Translated into English by Saravanan Karmegam
***
Chapter 24 : Vilasini
It was a big room in the front. The radio sitting on a Chinese table in the north eastern side stopped playing Japanese music and started its usual narration of news story. The sun light entering the room through the three rectangular windows, after its passage through the plants in the garden below, was wavering due to the moving shadows of plants.
Vilasini was sitting on a sofa leaning against its rolled velvet arms. A single rose with two leaves was inserted in her freshly bathed, dried hair nestled in near her right ear lobe. She didn’t wear saffron vermillion that could have otherwise looked like a wart on her golden forehead. The lips on which the lipstick was craftly applied were found slightly parted and her pearl like teeth were showing up.
She pulled the three legged cushion topped stool, placed it under her leg for support and picked the blue colour rolled arm made in velvet, cuddled it along her breasts and mumbled inaudibly, “mm…it seems the rest of my life would be spent only like this”. The velvet roll got crushed against her breast. ‘These brutes…just looking like pigs, buffalos, and hippos, know only loutish fucking, biting, and ejaculating. No one is different anyway, be it the one who married me, or the one who brings men to me, or the ones who eat me up like leach, lawyers, doctors, Engineers, Captains, Major Generals- all what they know is only hard fuck, bites and ejaculation- just like pigs, buffalos and hippos’.
The stupor caused by the coziness of velvet roll and springing of fantasy filled in her veins, and made her vivacious. Her eyes were semi closed, looking up. Mhmmm…mhmmm…
Born near Palakad in Kerala, Vilasini had never experienced the woes of life till she went to Chennai for her studies. Only after that she faced agony and disappointments that flooded her life leaving her body and heart in persistent distress. The Sari shop owner Ananda Krishnan Iyer who had illicit relations with her mother, Ammani took good care of his concubine’s children as well. He sent Ammani’s children abroad for higher studies the way he did for his own children. Only Vilasini, the youngest daughter, was caught in the vortex of life as she was married to a lawyer namely Padmanabhan while studying in Chennai. If it hadn’t happened, Iyer would have sent her too abroad for studies.
The tender heat that spread across her body from the velvet roll burnt her like fire. ‘O God! Would there be a man like this? What sort of a habit was that?’ She tightened up her eye lids further that lay closed already and emitted a sharp breath. ‘I was ruined due to my husband and roamed in Merina Beach, Esplanade, Egmore and Adaiyar. It was at that time Tiruchur Pattan met me. Why did it happen? It was my fate. That Brahmin fellow had a peculiar problem- he grew bored with the decent looking women and got addicted to dirty women roaming on streets with untidy hair. He boarded the ship for Burma. A great patriot! I don’t have children even to cry my death. Is it that my womb closed its entry as I got aborted twice before the marriage? No…not likely. Parvathi and Sujatha are still giving birth to healthy children. Mhmm…Mhmmm…Is it my destiny that I must live with these beasts till my death? Those pigs, buffalos, and hippos- loutish fuck, bites, and ejaculating…Cheee…beasts. Pigs, buffaloes and hippos. Saraswati was with me and now she's also gone…’
The house was near perfect for her comfortable stay. It was built for the company managers of Khatri- Spenser. There was a big garden around the house. It had so many rooms with rare paintings hanging on walls decking it. Persian carpets were spread on the floor. The things in the house were in fact brought from abroad. All these were just the remaining what the Japanese had left after their loot.
“Ailon! Please get me some coffee”
A melodious voice passed the order musically.
“Yeah Ma’am”
She opened a casket made of tortoise shell, took out a cigarette, lit it and blew it in curls. Then blew it out through her nostrils. “I have to bear this stinking cigarette till the war is over. Is it a cigarette? Useless piece of a shit! Once the war is over, I can get British cigarette, Gerick, Champaign, Cherry and Shadow…and get rid of these shitty things. I can get married to a good man and settled in Penang. It is a good place to live in. I can’t wrestle with these pigs, buffaloes and hippos anymore. Phooo…what the fuck of a cigarette is this?’
She rose, took out the cigarette from her mouth with her finger and crushed it in an ash tray. Wearing an embroidered slipper, she went in front of mirror and had a look of her- a polished body with refined curves seemingly made of gold was standing in front of the mirror. She parted her rosy lips and noticed the row of her white teeth and adjusted the lock of hairs strands falling on her forehead. The left hand gently stroked her neck and cheeks. ‘Can I hug you tightly and kiss you? My sweet Vilasini!’ She felt like laughing uncontrollably. Falling in love with herself seen on the mirror, she stood in front of it smiling and turned, walked to sofa and lounged on it. She drank coffee kept on the table. The calling bell rang. ‘Who’s that animal at this time? Whichever it is, it is likely to be the usual beast anyway. Is it that beast, Major General? Or any other pig, buffalo or hippo? No matter what that animal is, I am going to have tough time anyway. Lousy wretched bastards! Lousy scums! I am going to be mad soon. Mad….very soon mad….’
