Eldest son in the family- Who knew that a small wound in his armpit would result into a serious illness, and eventually, death. His father had hopes with the eldest son, who would join the diamond industry and bring money. Jari industry pays in peanuts. He has to marry five daughters. His wife places her hand on his shoulders and tells him that he should be patient and things would work out. But patience? Would that be a virtue or a vice? He decides to get all of his daughters married as soon as possible. After all, they know the Jari work and men would definitely want a helping hand in the family. He married three of them in the Rana Samaj, his own community. One of his son-in-laws lived in Kodiwad in Begumpura. Most of the families in Kodiwad are either Ghanchis or Ranas. He interacts with them, if there's any Ghanchi guy who wants to get a Rana wife. Ghanchis have a very poor ratio of girls over boys, probably 842/1000. These days, any Ghanchi girl would marry only when the Ghanchi guy has a bungalow in the posh locality, has cars and a very stable job with a regular income.It's been approximately ten years that the Rana women have started marrying in the Ghanchi community.
They have a very old house, almost in ruins, in Kodiwad. Which Ghanchi girl would come? They cannot sell the house. The rules and regulations of the Municipal Corporation have troubled them in serious ways. The law in the 1980's, "Vaave tenu khetar, ane rahe tenu ghar." (The one who toils in the farm owns it, and the one who lives in the house, owns it) has troubled most of the owners in the Kot Vistaar. Their grandparents had rented the basement to a Khatri family at twenty five rupees per month and that has been going on till today. They cannot raise the rent, they cannot sell the house, the tenants demand thirty lakhs if they decide to sell it. This is the house they have and that's all. A house where the basement looks like a haunted place with the typical smell of urine, the first floor has broken wooden pillars that stand just on the pain residing in the house. The second floor has partitions made out of tattered curtains. Sunlight peeps in through small holes in the walls. The small spaces between the greyish brown tiles have gathered enormous dirt.
In this house, he makes his way to sleep all day. His only income is through selling the stamp papers, a craft accumulated because of the social capital of his grandfather. The small black board, acting as a name plate, bears the vague recognition- 'Stamp Vendor,.. ". Sometimes, people come and he makes five hundred rupees by selling one legal document. He cannot go to the Bahumaali building to toil hard in the sun and make thousands. After all, he has been a Ghanchi, residing in the Kot vistaar. How can people expect him to work? He eats mutton at the Laari once he gets that sporadic income of five hundred-one thousand rupees. He drinks ten rupees Potli, a cheap liquor to forget about the real world issues, like why his parents are not able to find a match for him.
She thinks about him, her only son. She has to make his life settled. A Rana girl? She ponders. At least she would be able to earn through Jari and support my son. At least she would beget children to keep the family lineage going.
She calls him. "you told me about the Rana girl who would want to marry in the Ghanchis. Is the family still interested? But we are strictly vegetarian and our culture is high. We don't consume alcohol, please make this all clear."
He talks about the family. Her father feels relieved, one more girl would leave the house. Ranas are doomed with so many girls. Her mother tells him, "Please get some details about the family, we cannot send our daughter like this." He gets very angry, "They are bhagats, pure vegetarian and have not even touched alcohol, what else do you want? They are cultural."
She gets married to him. All her life, she has seen Jari machines. She dreams about life where she would take a nap like the Ghanchi women, where she would sit on the porch and indulge in gossips. She dreams about her children who would not be forced into Jari industry and can study as much they like. She dreams about the man who can take her responsibility and brings a salary every month. No more of this society where the woman has to keep the child in her lap and work all day, just to earn hundred rupees per day. No more of this life where the roles for women in the society- just doing the household chores and raising children, are altered and added with earning money to run the house.
He still sleeps all day. He still eats mutton. She has to go to the markets in the afternoon, just to sell some pins, earrings and necklaces, to earn something eat one meal a day. She cries and fights with her mother in law, "If your son was so incompetent, why didn't you tell us before? Why didn't you confess that he eats and drinks?"
She smirks and feels that a Rana woman shouldn't expect this much. Ranas are used to this kind of life. If the other daughter in law of the family, who is a Ghanchi, says all this, then one can understand. Ghanchis have a high culture. She says, "If it was so good at your father's place, he wouldn't have left you in another family. You think you can say anything, but we know what goes on in the Rana community."
She wonders if she is one of them, or none of them and keeps dusting the hair pins to sell them that afternoon.
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