Shortening Lives and Growing Concerns

The early hour of the morning brings ample rapture to the little family of Devdhar, a poor peasant serving ceaselessly on ever infertile land in the village of Devgad. This morning hour becomes the most memorable in his life as it gifts him with a baby boy. Since the arrival of a new baby boy in his dilapidated hut, all seem to be singing a song of happiness in unhappy conditions. Devdhar wants to celebrate the arrival of the new baby but he is unable to do as he can not afford the expenses of celebration. He lives in such a hut where it becomes difficult to identify which is kitchen and which one is bedroom. His hut is so dark as if the light has cursed it of his eternal absence. It is in this disappearing and drowning darkness, Devdhar tries to struggle to take out a steel box which contains a little sugar. One catches his struggling stature in that darkness because he is in white clothing. So he conveys his happiness of getting a son by distributing that a little sugar. The crowd of people is seen for the next few days to be with them in their happiness.

Devdhar owns five acres of land which seems to be cursed with infertility. Irregular rainfall adds to the troubles of the village. Every year, he sows in his farm but nothing comes out of it which drowns his family in never ending poverty. Every year he takes loan from the landlords with the promise that he would return it with interest after coming harvest. But promise remains promise and harvest becomes a forlorn hope for Devdhar. Every barren year goes on adding a layer after a layer to the never ending loan taken by Devdhar. Sometimes poor rain steals his fortune or sometimes inability to get seed to be sown worsens the conditions of the family. Forgetting all these ever stored concerns, he arranges a naming ceremony which is attended by his very close people. They name the child Shridhar with hope that the arrival of the new baby would change the fortune of the dark hut. A short period of happiness comes to an end intensifying the growing concerns of the family. Never ending loan of the landlord and disloyalty of rain corrodes the entire family. Devdhar anyhow manages the expenses of the family by working on other’s fields. Sometimes there is heavy rain which affects the harvest and sometimes the village dies for a drop of rain. These unpredictable climate conditions not only hamper the expecting harvest but also his hopes. In such a hopeless situation, he can do nothing but to be hopeful about the future. Thus the entire family grows on the medicine of hope.

Time passes with making Devdhar incapable enough to support the family in their worst conditions. Devdhar being completely frustrated with his unsuccessful life hands over the charges of worthless property and never ending load of landlord’s debt to his growing son Shridhar. Since the family is not financially strong, there is no question of giving education to the only son, Shridhar. He takes the plough of the family on his weak shoulder as if he is newly bought ox. frustrating conditions of the life affect the poor health of Devdhar who is already corroded by never ending concerns of life falls sick and confines himself in the bed. Since the time, Shridhar takes the charge of the family; there is a little improvement in the overall conditions of the family as if he is born to end the concerns of the family. Luckily every year there is sufficient rainfall which removes the infertility of the land. Shridhar earns good through his farming but most part of earnings is spent on the illness of his father and paying the debt of the landlord. For years, it continues but the concerns of ailing father and ever increasing debt of the landlord does not let him raise his head up. One day the ailing father expresses his last will to see him getting married. Since that moment when he attended the maturity, Shridhar feels that he has been leading for the sake of someone. Sometimes he leads for the sake of paying the debt of the landlord, sometimes for the sake of curing the ever ailing father but never has he got the chance to think of his life. The trap of the family concerns makes him restless. The more he wants to free himself, the more he gets entwined in it. For the sake of dying father, he gets ready to marry. The strange thing for him is that there is no one who can go in search of a suitable bridegroom for him. There is a mother who rarely finds time from her engagement in her ailing husband. She talks of Shridhar’s marriage but very little she does to make it possible. So Shridhar with his colleagues finds out a girl for himself. The dying father is happy because happiness has returned to their door after long time. It had come when Shridhar was born in the darkness of the hut. It is self arranged marriage as much of the preparation of the marriage is done by Shridhar himself and his friends. Shridhar gets married and brings the bridegroom home. Shridhar gets some money from the family of his wife as a dowry but it is too meager to perform this marriage. Much of it is spent on ornaments of the bridegroom and other things of the marriage. So the remaining money Shridhar manages in the form of loan from the landlord.