She glanced at the piece of paper
that Ailon gave her.
“Captain K R Vijayan, INA”
“How does he look?”
“Dark. But very handsome.”
She instructed her to close the
radio and raced to the mirror. Her left hand pulled the sari covering her
breasts a bit down. Her right hand set right the rose that had blossomed in her
thick hair. ‘Who’s that man? Why has he come here? Name sounds Malayali. Has
the General sent him here? He may be a friend of that Captain holding the
charge of cargo procurement’
Sitting on a chair lying on the
south to the table, she instructed her maid to allow him to come in.
A well-built Tamil man in grey
trousers and white shirt came in. His gait, appearance heralded something that
he must be an important person. ‘Is he just an ordinary captain? Or someone
very important? A sword like body. Limbs, chest and waist looked being chiseled
with precision.
She couldn’t remove her admiring
look from him. ‘Mhmmm…mhmm”
Pandian slowly inched towards the
window in the south. She was sitting in the rightmost corner. First he
should display an enormous appreciation of seeing an unparalleled beauty. Then
praising her on her face. Despite these tricks, if she doesn’t fall on track,
employing harsh methods of cave men….
Pandian, with his inquisitive
eyes of not seeing anyone around, went near to the silk curtained entrance that
led to the inner hall.
“Hello”
She stood up as all her gorgeous
parts shook.
He turned his head as if visibly
stunned. His lips parted a bit and closed and saliva went down his throat. His
eyes didn’t pat a second and were watching her. He could feel that his head is
still alive sitting on his torso and greeted her with his folded hands raised
above involuntarily.
“mm…mm…a blockage in the throat
pit…Namaskaram”
“Namaskaram…please have a
seat”
Her head leaned left slightly. How
many men she had seen! But there is no one who had become as stunned and
speechless as he! He must be an amateur boy despite having grown up into a man.
I have to teach him everything holding him on my lap like a baby’
Pandian stood astonished with his
eyes that tried its best not to glance at her.
“Please have a seat”
She pointed to a chair and
smiled, brimming with shyness.
“Let me stand here. You please
have a seat”
“Why do you look at me like that?
Mhmm?”
She threw a question at him in
chaste Tamil without the tinge of Malayalam accent and smiled at him seductively
with her pouty lips.
“I don’t mean…”
“Do I look like demon?
Mhmm….please have a seat”
“Mhmm…I am ….” Pandian sat down.
Ailon sat in front of Pandian.
“Yeah ma’am”
“Please get us cakes and coffee”
“O.K Ma’am” the maid left them.
“You are in Singapore. Aren’t
you? But I haven’t met you”
“I have been travelling all over
Southeast Asia”
His eyes grew calmer and crawled
through the area below her neck. At times, it noticed her legs and hands that
were resting on her lap.
Vilasini’s face became red. When
her eyes met with his, she looked down unable to face a man’s sharp
appreciative groping eyes. “What a look! What a look! What a body!
The maid brought coffee mug,
silver tumblers, cakes in a glass bowls and sliced fruits on a wooden tray and
kept it beside the table.
“Have a coffee” she poured coffee
in a glass and gave it to him.
He received it, smiled at her
without parting his lips narrowing his eye brows and eyes looking up.
The dazzling parts of the woman
sitting in front of him were swelling up seeing him.
“Your Tamil culture has taught
you to ogle at a woman in her privacy like this. Hasn’t it?” she bobbed her
head faking anger.
“Please pardon me” He placed the
tumbler on the table and rose.
“Why? What happened? Please sit
down”
“I don’t feel alright now. It all
appears to be a dream. I fear I may speak something unwarranted”
“Please be seated. I too feel
that I am not alright” she twisted her neck with a jerk. Her eyes were half
closed. “You can speak anything unwarranted. I’ll do my part too. Is that ok?”
“If something slips out of my
mouth you shouldn’t be angry” Pandian said, sat down.
“You may speak anything. I won’t
stop you. How would that be if you keep ogling without telling me the purpose
of your visit here? How do I look like? Do I look woman or demon?”
“I won’t tell you. You may get
angry with me if I do” said Pandian as his hands were busy fidgeting with his
shirt collar.
“No problem. One should open up
one’s heart. It is what a man is expected of”
“You are not just a woman. You
are an angel. I have heard that there are a lot of beautiful women in Kerala.
But I have never seen such a beautiful woman like you” he spread his hands and
said, “O.K. Let me take leave. I am not feeling well”
“No…it is just a plain deceptive
talk. Am I looking that beautiful? Your words are nothing but flattery. Now
tell me the purpose of your visit. Which camp are you from?”
“Army Head Quarters. I have come
here for an important task”
He rummaged the papers in his
bag. A cap of wine bottle popped up.
“Is it for you?” she asked him.
