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Monsoon murmurs (20)
It was not a palacios house but not small either, maybe 30 feet by 100? Yes, it is a long house with a ‘thinnai’ (an elevated floor for people to sit and chat facing the street), then a small ‘rezhi’ a passage hall with an attic above. Then comes the main hall in the shape of letter L. The ‘muttham’ occupies 50% of that hall. It is an open, free way to receive wind and rain. It would be fun to watch rain during the monsoon. Some of the water was collected for household uses. In the remaining 50 %, a small kitchen occupies 10% and the rest 40% is for common use and for dining. Adjacent to ‘rezhi’ there is a room for meditation and prayers. Almost all Hindu houses have a prayer room.
There was no furniture except a stool in the entrance to receive guests. In the dining hall everyone sits on the floor and eats. A warm meal is served from the kitchen by one of the females. Men are usually not allowed to cook or serve. After cleaning, the dining hall will be the rest place for night sleep. Females sleep inside and men sleep either on the rezhi or thinnai. Thinnai receives more air from the street but also noise from nocturnal activities of men and stray dogs. To protect one from these street dogs which may have their territorial fights at night, a bamboo thatched fencing was in place. Nandu and Sethu (cousin) sleep in thinnai and Anna (father) sleeps in rezhi and the rest of the family in the main hall. They all sleep on the floor one after another. Nandu sleeps in during monsoon season as it would be cold outside.
In general the families are large with several children. In Nandu’s case he had five sisters but his ‘chitti’ or aunt had eight children but only two survived, a boy, and a girl. So it was a joint family. The house comes as ‘manjakani’ property from Nandu’s grandma. So, the house was named after her as ‘Padma Nilayam’ meaning the house of Padma the grandma. However, it was under mortgage and Nandu’s father must pay for it to own it. He did not earn that much but still he was a government servant. The adage says it is safer to be a government employee even if it pays less. So, the ambition of most Tamils was to be a clerk in a government office, a system developed and nurtured by the British during colonial times. Though Nandu was born in independent India, many old habits and red tapism were still in vogue.
One wonders how on earth a couple could have several children without much privacy. Nandu had an opportunity to see his father making love to his mom in one monsoon season. Later he realized that such observations happen in all houses but nobody talks about it. Nandu heard of incest in one of his relative’s houses. With such a crowded situation without much privacy such incidents could happen. Sexual molesting by relatives was common too. It was never spoken or reported. Nandu had a sexual molesting too as he was chubby and cute. He learnt that in the boy’s hostel where the scheduled caste students stay, big boys sodomize young boys as they were all sleeping close by on the floor. However, it never came out in public.
There was no room for sexual exploration in their lifestyle. Nandu was a virgin till he got married which he could never imagine with his sexual fantasies in childhood. Boy or a girl, sexual restrictions were very similar. Most men and women experience sexual intercourse only during their nuptials. This sexual frustration makes some boys to be trans-sexual. They were mocked as number 9 and were sexually exploited by adult men. These pseudo girls exploit the inner frustration and make a living out of that. Nandu found them pitiable. They were never respected by the society and they formed their own clubs or society.
In spite of such a stifling situation Harini the daughter of the police constable could escape public eyes and explore sexual pleasure with some young guys in the town. People said it was for money and she was not chaste. Nandu knows Ramalingam, the guy who picks up Harini, had money and power. His father was a well-known money lender called, “levaadevi” in the village. He was always furious and ill mouthed. Chastity was of high value to Tamils. It was not uncommon in olden days that women were burnt alive in crematory pyre. A window was treated as a burden and her hair was shaved in Brahmin families. In royal families married women kill themselves in the crematory pyre out of sheer fear for a widowed lifestyle.
Music teacher Sulochana rented Nandu’s adjacent house. Amma believed that she was not of very good character as school teachers (men) visited her. She was worried a brothel would happen right next to her home and her children should be protected. So, she puts extra security measures on her daughters. Usually, female children are not allowed to talk to any strangers on the street. Boys are discouraged from visiting houses with girls.
Nandu noticed Kalyani teacher visiting Sulochana during school hours and Srinivasan Sir followed her. He suspected that something was happening there. He was too small to probe this further though Kalyani teacher was his ‘class teacher’. One day, Srinivasan sir visited his class and talked to her (ignoring the class, of course). Out of curiosity Nandu started listening to their conversation being in the first row. In total involvement he answered a question that Srinivasan posed to Kalyani teacher. The next moment, unexpectedly, he received a strong blow on his cheek from Srinivasan scolding him for spying on them. That was enough for this young boy to be out of their way. Alamelu teacher also visits occasionally but she had no affair with any male teacher. She liked Nandu and was always kind to him. Most teachers liked him as he was one of the top-ranking students. However, Srinivasan sir hit him mainly as a protective measure. Prevention is better than cure in gossiping as well!
