POSSESSIVE CASE

(SHORT STORY)

By MASTI VENKATESA IYENGAR

(I)

Cheenu told me yesterday that after all Manu (Manorama) had expressed dislike of the idea of their marrying and that he had agreed with her and dropped the proposal.

This seemed to me an awful pity, for, when Chamu died two years ago, I thought it would be an excellent idea for Manu to marry Cheenu, who after Saru’s death-six years ago, at child birth–had remained a widower.

We are all sufficiently modern in outlook, and I made the suggestion soon after to Jannappa, Manu’s father. He had said to me we might wait a little, but, when he died this year and Manu was left alone in the house, I asked Leelu to tell Manu that she should not delay any longer and should agree to marry Cheenu.

She seemed to be willing but was hesitating for some reason which she would not tell. And now, nearly a year later, the whole thing was over.

“I know it must be for a good reason, Cheenu, but will you not tell me what it is?”

“Why, I shall tell you. Bhyru has taken a strong dislike to me and we wish to humour him.”

“Are you serious?”

“Why would I be frivolous with you and, of all matters, on this one?”

“Do you say that Manu also wishes to humour her dog and puts you off because he dislikes you?”

“Yes.”

“In the beautiful language of our erstwhile masters,” I said, this simiply ‘takes the cake’. I always knew that you were a little silly, but Manu’s preferring the dog surprises me.”

“You are not stating the case correctly, Anna. Speak to Leelu and you will understand.”

I reported this to Leelu and she said, “I agree with them.”

I felt that Cheenu’s nonsense had to surrender the cake to Leelu’s. Cheenu was supreme but Leelu was superb. I told her so.

“There is no harm in that,” Leelu said, “a wife is always happy when her husband is more sensible than herself. But have you seen Bhyru these days?”

“Stop it, Lu,” I said. “This is exasperating.”

“No, it should not be. We are talking of Manu’s happiness and have to think things over patiently.”

“Lest we make dogs unhappy.”

“You are vexed today,” said Leelu. “Let us talk about this tomorrow.”

(2)

Cheenu, Chamu and myself were friends from boyhood. In our College years Chamu stayed with his brother-in-law Jannappa in Chamarajapet, and I lived in a room close by so that we could be near him. Jannappa’s wife was only a cousin of Chamu’s but as is usual among us, Chamu called Subbamma sister and she was that to him for all purposes. In fact she was all that a sister should be even to me or to Cheenu. MaDu was an only child and at one time it looked as if she might marry me and at another time Cheenu. Her horoscope agreed best with mine, next best with Cheenu’s and least with Chamu’s. But Chamu was a cousin and had to be preferred, and some astrologer was found to say that his horoscope was as good as that of either of us. So Manu became Chamu’s wife.”

The fact that Manu might have married me or Cneenu had a bad effect on Chamu’s mind. Without question Cheenu and I were glad when Chamu married Manu, but Chamu never got rid of the idea that we also loved Manu. We never realise that just so much of a woman is ours as she willingly makes ours, and that which is ours so–not the gods can steal. Soon in our personal relationship Chamu showed dislike of our talking farmiliarly with Manu. Cheenu and I married the same year but this constraint continued. Chamu would come to our houses and speak freely with Saru and Leelu–who by the way were both Manu’s friends–but we were denied this privilege in his house. We did not mind. The poor fellow was wrong to be jealous but, if that was how he was made, it was not the part of friendship to put a strain on his nature and cause pain.

About the time that Saru died Chamu developed some gastric trouble. About the same time too Manu lost her mother and she and Chamu had to come and live with Jannappa and look after the old man.

Chamu had always been a good eater but gastric trouble seemed to sharpen his taste for good viands. With a recklessness that seemed to me criminal he ate hot and sweet stuff in the hotels, when the household under doctor’s orders put him on diet, and seemed literally to choose the cremation ground as the best place of all in the world to lie in.

This will explain the peculiar position in which Leelu and I and Manu and Cheenu stood towards one another.

(3)

This morning after coffee Leelu proposed that we should go to Manu. On the way she suggested that I call Cheenu to go with us and we went in. When I asked him to accompany us he turned to Leelu and asked if she thought he should come.

“Yes,” she said. “It is better. You have to convince Anna.”

Manu was somewhere inside when the three of us reached her house. When we called “Manu” Bhyru came out. He was a neat-looking terrier whom Jannappa had brought a little before his death. He had grown well and looked a good guardian for a helpless woman.

I looked at Bhyru with special interest. Though only a dog he could sway the destinies of men and women.

Bhyru saw Leelu and me first and wagged his tail to welcome us. He then saw Cheenu and began to growl.

We walked in and Manu came out to meet us. When Cheenu stepped in, the dog began to bark and became furious.

Leelu walked up to Bhyru and spoke to him softly, patting and stroking him on the back. He quieted a little and finally when we sat down sat beside Leelu facing Manu.

Manu called out to the cook to bring us coffee. We kept up some talk till it came. When we finished it Cheenu said, “I think I shall be getting along now.”

Leelu said ‘Yes’. Bhyru growled when Cheenu got up but made no more trouble as he moved away. When we three were left Leelu said, “See how angry Bhyru gets when he sees Cheenu?”

