An Astrologers Day and Other Stories Part 22

Several of them concurred with Shanta and said it was nine oclock, till the teacher said, You are only seeing the long hand. See the short one, where is it ?

Two and a half.

So what is the time ?

Two and a half.

It is two forty-five, understand ? Now you may all go to your seats Shanta returned to the teacher in about ten minutes and asked, Is it five, Madam, because I have to be ready at five ? Otherwise my father will be very angry with me. He asked me to return home early.

At what time ?

Now. The teacher gave her permission to leave, and Shanta picked up her books and dashed out of the cla.s.s with a cry ofjoy. She ran home, threw her books on the floor, and shouted,

Mother, Mother, and Mother came running from the next house where she had gone to chat with her friends.

Mother asked, Why are you back so early ?

Has father come home ?

Shanta asked. She would not take her coffee or tiffin, but insisted on being dressed first. She opened the trunk and insisted on wearing the thinnest frock and knickers, while her mother wanted to dress her in a long skirt and thick coat for the evening. Shanta picked out a gorgeous ribbon from a cardboard soap box in which she kept pencils, ribbons and chalk bits. There was a heated argument between mother and daughter over the dress, and finally mother had to give in. Shanta 142 FORTY-FIVE A MONTH put on her favourite pink frock, braided her hair, and flaunted a green ribbon on her pigtail. She powdered her face and pressed a vermilion mark on her forehead. She said, Now father will say what a nice girl I am because Im ready. Arent you also coming, mother ?

Not today.

Shanta stood at the little gate looking down the street.

Mother said : Father will come only after five ; dont stand in the sun. It is only four oclock.

The sun was disappearing behind the house on the opposite row, and Shanta knew that presently it would be dark. She ran in to her mother and asked, Why hasnt father come home yet, mother ?

How can I know ? He is perhaps held up in the office.

Shanta made a wry face :

I dont like these people in the office. They are bad people She went back to the gate and stood looking out.

Her mother shouted from inside : Gome in, Shanta.

It is getting dark, dont stand there. But Shanta would not go in. She stood at the gate and a wild idea came to her head. Why should she not go to the office and call out father and then go to the cinema? She wondered where his office might be.

She had no notion. She had seen her father take the turn at the end of the street every day. If one went there, one perhaps went automatically to fathers office. She threw a glance about to see if mother was anywhere and moved down the street.

It was twilight. Everyone going about looked gigantic, walls of houses appeared very high, and cycles and carriages looked as though they would bear FORTY-FIVE A MONTH 143 down on her. She walked on the very edge of the road. Soon the lamps were twinkling : and the pa.s.sers-by looked like shadows. She had taken two . turns and did not know where she was. She sat down on the edge of the road biting her nails. She wondered how she was to reach home. A servant employed in the next house was pa.s.sing along, and she picked herself up and stood before him.

Oh, what are you doing here all alone ?

he asked. She replied,

I dont know. I came here.

Will you take me to our house ?

She followed him and was soon back in her house.

Venkat Rao, Shantas father, was about to start for his office that morning when a jutka pa.s.sed along the street distributing cinema handbills. Shanta dashed to the street and picked up a handbill. She held it up and asked :

Father, will y6u take me to the cinema today ?

He felt unhappy at the question.

Here was the child growing up without having any of the amenities and the simple pleasures of life. He had hardly taken her twice to the cinema. He had no time for the child. While children of her age in other houses had all the dolls, dresses, and outings that they wanted, this child was growing up all alone and like a barbarian more or less. He felt furious with his office. For forty rupees a month they seemed to have purchased him outright.

He reproached himself for neglecting his wife and child even the wife could have her own circle of friends and so on : she was after all a grown-up, but what about the child ? What a drab, colourless existence was hers ! Every day they kept him at the 144 FORTY-FIVE A MONTH office till seven or eight in the evening and when he came home the child was asleep. Even on Sundays they wanted him at the office. Why did they think he had no personal life, a life of his own ? They gave him hardly any time to take the child to the park or the pictures. He was going to show them that they werent to toy with him. Yes, he was prepared even to quarrel with his manager if necessary.

He said with resolve :

I will take you to the cinema this evening. Be ready at five.

Really ! Mother !

Shanta shouted. Mother came out of the kitchen.

Father is taking me to a cinema in the evening.

Shantas mother smiled cynically.

Dont make false promises to the child Venkat Rao glared at her.

Dont talk nonsense. You think you are the only person who keeps promises He told Shanta : Be ready at five, and I will come and take you positively. If you are not ready, I will be very angry with you.

He walked to his office full of resolve. He would do his normal work and get out at five. If they started any old tricks of theirs, he was going to teU the boss : Here is my resignation. My childs happiness is more important to me than these horrible papers of yours.

All day the usual stream of papers flowed on to his table and out of it. He scrutinized, signed, and drafted. He was corrected, admonished, and insulted.

He had a break of only five minutes in the afternoon for his coffee.

When the office clock struck five and the other clerks were leaving, he went up to the manager and said : May I go, sir ?

The manager looked up FORTY-FIVE A MONTH 145.

from his paper : You !

It was unthinkable that the cash and account section should be closing at five.

How can you go ?

I have some urgent, private business, sir, he said, smothering the lines he had been rehearsing since the morning : Herewith my resignation. He visualized Shanta standing at the door, dressed, and palpitating with eagerness.

There shouldnt be anything more urgent than the office work ; go back to your seat. You know how many hours I work ?

asked the manager. The manager came to the office three hours before the opening time and stayed nearly three hours after closing, even on Sundays. The clerks commented among themselves :

His wife must be whipping him whenever he is seen at home ; that is why the old owl seems so fond of his office.

Did you trace the source of that Ten-Eight difference ?

asked the manager.

I shall have to examine two hundred vouchers.

I thought we might do it tomorrow.

No, no, this wont do. You must rectify it immediately. Venkat Rao mumbled, Yes, sir, and slunk back to his seat.

The clock showed five-thirty. Now it meant two hours of excruciating search among vouchers. All the rest of the office had gone. Only he and another clerk in his section were working, and, of course, the manager was there. Venkat Rao was furious. His mind was made up. He wasnt a slave who had sold himself for forty rupees outright. He could make that money easily ; and if he couldnt it would be more honourable to die of starvation.

He took a sheet of paper and wrote : Herewith

146 FORTY-FIVE A MONTH.

my resignation. If you people think you have bought me body and soul for forty rupees, you arc mistaken.

I think it would be far better for me and my family to die of starvation than slave for this petty forty rupees on which you have kept me for years and years.

I suppose you have not the slightest notion of giving me an increment. You give yourselves heavy slices frequently, and I dont see why you shouldnt think of us occasionally. In any case it doesnt interest me now, since this is my resignation. If I and my family perish of starvation, may our ghosts come and haunt you all your life He folded the letter, put it in an envelope, sealed the flap and addressed it to the manager. He left his seat and stood before the manager. The manager mechanically received the letter and put it on his pad.

Venkat Rao, said the manager.

Im sure you will be glad to hear this news. Our officer discussed the question of increments today, and Ive recommended you for an increment of five rupees.

Orders are not yet pa.s.sed and so keep this to yourself for the present. Venkat Rao put out his hand, s.n.a.t.c.hed the envelope from the pad and hastily slipped it in his pocket.

What is that letter?

I have applied for a little casual leave, sir, bu I think .

You cant get any leave at least for a fortnight to come.

Yes, sir. I realize that. That is why I am withdrawing my application, sir.