The Adivasi Will Not Dance by Shekhar Hansda Sowvendra

Author:Shekhar, Hansda Sowvendra [Shekhar, Hansda Sowvendra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Speaking Tiger
Published: 2015-09-29T16:00:00+00:00

‘Hello,’ Gita whispered into her mobile phone. She had dialled a number from memory.

‘What?’ The familiar voice at the other end was stern, unemotional, blunt.

‘Aren’t you happy I called?’ Gita’s excitement vanished. Her whisper increased in volume and became emotional and concerned.

Silence

‘What? Aren’t you—’

‘Yes.’

‘What?’

‘Yes, I’m happy.’

‘You don’t sound happy.’

‘Ohhh—trust me. I’m happy.’

‘Why are you getting annoyed? I was just asking.’

‘What is it?’

‘Where are you?’

‘Is that why you’ve called me? To ask me where I am?’

‘No, it’s something more important.’ The concern in Gita’s voice was growing.

‘What?’

‘I won’t tell you that unless you tell me where you are.’

‘I’m in town. Happy?’

‘Yeeees.’

‘What is it that you want to tell me?’

‘Uh-huh! Not like this.’

‘Will you stop playing your childish games? Tell me now.’ Dilip’s voice was devoid of any curiosity, any feeling.

‘No. Not—like—this.’

‘What do you want?’

‘You have to promise me.’

‘What?’

‘That you will meet me.’

‘Are you mad?’

‘For you. You know that.’

‘I’m hanging up!’

‘Wait, wait. I need to tell you something.’

‘Do it quickly.’

‘Look, Dilip. You won’t understand this.’ All playfulness gone, Gita’s voice had become taut and quivered with unshed tears. ‘Dilip,’ she continued, without waiting for an answer, ‘are you listening? Everything cannot be stated in this manner. Some things need atmosphere, a willingness to listen and to respond—’

‘I’ll meet you, what is it?’

‘Where? When?’

‘What?’

‘Where are we going to meet? And when?’

‘That we’ll decide. You tell me first what you want to talk about.’

‘A child…’

Silence

‘Dilip… Dilip?’

Silence

‘Dilip, please—’

‘What?’

‘I’m going to have a child.’

Silence

‘Are you there? Dilip?’

‘Yes, yes. What—’

‘Yes. And it’s yours.’

‘Does your husband—’

‘He knows. He’s the one who paid the doctor’s fee and took me to the patho lab. He thinks it’s his. He’s so happy. Foolish man!’ While Gita’s voice took on a playful tone again, the playfulness was made up. It was as if she was speaking through tears, pretending to be happy.

‘Gita, look—’

‘I want to meet you, Dilip.’ Gita nearly broke down but held herself together at the last instant. ‘Please. Where do I come? It’s been so many days.’

‘Listen, Gita—’

‘You just tell me where I have to come. And you have to be there.’

‘I’m—I’m going out of town.’

‘What?’

‘Yes.’

‘But you just said you’d meet me.’

‘Yes, but I hadn’t paid attention. This thing just slipped out of my mind.’

‘When are you going?’

‘Tomorrow. Morning.’

‘Then we can meet tonight.’ Gita nearly shouted in excitement. ‘I’ll come. You just tell me where. You don’t know me. I can come.’

‘Listen, I’ll be busy in the evening. I have to make preparations.’

‘Why do you have to go?’

‘Didn’t you ask me to become somebody? So that I could come and take you away with me?’

‘Dilip, that… How long are you going to be away?’

‘Err—one—week. Maybe more. Depends.’

‘Dilip, I want to meet you, Dilip, I can’t live without you, Dilip, come to me, Dilip, take me away, Dilip—’

By this time, the tears that she had so far held back began flowing. She felt like running away, following the sound of Dilip’s voice. But she couldn’t.

‘I’ll—I’ll come.’ Dilip hesitated, sounded utterly unconvincing.

‘You’ll meet me after one week.’ Gita stopped crying, got a grip on herself, and ordered in a stern voice.

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