Shridhar’s marriage throws the family into the valley of never ending concerns. For marriage he takes some money from the landlord which he takes years to repay. A few days after their marriage, the dying father takes last breath and frees himself from the cage of the never ending concerns and leaving behind what one calls inheritance of loss. Thus Shridhar loses his ever ailing support. Mother of Shridhar can not bear this separation from her husband and takes it to her heart. She falls ill and takes the place of her husband on the dying bed. Her illness continues for a long time which contributes to the adversity through which Shridhar goes. The entry of the new bridegroom is supposed to be a good omen as it brings good rainfall that year and good harvest for Shridhar. Shridhar is equally supported by his wife Shanti and their joined hands create miracles on the field. Harvest is more than expected that year which enables Shridhar to pay the loan with interest taken from the landlord. Good harvest of the year gives some relief to the concerned soul of Shridhar. It is on one night when the couple is resting on the bed, Shanti discloses the sweet secret, “My dear lord! If I give you the most mirthful news what will you give me in return?” On this Shridhar replies somewhat frustratingly, “My dear lady! I am neither the king to give you a kingdom nor a magician to bring down the beautiful Moon on the earth. Your husband is poor fellow but I promise you that I won’t disappoint you. Don’t stretch my curiosity open your lips, my dear lady!” Understanding the concerned life of her husband Shanti tries to convince him that she is thoroughly conscious of the financial conditions of her husband and she would not demand any such thing which would aggravate his concerns. She says, “I want neither the Kingdom nor the Moon on the earth. I don’t have any attraction for such things. Give me whatever is possible for you.” Without stretching the dialogue further she hurriedly tells him, “You are going to be father soon.” There is no doubt that broken news takes him on the top of air. He slowly and carefully lifts her to show her that he is very happy. In a happy mood of happiness he promises her that he would give her something in return of this good news.

Shanti is sent to her parents’ house for delivery. Meanwhile Shridhar toils and moils in his farm and there comes good rainfall to his help. Both create wonders. This harvest gives him more than expected. Through his earnings of the year, he renovates his ancestral cottage and purchases an acre of land from his neighboring farmer who is in urgent need of money. It is on the same day, he receives the news from the house of the wife that Shanti has given birth to a female child. On hearing this news, Shridhar exclaims in slow tone, “Goddess Lakshmi has entered the house!” So, he decides to name her first daughter as Lakshmi. He shares the news with his ailing mother. She also becomes very much happy as after a long time since the birth of Shridhar, the cry of the baby is going to be heard in their house. Shridhar is not destitute like his father to be troubled by the question how to celebrate the arrival of the new baby in their family. He distributes sweets to the entire village of Devgad. He arranges a feast for those who are close to his family. Thus Shridhar is fortunate enough to have such celebration.

A few months after, Shanti returns home which sinks the entire family in happiness. A grand naming ceremony is arranged to name the baby. Entire village is called for feast. Ailing mother sees the grand function and gets immensely impressed by the grand preparation and the way the occasion is celebrated. That night mother calls Shridhar, “My dear, Shridhar, my eyes are really fortunate to see such grand function which had never been there previously. It makes me feel proud of you. I am really very happy. I feel nothing is there to be achieved and seen. I will be happy and ready to go whenever death wants to take me with him.” On hearing the word death he tries to shut her mouth with his palm and says, “What nonsense are you talking about on this happy moment? Don’t worry you will live long.” The crowd at the house starts dispersing. Shridhar finishes all the rest of the things and returns to bed where Shanti is sitting with her daughter Lakshmi. Shridhar opens the wooden cupboard and secretly takes out the documents of the purchased land. They get engaged in talk till late in the night. Before going to bed, Shridhar reminds her promise she has taken from him. “Have you become oblivion of the promise you have taken from me?” Shanti replies quite consciously, “No my dear Lord! How can I?” Shridhar takes out the documents from his pocket and hands over them to her and tells her, “My dear lady these documents are of our newly purchased land which I have purchased when you were away from me.” On hearing the utterance of the land she becomes extremely happy and exclaims, “My dear lord! You have given me more than expected. I am really very much pleased with this.”

A few years after the celebration, ailing mother takes her last breath which shakes the roots of the family for sometime. With her departure, departs the last memory of Shridhar’s existence. Shridhar takes lots of time to come out of this shock. One day when the couple is engaged in chat, he opens his heart to Shanti that this time he wants a son from her. Shanti positively responds to this demand of her husband. A few months later Shanti is sent to parents’ house for delivery.Little Lakshmi who is four years old accompanies her mother.

