The Invincible Moonsheen – Part-1 (Telugu Original “Venutiragani Vennela” by Dr K.Geeta)

The Invincible Moonsheen

Part – 1

(Telugu Original “Venutiragani Vennela” by Dr K.Geeta)

English Translation: V.Vijaya Kumar

“You Have Arrived Your Destination” 

Sameera switched off the GPS and got down the car. She looked around.  

“Great America! I wonder how people could get the addresses before this GPS!”

She sighed and checked the number on the opposite door with the number Udayini sent on Whatsapp.

 It’s the coolest residential area in Silicon Valley.  Apple and Google offices are located within a radius of ten miles.  

All the houses on the street are almost identical, including the size of the gardens in the front.   

Flat lawns without gates, beautifully grown rose bushes along the pathway, dwarf lemon, and orange trees laden with fruits.

“I’m coming home late today …” she texted Sai walking slowly.  

“Where are you?” watching the reply she sighed.

She made the courtesy call before knocking on the door.

Then casually she observed the letters “SAHAYA”  sewn on the doormat. Even on the rattling wind bell with the mirrors hung on the door, on the small pebbles on the side of the path, and on the small lamps next to the door decorated with the same letters.

The same small beautiful Telugu letters “Sahaya” are also blinking behind the mirrors of the door.  Sameera said to herself, “It’s nice to see the name of the company decorated everywhere, not being hung like a ‘Nameplate!’   

Opening the door Udayini dashed out merrily calling, ” Wow, Sameera … get in, get in!”  and she hugged her. Sameera felt the aromatic flavor from her bathed and spread over hair. An exquisite laugh pursing on her even teeth, eyes with black eyeliners were sparkling. Although it’s small, the bindi fits snugly on her beautiful fair complexion. Seems a little taller and grander than ordinary folk. The most surprising thing of all is the light sandalwood-colored sari on her!

Sameera felt an ardent reverence upon Udayini, seeing her in a sari in such a modern age in America, a surprise beyond that. 

“I figured you differently from my Mom’s description, Auntie!… You’re unlikely what my Mom said”  Hopefully you’re under forty. Am I right?” Sameera said, widening her eyes. 

” Leave it dear, Everyone wanna say that! Yup! Why calling like an unfamiliar girl right at the front door?” She took the bag from her as a gesture of courtesy.

A row of yellow and orange floral paintings interspersed with large flowers all over the white wall.    

The furniture harmonizes it. There is a Sitara in the glass cupboard. On the neatly stacked shelves, there is “Amrutham Kurisina Rathri” in the front row of books.  

“Wow! Your home is modest and elegant … Auntie” She suddenly asked, ” May I call you Auntie?” 

  “Sure. Your Mom Razi is five years older than me. The funny thing is we became good friends. Age has never been a barrier between us. We were both born on the same date though not born in the same year. That’s perhaps the reason for our deepest friendship,” She continued,  

“It’s been a long time since I strived to make a call. How is she now?”

“Like a Granny, though she’s just five years older than you! spiritless, nothing more to say, Mom is always gloomy.” Sameera sighed and continued, “You’re blissful. But I wonder how you both made friends!” She added.

” Friendship is like a marvel, Sameera! Nobody knows who gets into it and vanishes! A few are very quick to heart and stay for a while. Some forever. No matter how quickly friendships are forged, very few will ever come with us. I will never forget the friendship with Razi among the very few friends I retain. Our friendship is accidental, you know?

She continued,  

“In high school, one day our drillmaster called and asked me, “One girl is less in the seniors batch for the Laming event. Will you fill it out?”

I’m not sure why he asked me in particular. While the seniors played the game, a girl with exclusive talent in fleeing greatly fascinated me every day. I learned after a long time that I was recommended by that girl.”

Sameera intervened saying, “That’s surely my Mom! Is it not?” 

“Yup, for heaven’s sake, She’s not! Not your Mom, but Mom’s friend. That girl’s leg got sprained and injured then. She noticed me every day at the practice session, watching admiringly at them. So she recommended me to drillmaster. Of course, Your mom almost picked me up passionately in admiration when our batch beat that game. That’s how our friendship started.”

She stopped a moment and said, 

“How do you reckon your Mom had no aesthetic sense? Look at this book” She picked up the book Gitanjali from the front row of books carefully. 

Sameera said gleefully, fondly taking into her hands, “You kept such an old text so carefully? 

On the first page, a few pearls of letters were found. 

” Lord!  You made me pal with this girl, Daya. You have sanctified me with your grace and granted me this ‘Grace’ (Daya).  You blended the mornings, midnoons, and evenings into Udayani and made my life bloom. Thank you, Lord!  Billions of salutes!”

Always with love

Yours

Razi

Written by her mother!  Such marvelous sentences !!  “Sameera fell into thoughts. 

 “Until now I don’t know how passionate my Mom’s heart was. I now understand how you made friends”  Sameera said, nodding thoughtfully. 

“Your mother used to call me Daya. We read  Chivaraku migiledi twice or thrice together and had fallen in love seriously with every character in the book. Shall I say something funny? When I called Razi with her complete name Rajeswari one must see her petty wrath on her face! She never liked calling her full name. Perhaps she’s distasteful with Maidanam. By the way, have you gone through these two books?” asked Udayini.

