9. Dhanalakshmi arrives

CHAPTER 9

Dhanalakshmi arrives

An auto stopped in front of the house. Danalakshmi got down. Seeing her, Kotari immediately went and took the bags. “How are you?”

Suddenly, the 3 elderly women came out of their houses to greet her. “Aunty, how are you?”

Danalakshmi smiled at the ladies happily. “Ah ha! I am fine.”

She went into her house. Kotari followed.

Danalakshmi sat on the sofa. Kotari put on the fan and brought water for her. She drank the water.

Kotari brought coffee from a flask. “How is everyone at the village?”

Danalakshmi stared at him. “They are fine and that is why I am back home. I suppose you were hoping that they might be sick so that I will have to remain there for some more time.”

She took the coffee.

Kotari spoke with fear. “Is there less sugar or more sugar in the coffee?”

She stared at him. “Why are you twisting your words? Has something happened? The coffee is as bad as your face.”

She kept the coffee down.

Kotari was scared. He thought, “Without telling her, I have given the house for rent. Already she is in boiling point. How to tell her?”

Kotari was making actions unconsciously.

Danalakshmi observed him and became serious. “What is this? Why are you just doing actions? What all have you done while I was away? Tell me.”

Kotari was most scared. He removed the letter from his pocket. He showed her the letter. “Nityananda Swami sent this letter.”

Danalakshmi put the letter to her eyes and then went through it. “Where are the boys? Did you send them away?”

Kotari became a little more courageous. He took a deep breathe and straightened up proudly. “Swami had sent the letter in your name. I had to save your name. So I have given them the house. See there they are filling water.”

Dhanalakshmi immediately got up and went out to meet the boys. The boys were at the water tap. Kotari had told them that they can fill water as long as they go back to the room as soon as any of the girls come out.

Danalakshmi approached the boys. “What is your name, my boy?”

Prutvi and Arvind looked at her face and then at Kotari’s face. He made some actions but they did not understand. They looked at Danalakshmi seriously.

Danalakshmi got angry at no getting any answer to her question. She asked again. “I am asking you. What is your name?”

The boys again looked at Kotari. Kotari made actions. They silently took the bucket and went to their room at high speed.

Danalakshmi was shocked to see this behaviour. “How proud they are.”

She followed them angrily. “Didn’t you hear what I said?”

They quickly entered the house and closed the door at her face.

Danalakshmi became wild with anger. “Eh boys! Why are you so proud? What do you think of yourselves? Who did you think I am? Not only this compound, but the whole colony shivers on seeing me. How dare you show off in front of me? If I just click my fingers, you will have to leave not only this compound but also this village itself. Only because of Swamiji, I am leaving you. Now, open the door. Then you will know who this Danalakshmi is.”

Hearing the word ‘Danalakshmi’, the boys become very alert. They immediately opened the door and fell at her feet.

Prutvi said, “You are Danalakshmi? Please forgive us. We have been waiting for you since 5 days. Swamiji kept talking of you. He only sent us here.”

Hearing the word ‘Swamiji”, Danalakshmi cooled down. “Get up, my sons. Why did you did behave like that in spite of being the disciples of Swamiji?”

Prutvi said, “If you say that you have forgiven us then only we will get up.”

“Ok. I forgive you. First you got up.”

Seeing tears in their eyes, she feels somehow. “Don’t cry. I just asked why you did like that.”

Prutvi and Arvind got up. They pointed to Kotari.

Prutvi said, “It is all because of him, the owner of this house.”

Danalakshmi looked at her husband coolly. “Owner? Are you the owner?”

Kotari shook his head. “I am not the owner. She is the owner. This compound belongs to my mother-in-law. She gave it to my wife.”

Prutvi said, “Aunty, he is telling all lies. He treated us so badly.”

He went into the house and brought out the paper. “See how many conditions he put. He has tied our mouth.”

Danalakshmi read all the conditions. Tears appear in her eyes. “Oh! Bad fellow. What punishment you have given to such beautiful boys. Just wait and see. You will be born as a pig in your next life.”

The other ladies, who were observing all this, were shocked.

Mayuri said, “So that is why they never talked to us even when we tried our best. Poor boys.”

Danalakshmi tore the paper into pieces. “From now on, no conditions. You can stay as you like in the compound.”

She introduced all the ladies to the boys. Then she looked at her husband sternly.

“For what you have done, today’s dinner cut.”