Patio bangles.
(Writer Nitin Chandanshive, Compilation, Editing and Translation by Dr. Reshma Patil)
Madhavi Tai drew the arenas. Drawing the same rounds on the ground, the shape of a large bangle was visible in the courtyard. In a circle, she stood on one leg. She put the stone chief in her hand in the front arena. And in each arena, she started playing with a limp on one side. We started clapping. Madhavi Tai used to whistle loudly with two fingers on her lips. The last thing she wanted to do was to win the innings. He took one look and lifted one leg and just as she was about to start lameness, Sita's aunt came from behind and slapped her on the back. Madhavi Tai fell on her face. Her nose was covered. Blood was coming. Sita's aunt was cursing. She started crying. Aunt Sita grabbed her wrist tightly and led her towards the house. My eyes remained fixed on the arena. And I completed her remaining innings. And it was as if Madhavi Tai had won. Llosh we did.
We were young. Madhavi Tai was older than us. She was in 8th class. And we were in 5th class. But Madhavi Tai always had fun with us. We used to play all the games together. Every Sunday we used to have lunch together. Madhavi Tai was not her father. Sita Kakula was the only girl. They both used to be. Sita Kakula used to do forest work in attendance. And Madhavi Tai used to teach school. Now Madhavi Tai looked like she was old. Her body was full. So she would not let her play some games like Sita Kakula. Stay tuned.
Madhavi tai was a strong support for us at that age. We used to stay in that house for eight days without pay. She never got bored while doing mehndi, rangoli, papadya and shevaya.
One day we saw seven or eight women, four or five men, and a boy going to Sita's aunt's house. I sat in their yard. I didn't know what was going on inside. A long time passed. That's how Madhavi Tai came out. Green sari, all kumkum kumkum on forehead, dozens of bananas in OT, a coconut in it, rice and many more. I also came back. My mother put kumkum on her again and waved it again. Similarly, Madhavi Tai went to everyone's house and started laying the foundation. I was feeling funny.
At Madhavi Tai's wedding, we did everything wholeheartedly. We also did the chores. On the way to Madhavi Tai, the whole village burst into tears. We also cried a lot. Aunt Sita was crying for three days after she left. We could see Angan Bhakas.
After a month, Madhavi came to Tai Sankranti. She stayed for four days. Then her husband took her. Sita's aunt gave her a lot of weight. Two or three bags of grain, pickles, everything. I took her on my bicycle and left her on the fork. Giving five rupees in her hand, she said, "Why don't you eat Bhel?" I nodded. She turned her hand over her head and sat in the car. The conductor rang the bell. The car increased its speed.
Then Madhavi Tai kept coming to every festival. We inaugurated the bed we had built for a Nagpanchami with her hands. Then Madhavi Tai looked very happy. That day I started playing in the courtyard again. I handed the stone chief to her. And we started clapping. She also blew the whistle in the same way. At this time Sita's aunt was standing nearby. But there was no anger in her eyes. She was appreciative.
I remember the day Sita Kaku died. We had kept her body only for Madhavitai for a long time. She had called her. She was about to come. But there was no one near Madhaya to burst Humberda for Sita Kaku. All the women were sitting near Guman corpse with their faces covered. The corpse looks very horrible. Finally, Madhavi Tai came and then Humbarda burst into tears. She cried for an hour. Then Bhavaki picked up the corpse. The fire was set. Only Sita's aunt was not finished. Madhavi Tai's permanent maher was finished. Her house is now. Madhavi Tai would never come again.
It had been three days. All the relatives had left. Madhavi Tai filled her luggage. She came out. While locking the door, she broke the humbarda again.
Madhavi Tai came in the yard. My eyes filled with tears too. I hugged her very loudly and went to her hug and cried a lot.
I said, "Will you never come back now ..?" Madhavi Tai turned around and looked at the house again. She kissed him on the lips. She wanted to cry a lot but there was no strength left. Her husband killed her to leave.
As she was about to leave, I made a ring in the yard. And I handed the stone chief to her. Madhavi Tai put the chief in a ring. Everyone was gathered around me. She did it on one foot. We started clapping. This time there was only pain in her whistle. There was a longing. There was a hurricane. She took a couple of steps lame. She stopped the innings halfway.
The ring in the yard is the bracelet on her hand. I don't remember her house here today. There is no ring in the yard. I don't know where the stone chief is taking the shape of a deity. Madhavi Tai may have become a mother now. She may have played in her world. However, all this will be alive in her mind. She will be playing lame in her mind. The bangles in the yard will be ringing on her wrist now.
There are so many Madhavas in this world. They are also alive with their Maher in mind. And there are many like me too. Everyone will always remember everyone's Madhavi Tai.
Even though I am a man, sometimes I am playing Jhimma Fugdi in the inner core of my mind. Sometimes it is Madhavi Tai and sometimes it is someone else.
Not everyone has Maher. Today, many have lost Maher. However, the memories in Maher's courtyard are still dancing around in the depths of their care.
May the bangles in the hands of that Madhavi Tai always be green. May her song always be full of joy. There is no other expectation in my mind except that a poem should always be written for the same Madhavi Tai.
Author Nitin Chandanshive.
Compilation, Editing and Translation by Dr. Reshma Patil