to
ask. Not being able to put up with your peddamma‟s pestering,
I did ask. You know what he said? „You transfer that ten acres in
my name, then I shall give you.‟ I agreed, „I shall do that,
provided you give it in writing to give annually a certain sum to
us.‟ You should see his reaction for it—he pounced on me.”
“Indeed it‟s a good thing. Otherwise, you would have lost even
that little support,” replied Kutumbarao.
7
Pedathandri—father’s elder brother (pedananna).
Pitying his pedananna‟s innocence, Kutumbarao said, “Aha!
Any doubt? Having done all this, what would stop him from
doing that?”
“Yes, my child?”
*****
All this happened around two years back. In these two years
many changes had taken place. Kutumbarao‟s wife joined him
to start conjugal life. No sooner had he got a job than he
established his family in Chittoor. In between he had come
once or twice to see his parents, but could not stay for long as
he found it difficult to stay away from his wife. He returned
immediately. Thereafter he didn‟t go even when his father
wrote a letter asking him to visit them. The reason could be
anything—of not getting time or, his wife‟s declaration about
her inability to stay alone. Or, it could be that he no longer felt
quite at home in Madras. Over it, his sister wrote a letter saying,
“Have you forgotten us so soon annayya? With sister-in-law by
your side, have we fallen out of your sight? It‟s not for nothing
that elders say, „The horns that have come much later are
more powerful than the ears that have come earlier.‟”
The letter made him chuckle. Hitherto, while preparing for
whatever exam, if he had not visited home, nobody said
anything. At the most, they might have said, “why not pay a
quick visit once in a while?” Now, they name his wife as the
cause for his not going home.
“You only should know it. And your people should know it.” He
then realized that she did not take the letter as lightly as he did.
To amuse her, he said—
“Do I have free-time to go? Office—wife—family, I have so
many responsibilities now. Am I alone, as in the past, to stay
there for long?”
“Why?”
“Seems, it is an insult to him. Thinks, others would come to know
of his troubling parents by not giving money. He thinks that
would spoil his reputation.”
“He will not allow any of his father‟s relatives enter his house.
Even if anybody goes, he sends them out without even inviting
them for dinner. But, he looks after his wife‟s relatives
entreatingly. Same is his approach in the case of village
politics—supports his wife‟s relatives. People of dukkamukkala
clan have indeed become veritable gods to him,” averred the
villagers.
*****
Seeing Kutumbarao, Ramarao asked, “Coming from where!”
Ramarao is the son of his uncle. He is working in the town as a
school master.
“He has picked up all our traits,” said Ramarao to his cousin
brother.
“Aa.”
“Aa.”
Kutumbarao answers.
“No.”
“Not that; they had learnt that he too, like me, had changed
with the arrival of his wife to start marital life,” said Ramarao,
with a feigned laugh.
“Your brother always talks like that! Come on, get up to have
bath,” said she, smilingly.
“Get up babai, come on babai,” saying, the girls started pulling
his hands. After bath, the brothers sat for lunch. While taking
lunch, they both recalled many events of their childhood. They
talked about their village affairs and also about the status of
their relatives.
“Apart from your getting spoiled, you are spoiling him too,” said
Ramarao‟s wife with a smile.
“Ask your people, then you will come to know,” said his wife.
Both the brothers finished their lunch. Kutumbarao lay over the
bed, meant for him in the room, and reflected upon the day‟s
happenings. His brother had changed, changed completely.
But that change did not appear as dreadful as it was when
others narrated. Thinking so, he fell asleep, overtaken by the
fatigue of the journey. After a while, he woke up. Somebody
was conversing in the adjacent room. Listening to the voices,
he could recognize it as that of his brother and pedananna.
“What have you done with the money taken last time?”
9
Abbai—an informal and a warm way of calling a younger male.
10
Nayana—an affectionate way of calling a son by a father or mother.
“Might have lent to somebody in the village.”
“No. No. Rama, Rama! Will I believe their words? Will I let your
hard-earned money go into their hands? Whatever you might
think, nayana! I wish you should earn lots of money and
become a great man. After all, I am your father. I have brought
you up with these hands! Can I wish to subject you to
tribulations, nayana.” Ramarao remained silent. Kutumbarao
could sense that he had gone inside to get money. All this
appeared pretty confusing to Kutumbarao. Could not decide
either way. Realizing that unless he confronted his pedathandri,
reality would not come out, he came out of the room.
Ramarao also came out with money and gave it to his father.
Taking it he said:
11
Amma—mother.
He then saw Kutumbarao. He thought that on seeing him, his
pedananna would be surprised. But it didn‟t happen. As
though he had not seen him for long, asked him,
“Right now.”
“Aa.”
“He won‟t come to see us even for once. We may not matter
to him now,” said he.
“If only he had the desire to see us, won‟t there be respite? You
don‟t know how much we struggled for his education! Wishing
that he should get educated and become an accomplished
individual, we sent him to the college with the money of the
undivided family. Isn‟t it because of him, we became indebted!
It is the debt that we made for his education which has grown
over years that vanquished the whole property. If we are today
cribbing like this, isn‟t it because of him? But he doesn‟t have
that gratitude. He doesn‟t even bother to come and see
whether we are eating or not, whether we are dead or alive.
What matters for him is himself, his wife, and his children.”
Kutumbarao‟s mind became blank. He sat before Ramarao
quietly with droopy head.
“Oh! Come on, you need not defend your wife. To exhibit her
civility before him, she asked me to stay back for lunch. Did she
ever ask before?” saying he went away.
12
Nanna—father.
Both the brothers sat quiet. When Kutumbarao, raising his head,
looked out, his pedathandri, standing on the road, was waving
his hand, gesticulating to come out. He got up and slowly
walked out.
“See nayana? That‟s the way. All said and done, I am her
father-in-law. But see her, standing in front, how she is talking
provocatively. To prove that she is good, and the fault is only
mine, she acted like that before you. Will I fall in her trap? He
used to be like a tiger. After becoming her husband, see, how
cat-like, he has become. As she is chirping like a bird, see, he
could not even say a single word.”
“What?”
“Why not? That‟s the only work he has,” said Ramarao‟s wife.
Kutumbarao looked at his sister-in-law. She was smiling. Looked
at his brother. He sat ready to listen. Finding himself in an
awkward predicament, Kutumbarao said, “Why all this
vexation? Perhaps, giving him a certain amount per annum
may solve the whole problem.”
“Ever since I got the job, I have been imploring him to stay with
me. But in the beginning he had not agreed. He said: „Having
lived thus far you want me to live under the son‟s eaves? You
want me to eat a few morsels from daughter-in-law‟s hands,
that too, of a lady from dukkamukkalavari clan, no way!‟ In
those days, whenever I tried to give him money, he used to say,
„you are the giver and am I the taker?‟ Such was his
indignation.”
“But within a few days, all the wealth evaporated, not even a
cent of land remained; it became difficult to make ends meet.
Coming to know of it, myself and your sister-in-law went to him
and with intense pleading and great difficulty, could get them
to our house. Then on, neither of us had peace. Right from day
one of their coming, they started pestering your sister-in-law.
You know your sister-in-law is dukkamukkalavari woman. You
also know that between our clan and theirs, there has been a
feud running for generations. Father could not forget this even
in his sleep. He has grown up with that feud, and has become
old in it. Even if he feels like changing today, he cannot.”
*****