“No. It is for someone from
higher office. I purchase it in Hongkong” he raised his head and said: “I came
here for another work. After seeing you, I was besotted and just went out of my
mind” he openly told watching her with his entrancing eyes showing up his
intentions. “May I ask you a boon from you?”
“Boon? I am a not a saint. Am I?”
She pulled her hem of sari tightly to cover her assets blushing at his remarks
and turned her head in and called out to her maid. “Ailon”
“Yeah ma’am”
“It gets late. Please get us some
bread soon”
“Yeah…ma’am”
The maid went out closing the
entrance door. Pandian rose casually, went near to Vilasini, grasped her right
hand with his left and snapped it gently.
“Aiyaiyo….what’s this? Leave my
hands…amm…mhaah…mmmhahhh…”
His steel like hands wrapped her
waist and lifted her.
“Amm…mhaah…mmmhahhh…Not here…. amm…mhaah…mmmhahhh….there”
“He carried her inside.
….
“What! You mean I had stolen it. Don’t
you? That scoundrel knows nothing other than rolling on bed like a buffalo and
biting me. Hell with his military job! That pig never takes bath. You know
that? His body stinks. He used to keep lots of cash in his pocket. That was why
I put my hands into it but found only some paper bundles. I just stole it
thinking that there must be some cash in it. Even if I rob him of his money, would
that be wrong anyway? He isn’t getting his salary out of hard work. Is he?”
“The maid is coming. That’s the creaking
sound of door”
“Let her come. I have seen you
somewhere. Where? Huumm”
She bit the nape of his neck.
“Aiyo….it pains my dear. My dear
Vilasini. You have stolen my heart. My love”
“No…You are lying…look into my
eyes and say it”
“My dearest Vilasini…I am ready
to even give my life for you. It has reached Netaji’s ears that you hold all
these letters under your possession. He has ordered to get you arrested to retrieve
those letters from you. But the luck would have it, the case has been handed
over to me. So you don’t worry about it. I can get your name removed from the list
of prime suspects” “he hugged her tightly and placed strong kisseson her neck. “You
have given Yamasakki an important letter, though unknowingly. Now get that
letter back from him by hook or crook”
“I didn’t give him that. Did I?
He just opened the paper bundle in the almirah and picked a couple of papers
from it. How can I ask him now? He will kill me for sure. If this matter is leaked,
it won’t die with me and rather brother’s name will also be dragged into it and
spoilt. Now what would I do?”
She hugged his neck and cried.
“My dear Vilasini, don’t be
afraid. As long as I am with you, I will never allow any harm reach either you
or your brother. I have planned to divert the course of this investigation in
different direction. The soldiers who have come with me are now standing guard
outside. I have to invent some new story that could convincingly trick them. …mmm”
“My love! My soul! You must save
me from all these”
“Don’t fear. You aren’t facing
any danger. I have to pick up some petty guys and sort out this matter….O.K.
When will Yamasakki come back?”
“How would I know? He comes
whenever he wants. Donkey”
“When does he usually visit your
place?”
“There is no fixed time for him.
Last time, he cried under inebriation hugging my legs that he wouldn’t be able
to survive without me and bit me hard all over my body. Merciless brute”
“It is likely that he might have gone
to Rangoon?”
“He muttered Sumathra, Medan,
Sabhanu and Yoshi in his language when he was under the influence of alcohol.”
“Let that rotten soul get lost.
If he comes back, you must inform me immediately. You must write ‘Achuthan
is suffering from fever. Come immediately’ in a letter and get it posted in
the green colour post box kept outside Gadde Building. My address is Captain
Vijayan, R 090, Gadde Building- 28. If only I meet him to discuss this issue, I
can get you rid of this mess. Will you write to me?”
“Aiyo…why should we get into
trouble with him? He is a Japanese army man”
“I don’t mind who he is. If he
comes on way creating trouble for me, he will be finished for sure. Will you
write to me once he visits you again?”
“Yes. I’ll do”
“It gets late. It will be an
uneasy situation if the guards standing outside come in sensing any
possible danger. Can I take leave now?”
“Mhmm…mhmm…mhmmm…when will you be
back here again?”
“Tomorrow night”
“No…don’t. Come during day at
this hour. This is the right time”
She hugged his neck with her
hands tightly and showered kisses on his face and bid him adieu.
He went out, turned left and
walked down the street. ‘Very dangerous animal…Alluring body. She must be elder
to me by six or seven years. How come one could walk down to a whore’s house with
secret letters in pockets addressed to the chief in the government? Were they
brought at the behest of Yamasakki? Or did he order them to be brought to him
on the basis of information he received in this regard? The relationship between Vilasini and the Japanese
army seems no ordinary one. It has been there since beginning….It was the
Japanese army which gave her this big house. In order to retain the comfort of
this house she would go to any extent. If necessary, she can get me to the
throne just to butcher me into pieces. Very dangerous animal she is…unlikely triumvirate:
Japanese army-Vilasini-General.
***Chapter
24 “Vilasini” ended.
