'Ente Moley*'

In the midnight, all alone Karthu slept  in the straw hut, near the endless sea;  her eyes open, her mind upset like the ocean-waves, keeping her grief to herself! Gone to the sea was her husband, Ramu,  to catch fish all alone, to eke out a living! Calm was the sea when he had left. It’s raining heavy now. The waves grew big and mighty, devastating everything on its way! The roaring waves were quarrelling to show its might on land!

The dawn broke out next day, and it was time for him to  return.  Lo, there she saw a boat  in distance appear, swaying here and there, to land onshore later without him!

Torn throughout, having no hope to find him again alive, she fell  onshore unconsciously!

Days gave way to weeks and weeks to months, and  months to years! She lived her rest of life,

praying for him, hoping for his safe return – a  hope she believed firmly!

In the midnight, all alone she  lay in the straw hut, near the endless sea;  her eyes open, her mind upset like the turbulent waves, keeping her grief to herself until then she heard the sounds of footsteps, approaching her hut, tears rolling down, her cheeks reddish. “Karthu, my love”, a gentle sound she heard, a sound which was familiar to her years back.  “Is it a dream?” She thought  for a while. Finally she drew enough courage to peep out to see a young man in his suit. She did not open the door but cried loudly. Loudly enough that her neighbours reached in no time. They beat him, handed him over to the local police. How hard he would try, he could hardly convince Karthu that he was her Ramu   as he had changed a lot physically and in appearance too.

There was an old police man. He took him to his house, got him dressed up like Ramu, fisherman, with no footwear,  who had left for fishing. It was midnight, the waves forming bigger and mightier, the roaring waves shouting like a giant, and she heard some footsteps approaching her hut. She peeped out to see her husband Ramu, standing smoking a ‘beedi’** and calling out ‘ente moley’.  She immediately opened the door and did not leave him until……

It was then and only then Ramu realized that having been abroad having got him saved by a ship passing by and becoming like one there would not be of any use when he returns to his native place. He had to be Ramu, to be Karthu’s husband, because Karthu did not understand anything else. She answered only to ‘Ente moley’ by her Ramu!

* My girl in Malayalam

** a thin, Indian cigarette filled with tobacco flake and wrapped in a tendu or possibly even Piliostigma racemosum leaf tied with a string at one end.