Mean time, Shridhar engages himself in farming activities. The end of the concern of the ailing mother marks the beginning of the other. When he is engaged in sowing the seeds, a stranger comes loudly calling his name. He is one of the relatives of Shanti. He tells him that he has come with good news of Shanti’s new baby. Shridhar becomes eager and anticipates that it might be of a son but soon he gets disappointed and somewhat disheartened when the visitor tells him that for the second time, Shanti has given birth to a female child. What concerns him not is the coming of female child one after the other but the question how to get them married. Although he is concerned, he does not give up his hope to have a son for the family. It continues for five times and all the times he gets the same breaking news of female child. His family grows in size with five daughters with growing family grows his tensions and concerns also. Hard time and hardship re-enters in his life. Poor rainfall disturbs his smoothly going routine life. Growing concerns steal his sleep. Many nights he passes sleeplessly. He gets fed up with the way the indiscreet rainfall plays hide and seek game with him which enhances the families’ difficulties in surviving in such uncertain conditions. There begins harvest not in the farm of Shridhar but at home as five daughters grow ceaselessly and attaining maturity and reaching marriageable ages.

In the last several years, due to scanty rainfall, Shridhar received nothing satisfactory from his land. His saving is not capable enough to perform the marriage of his first daughter and what eats him is the question how to perform the marriages of the remaining four daughters. Shridhar performs the marriage of his eldest daughter Lakshmi by giving in dowry from what he has stored in his account. The first marriage makes him financially bankrupt and makes him prosper in his concerns. Smooth life gets disturbed. All the time he seems to be engaged in thinking over the marriages of the remaining daughters. Till now he has been living for the sake of others and a question strikes to his mind how long this pattern of concerned life would continue and when he will be free from his regular concern to lead life for himself. Whenever he goes to the market to bring something for himself and his wife, the question of his five daughters troubles his mind. So he gives up the thought of buying for himself and his wife. He gives a pair of saris to his wife and a pair of dress for himself. Shridhar learns to limit his own and his wife’s needs but never makes a compromise with needs of his daughters. He gives them all they wish and never lets question of money come in the way of fulfilling their needs. That is why all daughters are very happy with their loving parents. Shanti is a woman of greater understanding. She never complains for not fulfilling her needs. She is aware of the fact that how much a father has to bear who has to care five daughters. She is unhappy at heart as she could not give a son to Shridhar. Shridhar is equally good and never blames her for not giving a male child on the contrary he feels guilt of killing emotions of Shanti for the betterment of his five daughters. Thus a desire to live for himself and for his wife makes a permanent abode in one of the deep corners of his mind. He eagerly waits for that moment when he will be free from the concerns which steal pleasure from life.

It is on one night sharing bed with his wife Shanti, he gives an outlet to his innermost feelings. He says, “My dear lady! My whole life is spent in ending a concern and facing the new one. So far I have led for the sake of father, my mother and their concerns and now I have to live for the sake of daughters. The more I try to end the concerns, the more they grow in numbers. In thinking how to end them, I am losing my life and of course you also.” He stops in the middle and after taking a brief pause as if he is fed up with these concerns of life says, “My dear lady! It is enough. I am really fed up with all these demands of routine life. I feel that I am losing my life in thinking about others. I am really unhappy at heart as I don’t have any worth noting moment which I lived for myself. I am really in hurry to end these concerns of the life and lead a life for myself and of course for you. I always feel that I am guilty for killing my and of course your emotions of the desirable life.” Realizing the intensity of the problems which he has to undergo in his daily life, she tries to assure him, “Don’t worry my dear Lord! There is time for concerns and there is time of happiness. I am sure that very soon you will be free from the concerns of your life and lead the life which you desire for.”

