Rita is no more! Dt.19.04.2015 , a short story.

Rita is no more! Dt.19.04.2015.

He went as a guest speaker from India to the international conference on molecular physics in 2002. He was Ramachandra the youngest to be a professor in Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi. He was very excited about this assignment at New York with little knowledge that ‘the future decides the present’. The future can be so different!

First to his surprise was to meet Raghu Das after fifteen years. Raghu was a year senior to him at Kharagpur IIT where both of them graduated. Raghu never wanted to move abroad and settle in USA. Destiny or compulsion or anything else brought Raghu to this place to hide himself permanently. He used US as a garbage basket after he was accused of poisoning his wife with heavy dose of antipsychotic drugs. He otherwise had no escape from the strong Indian law against domestic violence, dowry torture and attempt to murder a woman. There was every possibility his wife might not recover from coma. He somehow managed to get a visa and God only knows how it was possible.

Seeing Raghu there all the details flashed back to Ramachandra`s mind. He felt as if he can not tolerate his presence. He forgot his purpose and could not calm his inner soul. How can he?

 Raghu however was very cordial and did try to make the atmosphere at peace. He introduced Ramachandra to his present wife Liza and to his two daughters also invited him to his house. Asked about his family and was surprised to know Rama still was a bachelor.

Rama`s talk was on the next day. He had to chair some sessions in each day. Rama in a confused state wanted to return back but could not know how to plan it.

Raghu`s first wife Rita Das was not an ordinary less educated Indian girl. Raghu`s family was a prosperous family in Bhubaneswar. Rita was the daughter of a very reputed family in Rourkela. She was born on Ramnavami in 1968 on the very same day Ramachandra was born in the same IGH hospital of SAIL. The two families stayed in front to front houses in sector eight. They grew up together, read in the same school. Their parents being of very higher ranks in SAIL were close to each other. in Other families near by were of lower ranks. Ramachandra had another brother Akshaya. Rita was the only child to his parents. They did not get another baby even if they wished one son. No consultation or treatment was helpful. Whenever Rita asked for a brother she was told, “Are they not your brothers, Rama and Akshi?”

 "No no Akshi can be my brother Rama is a friend only, a classmate can not be a brother. Rita always replied like this".

"Yes he can be. He is a twin born on same day."

"No papa he is not my brother, he is my friend". Rita replied.

Her grandfather chided,”How a boy can be your friend, you are a girl?”

"Grandpa you are old you don`t know he is not my friend he is my boyfriend," replied the innocent kid.

Everybody laughed. This did not change her version till she was thirteen years old when suddenly she felt discomfort to address him as boyfriend. Rama remained a kid for two more painful years to understand why the girl`s behavior suddenly changed towards him. There proximity being classmates sharing notes, doing discussion, sharing study related information, competing to perform better than each other did never come on their way to be less friendly. Rita was only an hour elder than Rama but she behaved like an elder sister.  She commanded him in all matters. Rama did never mind it. They were no more comfortable when other friends commented them as boyfriend or girlfriend. Rama somewhere secretly felt for it and never could express it throughout his adolescence.

Time passed as it always does. They were in IIT kharagpur. Suddenly roles reversed and Rama was expected to behave as a bonsai guardian to Rita. It was expected from him to be her protector, companion, marketing boy and everything. Rama did not mind it, rather felt elevated.

Rama shared the same room with his senior Raghu in the twin bedded room in the hostel.

 Handsome Raghu had all attributes to attract girls because of his many extracurricular activities in addition to his high standard of academics. His only problem, he was aware of it and over tried using it. No girl could be a friend of him for a period more than six months. In IITs by that time also the eve’s population was too low and Raghu almost tried and failed with all. That made Raghu prominent as a failure in keeping a relationship. Being Rama`s senior roommate and very helping to him he never could speak ill of Raghu even in front of Rita. However he guessed a day may come Raghu would propose Rita when the selfish and self centered room mate once told that a lucky guy is going to get Rita. He analysed in a very mean way that Rita having no brother and plenty of parental wealth was a fortune to his husband.

