Hello everybody! Wishing you all a nice summer season. I continue the story in the fifth video of ‘Spinning into a Career’.
The front courtyard is intercepted by a road running uphill. There are trees on both sides of the road. A road leads to her bungalow which has a gate. On the other side of the road are meadows. Many a times Ruchi imagines herself as singing in this locale. The same locale reiterates certain colorful and cynical phases of life. She has a recurrent dream of her would be husband getting inspiration from her. She does not question the truth of the dreams. But then they prove to be a part of a reality in her future life.
She likes cricket and listens to cricket commentaries. Sometimes Ruchi is tired and takes a nap when the wickets take a long time to fall. One time Ruchi jolts from her nap, when a loud noise at the stadium conveys the fall of a wicket. It takes almost five days for a cricket test march to end. She is happy when India wins the test series against Pakistan.
Ruchi is fond of ghazals sung by Ghulam Ali, Jeet Sinha and Preeti Sinha and songs of Abba and Carpenters. She likes Western, Carnatic and Hindustani classical music. She listens to ragas and symphonies whenever she has time. She attends lectures, music classes and typing classes and coaches school children. After passing her thirty word speed typing exam, she starts practicing for forty word speed. Raju frequents the class. He eyes her and knows that Ruchi lives in the neighboring building. His interest in Ruchi is confined to flirtation. He is timid and takes an opportunity to tease her behind her back. The moment he is discovered, he hides himself. He appears to be a harmless simpleton.
Economic restrictions in the family continue till her grandfather’s death. Her grandfather’s house which is situated in Bajirao nagar in Baney, cannot be sold immediately due to the presence of her aunt. After her grandfather’s death, her aunt wants to retain the sewing machine. Bickering goes on till she is forced to give it up to Ruchi’s father. The funeral ceremony is conducted in midst of quarrel. No feeling of loss or remorse is felt by the dead man’s children. It is only after several months that the aunt leaves the house at Bajirao nagar. Arrangements are made to sell the house. When the house is sold , taxes are deducted. Ruchi’s father gets his share of money and is relieved after repaying the loan. Ruchi’s sister reaches the tenth grade. She is preparing for her exams with her friend Shanti from the fourth lane. Ruchi coaches them.
Ruchi has a classmate, Rupa in the neighboring building. Rupa’s father owns a shop. He opts to marry off his daughter to her maternal uncle who will take over the shop. Rupa introduces her fiancee to Ruchi. He is a good hypnotist. Ruchi visits Rupa’s house and the uncle sits to hypnotize Ruchi. A thought strikes Ruchi’s mind that hypnotism can be used for bad purposes. She decides not to get hypnotized. She apologizes to her friend and the uncle.
Ruchi’s maternal aunt shifts her residence to an apartment in a building named Govind nagar. It is three or four buildings away from Ruchi’s college. Ruchi visits her aunt during short recess. There is a factory in the next compound. One can hear a droning sound and the loud noise of tools being used for production. The day is noisy. The aromatic smell of adai with spicy capsicum thokku with sesame oil that her aunt offers remains in her mind years after. During her spare time she plays ludo with her mother, brothers and sister. The game thrills her. Days pass by. Whenever there is a knock at the door during daytime, Ruchi expects that she will get an appointment letter. She fears it will put an end to her days at home.
Near Ruchi’s house, in the next building, resides the Pitale family. Mr. Pitale works for the Indian Foreign Service. Mr. and Mrs. Pitale have a daughter, Vinita Pitale. Mrs. Pitale is worried because her daughter is friendly with a boy called Iman Khan. She tells Ruchi that she wants to break Vinita’s friendship with the boy. Ruchi talks to the girl. Vinita is pretty and fair. She is broad minded and good natured.
Thank you for listening. We shall meet Vinita again in the next video. Goodbye!
Video can be viewed on You tube by typing ‘Spinning into a Career’ by Usha Raman.
