Hello everybody! Wishing you all the best for the festive season. I continue with Ruchi’s experience in the office in the twenty first video on ‘Spinning into a Career”
While passing through various sections, Ruchi is beckoned by a fair Nair boy who smokes cigarettes. He makes her sit down on a chair and speaks to her about his work in the section. Ruchi is asked to go to the NARC warehouse in Chandraprabha, Sagar. The warehouse has obsolete files kept at random. She has to search a file that has been kept for ten years. The files are dusty. The helper helps her in getting the files after searching for about an hour. Ruchi wants to inspect a company or a factory. She asks the assistant purchase officer, Suryanarayan whether she can do the work. Mr. Suryanarayan says, ” They will not allow you to inspect.” She realizes it is a male dominated domain.
K. Sarathy, the director of NARC is known to be corrupt. He has his house built with steel imported from France. R. Chandran , an assistant purchase officer, has his wife working in the same office. His wife leaves the office in the evening and goes home. The officer stays on and roams about in St. Thomas Gate with the telephone operator. Ruchi sees them on her way to journalism class. Mr. Balwant is transferred to EGS or the Electrical Goods Section, while Mr. Suryanarayan is appointed as Ruchi’s boss. Ruchi prepares for the junior purchase assistant grade exam. She receives cyclostyled notes from her colleague, Vidya. Mr. Suryanarayan helps her with some sample questions. She discusses questions with Janakiraman. She learns CST or comparative statement of prices of goods from Seetharaman who is from Cables Section. On eleventh of January 1980, Ruchi takes her junior purchase assistant grade exam.
In her spare time, Ruchi coaches Trupti Desai, her sister, and Shanta. She explains to them lessons in Chemistry, Biology, Physics and History. She coaches primary and high school students. She stammers frequently. Ruchi’s health is in trouble. She visits an Ayurvedic doctor with her dad. Her liver needs to be revitalized. Her maternal aunt is happy about Ruchi’s job. She advises her to drape her saris in a way that will not spoil them. Her aunt’s husband claims that Ruchi has gotten the job because he knows influential persons in the office. Her aunt books a ticket for her to watch an obscene Hindi film. Later Ruchi discovers her intention. She talks about Ruchi’s marriage when she visits her house. “Listen, you must get married. I know a boy. He belongs to a joint family. Remember, you are a girl. Once you get married, you must shoulder your husband’s responsibility. You must okay it.” Ruchi says she has not decided about her marriage. Ruchi keeps quiet because she knows her aunt dominates her and she does not want to mess up with her.
Her aunt demands possession of the rented house in which Ruchi has been living for fifteen years. It is evening. The younger brother of Ruchi’s mother comes to the house. He plays cards with Ruchi and her family members till late at night. Her aunt’s son comes to the house. He takes photos of the two sisters. Suddenly, her maternal aunt barges in with her bag. She declares she will stay with the family. She lies on the bed and demands coffee. Ruchi’s sister makes coffee and gives it to her. Ruchi’s mother orders her sister to get up but she refuses. A heated argument ensues over ownership of the house. Ruchi’s mother throws the nose ring that has been gifted to her, escalating the conflict to a physical fight on the bed, where they grab each other’s hair and exchange slaps. Ruchi’s sister starts crying.
Let’s know what happens to Ruchi’s maternal aunt in the next video. Till then, goodbye!
Video can be viewed on You Tube by typing, ‘Spinning into a Career’ by Usha Raman.
