DESI GYM (Short Story)

Gyanmani, the only and senior most  postman of Varghe village post office had one mail left, a letter, to deliver to the oldest household in the village, Pallani Babu’s home. He dragged his cycle upto the wooden gate of the old house. Tinkling his cycle bell, he called out “Janaki Amma, there is a letter for you.” A teen-aged girl in her school uniform ran out of the house to collect the letter from the old postman. “Who is it from, Geetha?” a woman called out from the house. The girl carefully looked at the letter while thanking the postman replied, “I don’t know Maa; sender’s name is not on the letter.” She ran inside the house and entered the kitchen, to give the letter to her mother who was packing her lunch box.     

Janaki was a house wife in her late forties and lived in this house with her husband, Pallani Babu, retired defense personnel, now worked for the Public Works Department and her daughter Geetha, who was appearing for the school board exams. Janaki wiped her hands with her saree’s pallu and took the letter from Geetha. She looked at the address written on the envelope and smiled, “This is from your Padma Mausi. I had last received a letter from her when you were born in Chandigarh.” “Wow, your maternal cousin sister who had graduated from a Finishing School in Switzerland!” marveled Geetha, wide eyed. Janaki hurriedly opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. Her sister Padma excelled in cursive writing and Janaki admired the hand writing before she began reading the letter aloud:

 Dear Janaki,

I am writing this letter to you after a long time. Your daughter must be busy with the school final exams. Please visit me after her exams are over. I look forward to your visit. Until then

 Your loving sister,

Padma

“Maa, I must say, Padma Mausi (Aunty) has very good memory. I have heard so much about her from you that I really want to meet her. Maa, shall we visit her after my exams are over?” Geetha expectantly gripped her mother’s hand. Janaki released her hand from Geetha’s grip to pick up the lunch box and give it to her daughter. “Rush to the bus stop so that you can at least get the last school bus, else you will have to take the public bus to school, that will take more than an hour to reach the city bus terminus.” This made Geetha grab the lunch box from Janaki’s hand and make a beeline to the bus stop.

 “Welcome home Janaki, this must be my dear Geetha, she has really bloomed into a beautiful young girl. God bless you dear. So, Pallani could not get the time to grace his in-laws. Relax, feel at home while I get your bags into your old room and water for you to drink.” Padma Mausi looked very much the same as in her photograph taken forty years ago when Janaki was born. Geetha had seen the photograph with Padma Mausi holding her mother Janaki, a year old baby in her arms. In the photograph, Padma Mausi was a young girl in her teens with long black curly tresses neatly pony tailed with satin ribbons and her slender figure draped in silk blouse and pavada (long skirt). At present, her octogenarian aunt appeared to be in her late fifties, with few soft laugh lines on her face; her shining black hair transformed into salt and pepper ones tightly braided with a satin ribbon.

From the time Geetha and Janaki had boarded the train to Baveri, Janaki had regaled her daughter with Padma Mausi’s anecdotes. Padma was Janaki’s Shanti Mausi’s daughter. Janaki’s mother and Shanti Mausi were married to brothers. Padma Mausi’s father had sent her to study in a Finishing school in Switzerland, but did not live to see his daughter graduate and return home. Ever since she returned home from Switzerland, Geetha’s spinster Padma Mausi lived in their ancestral home took care of her father’s business of coconut, mango, cashew nut and banana orchards. Before she left for Switzerland,  Padma was a tom boy, who romped around the village with the village urchins and had been initiated into their fold with broken leg and arm. Often the caretaker of the orchard had caught her red-handed stealing fruits from the trees. She had broken many window panes while targeting the flying sparrows with her catapult. Boisterous Padma returned a suave lady, but she remained the spirited Padma who was unhesitant to plunge into any initiative and make it a success. Shanti Mausi died five years ago. Now Padma lived alone in their ancestral home in the village.

