Family Tradition

      Ramu decided to marry her. Nobody would be able to dissuade him from doing that. He went against his parents in doing so. Nobody ever thought that he would be able to do that. Yet, he could do that. Love is such a thing that makes people blind. Ramu has really become mad. People started gossiping everywhere that the youngest son of the Chowdhury family was going to marry Padma, the daughter of their maid servant.

      Harihar, the neighbor next door, was talking to his wife Lakshmi, “We thought Ramu to be the best product of the Chowdhury family. But, see, what dishonor he has brought into his family!”

       Lakshmi was waiting for his husband opening the delicious topic. She took her seat beside her husband and sat comfortably, and then started, “There is a saying that excessive pride is at the root of all destruction! Have you noticed the pride of Nitin Chowdhury? The son has to suffer because of the father. He always boasts of his son who has foreign degrees. He is teaching in a college in Kolkata. Padma was reading in the same college. If you are such a learned person, Ramu, then why are you devoid of any knowledge of who belongs to the higher caste and who belongs to the lower caste?”

    Harihar did not fully agree with his wife because he has an affection for Ramu but he hates the way the girl has seduced him. He says, “Ramu is a kind human being and the bitch has caught him by a cunning trap.”

     Ramu’s father declared that if Ramu enters the house with that girl of the lower caste, both of the m would immediately be killed.

   It is true that in their family nobody was so educated as Ramu was. But nobody did such heinous act as this. Leela, Padma’s mother tried her best to stop it but failed to do so and then surrendered before Nitin Chowdhury, the head of the Chowdhury family.

  She said, “Boro Korta, I have tried my best but could do nothing. Now I give you the full freedom to do whatever you like to my daughter. I know nothing. She is a detestable thing in the world to do such a thing.”

      Nitin Chowdhry rolled his eyes in anger and said, “Not only your daughter but my son … both are inhumans. Ramu has done two offences at the same time. Being a teacher how can you drown yourself in the ditch of love and that too with that witch! I am ashamed now to show my face to the villagers. I’ll kill both. None will be spared!”

“ No Boro Korta, do not do anything to our chhoto babu. He is a pandit. He wanted to give Padma the light of knowledge but the snake seduced him! She will never find a place to live even in hell. She will suffer for her entire life. She is doomed. I only think how audacious is she! Kill her Boro korta, kill her”, said the excited Nirupama who has been working in the Chowdhury household from her childhood days. Nirupama’s mother also did the same in the same household. So, it was gnawing at her conscience at the thought of her daughter doing such a shameless act. She addressed her absent daughter and said, “What the hell have you done? You got your food here. You got your clothes here. Boro Korta admitted you in school. Chhoto babu, the god, took you to Kolkata and took the responsibility of teaching you, to give you the light.”

      She then turned to Nitin Choqwdhury and said, “Boro Korta, do you remember I asked you not to indulge in such things? But you were so generous that you wanted the light of education should reach everywhere. Chhoto Babu also wanted to do the same thing but …” She could not continue any more. Nitin Chowdhury ordered her, “Go hence now. Now I’ll take the right step. I’ll teach them the lesson.”

    The two other sons of Nitin Chowdhury , Bablu Chowdgury and Shyam Chowdhury  were not so educated but they were the keepers of the family tradition of marrying the girls of the same caste. They thought it more glorious to look after the enormous property they possessed. They were envious of the pride his father took in Ramu’s achievements. They were not without any grievances against their father who took utmost care for Ramu’s education, and when they expressed their thoughts openly before him, he replied, “Your little brother is much younger than you. When you were young my thought was different. My focus was on my land and huge profit I made from my land. But when Ramu was born I could find my fault of not focusing my prime concern on education. The days are also gradually changing and education was playing the central role in the society.” He then added in a humorous mood, “My grand sons and daughters will get the right kind of education. I’m arranging for that.”

      Beforehand they possessed three hundred bighas of landed property. But with the various land laws coming into effect they were forced to sell a lot of property and that cash was deposited in the banks; the interests alone were enough to maintain the family with enough luxury and comfort. Nobody dares to say anything against them in the village because they control the local politics in today’s world. When the politics of today’s world were not at all active they actually bought the local administration. So, the talk about their affair was everywhere but on the face of Nitin Chowdhury.

       As the days were passing amidst so much rumours, gossips, and troubles for Nitin Chowdhury, his family members thought that he would completely break down as he loved his youngest son the most. People were of the view that he would either kill Ramu and Padma or kill himself. Ramu was his dearest object on the earth and it was Nitin babu who took the first initiatives of Padma’s education. Ramu only facilitated the process towards the latter part of her education.

    But, to the utter surprise of everybody and defeating everybody’s guesses, Nitin Chowdhury was gaining more vigour and mental equilibrium and one fine morning called all the members of the family and himself declared, “Padma has got the distinction of being the first class first in the University in her final exam. I am going to give my son in marriage to Padma, my most worthy housewife, in the coming month.”