JAYASHREE
AN INTRIGUING STORY
Short Fiction
By
VIKRAM KARVE
_______
Pune – circa 1985
_______
This story happened 36 years ago – when I was appointed as faculty at
IAT Pune – a premier tri-service post-graduate training institution in advanced
technologies.
A young lady scientist was appointed to my department to work with me.
She was a graduate in electronics and communications engineering from a
prestigious institution – and – was appointed to IAT immediately after her
induction training. Her name was Jayashree.
I had taught Jayashree during her induction training and found her to be
very keen, diligent and intelligent. Once she started working with me – I
realized that she was brilliant – and she was very beautiful too – a true
“beauty with brains”.
Normally – scientists were appointed to various Research and Development
(R&D) Labs after their induction training at IAT – but Jayashree had
requested for a posting to Pune – and she was appointed on the teaching faculty
of IAT Pune – and – since there was a vacancy for her specialization in our
department – we had agreed to accept her – though she was quite young (she was
just 24 when she joined my department)
Dear Reader – as I told you – Jayashree was professionally proficient
and conscientious by nature – a good Teacher – and creative research scientist.
Within a few months of her joining – we had completed a small research project
– and published a research paper.
One day – the Dean summoned me to his office.
He asked me about Jayashree.
I was all praise for her and told the Dean that her performance was
excellent.
“Why aren’t you giving her leave…?” the Dean asked me.
I was taken aback by his question since I didn’t recall Jayashree having
applied for leave.
“Sir – she hasn’t applied for leave…” I said to the Dean.
“I was told that she applied for 10 days leave – but – you refused to
give her leave…” the Dean said.
“That is not true, Sir. Who told you all this…?” I protested.
“Her father…” the Dean said.
“What…? Her father…?” I said, confused.
“Jayashree’s father and I were classmates in Engineering College. Now –
he is a senior officer in a PSU in Bangalore – he called me up this morning –
he wants Jayashree to go to Bangalore for some important family function – he
had asked Jayashree to take 10 days leave and come to Bangalore – but he said
that Jayashree told him that you had rejected her leave application. Why are
you refusing just 10 days leave to her – is there some important work…?” the
Dean said to me.
“Sir – she hasn’t even applied for leave – I will tell her to submit a
leave application immediately – and I will grant her whatever leave she wants
today itself…” I said to the Dean.
“You do that…” the Dean said to me – and then – he started talking about
the courses I was conducting and the research projects I was doing.
The moment I returned to my office – I called Jayashree.
I told her what had happened in the Dean’s Office.
“I am sorry, Sir…” she said.
“Please submit your leave application right now – I will approve your leave
immediately – and – you can leave for Bangalore in the evening…” I said to
Jayashree.
“Sir – I don’t want leave…” she said.
“What do you mean…? Your father called up the Dean and told him that he
wants you in Bangalore for some important family function…” I said to
Jayashree.
“Sir – I don’t want to go to Bangalore…” she said.
“I just don’t understand what’s going on…” I said, exasperated.
“Sir – it’s my private matter…” Jayashree said to me.
“See – Jayashree – it may be your private matter – but – you have
involved me – you have told a lie to your father – that I refused to give you leave
– which is not true – and – he has complained to the Dean – and – you have put
me in a very awkward position…” I said to her.
“I am sorry, Sir…” she said.
“No. No. Don’t be sorry – just tell me the truth – and – I will try to
help you…” I said to her.
“Sir – I can’t tell you – it’s very personal…” she said.
“Okay – I will call up your father and talk to him – I will get his
number from the Dean…” I said to her.
“Please don’t call up my father, Sir…” she said, in a beseeching voice.
“Then – please tell me the truth – I deserve to know…” I said, “Why are
you firing the gun from my shoulder…?”
Jayashree remained silent – she averted her eyes – to avoid
looking at me.
I picked up the telephone on my desk and called the Dean’s Personal
Assistant (PA).
“There is a scientist Jayashree in my department…” I said to the Dean’s
PA, “her father had called up the Dean in the morning – I want his telephone
number – it is a Bangalore telephone number – Dean has asked me to speak to
him…”
“Please, Sir…” Jayashree implored me.
The PA said he would ask the Dean and tell me.
I put the telephone back on the receiver.
“Sir – I will tell you everything – but – you must promise to keep it to
yourself…” Jayashree said.
“Okay…” I said to her.
“Sir – my parents have called me to Bangalore to “see” a Boy…” she said.
“For marriage…?” I asked her.
“Yes, Sir…” Jayashree said, “the Boy has come down from the US…”
“Oh – I see – and you don’t want to go to America…!!!” I said to her.
“It’s not that, Sir…” she said.
“Is there some problem with the Boy…? You don’t like him – even without
meeting him…?” I asked her, “Do you know anything about him…?”
