sound of rain drops by sannapureddy &swatee sripada (books for new readers .TXT) 📖

bringing their Sangati in their hands women come into the house, each one have a spoon of curry from the pot and start mocking—“ these are the beans from Subbanna’s garden. How did this boy enter their home?” this way they mock him.
When he goes towards the fields some edible fruit or root or vegetable –whatever is available, even a flower to decorate, he hides it and brings it home. When they start a new cart and distribute dal and roasted rice or if they give something at the temple (a newly wed girl after taking blessings gives the passers by dry fruits and sugar crystals with betel nuts and leaves), even if they serve sweet and hot in wedding feasts without bothering about surrounding people and what they think, without any shame he hides and brings it home to keep in front of Gowri.
Even people understood his attitude. So when he sits in a line for food in any feast serving sweet and hot they say ‘this is for you and this one for your wife…’
They serve him extra and laugh at him but he never cared them. Moreover he asks them for a paper to pack, adds even his share in it and takes them home.
Let this be at the fields or at the trees they should keep two shares for him and mock at him laughing.
“Why did he get two shares?” if someone questions
“Ok let him take. He has a wife” they giggle.
As if he brought a rare flower and taking care of it keeping his palms around it to see that it would not shrivel –this is his anxiety for Gowri.
“If this girl gets pregnancy, he will bear the labor pains” a relative woman teased him.
“Are you scrubbing your wife’s back?” another lady, related as aunty mocked at him.
“If the slippers are nice are we going to wear them in the neck? You should keep the things where they belong” an old man advised.
“After his marriage we couldn’t bear our women’s pestering. They expect us to sit in front of them, they await us to feed them and we should walk together they say. Where did you learn all these, my son...” his friends augment on him. “We went on telling them, that he brought her here eloping. If he didn’t look after her so affectionately she wouldn’t stay here in this village home, did they pay heed? No! They ask us what would have happened if we brought them here eloping? What to do?” A friend enacted whimper.
a newly married bride murmured with another newly married girl “how can everyone get a husband like Shivanna?”
Though he heard all, he walked forth with a smile. He felt that all the comments added inspiration to do his duty.
Gowri felt surprised. She felt it as a wonder that though many people mocked at him he didn’t move at all. Though she felt proud of the special respect accorded by Shiva which no one in the village has ever received, she even felt the pain as he has to bear the mockery because of her. She felt shy as if all the villagers were looking at her oddly.
So with a thin voice she said one night “when you go out, you mix with them all Bava! Forget about me”
He stared as if he couldn’t understand. “Why don’t we express our liking for each other at home alone? Isn’t it enough?”
He looked still puzzled.
“if you attend a wedding feast, have you to bring sweet and hot for me asking them and packing? Has anyone done this way for his wife except you? Don’t you feel anything if they laugh at you?” she said.
Shiva breathed easily and exhaled.
He looked as if saying ‘just this?’
“Didn’t you feel bad if your friends keep two servings in front of you teasing and telling ‘this is for your wife and this one for you’, Bava?” looking into his eyes she asked.
Shiva sat in front of her on the cot in padmasana. He heard her completely with closed eyes. As she completed he opened his eyes, looking into her eyes he said “why do we bother about others?”
Looking deep into her eyes, he continued
“Let it be bitter or sweet I feel like eating it together. What do they know except laughing?” With this he held her head in his two hands and brought her close to him. “It’s not that you never tasted the hot or sweet. I never meant that you have not tasted the fruits of the village Gowrie. I don’t feel like eating alone. When we both eat together then only I enjoy the eating. So I bring everything home. Let them laugh. We are not doing any bad thing? As they laugh and laugh they get tired. Let anyone laugh or smile I can’t eat anythingwithout sharing it with you. Let it be trouble or comfort, we both should face it together….” he went on telling. She couldn’t utter a word. She could even realize that her eyes turned and remained wet even after a long time.
She leaned on his chest –as she couldn’t control her emotion. This single incident made her desire his closeness very strongly within her heart. It made her feel anxious even if she couldn’t see him for an hour. She felt a strong desire to spend with him most of her time. She couldn’t tolerate if neighboring ladies sit with her for a long time. –she felt that they obstruct their solitude.
To tease him and laugh at him both wife and husband provided the villagers a new thing each day.
Not even half an hour used to pass after Shiva’s going out into the street, with the pretext of some work, Gowri used to walk into the street. As he was seen in the midst of people on the slab of cement bench she used to order someone to call him. After receiving her call he never used to stay another minute there.
After a few days everyone understood – if she comes into the street and her looks roam here and there, it’s for her husband.
“A call has come for you dear. Only you have a wife contrary to the entire world. As soon as she comes out from the home you should step into the house. We must get the scolding from our wives” someone said sarcastically.
“Even if our wives come here and shout like sheep we didn’t move. Why do you fear her so much? Useless fool” someone’s warning………..
Shiva never pays heed to these.
With a smile he moves to his home.
As he was trying to tame her to the village surroundings in a beautiful way, Shiva’s actions turned out for a discussion in the village.
The troubles he was facing for the sake of his wife made everyone laugh.
The saplings of mirchi started rising up and looking beautiful.
Even the gram started looking up with a measure of a hand and looking fresh and appealing. Even the rice saplings are grown up and are ready for transplantation.
Shiva’s brother in law had a cart and oxen. Both started preparing their crop beds with them. They shifted the fertilizer on a cart and spread that fertilizer in the cultivated bed. Shiva has to go to his brother in law’s field also to work.
With that Gowri couldn’t escape the loneliness at home.
No pastime at all.
Nobody in the village stays at home.
She feels eagerly to go to Shiva but he remains in his brother in-law’s field.
If she goes there it seems his work gets disturbed. Two sparrows started making a nest in the roof of the shed. They are making a nest in the hay in between the main logs and the short wood pieces. They are bringing hay from outside. From the broomstick in the corner they carried the broomstick pieces. In the process of construction of the nest half the hay had fallen down. She felt vexed to sweep it again and again. From the month of Bhadrapada this nuisance started. On the day of Vinayaka festival they carried away even the leaves meant for Vinayaka puja.
Afternoon Ramanamma came with Sangati in a plate.
“What leaves did you cook?” she sat on the bed.
“Have you had your lunch? otherwise bring it here.” She said.
Gowri too brought Sangati in a plate and sat in front of her on the floor.
“Haven’t you gone to the field now? Is there no work today?” she asked Ramanamma.
“ one who has a land and an animal never have any leisure. How can the Kapu’s get a free time?”
“then....”
“ only you should stay at home, no others?”
“ I don’t mean that sister, I am not used to this field work”
“ Am I used?” she dragged the voice “my mother too brought me up without even asking me to do anything. Now I came and get dumped here in this rough group and getting squashed. Even if you go for labor work they have at least a day holiday. But these people farmers never get any rest and not even enough money! As I had head ache I stayed at home today.”

