Tuesday, 23 May 2023

Akalya (Akalikai) by Puthumai Pithan

 

Puthumai Pithan

This is an English translation of Akalikai, a Tamil short story written by Puthumai Pithan. Translated into English by Saravanan Karmegam.

                                                                 ***

It was the times of Vedas on the banks of river Indus. Unlike now, were there thickly grown jungles and grasslands. Human settlements in huts in small groups scattered here and there. The place where human beings live in dense settlements in large numbers, is termed a city. The  king as head lives there, it thus becomes to be known as capital. But this place is lying somewhere far from all these, where the bustle of humans is non-existent. It is the place where the river Indus enters the plains after leaving the lap of the Himalaya. The trees and creepers wouldn’t be aware what it meant by success in human life. The river Indus is at the peak of its pristine profoundness, gushing through rocks, smiling at everything like an innocent soul. Gautama Rishi’s hermitage is somewhere near the river, in the interiors of jungles at a stone throw distance between his hut and river bank. In the North, near to his hut lying a verdant grassland at a little distance. Yonder, there seen snow clad peaks of the Himalaya as though standing like a barrier preventing any harms directed at them. Gautama, a Brahmin has devoted his whole life for the sake of learning and art - it is all once upon a time.

Teaching one’s learning to youth and small children is an enchanting experience. But it had been an old story now. He is once interested in exploring the reasons behind the beauty of this universe, reasons for its evolution and its genesis. To fulfill his quest of knowledge, he had sought a lonely place, a peaceful place and thus settled here. Leaving his society behind, he is now living in that hermitage with his wife. He is thirty years old. Thickly grown, dark beard. Broader, light emitting eyes. Tender lips. Well-toned broader chest. Flat stomach. All his attributes reflect the tenderness of nature. There emitted a divine light, a splendorous oneness of himself - from those eyes and lips capable of attracting one’s attention, however, without evincing slightest of a beastly beauty, any element of fascinating others - proved the peace that prevailed in his heart. His wife is Akalya. If he is an embodiment of masculine values, she is the quintessence of feminine grace.

Doe- eyed, her eyes are expressive of her immense love for her husband whenever she sees him. It appears that she has not only kept him in her heart but also proves that every move of hers is intended to keep him happy. She finds a happiness in it. Gautama also loves her so much. But his love is not like a wild river; it is born out of peace in his heart. Even a gentle throw of some dust on her would be sufficient to break Gautama’s heart into pieces. She is also very well aware of his love and it is not surprising thus to see her as epitome of chastity.

It is an evening. The sun hasn’t set yet. The snow clad mountains at the distance are shining like crimson flames.

Akalya comes out to the front yard of her hut, with a pitcher sitting on her waist. Gautama, sitting in the front yard is busy reading a holy book. She stands near him. Gautama is so engrossed in the holy book that has kept him unaware of her presence. After a while, he realises that she has been standing beside him for quite some time. With love pouring out of his eyes, he smiles at her, asks her, “O! My dear Akalya! I got you late. Are you going for bathing? I will come after sometime once I complete the remaining parts of this holy book”. She keeps the pitcher down, and cuddles his head onto her chest, her lips resting on his head for some while as she doesn’t attempt to release herself from that state. She then says “It is okay. Let me go alone”, and leaves for the river, picking up her pitcher. She is disappointed as what she has expected of him didn’t happen. She isn’t angry at her husband though, even as she couldn’t play happily with her husband while bathing in the river. Washing clothes and cleaning the pitcher are performed in a mechanical precision after that as she reaches the river.

She takes her clothes off, keeps them on a rock, and jumps into the water. Only she is aware of the pleasure while dipping in cold water. Isn’t it? She is totally absorbed in taking dips in the depths of Indus River, climbing onto the rock and then diving again. It is at that time Lord Indra appears from somewhere, and reaches the opposite bank of the river. The voluptuous, curvaceous frame of Akalya arrests his attention and gets him besotted, he stood like a stone forgetting even to bat his eye lids . He decides to possess her by hook or crook, climbs down the rock and gets into the water. Akalya hears the rustle of his moves, turns and notices an unfamiliar male ogling at her with a face filled with dishonest beastly cravings. Looking handsome anyway! She could decipher the meaning of his attempts of approaching her. She throws a frowning stare at him, an angry stare. Indra is stunned at her look, shaking with fear, he stands immobile, in trance. He didn’t expect her react in this manner. Akalya goes behind a big rock, dresses her up, fills water in the pitcher and leaves the spot immediately.

