Jain Journal 1979 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 18

Sukumarika
GANESH LALWANI
Barren and dry like a desert was the life of Sukumarika, the merchant-daughter. Or like the furnace of Sun-burnt summer midday. Nowhere there was shade or coolness. Not a bit of it, as if a frowning curse had encircled her whole life in coils of snake.
But Sukumarika knew not what was that curse. Advent of youth had made her form beautiful, overflowing like a stream. Her lips were athirst with desire. They wanted to be pressed by two warm lips with passionate kisses. And her body to loose its entity under the pressure of two strong arms. But would it be possible ? Ever possible ?
Adjacent to her house was the garden where she came and sat on the bed of flowers under a Punnaga tree. Infront of her was a pool of clear water and beyond it was the darkness of dense forest. But could the coolness of that clear pool or the dark shade of that distant forest cool her heart ?
Slowly came her friend Sucarita and stood beside her. She wanted to console her but could not say anything. Tears rolled down the cheeks of Sukumarika and she began to tremble like a Ketaki leaf.
'Be calm, Sukumarika.' at last she was able to say.
But how she could calm herself ? The fulfilment of a woman's life is in becoming a bride and mother of children. That remains unfulfilled in her life even when it appeared that these are going to be fulfilled.
She could distinctly remember the full moon night of the month of Baisakh. That day it was Sucarita who decorated her as bride. She could also remember how she entered the pleasure house with her groom at the end of ceremonial rites. She came with her blazing garments, flower decorations and ornaments for the first night. Jasmine white moon beam of the full moon night was lying on her bed. In the coolness of that night how enchantingly her lover looked at her face. She was trembling at that time in an estatic mood, as if her life, her youth was on the verge of supreme fulfilment. She felt the tightening embrace of two strong arms,