“My mother says that the Boy is from our society – he comes from a good
family – he has done his B. Tech. from IIT – then – he has done MS from an Ivy League
University in America – he has got a good job in the US and is planning to
settle down over there…” Jayashree said.
“In short – he is a “perfect match” for you…” I said to her.
“That’s what my parents feel…” she said.
“Then – why don’t you go down to Bangalore and meet him…? You can always
say “No” – if you don’t like him…” I said to her.
“Sir – I find this “girl seeing” ceremony very humiliating. I still
remember that evening a few months ago when a “boy” came to “see” at my home in Bangalore. I was
made to “deck up” and made to wear a fancy saree as if I was an “exhibit” to be
“paraded” before the Boy and his parents and relatives. A few days later – I
came to know that I had been “rejected”. I felt so terribly degraded and my
self-esteem was hurt so badly that I decided that I was never going to allow
myself to be “paraded” before a boy and his parents again. I hate this commodification. That’s why I don’t
want to go for the demeaning “Girl Seeing” ritual again…” Jayashree said – I
could see tears build up in her eyes.
“Come on, Jayashree – you don’t have to let one bad experience affect
you so much – this Boy is from the US – he may have a modern outlook – you can
meet him informally…” I said to her.
“If the boy was so modern – he would have got married to some girl over
there in the US…” Jayashree said, “Sir – my folks are very conservative – and –
so is our society – the Boy may be settled in America – but – his mindset will
remain Indian – just like his parents – typical patriarchal – that is why he has come here to get married to a “back home type” girl…”
It was all very confusing to me – what was the real reason Jayashree was
reluctant to “see” the Boy – was it due to the humiliation she had felt after
being “paraded” and “rejected” – had her ego been hurt so badly by that episode
– or – was it something else – that she wanted to get married to someone else –
or – that she didn’t want to get married at all.
I looked at Jayashree and said to her: “I agree – it is your personal
matter – and – I appreciate your being so frank with me. But – you have told
your father that I refused to give you leave – and – he called up the Dean who
is asking me for an explanation – so – I want you to talk to your father and
clear the misunderstanding…”
“Yes, Sir – I will talk to my father…” Jayashree said.
“If you want – you can book a trunk call from my office phone…” I said
to her.
“Thank you, Sir – but – I will talk to my parents in the evening from
the STD Booth…” she said.
_______
36 years ago – in 1985 – when this story happened – there existed only landline telephones – and – mobile phones came much later – in the end 1990’s.
STD was the acronym for Subscriber Trunk Dialling for making Trunk Calls to various cities in India.
_______
I don’t know whether Jayashree talked to her father or not – but – I
spoke to the Dean and cleared the misunderstanding.
From then on – I maintained a strictly professional relationship with
Jayashree – and she continued to work in a most exemplary manner.
This episode was never discussed between us again.
One year later – I was transferred to a frontline warship – and I lost
touch with Jayashree.
In fact – I never saw Jayashree again – because when I visited IAT nine
months after joining my ship to pick up my family at the end of the school
academic session and move them to Vizag – I learnt that Jayashree had been
transferred to Bangalore soon after I had left.
A few years later – I learnt that she had resigned her job and gone to
the US for higher studies.
_______
EPILOGUE
30 Years Later – circa 2015
Incheon International Airport
_______
I ran into Jayashree 30 years later at Incheon International Airport on
my way from Mumbai to Auckland.
“So nice to see you after so many years…” I said to Jayashree.
“Yes, Sir…” she said, “please sit down, Sir…”
I sat down next to Jayashree.
“I am on my way to New Zealand – for a vacation…” I said to her.
“That’s great, Sir. I am going back home after a vacation in Thailand…”
she said.
“I heard that you had gone to the US for higher studies…” I said to her.
“Yes, Sir – they transferred me from Pune to Bangalore. Within one year –
I resigned and came to the US for my Masters. Now – I have permanently settled down
in America…” she said.
“Married…?” I asked her.
Jayashree smiled at me.
Then – Jayashree shifted her gaze over my shoulder – as if she was looking beyond me – and she said to me:
“My partner is coming…”
________
I turned around – and – I saw a woman walking towards us.
The woman was carrying a cup of coffee in each hand.
Jayashree introduced her partner to me.
I smiled at the woman and introduced myself.
The woman smiled and she said to me: “Want a cup of coffee…?”
“Thank you so much – but I’ll go now – it’s time for my flight…” I said
to the woman.
Then – I turned to Jayashree and said:
“Goodbye, Jayashree – wish you
all the best…”
“Thank you, Sir…” Jayashree said, “It was a pleasure meeting you after
so many years…”
_______
I walked towards the departure lounge.
After a few steps – I turned around and looked – Jayashree and her
partner were engrossed in each other – oblivious of me.
I never met Jayashree again after that day.
_______
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