Lord Indra grows feverish with a singular aim - possessing Akalya. His mind is not in a position to examine the pros and cons of his acts- who she is and what he has intended to do. When she is walking like a woman possessed by some spirit, her husband Gautama comes in front of her. The pitcher from her waist falls on the floor. She goes running to him, falls onto his chest and cries emitting inconsolable sobs. Gautama hugs her and asks her lovingly, “What happened? Tell me”. She explains everything amidst her sobs. He comforts her and brings her to the hut. The magnificence of her love and its manifestation in the form of her chastity make him understand a new truth- It is her utter disgust for other men. Indra is still wandering around waiting for one right moment to satiate his evil intention. Akalya is not even aware of his intention. Her heart sinks into despair as if she has done a big mistake, a mistake her heart would never forgive. Gautama’s love and care are her only comforts.

That day, both of them take longer time than usual to sleep.

“It is not possible for everyone to be blind for your sake” Gautama says.

“But, it doesn't mean that one has to ogle like an owl” Akalya replies.

Indra is busy roaming around her hut, looking for an opportune time to satiate his carnal desire. If he could succeed in hoodwinking Gautama into believing a wrong time as dawn, he would be able to easily fulfill what he has been planning.

It is midnight. Sky without moon. The stars are shining, emitting dim light sufficient enough to make one believe that it is dawn. Lord Indra crows like a rooster. Gautama is in half sleep, half cuddling Akalya. He never sleeps deeply. Hearing the sound of rooster, he raises and leaves for river side to relieve himself. Since Akalya couldn’t get adequate sleep that day, she is in deep sleep. Half of it is filled with dreams and the remaining with deep sleep. She dreams that she is hugging her husband to her bosom and remains with him. Lord Indra enters her room like a cat, without making noise. He looks at the hapless woman who is sleeping without even realising her dress partly slide loose. 

His animal craving for carnal pleasure is thus fulfilled. 

Akalya is still in her half dreams- She hasn’t woken up yet from her deep slumber. She hugs him thinking that it is her husband. It is the moment where the instincts of nature partially become triumphant.

O! My good heavens! It is that scoundrel! Her head spins, and everything around her starts spinning. She couldn’t understand anything. How come he is here…that too in my house! She picks up a rod lying nearby, swings it against his head and gets up. The ignominy of losing something extremely important is killing her inside. Indra regained his composure and understood his mistake. What sort of a madness is this? What sort of a beastly injustice I have meted out to her? He feels that his heart is about to blast out of angst. On reaching the river, Gautama understands something had gone wrong back home as he realises that it isn’t yet dawn. He hurries him up, comes back home only to realise that what has happened at his hut is now beyond his control after seeing Akalya writhing in anguish. He scoops his wife up into his hands. Her body wriggles like a worm thrown into fire. Indra is standing there carrying the burden of sins he has just carried out on her.

“Indra, is it very difficult to think of other women as your sisters?” Gautama asks him. The he turns to his wife, and says, “My dearest Akalya! Your body has turned into a stone at that time. Hasn’t it?” as he fondles her head.

His heart is at peace with a newly found truth - Lust could make even a god an animal. Chastity is all about the purity of one’s heart. What could a hapless woman do when she gets her body defiled when something happens out of sheer circumstances?

A silence. 

The peace that has been prevailing in his heart is now visible even when he utters these painful words, “Indra, you may leave now”.

What then about Akalya?

The last dance of eon that she has just witnessed in her heart is now standing against the peace and tranquility of her husband like a battle field.

***Ended***

Source: “Akalikai”, a Tamil short story written by Puthumai Pithan

Translated into English by Saravanan Karmegam.  

No comments:

Post a Comment