Wise & Otherwise by Sudha Murthy

Author:Sudha Murthy [Murthy, Sudha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9788184759006
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2006-07-17T22:00:00+00:00

23

Insensitivity Index

February is usually a season of house-warming functions, thread ceremonies and quick weddings, particularly for software engineers who come back from the USA on short visits. It is also the time for students to prepare for their examinations.

My friend Suma had purchased a house and was keen that her close friends attend the house-warming ceremony. For us, it was an occasion to get together after a long time. The traditional ceremony was going on when I reached her house at an early hour. The other friends had not yet come. I found a place to sit and watch the puja while waiting for my friends. Though the house was quite a big one, the puja was being performed in a small hall and just two carpets had been spread for the guests to sit on. Suma was busy doing the puja. She was wearing a beautiful silk sari and the flowers in her hair added to her grace. As usual, the majority of the guests had nothing to do and were thus engrossed in chatting about a variety of topics—the problems of teenagers, the Prime Minister, gossip about Madhuri Dixit, Miss India, the best beauty parlours, the latest fashion jewellery … the list was endless. However, it was the subject of in-laws that received the maximum attention and active participation from many.

Though I was listening to the conversation, there was an altogether different thought at the back of my mind. It had been hardly a week since the Gujarat earthquake and almost all the TV channels had been telecasting the latest information. Although I did not know the victims personally, just the thought of their plight sent a shiver through my body and tears welled up in my eyes. All this was on my mind constantly.

Though I was not taking part in the conversation, I could not help but hear what some of the guests were saying.

‘Look at Suma, lucky person. She got such a beautiful house at a good price.’ There was a tinge of envy in the woman’s tone.

‘How much did she pay?’

‘Hardly fifty lakhs. It was a distress sale. I know the man who owned the house.’

‘Why was there a distress sale?’

‘He owned a factory and the recession hit his business badly. So he had to close the factory and sell the house.’

‘This house is so beautiful—all marble flooring and attached bathrooms with fitted tubs. It’s a steal for this price.’

‘By the way, how are the preparations for your daughter’s wedding getting along?’

‘I thought it is better to go to Kanchipuram and buy all the saris there. It works out cheaper and the choice of colour combinations is better.’

‘What about silverware?’

‘That is no problem. I know a person in Chickpet. He is our silversmith. I’ve told him to make one hundred silver kumkum bharanis and one hundred small silver bowls. The bharanis will be given to distant relatives and the bowls to the closer people.’

‘Have you thought of the catering?’

‘Am I a fool not to think about catering? I have discussed with my children and husband in detail.

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