Nodding disapprovingly I said,” Nope, but I love to read them”

“What’s this withered jasmine lace amid these pages? turning the pages very carefully, Sameera exclaimed suddenly. 

It’s altogether about to fall like powdered any moment if touched. 

“It’s a jasmine strand lace that your Mom gave me with the book. She plucked those flowers from the backyard, braided them, and adorned them on my hair. Still, I remember the day how she felt looking at me proudly, breaking the knuckles in admiration and kissing me passionately on my cheek.” 

“Wow, I feel envious of your friendship Auntie, “said Sameera.

“And this friend has no time to talk with such a poor soul at least once in a year, Yeah?” She sighed deeply and said, “I didn’t even attend your marriage dear! Hope you got married six months ago?” 

Sameera nodded in response.

“Uah…I said everything about us. I didn’t let you speak, tell me, what are you…what do you do here?” asked Udayini.

“With this final semester I complete MS Auntie, then the job hunt starts” She sighed deeply.

“Just sounds fine!…Your Specialization? Uncle is on trial for a new company. I’ll inform you of any openings there.”

After answering it, Sameera exclaimed, “When did you come to the US Auntie? How beautifully you’re speaking Telugu, not forgetting the accent!”

“How could anyone forget his mother tongue? Indeed, nobody would forget their mother tongue despite their count of years of staying abroad. Some might feel saucy speaking their mother tongue. By the way, you asked me when did we come here, It’s been ten years. Sahaya was still a kid then.”

“Oh, You named your company after your kid. Doing a great job with ‘Sahaya’ Auntie! I appreciate you. Who will help the women folks here, when they are in trouble, away from home!” She said admiringly.

” Tell me about you Sameera, Do you like America?

” Yeah, of course, I’m… Auntie, liking means if we are accommodated well here, nothing is happier than here, I like this country. What about you?”

“In the beginning, I’m sick of staying here. Prashanth chose his career here. To me on top of everything, family is important. So I created my World here.”

“It’s wonderful, I love speaking with you incessantly Auntie, Prashanth uncle is blessed!”

Sameera walked to a painting and asked curiously, 

“Who made this Auntie? Looks rather seemingly different to your taste!”

“Our son, Kranthi. He says he’s going with the present trend.  First Year engineering graduate. Drawing is a hobby.” 

“Is your daughter a singer? asked Sameera.

” She is! but how do you make it so correctly?”

“I barely assumed, your skills get through to your children” She laughed.

Meanwhile, Udayini’s mobile rang.

“Excuse me, Sameera!” She lifted the call.

Professionalism suddenly emerged from a common housewife when she’s conversing.

She spoke in English eloquently, jotting something in a notebook, giving details of the appointment.

When she continued talking, nodding now and then in the middle of the conversation, looking with a smile, I lost in watching her admiringly.

She rose from the chair for courtesy’s sake.

The front yard adjacent to the hall is well decorated with smooth spherical stones. In the middle, there is a green grassy lawn and a small stream like a waterfall. A crisscross flower creeper leaned over the waterfall.

“How fortunate one to have what one needs, and what one cherishes in life!” Sameera said to herself.

The letters  ‘Sahaya’ on the lawn are decorated everywhere.

SAHAYA – What a beautiful name!

Now she could understand why her mother insisted on meeting Udayini after visiting the house.

“Sorry Sameera, it’s late,” said Udayini.

“Ha, ha, ha…it’s okay Auntie…Hope, I didn’t come to you during working hours!”

“Stop it dear, I feel you’re your Mom, I really love to have you here, you know?

” Now coming to the point, tell me which dessert you admire most! I’ll make it for you. Hopefully you won’t be saying like Razi ‘Vermicelli Kheer! She used to say it endlessly”

She chuckled. 

When she giggled, a large tooth at the end beautified her smile.

The same she said with Udayini.

“Perhaps your Mom would have told you to butter up me now and then, Sameera!” Again she laughed.

The rays of light through the mirrors along the wall of the room fall steeply into the hall.  

Sameera is drifting away in her flow of high spirited talking.

“These paintings are yours if I’m sure…”

“I adore Sitara, I wonder if you will play once for me…!” 

” Uh! It’s ages coming to someone’s house happily…” 

She watched Sameera smiling and said, 

“Let’s ‘ve coffee sitting there in yard”

“I gave up coffee Auntie! shoving on her tummy she said in a low spirited voice. Her cheerfulness suddenly dropped off.

” Anything Special?” She whispered walking close to her.

Nodding in response, She said,” Yeah, Auntie,  I’m a bit nauseating with it, feeling vomiting sensations every now and then. I felt worse the first two months, now it’s somewhat tolerable, it’s the fourth now, doctor said they subside now.”

“Okay then, I bring for you boost,  and for me coffee” 

Udayini came closer to Sameera who was still sad and said, “Look Sameera! You shouldn’t be so depressed at this time. Tell me what do you want?”  

*****

(Continued next month)