Apologies for the recent barrage of information on my blog. These were basically a few papers I'd written for class assignments. I thought they would be of use to any other student in need. I hope they are...
But let's put aside something like assignments for a little bit of gossip I'd like to share with you. There was a teacher in our college. I won't mention her real name, but let's call her Deepa ma'am. She was a feminist, but not of the bra-burning variety. Although she did have her moments of being homicidal. And does consider herself a complete lunatic. But I state here that she is the best thing to have happened to our batch.
She was also a source of inspiration for girls who did not wish to marry. Ever.
It was just a matter of choice from her end, not some seething revulsion to the male race. Although it surprised me to think how a woman as fascinating as her managed to stay single. Were men that stupid? Or was she too good for any of them?
She remained an epitome of the modern Indian woman surviving alone in a bustling city. Deepa ma'am took the relatives's jibes, sympathies and pity in her stride and marched on. If there were moments of yearning and silent conflict in her life, she did not make them known. It seemed impossible to make a dent in her armour. But even the finest of metals, much less the human heart are bound to wither away their defences.
It was a pleasant day in... would it be early January? Let's say it was early January. Deepa ma'am was in class, teaching us Advertising. Sharanya, the former Student Body President of our college walked into our class. She looked smug. Like a cat who had stolen more than her share of cream and gotten away with it.
"What did you do over the weekend?" she asked the entire class. We did not answer. If Sharanya was getting somewhere, this was a weird way to start. But what she shrieked next made us forget the beginning - "DEEPA GOT MARRIED!"
The whole class screamed, first at the sound and then again at the news when we realised the enormity of what happened. Deepa ma'am at age 35 was finally married! And to a man who had come as a guest lecture for one of the Saturday sessions. I was absent for that one (dang!).
There were murmurs of happiness, approval and even some of disappointment because the 'feminist idol' was now hitched. A few of the girls felt betrayed. But I suppose that's what happens when you're 'off the market'. Hearts are bound to break.
The teachers were mighty pleased too. Mrs. Stevens, who introduced us to the world of cinema congratulated Deepa ma'am. I remember ma'am saying that she was happy with the man because being older meant they were more independent and hence did not have to take care of each other. Mrs. Stevens then said that she spent her initial days of marriage playing chess with her husband. Somehow, I suspect 'chess' to be a euphemism for something more... enjoyable...
I'm not much of a believer in fairy-tale endings. Maybe I'm, in the heart of hearts, maybe not. I guess we can never really know ourselves, much less other people. I mean, seriously. Who could've thought Deepa ma'am getting married? She'd written it off! But somehow, in some mysterious functionings of the Almighty, she found someone when she hadn't really been looking.
What did it take to melt her... I wonder... ? Was it a look? A word? Some intelligent courting? Or a moment too private and intimate to describe? But it happened. The realisation dawned. Maybe it hit her with the suddenness of a pillow. Maybe it sank in, like a gradual enlightenment. However, it came, I'm sure it surprised her. It definitely surprised us.
PS: When asked what made Deepa ma'am realise she loved him, ma'am said, "I have known a lot of people who have annoyed me over the years. But he annoyed me the most. I knew there was something special about a man who did, to such an extent. And that's when I knew he had to matter more than the rest."