“Who had taken the Lunch to the field?”
“Who else? My husband.” She said “ if we put the very hot Lunch in basket and carry it on the head the head will burn. We can’t put down the basket. We can’t walk at slow pace. Boils will come and we feel like crying. So with this pretext I stayed at home. If I stayed alone I would have died with boredom, you are there at least………..”
Gowri stared at her for a while.
Some thoughts gathered in her mind.
“Sister” meanwhile somebody called from outside.
Ramanamma lifted her head to see. A woman holding a basket filled with Sangati on her head and a child in her hands
“can you look after this child for a while sister, I’ll go to the field, serve the food and come back……” showing the child she asked Ramanamma.
“as if we don’t have any work” after washing the plate, throwing the water in the backyard Ramanamma said.
“ sister…sister” though she requested she didn’t pay heed to her.
“without any work she is at home. if she carries the child for a while do her muscles get worn off” grumbling she went off lifting the child up in her arms.
“ If we stay without work these bloody women get jealous “ Ramanamma too grumbled.
Gowri remained listening.
Evening Lakshmamma came home early.
“come on sister , let us go for water” Subhadra came with a pot. She was wearing a lehanga and a blouse with a ONi and with the freshness that was accorded by youth she looked like a flying pigeon.
Meanwhile other ladies too came there with pots. They forced Gowri and took her with them. Hitherto Shiva has never asked her even to carry a pitcher of water. Early morning before it turns bright he fills all the vessels in home with water. Even at night again he brings.
To pump the bore well Subhadra helped.
Lifting the water-filled pitcher with a jerk onto their waists, when the water sprinkle on nearby people and the elder ladies chase them, young girls running in the streets like young calves looked elegant to Gowri.

It was not