Niagara, O roar again!

View of Athirappilly Falls from Below. Photo: Poladiya Romit

Short story by Nandan: ‘“There is no point in all that,” Shankaran lazily shrugged his shoulders, “Anyway, what’s there in a waterfall?’

-  Nandan

While chopping ivy gourds, sitting in the small living room, Chandran made many calculations. There were plans to buy a new flat in Mulund. He was aware that he would have to roam around town to secure the loan and to do the paperwork. It has been Geetha’s insistence. The problem here, he knew, was his inability to win an argument against her. Of course, that is why every day she bought the vegetables from the open market at a lesser price than he did.

All his plans to relax as a senior citizen and to spend time playing with grandchild had failed miserably. Yet again dyeing his hair black, he had begun to travel in crowded local trains and join youngsters in the office.

But now, while Chandran sat at home, a visitor beckoned. Climbing stairs to the third floor, Shankaran stood for a moment, panting. When he rang the calling bell, the sound of a Hindi prayer resounded. It made him grin.

Chandran quickly shifted the plate and ivy gourds into the kitchen, arranged the newspapers on the table to hide the gourds. He looked through the peephole and opened the door to Shankaran. This guy? Chandran wondered. There is absolutely no need for him to make a visit right now.

Chandran welcomed Shankaran, and immediately, sought to explain the sound on the calling bell. “It was the steward,” Chandran said. “I only found out about the prayer when it had already been fixed!”

Shankaran smiled, but kept his thoughts to himself. A calling bell? he thought, When did Chandran ever have the habit of spending money to buy anything useful?

Chandran, meanwhile, knew for certain that Shankaran wouldn’t come to visit him directly. He must have gone to Sreedharan’s place and had lunch from there. Does he know about Suchitra’s divorce? Sreedharan, being Sreedharan, must have filled in a lot of details. So… Shankaran is definitely here to know the rest of it.

Careful not to touch the shaky glass teapoy, Shankaran sat on the sofa. He glanced at the sofa’s faded handle, and then asked Chandran, “Didn’t you go to the office today?”

“Well, now I don’t have to go every day. If I go just once in a while it’s enough. And I had some work here at home today.”

“Geetha Chechi went to school, right?”

“Yeah…” said Chandran. “Nowadays she is busy dealing with admissions and all.”

“Oh… I heard someone new has come here from your hometown.”

“My nephew. He’s completed engineering, and now he's got a job in a small company here.”

“How much is the salary?”

Chandran took a moment to reply. “He’s just joined, right… So, he gets around fifteen thousand rupees.”

Shankaran rubbed his feet against each other, clearing off the dust on his soles.

“Is there any point in doing a job for just fifteen thousand?”

“He’s just starting, no?” Chandran said. “Eventually it will get better. He’s a very talented boy.”

“See our Madhavan’s son,” Shankaran interjected. “Landed his first job at L&T. Do you know about his position in the company? Very good salary and all benefits.” He laughed, beaming with pride.

Time passed after Shankaran’s laughter, and Chandran’s silence. When Shankaran’s potted belly stopped trembling, Chandra’s confidence rose again

“How is your diabetes?”

“Ah… It’s not very high now. Getting by, with some diet control.”

“Diet control? Shankaran, you won’t stop having feasts at every random function, will you? Then, what diet control?”

Shankaran’s laughter had now completely faded. Chandran picked up his phone and searched for the photos sent by his elder daughter.

“See this. Deepa bought a new flat in Canada.”

Shankaran looked at the photos, but without any visible sign of enthusiasm.

“It’s not easy getting your own flat over there,” Chandran said. “They live in Ottawa. You know what a great city it is? Fantastic!”

Without saying anything, Shankaran handed the phone back and blinked his eyes hard.

“Roads and buildings there are really worth seeing,” Chandran continued. “Exceptionally neat and clean too. Niagara Falls and all are very close to their place.”

His fingers began to excavate more photos from the screen.

He had always known it was going to end up like this. This is what happens when people show off luxury with the money they don’t have. Now, Shankaran felt, the climb up the steps to the third floor had truly been worth it.

Shankaran sat straight. Adjusting his trousers, he spoke. “Don’t you know my nephew Ratheesh, who lives in America? He’s in San Francisco, I think. When Radha and Sashi visited him, they too had gone to see this Niagara Falls.”

“But this isn't like that, no? Deepa, Anoop and their son can go there every day!”

“There is no point in all that,” Shankaran lazily shrugged his shoulders, “Anyway, what’s there in a waterfall? I am not interested in all that.”

Years ago, Chandran remembered how a Punjabi colleague had shaken hands with him, after coming back from a family trip to the Athirappilly Falls in Kerala. Hadn’t I reacted the same way back then?

Finally, Shankaran decided to end the waiting game.

“How is Suchitra doing?”

“Ah… She’s fine.”

“I heard… I heard they will have to head to court now, isn’t it? Or something like that?”

When Chandran didn’t reply, Shankaran beamed with an inner delight, seeing his friend’s face go numb. What a lavish wedding it had been! Shankaran thought. He had always known it was going to end up like this. This is what happens when people show off luxury with the money they don’t have. Now, Shankaran felt, the climb up the steps to the third floor had truly been worth it.

After looking several times into the phone and pretending to be busy, Chandran said, “I was expecting some phone calls. You know, I have been planning to start a business. So, I’ll be working on that....”

Business? Shankaran thought. What business will this guy be able to start? But then, Shankaran suddenly remembered his own business for the day. He had to buy vegetables and prepare everything for dinner before his wife returned home. Or else, the foul-mouthed woman at home would only get another chance to yell at him. So, saying that he, too, had got some work, Shankaran slowly got up to his feet to leave.

Chandran motioned a goodbye with a smile, but in his mind, he cursed Sreedharan and all the other gossip-mongers of the housing society.

As Shankaran passed through the main gate of Jai Shastri Housing Society, an autorickshaw stopped in front of him. He ignored it, choosing to save money, and took a walk towards the bus stop. A young man collided with him on the way, and left without even saying sorry. Chutiya, Shankaran said to himself.

Now, he had along the side of a drain, where water flowed through, darkened into a dirty shade of black. “What do Niagara Falls look like?” he wondered. The drain water, stinking of wet garbage, bubbling with foam, seeped up across the road.

Careful not to step on it, Shankaran walked on.

***

Nandan is a filmmaker and writer from Kerala. He is known for directing Breath and Dreaming of Words and has received many accolades, including a National Film Award. You can find him on Instagram: @nandansdreamfactory and Twitter: @NDreamFactory.