“I suppose Cheenu scolded him when he barked sometime or other. That must be why he dislikes him.”

“Cheen also dislikes Bhyru. He does not like his look. But Bhyru is a beauty, is he not?”

“Not more so than I,” I said, “but he seems all right.”

“Manu,” said Leelu, “I think the rook called out for you.” That was not true but obviously she wished Manu to leave us by ourselves. When Manu had gone in Leelu said to me, “Now sit in front of me there and look into Bhyru’s eyes and see how beautiful they are.

As I sat in front of him Bhyru put his muzzle on Leelu’s lap and looked straight at me.

I looked intently at his eyes because of what Leelu had told me, and felt within the moment that it was a look that I knew.

I felt troubled and looked at Leelu.

“He has beautiful eyes, has he not?” asked Leelu.

“I am not thinking of their beauty but something else.”

“What?”

“The look is familiar and I am wondering why.”

Manu came in now and Leelu said, “Anna says that Bhyru’s look is familiar.”

Manu muttered something in reply. I could not make out what she said.

(4)

On the way home I kept on trying to recollect where I could have seen the look I had seen in Bhyru’s eyes and discussing it with Leelu. Leelu agreed that the look was familiar but said nothing to help me to place it.

In the afternoon as we sat chewing betel after food, she brought out our photograph album and sat with me and turned the plates over asking who Bhyru looked like. The idea that a dog’s look was like that of human beings seemed to me absurd, but Leelu likes to joke now and then and I let her talk.

She showed me Cheenu’s picture and asked, “Is it like this?”

I said, ‘No’.

She showed me my picture and said, “Is it like this?”

I said, “I hope not. I hope also you do not think so.”

She laughed and said she did not and turned over to the next page and asked if it was like that look. And, my God, it was and it was a photograph of Chamu. Chamu must have been in a bad humour when this picture was taken.

I was startled and looked at Leelu.

She smiled and said, “So you see who Bhyru looks like. Manu saw it the day he was brought home. Without telling me she asked me months later to look at him and see if his look was familiar. I did and agreed with her. She asked Cheenu to do the same the day before yesterday. He did and agreed too. So they have a feeling that Chamu does not like the idea of their marrying and have dropped it.”

“Chamu does not like? Bhyru does not like.”

“Is that a difference?”

“You think it is not?”

“What I think is of no consequence. Manu thinks it is not a difference and Cheenu agrees.”

“And Cheenu has not found a tib-cat which looks like Saru and objects to his marrying.”

“Not yet, but when he does, it will mew and ask him to marry.”

“You women are mighty generous!”

“We have to be when men are so selfish.”

I felt vexed and sat thinking. After a minute Leelu said, “Do you remember when you took that photograph?”

“Is it one I took?”

“That day in the Lal-bagh when poor Saru was still with us.”

“O, it is that one?”

“Yes. Cheenu said every husband was a possessive case, and Saru and Manu laughed so much. Chamu was badly upset and it almost spoiled the picnic.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“And you soothed him and by way of distraction began to take pictures of all of us one by one.”

“And Manu refused absolutely and you persuaded Chamu with much difficulty.”

“Quite so.”

“Yes, I remember. Poor fellow!”

Leelu was silent for a moment and said, “It is poor fellow, is it not?”

“Definitely. Lu.”

“You mean Bhyru.”

“No, Chamu.”

“We mean Bhyru also.”

“You will then have to say, Lu, that when Bhyru put his muzzle in your lap this morning and seemed so happy and at peace, you were comforting not Bhyru but my dear dead friend Chamu.”

“Ah,” said Leelu, “I knew that we should come to that some time.”

“You did, did you? And why pray did you think so?”

“Because, after all, all men are men.”

“But all women, it would seem are not women.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Manu refuses to marry Cheenu because Bhyru is Chamu, but Leelu does not object to Bhyru lying in her lap though she knows it is Chamu.”

“Chamu become a dog....”

“But Chamu nevertheless.”

“….to show Manu that he loves her even after death.”

“This nightmare and daymare oppressing life is love, Lu?

“Love gone the wrong way. Like food in the wind pipe.”

“Oh!”

“Yes, and Manu is content with that love. Incidentally, I may say I am also content.”

“With Chamu in your lap?”

“No; Bhyru as Chamu would have touched my honour. But as Bhyru he leaves it bright. Also he calls forth my tenderness and makes you jealous.”

“And you like it because after all you are a woman.”

“That is true,” said Leelu. “Because you men are men, we women have to be women.”

That sentence seemed to me to possess all the qualities of an aphorism except the meaning. So I said, “The Court of Leelu therefore decrees that Manu remain a lone widow and Cheenu a lone widower.”

“Until….”

“Yes?”

“Something happens to Bhyru....”

“And Manu thinks he has come back as a tom-cat. That won’t do, Lu. Why not bring him away here now?”

“I offered to do so but Manu does not like it. She wishes your and my relationship to be perfect.”

“She thinks I would be jealous?”

“No. She knows you are not that kind. But she would feel troubled all the time.”

Undiluted nonsense! Yet no way out!

“Very well,” I said. “We have to leave it there for the present.”

Leelu nodded assent and was silent.

(By courtesy of All India Radio, Madras)

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