Nalayini, a Short Story by Kalaignar

 

A real beauty she is. The glow on her face speaks volumes about her charms. Her white apparel enhances her gait. A necklace of black beads adorns her fair complexioned neck. Her lovely tresses are rolled into a bun and above that sits a basket. She is seen walking in the street. Surely a parade of charming beauty, a class of its own. Is she one of those stars that has come down to earth? Her very sight in the dark street makes one think thus.

That charming lady of golden hue carries a basket on her head. What a stink that basket emanates!. A putrid figure inside the basket. Her gentle hands supporting the bottom of the basket are trembling due to overweight. Yet that beauty goes ahead taking no rest. Her well-structured physique is proof enough to poets that beauty can thrive in sadness too. And the putrid fleshed figure in the basket is all smiles. That smile seems to be a preamble for better joy to come. Like to know the anxiety of the smile? Those interested can take a look at the foolish grin. The figure inside the basket is a man.

This disfigured man has lost one fourth of his original body. A great soul he is and passes for Maharishi. Like education, money and power that change a man, a disease too can change a man. That disease is leprosy. It is this great disease affected great soul who is found going in the street inside a basket on his wife's head.

"Hi! Walk faster!"

“I am walking faster, my lord, my life.”

"Walk faster Nalayini! But don't put me down, even if you fall."

"What makes you think of me thus, my lord! I will not let you fall even if my soul leaves my body. What do I carry in my basket? Any goods for sale? Or am I carrying household items? Aren't you a precious gem to me? How can I afford to drop you down? Sacrilege! What a sacrilege!"

Carrying her leper husband on her head in a basket, Nalayini goes, her lovely face laden with sorrow. Wherefore is she bound? Does her husband want to take a holy dip and pray to the Lord? Is she carrying him to satisfy his love of piety? No. No. Then what for? Is he moving from one hermitage to another, using his wife as a vehicle? No. Then where are they bound? This journey is not meant to reach a temple or do obeisance to God! What then? Well! He is journeying to reach a harlot's house. What for? It is not with the intention of advising her to give up her profession and to turn her mind toward the Lord. That leper's purpose is not to convert the harlot's house into a divine place or to preach her about the divinity of the Lord. The sage is going to sleep with the harlot. He doesn't long to see the triple-eyed Lord. But he is there to allow the meeting of the four eyes and to hug the graceful body


The lady who is carrying her husband to the house of the woman bartering pleasure for money is a rose in full bloom. That rose is carrying a decaying bee to a dried-up flower. They are nearing the street housing women of easy virtue. Nalayini's troubles are over. Her husband's anxiety too began to subside. On reaching their destination, Nalayini transferred the basket to the floor. Her body aching to the bones made her twist and turn a little.

Had there been a poet he would have compared her to a rainbow. Had there been a script writer, he would have written: “I doubt if a deer would gambol like her!" Had there been a painter he would have said, “Stand as you are for a second. Let me paint a portrait of you that can be exchanged only for the world.” Such a flourishing beauty has come to the house of ill-fame all for the sake of her husband needing a companion for the night.

She knocked on the door with her graceful hand. It opened even before it could be knocked. A face peeped out before the door could be opened wide. “Pleasure! Indeed pleasure," howled the sage like the musician who lost his notes. His wrinkle-laden face glowed. His blood-oozing cheeks showed dimples and his frittered lips showed signs of lust. He stretched his hand sans fingers and blessed the harlot. And the harlot looking at his face expressing boundless joy asked, "What is the matter?" "Personal matter only" said the Rishi.

Nalayini began. “Listen Owoman! He is my husband. I never cross swords with my husband. He desired to meet you. Make him happy."

Shocked stood the harlot. Nalayini's words sprang a surprise in her. "For the first time in my life I see a wife who has brought her husband to a harlot's house", she said to herself and looked at the leper's ugly face with hatred-filled eyes. And before he could jump out, Nalayini dangled a bag of gold before her face. The harlot's eyes said yea. She hugged the leper sage and carried him to the celestial bed.

Nalayini heaved a sigh of relief. Leaving the basket at the entrance, she told the guard “Will come back in the morning" and left.

“Nalayini, dear friend! Stop awhile." A voice from behind stopped Nalayini who resembled a dust-covered bouquet. She saw a woman running towards her. The beauty is from the nearby hermitage. "Oh, you, Ulaga! (meaning worldly) what brought you here to this house?" asked Nalayini mopping the tears rolling down her cheeks. “I was on my way to the grove. I saw you going... Let me ask you something, only if it will not hurt you!" Ulaga said with a lot of hesitation. “What is it, Ulaga? Go ahead," Nalayini replied trying her best to smile.