Indiscreet rainfall and infertility of the land betrays him very inhumanly. His feel of unease grows day by day. The question “how to marry remaining daughters corrodes and weakens him inwardly. At one time he thinks of borrowing loan from the landlord but soon he gives up the thought due to disloyalty of rainfall. So he finally decides that it would be better if he sells out the land. Shanti also takes no objection to his stand. He sells out four acres of land to get his three daughters married. Marriages are fixed and performed one after the other. Luckily all the girls get good husbands with well to do families. Shridhar feels little bit relaxed as the most of the worries are successfully overcome only the last is left and that is the marriage of his last daughter. The money he has secured by selling the land is almost finished over the marriages of the three daughters. He has just come out of the worry of the marriages of his three daughters and now one more concern stands before him which is how to manage the money for performing the marriage of the last daughter. He tries his best to gather the funds for marriage but no source supports him at this time. Eventually he makes up his mind to sell out the last piece of land which he has kept for the survival of his family. It is the piece of the land which he had taken from his neighbor. When he declares that he is kept the piece of the land on sell, one of the stranger comes and claims that the piece of land to be his own as a proof he produces the documents which state that the he is owner of the land and not the neighbor. Shridhar gets involved in contention with the neighbor for deceiving him. This is the most traumatic period for Shridhar as he has already weakened by the expenses over the marriages of the three daughters.

He becomes uneasy and finds no way to overcome the worry. He is really troubled with worries which occur in never ending sequence. He is fed up with it as it steals the pleasure of his life and do not let him think of himself. When Shanti comes to know about the dispute troubling Shridhar, she suggests him to take the matter to the court. Shridhar agrees but he is troubled with the fees to be paid to the advocate who would put and defend his side in the court. He goes to the landlord and borrows money which he pays to the advocate to carry on his case in the court. The case runs in the court for many months every day is a day of traumatic experience for Shridhar. The more he wants to come out of it, the more he gets involved in it. The night before the day of judgment Shridhar opens his troubled heart to his wife. “My dear lady I want to finish this business at the earliest as it troubles my soul very much. I fear that if the judgment of the court goes against us what would be our lot? We will be lost.” Seeing her husband absolutely discouraged, she supports him saying, “My lord! You have never done wrong to anyone so far then how do you expect that God will do wrong to you. You stand for truth and it is my faith that truth always wins at the end. Don’t worry tomorrow will be the most pleasant day in your life. Be calm and sleep thoughtlessly.” These words of Shanti give him enough courage to continue his life till tomorrow.

The Day of Judgment comes finally and brings relief to him. The court declares that the claim of the stranger over the land which Shridhar owns now is absolutely justifiable and asks Shridhar to hand over the piece of land to the stranger as he is the real owner. The neighbor who deceived Shridhar is told to repay the money with interest to Shridhar within the period of fifteen days and on the charge of forgery; he will undergo two years rigorous imprisonment. Thus the judgment of the court gives him a great relief and he comes home hurriedly to share this news with his wife. Shanti feels extremely happy and exclaims, “God is there in his heaven and everything is right on the earth!” The judgment gives them a hope to carry on their troubled life. The neighbor follows the order of the court and hands over the said amount to Shridhar within the given deadline. Both are happy and get busy in preparing to end the last concern in their lives that is the marriage of their last daughter. As usual Shridhar finds out a good boy having good background for his last daughter. Marriage is fixed and performed on the day decided. During the period of marriage the couple is busy that they don’t get the time think about each other. The house is crowded with guests, relatives and the people who have been very close to them. As soon as the marriage is performed the crowd of the guests starts vacating the house of Shridhar.

A moment comes when the couple is all alone giving each other the smile of happiness and satisfaction. Both are very happy as their worries are almost finished. Shridhar is happier than the later as the most awaited day is coming with the end of this night. The couple gets involved in a talk till late in the night. Before greeting good night to his wife, he says, “My dear lady! All the concerns have slept eternally in their beds. Tomorrow will be ours and only ours. We will not let our mind think of anyone else. Our concern-less life is knocking at the door. Get up early in the morning. I will take you for outing.” With this optimistic note he greets Shanti good night and goes to bed permanently. But he forgets that all nights are not good. The next day morning Shanti gets up earlier than her regular schedule begins her morning to prepare for going to outing. She deliberately does not disturb his sleeping husband with a loving thought that the soul of her husband is really tired and she wants to give him rest for some more time. After finishing her responsibilities, she comes to bed and tries to wake him up but Shridhar does not respond. Realizing that her wish to give his soul a rest has come true but she complains that she had not expected a permanent rest for him. She cries loudly which awakens the entire village of Devgad. Soon she gets sunk in the edgeless ocean of concerns and embarks on the journey of shortening lives and growing concerns.