33. Madesha comes home

CHAPTER 33

Madesha comes home

          Madesha got down from the bus. Villagers stared at him. Madesha felt faint. He went slowly towards his house. Villagers followed him. Madesha reached him and put entered the gate. He felt the cows staring at him.

Ganga was standing outside the house. “Mummy, brother has come home.”

Sakamma was cooking in the kitchen. She came running. She stood at the door staring at Madesha, who was approaching slowly with tears in his eyes. He sat on the cot outside. Mother approached him. She wanted to touch him but she stopped. She shook her head. Then she stood a bit away from Madesha with tears in her eyes.

Madesha was shocked. He folded his hands. “Mummy, please forgive me.”

He fell at his mother’s feet. Then she touched him. “What a thing you have done. You have made us all bend our heads with shame.”

Madesha held his mother’s hand in his. “I promise that I will never do such a job again in this lifetime. Please forgive me.”

Sakamma wiped his tears with her sari. Villagers were watching. Sakamma took Madesha into the house. She made him sit on a cot. Ganga brought water. Madesha drank the water silently. Sakamma brought rice for him.

Madesha was just about to eat when Maestri arrived at the gate. He was surprised to see so many peope outside his house. “Why have you all gathered here? What happened?”

Govindappa said, “Your brother Madesha got bail. He has returned from jail.”

Maestri bit his teeth in anger. He tied up his lungi and entered the house. Sakamma put one ball of rice into Madesha’s mouth. Seeing the angry face of his brother, Madesha forgot how to swallow the rice.  He just stared at him.

“What are you doing here? You should have rotted in jail.”

Madesha stood up in fear. Sakamma moved away in fear. “It must be a long time since he ate something. Let him eat rice and then you can scold him.”

Maestri approached his mother in anger. “Don’t you know about the terrible thing he has done? Do I have to tell you 10 times or 50 times? I sent him to study and he joined a gang and tried to kill someone with a sword.”

Mother pleaded, “My son, the mistake has been committed.”

Maestri became serious. “He has returned after doing a great job. That is why you are feeding him. Ask the villagers. Have I ever cheated anyone of one rupee? I get up at 3am to milk the cows for my survival. I must peel his skin. He has spoilt our image completely.”

He looked at Madesha. “You must not remain in this house. Get out.”

Mother stopped Maestri with tears flowing down her face. “Where will he go?”

“If I tell nicely, he will not go. I will send him out of not just this house but this village. Just watch.”

Maestri took a stick and hit Madesha left and right. Madesha shouted with pain. Govindappa, mother and others came to stop Maestri. But Maestri continued to hit Madesha. Then he pulled him out of the house into the street. Villagers were watching.

Vasanti came to stop Maestri. “Please stop hitting him. If you hit again, he will die.”

“He must leave this village. If I see him again in this village, I will finish him off.”

Madesha went slowly away from the house. Mother tried to follow him. But Maestri caught hold of her hand and stopped her. “Mother, if you bring him back, I will leave this house and this village.”

Sakamma stops helplessly. Villagers were watching the drama. Maestri sat on the cot with his hands on his head. Everyone was scared to talk to him.

Madesha left the village and started climbing the nearby hill.