He paused for a while. I didn’t ask him anything, though I conveyed my interest in his life story. When a singer starts enjoying his own performance, he doesn’t wait for the audience to shout, ‘Encore!’ Satwalekar was in a similar state. He continued,
‘You remember school geometry? How does one prove that a given figure is a triangle? We assume it to be a square or a circle and then go on to prove that it is not, isn’t it? We are then able to point out the properties of a triangle and eventually prove that the given figure is indeed a triangle. I solved this conundrum using the same approach. Destiny had chosen to get me married to my wife, but I was fighting against each of her traits. I then decided to accept destiny as a friend and not an enemy. If she indeed was a friend, there must have been a good reason for me to be married to this woman. There must have been something for me to learn from it. What could that be, I asked myself. I realized that I used to be proud of my finicky attitude. I had to let go of it.
‘It made me realize that my wife had the right to lead the life she wanted. It may look foolish from my perspective but it’s just a different way, as simple as that. Her values and beliefs are as real as mine. I can’t deny their existence.
‘Destiny had to find someone from Khandesh to teach me this lesson. Normally, one tries to mix with people of a similar nature. We try to keep those who are very different from us at bay. In other words, we can’t familiarize ourselves with the worlds around us unless we make an attempt to. The wife is an individual whom we can’t discard. We tolerate her. We accept her world. And once we accept it, we find ways to protect her and her world. We show the same concern as we would towards the sick. Earlier, her path was difficult to walk on. It still is. But it doesn’t stop me from walking!’
I could hear the bell announcing the movie.
Satwalekar held my hand and, squeezing it lightly, said,
‘I have given a new name to life. Want to hear it?’
‘Please.’
‘I believe life is tolerance.’
I laughed.
I wonder why I laughed as I watched Satwalekar cross the road.
Why did I laugh?
But what else could I have done?
KALPANA
The 4.08 local from Churchgate to Borivali departed on time. Kalpana glanced at the watch on her narrow wrist and thought: Another twenty minutes of the train, the usual boring walk down the road, three flights of stairs, then home! She would ring the doorbell and hear the familiar song being sung. There would be a pause, a voice saying, ‘Coming,’ and the song would continue. He’d been humming the song ‘Aajkal tere mere pyar ke charche har zubaan par’ since morning. He and the song must have been chasing each other the whole day. He’d open the door gently, without the latch making a sound. A kitchen towel would be dangling from his shoulders. In his right hand would be a pair of tongs, the edges stained with milk. He knew she didn’t like the tongs dipping into the milk, and would try to hide it. He’d put his arms around her shoulders before she could remove her shoes. He knew she didn’t like that either. But he couldn’t resist. Seeing her dislike, he’d say, ‘Sorry, Kalpana. I won’t do it tomorrow. Come on, now. Make me a nice cup of tea.’
Lost in thought, Kalpana didn’t realize she had reached home. While climbing up the stairs it struck her that today would be different. When she’d left that morning, Deepak had been running a fever. He must have spent the whole day in Shekhar’s lap. Shekhar would have been counting the minutes, waiting for her.
With that thought, she hurried up the last flight of stairs. She was surprised to find the door locked. ‘Strange,’ she muttered and, taking out a duplicate key from her handbag, opened the door.
She instinctively turned to look at herself in the mirror on the cupboard. She reached into the top shelf and, as expected, there was a note for her.
Dearest Kalpana,
Deepak was getting bored, so I decided to take him to the circus. Don’t get worried. I have garnished the rice. You won’t enjoy drinking reheated tea, so I haven’t made it. You were to get promoted today! I should’ve been there to welcome you home, but I’m out for Deepak’s sake. Don’t get angry.
Only yours,
Shekhar
Kalpana went into the kitchen, leaving the note on the table. She opened the cabinet and saw the finely chopped coriander kept in a small bowl. Another vessel nearby held freshly grated coconut. She read the note again, ‘I’m out for Deepak’s sake. Don’t get angry.’
‘Don’t get angry … angry…’ she muttered to herself and went out into the balcony. A comfortable chair welcomed her. She sat down mechanically and looked at the expanse of blue sky. Immense. Unending. The lonely sky, giving solace to millions but with no one to give it company, she thought. How lonely it must be! The very thought made her shiver. She became aware of her loneliness. She wasn’t able to relax in the comfortable chair. She got up to see Chitnis’s mother,