Ramacahandra became restless. He felt to ventilate this to Rita but hesitated as she may mistake it. He had self doubt. Was he not panicked? Did he love her? What was his main intention, to warn or to distract her? Was it not premature before a real such thing was initiated by Raghu? Many questions came to his mind that prevented him to gossip against Raghu.

He also felt; it would not be easy to face Raghu when he eventually asked about Rita`s relationship to himself. What actually he did feel for her? No, nothing!

Once he became sure about it he gathered the courage to think why not? There must be something in her mind which she was unable to tell being such a sober girl. Even if there was nothing there was no wrong to propose which he felt was the most appropriate at that moment to block her being approached by a crook.

With no exaggeration Ramachandra proposed Rita on the very next day with clear voice that he wanted to make her his life partner and it was not a joke.

Rita didn`t take it as a joke remained silent for about an hour in a garden lawn, choosen for this special purpose.  Not only Rita but the whole atmosphere became silent. The breeze stopped, with it the tiny plants to the big trees all stopped moving to and fro. The movement of people stopped, the couples stopped romancing, the ice cream vendors and the thella owners were looking each other with a complaint of not being consulted and no such proposal should be thrown without offering an icecream first. The lightman forgot to switch on the lights in time and dusk landed early. Rama felt the wait was not for moments bot for years.

Rita answered with a question,”Do you really love me and feel me as your girl friend?”

Another half an hour passed.

“No not at all” replied Rama. “Our relationship is more than any confined sense, but that does not make my proposal with lack of sincerity, after all we are adults and we are going to settle with someone in near future and you know your parents believe they would get a son after your marriage.”

“That may be a bogus idea but my parents are still hopeful for which they didn't opt for IVF as offered by the treating physician and prepared to do it after my marriage.”

“You must be happy Rita, they did not arrange your marriage at the age of sixteen as people with this type superstitions usually do.”

Once again they preferred silence and finally Rita told, “Thanks for daring to propose me but ‘boy’ I always felt you as a real brother, I can never accept you as anything other than a younger brother.”

She brought his head closer and without any consciousness to the surrounding kissed his forehead that put a big full stop to Rama`s proposal. With this the park lights were switched on, the vendors went to business and sky above was with a beautiful star studded full moon that the artificial light dared not to fade its magnificence.

Rama now had no other option to stop Raghu entering Rita`s life which he eventually did.

With obvious but different reasons both side parents took special interest to arrange their marriage once Raghu finished his graduation and Rita had another year. Rita was only twenty by that time. Raghu`s age however was twenty four as he entered IIT after wasting three years.

Initially there was no problem and nothing was expected from Rita`s family with a hope that everything is going to be attached to their family in future. The house at Rourkela, the duplex at Bhubaneswar, the vast ancestral property in their village and everything was for the only child Rita.

Rita`s mother was forty years old and they confidentially did the IVF at the best available center in Singapore and the Baba got the undue credit of his prediction coming true. After waiting some months they spilled the bin when there was no chance to hide it any more.

Rita`s honeymoon turned nightmare thereafter. Suggestive taunts increased day by day. They could have done this or that, could have got so much wealth as dowry. Beautiful girls were making bee lines. Housewife was the best for a family. He could have gone to USA and so on. She had no importance being an IIT educated girl as she preferred a teaching job in a private Btech college thinking to settle at Bhubaneswar. The college however gave her due importance and showed her name prominently on the board with IIT tag. Raghu entered MBA study.

When Rita started feeling hurt and tried to ask Raghu to come to her rescue the man turned a deaf ear. He added salt to the wound, “What wrong were they telling?”

Things worsened as Rita`s parents were blessed with a son, Rita`s third brother after Rama and Akshi

He started beating her. Rita being an educated lady from an aristocratic family could not accept it neither he had any intention to tell her parents about the matter as they may be very upset for planning a second child. 
The situation was very complicated. She went to depression and behaved abnormal. She could not sleep; idea of suicide always came to her mind. The matter went to the extent that she had to lose her job. When she consulted a psychiatrist the thing was further complicated. What drug can cure one`s depression when the triggering factor increased day by day. No psychiatric treatment is possible without family support. Rita was able to judge her problem and she at last wanted to talk to Rama the one who never can betray her.