Padma Mausi made Janaki and Geetha comfortable on the old diwan and returned with copper tumblers of water for them. She picked up their bags to take them to the visitor’s room and Geetha rushed to grab their lugguage from Padma Mausi. The old lady smiled and said, “Young lady, you are most welcome to help me with your bag, while I show you the room.”  Geetha found the old house made of stone, tiled roof supported by wooden beams was spick and span and everything was neatly laid out in its place. Geetha followed Padma Mausi through a small passage that was flanked by rooms on either side. Padma Mausi paused at the end of the passage and pointed towards the room to the left and said “That’s my room and puja room too and this is your room” Padma Mausi stepped into the room on other side of the passage and placed Janaki’s bag on a wooden bench next to the door. She rubbed her hands together and announced, “The other door in your room is to the bathroom. I will arrange Janaki’s hot filter coffee and upma for breakfast. I did not have my breakfast as you were to reach here early in the morning. Janaki, find your way to the room!” Padma Mausi announced and glided into the kitchen at the end of the passage.

When Janaki and Geetha settled down at the dining table in the kitchen after a refreshing bath, Janaki raised her hands up drawing in a deep breath and said “Mmmm, the aroma of filter coffee and upma, smells so much like what Shanti Mausi used to make. Padma Akka, you really made my day!”

After enjoying a good breakfast, Janaki asked her sister, “Akka, do you have any domestic help for cleaning and washing job?” Padma quickly picked up all the cups and plates from the table and heading towards the sink said, “No Janaki, you can help me clear the table. Then I will take you on a tour of the house.”

While moving around the double storied house, looking at the old photographs on the walls, Janaki was transported back to the days she had spent here as a girl until she got married to Pallani Babu and moved into his government quarter in the Defense residential area. With the childlike excitement, she kept sharing vignettes with Padma and Geetha. When they reached the courtyard, Padma laughed her usual hearty laugh and asked “Janaki and Geetha, we play hop-scotch in the courtyard. It's floor is reinforced with cow-dung. Women from the neighbouring houses got together and have paved the entire path in front of the house up to the main road with. cow-dung. The path is as smooth and strong as any concrete road  On festive occasions,women from the neighbourhood congregate in this courtyard, play hop-scotch on this floor, tie a swing to the branch of this old neem tree." Janaki laughed “Akka, look at me, I am no longer the slender drumstick Janaki Amma, Shanti Mausi used to call me as”. Their throaty laughter echoed in the courtyard. Like a happy young girl, Janaki requested her sister, “Akka, you are a very good cook. Why don’t you make Bissibele Bhath for us?” Smiling Padma replied, “You read my mind dear. Both of you will have to help me in the kitchen, let’s go.” 

While the three were busy arranging the lunch Geetha asked her Aunt, “Padma Mausi, after completing your studies in Switzerland, you could have got a good job in the city college or university, why did you stay here?” while cutting the vegetables Padma looked at Geetha and replied, “Then who would take care of the house and the orchards. All this belongs to your mother and I. I am glad my dear that you asked this question. I know you have many more questions lined up for me. Shoot them at me one by one while we prepare your mother’s favourite dish” Pensive Geetha blurted out, “Padma Mausi, what’s the secret of your health?” Padma jumped up from the floor with the tray full of cut vegetables and said “Post lunch, I will let the cat out of the bag.” and both the sisters got busy cooking the meal.

Having enjoyed a delicious meal of Bissibele Bhath, three of them retired into Padma’s room to see the photo albums that were carefully kept in a book shelf. Geetha reiterated her question to Padma. Padma handed the photo albums to Janaki and said, “My dear Geetha, I work out diligently at the Desi Gym, that’s the secret of my health. Any more questions for me?” Padma smiled as she cupped Geetha’s chin with her hands.

“Desi Gym? Mausi, what is this Desi Gym?” Geetha wondered aloud. Janaki too looked up from the photo album open in front of her for Padma’s reply to Geetha’s question. Padma looked at Geetha and said “In a gym, you work out on an array of gym equipment and aerobic exercise for your muscular, cardio-vascular, abdominal and over all physical fitness. My gym is at home and in the orchard.” “How can home and orchard be your gym Mausi?” asked wide-eyed Geetha. With an impish smile her aunt replied “Simple, when I sweep and swab the floor, wash clothes, use the grinding stone It is as good as abdominal exercise; when I husk the corn and use the rice husking machine, cut straw for cattle fodder, work in the kitchen garden, hang the pots in the dairy corner and in the garden, pound the spices are activities for the fitness of my limbs; when I walk for miles to and work in the orchards I exercise my heart, lungs and the entire body. Needless to say, I begin my morning with pranayam and Surya Namaskar. I eat fresh food and I don’t live a sedentary life of a city dweller or an urbanite.” Padma looked at her niece who seemed lost in her own thoughts. She cleared her throat to break Geetha’s reverie, who immediately asked “Mausi, we have kept our life simple, we use washing machine and electric appliances at home to save on time and energy, so that we can work in the office too. You know it is not easy to travel from home to school or office.”

