Love Level (Story)
Sethu was standing in front of Baleton’s shop smoking. That’s when I heard a loud noise… saw many people running and said ‘It seems like there is an accident’ said Baletan. ‘Isn’t this the norm here… the Czechs run around without a level?’ Sethu was shocked to hear a cricket chirping behind him. He was surprised to see Indu behind him. ‘How did she come here at such a bad time?’ ‘Where did you go with all the bags…’ he asked. ‘I came down to go home..’ ‘At this time?’ ‘It was only 8 o’clock.. When I came home from work, my mother called me saying that she had fallen and broken her leg. My mother said the other day.. I can’t help myself. Ajayeta said that he would come to pick him up. I said no… There are father and mother who can’t be there… Then I went here. My scooty was compliant on the way. He was standing like this not knowing what to do. That’s when I saw Sethuvetan.’
Indu Lekha is Sethu’s uncle’s daughter. It has been a year since the marriage. Husband Venu is a soldier. Sethu was very fond of her. But Indu’s father did not agree. The man strictly said that his daughter should be married to a government employee. Indu’s heart also had a desire. But… ‘No, why is Sethuvetan standing here at this time, he is usually a person who does not leave the house after six.’ She said jokingly. ‘Oh or… it’s nothing… just’ Indu noticed the disappointment on his face. ‘Tell me… did you fight with Latechi?’ Sethu changed his gaze. ‘That’s the point then’ smiled Indu. ‘It’s hard to hear about you. That sister is poor. What’s wrong with Sethuvetan?’ she asked with mock exasperation. Sethu’s mobile rang. He mumbled looking at his phone and hung up.
‘Who is Latechi’ she asked. ‘Um… yes..’ ‘You don’t know.. I haven’t been able to understand her yet. No matter what is said, crying, crying… is it something that is said to always be restored? If you go somewhere… then you start calling on your mobile… where? what did you eat did you drink He said angrily. ‘Come Sethuveta, let’s walk. A little bit from here to home… we can talk and say something’ she walked forward. Sethu followed. ‘That’s right… let it all go… Latechi won’t do any housework?’ ‘Will do’ ‘Won’t you look into any of Sethuvetan’s affairs?’ ‘That will do.’ ‘Do you insist on buying something?’ ‘No’ ‘Are you arguing about wanting a silk saree and jewellery? Or do they bother you by saying you have to go to the cinema? Do you always insist on going to your own house?’ ‘This is nothing.’ ‘So Sethuvetan is not lucky? So what’s the problem? Is your married life good?’ ‘That’s what I told you. That I have not yet been able to contain her.’ ‘Then the culprit is not the sister.. right? Unbeknownst to Sethuvettan… Venuvettan’s sister-in-law is the opposite of all this. It is good where she is married off. But she will not give any peace to Prakash there. Like I said, don’t always fight. At least twice a week he comes home after a fight. After that, Prakashan will come and call you. If you want to know all this, Sethuvetan should lie down somewhere. There will be no one else.. to look back.’
He suddenly recovered… One day when he had a severe fever, Lata went to Vepralam Hospital and even after coming back, he felt heat all over his body. She took care of herself without sleep when she was lying down with headache and tremors. When he wakes up, he is crying at the foot of the bed. When he saw that, he scolded her. ‘What are you thinking… Nowadays, if you want to get a wife like this, you have to be virtuous. To tell you the truth… I will never come to Latechi’s house. I can’t stand my suitor arguing with me. I also fight. But we will adjust to some extent. Sethuvetan does not face any such problem here. Even so, he can’t contain his wife.’ She was getting a little angry.
‘Several notions will be made. If you tell your wife to behave accordingly, that is not loving her…it is subjugating her. This said wife also has setuvetta concepts and dreams. But she will put it all aside for her husband and children. And there are many women today who are just the opposite. She forgets her own child.. Sometimes she even takes their life and goes with her lovers. Such wives are rare among them. They should be treated like gods.’ Indu scoffed.
Sethu frowned guiltily. Everything she said hit him hard in the chest. It has been almost six months since the marriage. So far he has not looked at her with love.. He has not held her close.. They are a model couple in the eyes of others. When Indu left him, he hated everything. He agreed to another relationship on the insistence of his family. But on the wedding night, Charulata was shocked to see that she had gone to Maniyara after drinking. Yet she loved him…respected him…cared for him and his parents without a single complaint or complaint. Now he can understand the depth of her love. It took Indu for that. Sometimes he used to call Indu for a consolation. At that time he had complaints about his wife Charulata. But then she used to say that all those complaints were baseless. Now she had convinced him..with few words..he looked at her gratefully. They reached Indu’s house. Sethu’s house is five or six houses away from there. ‘Oh, I didn’t know you were walking.. OK, Sethuvetan should go and pacify Latechi and start a new life.’ Indu said with a smile and started walking down the stairs to the house.
Charulata waiting impatiently in the sitting room. He stood next to her. He smiled at her for the first time. She looked at him in surprise. ‘You go and get some water,’ he said. She happily went inside. After bathing they both ate happily. Sethu’s father and mother watched it happily. Suddenly the mobile phone rang. When he looked, he was Ajayan. Indu’s brother. ‘What’s wrong..’ ‘Come home soon..’ There was trembling and panic in his voice. Is anything wrong with my aunt? Didn’t Indu say that he fell? ‘Ajayan called to go there.. Aunt seems to have something wrong. You come too.’ He told Lata. She looked at Sethu in disbelief. Seeing the love on his face warmed her heart. Both of them went home and went to Indu’s house.
People are standing here and there in Indu’s backyard. They ran madly. They realized that something had happened to their aunt. Dispersing the people and going inside, they saw the aunt crying on the ground. Ajayan pillar is also leaning. Uncle is reclining on the sofa. ‘What… what’s the matter…’ ‘Dude..’ Aunty got up. They were limping. ‘Our Indu… don’t go… she has gone and left us all…’ Seeing them falling to the ground, Sethu ran and supported them. Sethu did not understand anything. Wasn’t he the one who brought Indu here a while back and left. He handed them over to Lata and went to Ajaya. ‘What am I saying aunty… where is Indu? Wasn’t it me who brought her here a while ago?’ Ajayan looked at him in surprise. ‘What are you saying.. In an accident at the junction a while back…’ his words were interrupted. The oncoming tipper lorry hit. She hit her head on the road and then she left… You can go, we have to bring her here to the hospital.’ Ajayan said bursting into tears. Sethu was shocked. Then it was Indu’s soul that came with him and spoke to him. Truth is illusion. Sethu’s body trembled. He fell down exhausted. She would often say that she couldn’t stand him wasting his life thinking about her. Now she has straightened out her life and left. He looked at the wall. There was a picture. Beautiful picture of smiling Indu.
Content Summary: Malayalam Short Story ‘Snehanilavu’ written by Priya Biju