Watermelon Memories

She was walking as fast as she could.She is late today.Its only because of that Bus Driver’s slow driving.Yes,why did he drive so slowly?But she in an instict remembered the old lady who stood near her cursing the driver ‘Why is this moron driving so fastly,doesn’t he want to see us all alive?’.Then why else was she late! Its out of question, because she was always late…..She has to make Jawahar get ready to school,she has to prepare Jyothi’s and Jawahar’s lunch,pack it,make breakfast for the whole family,iron her cotton sari,remove the washed clothes from the washing machine,and wait for this ‘always late bus’ for the ‘always late people’.

                                   Her phone vibrated.It maybe her Superior,or her colleague warning that we are going to submit the Attendance Register in Sir’s room.In both ways,attending this call is inviting a bad news.She didn’t mind,instead continued to hear that ever-boring Nokia tone!The continuous Nokia music made someone stand in the road call her “Maam,its your phone I think.”’What the hell this man has to do anyway’ was her face reaction but the man’s, the Water melon vendor’s smile washed it away.She wasn’t amazed by his smile but was shocked to see it.This man who has been selling this water melons every summer days here didn’t give me a notice yet!!Its her fault!

                                           ‘I want one glass’.She told him in a tone of ‘Buy me a pen pencil mummy..’!He rushed to crush it. A glass of the pink, pulpy watermelon juice, with a few small chunks of ice added.She eagerly looked at the charisma of its preparation.When was the last time she drank it from road side?Maybe when she was with Pradeep.Pradeep always enjoyed cotton candies and water melon juices from vendors and along with it,he will comment to her ‘My father isn’t a doctor.He is a common man!’ and she would pinch him in the middle of the road without minding,obeying the public…and when did she start obeying the Public….maybe when her father appealed her not to insult her parents by marrying a man without a permanent job,of another caste as they discovered.And thus for practical reasons,she dumped him as he always expected.Thus she became a ‘always smiling,sweet,obedient,bahu’.She remembered once telling her husband to buy watermelons from road side and his sudden face reaction of ‘Woman,better die’.She didn’t compel more.They walked over and that became one among the reasons of that day’s ‘squabble at night’.

                             While drinking the juice,she looked around and was surprised to find that the bike riders of the city is stuck with the image of the 40 plus figure in cotton sari drinking Watermelon juice in public,chauvinistic these people are..She wanted to shout!!

What’s wrong with this public?She studied as they told her to,she started working as they told her to,she married as they told her to,she loved her family as they told her to.Then what if?!

                       After paying the vendor 12 Rs,she smiled and passed by..Still lingering the aroma and taste of that juicy watermelon and the memories dissolved in its depth ,she wasn’t shocked to see her 50 plus Boss drinking water melon juice who was standing next to her all this time.’Boss is always late’!!