Rama on receiving the call from his Mtech study at IIT Delhi rushed back to Odisha and immediately went to meet her in the most hostile environment. He was greeted with very filthy language with character assassination. He warned Raghu about the law of the land. Raghu was more abusive. The police turned a deaf ear and rather advised Rama not to interfere in the private matter of a respected family.

Raghu felt helpless and went to Rourkela to discuss the matter.

Rita`s parents felt that the ground below was giving away space to engulf them. Rama`s parents were very upset. They had one known close relation in home department who was immediately contacted and they promptly came forward to help.

It was too late and Rita was already in the ICU. The matter was painted as a case of attempt to suicide by taking toxic amount of antipsychotic drugs.

Raghu was never seen there after.

She was flown to New Delhi AIIMS.Eventually she survived and was discharged. She no more was Rita who once denied Rama`s proposal with a never before and never to happen in future novel way of kissing the proposer`s forehead. She was an infant to be taken care and care at a place very close to the best hospitals.

 There was no other way other than keeping her with Ramachandra. Rama`s parents were equally with tear and it was too difficult to value those meaningful liquid humanity.

Years passed she remained as a vegetable. Akshaya got married. Parents of Rita and those of Ramachandra valued humanity above any other thing. It was felt absolutely normal that Rama stayed there at Delhi taking care of Rita for ever. Once retired his parents shifted to Delhi and stayed there to help him.

Rita`s parents with their young son and with Akshaya and his wife are staying together at Rourkela as Akshaya is an employee there.

Meanwhile Ramachandra excelled in his research and his papers were published in different journals at regular intervals. However he never could move out of Delhi.

His new paper he believed was of merit and it would be injustice to decline the invitation.

He prayed Rita to take food from the hands of his parents, he also called Rita`s parents for a temporary visit to Delhi. Rita nodded affirmative. When she said anything as yes she will try to bring Ramachandra`s head closer and kiss on his forehead. The scene always brought his parents to tear and Ramachandra or anyone else never had the capacity to describe that tear, ‘inexpressible’.

So finally Ramachandra left Rita and she smiled and kissed him. That smile was meaningful Ramachandra even at this difficult moment to bid farewell to his heavenly duties towards a girl, towards humanity, towards brotherhood, towards his childhood girlfriend, as a mother taking care of a woman kid and towards his once upon a time proposed bride, could sense she was improving and time is not far when she can serve a cup of tea to him.

He was completely absorbed with all these flashbacks when Raghu made him remember the time to chair a session. He was at pain to do the job. He wanted to lodge a complaint to the strong policing of that land. He wanted to know how Raghu could evade the multilayered security system to get the entry to this land of justice. He seriously felt there was a breech in the wall which if exposed would be helpful to US authority too. He could not finalise his next course of action.

Suddenly his cell in silent mode blinked not once but several times from his land line at Delhi, from his father`s mobile, from the number of Rita`s father and at last from her number. It was not possible to pick it up. A message came in; a video was sent with Rita having epilepsy for last ten minutes without break. They were taking her in an ambulance.

Oh my God probably she was not given tabs of epsolin, valparin and clonazepam in right dose. May be they skipped any of them or all of them. Rita had not suffered from epilepsy for the last one year.  He was undone, could not do anything other than holding the arms of his chair with very tight grip. He prayed God and hoped she should reach in time to get life saving care.

 After half an hour message from his father`s mobile, “Rita could not be saved”.

Rama was no more a Rama he picked up the metallic flower vase and with his all effort smashed it on the forehead of Raghu exactly on the same spot where Rita must have done many things in past.

He was instantly arrested. Raghu was rushed to the hospital.

He pressed everything to the jury. He is now in New York jail with a five years rigorous imprisonment as a convict of attempt to murder.

His notes were taken seriously and a detailed inquiry was done in cooperation of authorities of both the nations. Seven of the persons were charged for their role to bring in a criminal of a friendly nation to the land of justice.

Raghu was expatriated as his crime was done in India which now was converted to a case of murder. He can never escape as the case turned to be a very high profile crime discussed in several countries.

Rama is not very much unhappy with the turn of the events and his research work is well continuing in a calm and quiet environment created inside the USA jail.

Raghu is inside Tihar. (Report as on 2006)