"You may have a lot of love and affection for your husband. But to help him go to a harlot's house... I can't approve of it."

"Stop it, Ulaga! For every woman her husband is god. It is the duty of every chaste wife to fulfil the desires of her husband. The sight of my husband may be sickening to others. But to me he is honey, know that! Don't ever advise me as to how to treat my husband. Learn from me and correct yourself."

"Pardon me, Nalayini! I misunderstood your love and piety. Forgive me for that. It is rare to come across an understanding and determined chaste woman in all the fourteen worlds. You are chastity incarnate.”

"It is enough if you have understood me, Ulaga. I don't have to pardon you. Try to be as chaste as I am. Follow the footprints of chaste women like me. See you."

After uttering such words, Nalayini moved towards her hermitage. Ulaga too realizing her mistake went on her way all the time repeating the words “Nalayini is chaste.” Right at that juncture a lad rushed towards her and blindfolded her eyes with his hand. Together they laughed as they moved into the grove.

Sobbing all the way Nalayini entered her hermitage, fell down and wept. Torrents of tears gushed forth from her pair of blue eyes. Like the clouds that hide the full moon, her dark unkempt hair hid her face.

From inside the grove floated out a song. Nalayini with her tear-filled eyes could listen to the song. "Oh, that's the voice of Ulaga. A male voice has also joined hers. Ulaga who has accepted me as a chaste woman and showed all sorts of respect, is now singing a duet with her lover, her paramour. She is only of my age. But I am a better beauty than her. And I am here with none to love me. Her paramour would be cooing into her ears sweet nothings."

Nalayini went on imagining things that she had never imagined before. She wept again. But she did not wipe her tears. A woman barged into her room. She resembled Nalayini more or less. If both were found together, it would be difficult to distinguish between the two. The woman came and sat beside Nalayini. “Come, come, Idhaya,” (meaning heart, conscience) Nalayini sobbing all the while welcomed her.

"Why are you weeping, Nalayini! Why should you continue to weep?"

"You want to know the reason, Idhaya, eh! Aren't you aware that I turn like a worm on hot sand! I hope you are also listening to the song of that pair of love birds in the grove! Don't you ever understand what feelings of desire that the love song would create in a young woman like me? You know, Idhaya, I know that you know. And yet you are silent because you want to console me. Am I right?"

"You are very right, Nalayini. Ulaga called you chaste and blessed you. You should be satisfied with that powerful light of fame."

"Tell me, Idhaya! Tell me the truth. Am I a chaste woman? How? How?

"Certainly you are. Because you have sent your leprosy-infected husband to a harlot."

"Don't make fun of me, Idhaya! I don't desire to have fun with a leper. But he calls me to his bed desiring me. My hands tremble even to hug him. This is why I sent him to the harlot's house. Let him quench his thirst without harming my beauty. That was my plan. Can't you understand my stratagem. Idhaya?"

"What is it I do not know, Nalayini? But Ulaga believes in your love for your husband. In what better way can a wife express her love and respect for her husband? Nalayini proved it by carrying her leper husband on her head to the house of a harlot. This is what Ulaga strongly believes in."

"You say that I carried my husband on my head. Correct it. I carried only the basket on my head. He was in the basket. Am I out of my senses to touch a leper with my hands and carry him on my head? I was cautious enough to put him in a basket and then carry him."

"Yesterday too I heard Ulaga praise you sky high by saying that you spoke no word against your husband even if he abused you with harsh words."

"The husband abused me. I didn't speak a single word. Fine! I ignored his words for they were spoken by a leper. If I do not ignore his words then I will have to argue with him. And to argue with him I will have to stand close by him. That's what I hate. That's why I allowed the leper to bark at me."

"I see... Anyhow you are known for your chastity now. A devoted wife... Chastity incarnate... That's how the world thinks of you. Ulaga spoke of you in glowing terms."

“What does Ulaga know of the live volcano in me? What are such titles to a woman wasting her youth? Speak out, Idhaya, speak out! Tell me a way to enjoy the conjugal bliss."

"I'll tell you, Nalayini. I'll bless you with a new boon. Spend out this life as quickly as you can, and take your next life as early as you can. In your next birth you will be born as Draupadi. In spite of having a husband you ran short of bliss. Your life was dull and disappointing. Your mind was never at ease. And so I bless you that in your next birth you will live with five husbands.”

"Idhaya! Five! Are you sure?"

"No joke. A new life awaits you. New life... Resurrection. Both mean the same. Understand it, my dear friend."

"Yes! I've understood it," Nalayini jumped for joy. She embraced Idhaya. Tears of sorrow turned into tears of joy. And on that day began a sweet song in that hermitage.

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* According to Hindu mythology, Nalayini in her next birth was born as Draupadi.

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