© nanu
There was no furniture except a stool in the entrance to receive guests. In the dining hall everyone sits on the floor and eats. A warm meal is served from the kitchen by one of the females. Men are usually not allowed to cook or serve. After cleaning, the dining hall will be the rest place for night sleep. Females sleep inside and men sleep either on the rezhi or thinnai. Thinnai receives more air from the street but also noise from nocturnal activities of men and stray dogs. To protect one from these street dogs which may have their territorial fights at night, a bamboo thatched fencing was in place. Nandu and Sethu (cousin) sleep in thinnai and Anna (father) sleeps in rezhi and the rest of the family in the main hall. They all sleep on the floor one after another. Nandu sleeps in during monsoon season as it would be cold outside.
In general the families are large with several children. In Nandu’s case he had five sisters but his ‘chitti’ or aunt had eight children but only two survived, a boy, and a girl. So it was a joint family. The house comes as ‘manjakani’ property from Nandu’s grandma. So, the house was named after her as ‘Padma Nilayam’ meaning the house of Padma the grandma. However, it was under mortgage and Nandu’s father must pay for it to own it. He did not earn that much but still he was a government servant. The adage says it is safer to be a government employee even if it pays less. So, the ambition of most Tamils was to be a clerk in a government office, a system developed and nurtured by the British during colonial times. Though Nandu was born in independent India, many old habits and red tapism were still in vogue.
One wonders how on earth a couple could have several children without much privacy. Nandu had an opportunity to see his father making love to his mom in one monsoon season. Later he realized that such observations happen in all houses but nobody talks about it. Nandu heard of incest in one of his relative’s houses. With such a crowded situation without much privacy such incidents could happen. Sexual molesting by relatives was common too. It was never spoken or reported. Nandu had a sexual molesting too as he was chubby and cute. He learnt that in the boy’s hostel where the scheduled caste students stay, big boys sodomize young boys as they were all sleeping close by on the floor. However, it never came out in public.
There was no room for sexual exploration in their lifestyle. Nandu was a virgin till he got married which he could never imagine with his sexual fantasies in childhood. Boy or a girl, sexual restrictions were very similar. Most men and women experience sexual intercourse only during their nuptials. This sexual frustration makes some boys to be trans-sexual. They were mocked as number 9 and were sexually exploited by adult men. These pseudo girls exploit the inner frustration and make a living out of that. Nandu found them pitiable. They were never respected by the society and they formed their own clubs or society.
In spite of such a stifling situation Harini the daughter of the police constable could escape public eyes and explore sexual pleasure with some young guys in the town. People said it was for money and she was not chaste. Nandu knows Ramalingam, the guy who picks up Harini, had money and power. His father was a well-known money lender called, “levaadevi” in the village. He was always furious and ill mouthed. Chastity was of high value to Tamils. It was not uncommon in olden days that women were burnt alive in crematory pyre. A window was treated as a burden and her hair was shaved in Brahmin families. In royal families married women kill themselves in the crematory pyre out of sheer fear for a widowed lifestyle.
Music teacher Sulochana rented Nandu’s adjacent house. Amma believed that she was not of very good character as school teachers (men) visited her. She was worried a brothel would happen right next to her home and her children should be protected. So, she puts extra security measures on her daughters. Usually, female children are not allowed to talk to any strangers on the street. Boys are discouraged from visiting houses with girls.
Nandu noticed Kalyani teacher visiting Sulochana during school hours and Srinivasan Sir followed her. He suspected that something was happening there. He was too small to probe this further though Kalyani teacher was his ‘class teacher’. One day, Srinivasan sir visited his class and talked to her (ignoring the class, of course). Out of curiosity Nandu started listening to their conversation being in the first row. In total involvement he answered a question that Srinivasan posed to Kalyani teacher. The next moment, unexpectedly, he received a strong blow on his cheek from Srinivasan scolding him for spying on them. That was enough for this young boy to be out of their way. Alamelu teacher also visits occasionally but she had no affair with any male teacher. She liked Nandu and was always kind to him. Most teachers liked him as he was one of the top-ranking students. However, Srinivasan sir hit him mainly as a protective measure. Prevention is better than cure in gossiping as well!
© nanu