Padma gently touched Geetha’s forehead and said, “Beta, you can live a healthier and happier life both at home and in the office without the help of the electrical appliances, provided each and every member of the family does his or her fair share of work.” Geetha interjected, “But how Maasi? And if you don’t mind my asking you, why didn’t you get married?” Before Padma could respond to Geetha, Janaki shut the album and scolded her daughter “How dare you question Mausi like that, Geetha, apologise to her!” Padma held Janaki’s arm to restrain her from scolding Geetha and said, “Geetha, would you like to stay with me in the village and help me with a project?” Geetha looked sheepishly at her Aunt and asked “What is the project? Will Maa allow me to stay in the village?” In reply to her query Padma got up and pulled the two of them up and said, “If you want the answer then get ready, we will go to the community centre.”

Three of them walked to the community centre situated in the middle of the village. They entered into a hall that had four people working at their desks and one of them was entering data in a computer. Behind them were shelves with files and account books neatly stacked on them. There were many posters, sketches and paintings on the walls. On seeing Padma Mausi enter the hall, the four men rose from their seat and one of them said, “Namaste Padma Mausi, we were expecting you. Vinu, please get three chairs, water and coffee for seven.” Just then Geetha saw a young man in his twenties rise from a chair in the far end of the hall and rush out of the door and in a jiffy he was back with three plastic chairs that he offered to them. Padma Mausi introduced the four men to Geetha and Janaki, Jayant worked in the primary health centre, Atul was deputed by Agriculture and Horticulture department, Ashish was deputed by a social development organisation and Sanjeev was deputed by the Public Works Department for infrastructure and sanitation work. She then addressed all of them, “Gentlemen, My sister Janaki and niece Geetha are here to visit me. Geetha has completed her school and I want her to spend some time here with us and help me in the project I was discussing with you, yes the project on the daily activities in the household and workplace both in urban and rural areas, how they contribute to our physical fitness. Nutrition we gain through the food we have and what should be our balanced diet that complements our physical work. What are the causes of physical and mental stress we experience in our daily life and how we can overcome them.”

Janaki looked at her sister and skeptically asked “Akka, why you want Geetha to do this?”

   Jayant replied to Janaki’s question. “Padma Mausi had discussed this with us. She wants all the students from the village school, who have appeared for the school final exams to participate in this project. Geetha can help us with information on the urban lifestyle and together we can study and complete the project.”

Geetha who was quite intrigued by all that she heard asked, “What is the use of such a project?”

Ashish took the cue and replied “Geetha, this will help us to know the positive and negative influences of our work on our physical and mental health and how we should offset the negative influence with the food we eat and our activities. While you will work on this project you will also discover your area or field of interest. If you like to study about health then you can develop your professional skills in health, nutrition and wellness. This project study will benefit the people living in the urban and rural area. For example, a city dweller can easily clean his house and clothes and cook food on his own without feeling fatigue while working in his office after having completed his household chores. If you want to know how, then you have to participate in the project study. What do you think about it Geetha?”

Geetha looked at her mother who was deep in her thought. Just then, Vinu entered the hall and placed a big aluminum tray laden with glasses of water and coffee. Enthusiastically he asked Padma, “Mausi, when are we having the cultural festival? Every day people come and practice for the dance, song and drama in this hall. I ask them but no one replies”

  Atul pretending to be angry, replied “Vinu, don’t you know it is on the day this community hall was inaugurated two years ago. Last year on the very same day we had organised painting competition for the children.”

Vinu, excited by the memories of the painting competition exclaimed “Yes! Padma Mausi had asked the children to make her cartoon and not her painting. The best three cartoon paintings are on the wall.” On hearing this, everyone in the hall was in tears of laughter.

Padma touched Geetha’s arm and said gently, “My dear, now you have answers to all your questions. I am living here with my family. If you wish, you can be a member of our ‘Desi Gym’ project.”