may not even be a real MBBS doctor. Lakshmi must be boasting. Who is going to check his certificate?’
‘Yes, that’s true. If he were a doctor, he would have opened a nursing home by now. Look at my son-in-law, Prasad. He has already purchased land to build a nursing home and owns a car too. Shankar is also very smart. He has a car and Lakshmi buys jewellery every month.’
Sanjay felt awkward and Mridula was horrified to hear what the people were saying about them. Just then, they saw Prasad skipping the queue and making his way to wish the bride and groom.
Sanjay and Prasad had known each other fairly well in college. Prasad had taken eight years to complete a four-year course. As a student, he cheated regularly. After his graduation, he had become an abortion specialist. He had married an ugly girl because she was from a rich family and, as a part of the dowry, his in-laws had given him land and a car.
Sanjay felt odd. He thought ruefully, ‘How can people compare Prasad to me? We shouldn’t have come for the wedding.’
11
Changes
Sanjay got admission to the post-graduation course and decided to go to Vanivilas Hospital in Bangalore and study gynaecology. He quickly became extremely busy. He was awarded a scholarship but their main source of income was Mridula’s salary from her steady government job.
In Sanjay’s batch, some students had work experience and some were right out of college. The head of the department was Dr Kamala, with whom Sanjay had worked before. She liked him for his hard work, experience, patience and intelligence. He took complete responsibility of all cases assigned to him.
After a few months, Mridula and Sanjay moved out of Yelahanka and into Vijayanagar. Fortunately, Mridula was able to get a transfer to Vijayanagar High School. She felt sad leaving the Yelahanka school. She was going to miss Principal Muniyappa and his wife, Kantamma. They had been family to her in the big city. Principal Muniyappa was going to retire after a year and he and his wife wanted to go back to Kolar where they owned fields and plenty of sheep.
When Mridula joined the Vijayanagar school, she found it quite different from Yelahanka’s. Nobody cared about anyone. But by now, Mridula had learnt not to expect to find a meaningful relationship in the school. The government schoolswere looked down upon. The school buildings were not maintained properly and the teachers felt it was the duty of the local corporation to maintain them. The corporation said that it was the duty of the government—and in this blame game, the school and its students suffered.
Four years passed.
Sanjay had finished his studies and started working as a doctor and lecturer in a government hospital. Mridula’s salary had also increased and, together, they bought a flat in Vijayanagar with the help of a bank loan. Soon, they also became parents to a healthy baby boy, Sishir.
In Aladahalli, Krishna had got married to Vatsala who was from a neighbouring village. Bheemanna and Rukuma wanted a village girl because they thought that she would understand the difficulties of an agricultural family.
Sarla had married Prasanna, a software engineer, and settled in San Jose, California. She had started working there. She came to India at least once a year and visited everyone.
Meanwhile, Satish had got married to Shyla who worked in a bank in Hubli.
Alex had married his girlfriend, Anita, in a church in Mangalore, and Mridula and Sanjay had gone for the wedding. It was a big event. Dignitaries from the government attended the marriage. Alex had come from the Middle East and spent money like water. Anita and Mridula liked each other at their first meeting and decided to keep in touch.
Shankar had been transferred to Mandya.
But life in Aladahalli and T. Narasipura had not changed even after four years.
When Lakshmi heard about Sanjay’s permanent job with the government, she was upset. ‘What’s the use of academic intelligence? My
‘Yes, that’s true. If he were a doctor, he would have opened a nursing home by now. Look at my son-in-law, Prasad. He has already purchased land to build a nursing home and owns a car too. Shankar is also very smart. He has a car and Lakshmi buys jewellery every month.’
Sanjay felt awkward and Mridula was horrified to hear what the people were saying about them. Just then, they saw Prasad skipping the queue and making his way to wish the bride and groom.
Sanjay and Prasad had known each other fairly well in college. Prasad had taken eight years to complete a four-year course. As a student, he cheated regularly. After his graduation, he had become an abortion specialist. He had married an ugly girl because she was from a rich family and, as a part of the dowry, his in-laws had given him land and a car.
Sanjay felt odd. He thought ruefully, ‘How can people compare Prasad to me? We shouldn’t have come for the wedding.’
11
Changes
Sanjay got admission to the post-graduation course and decided to go to Vanivilas Hospital in Bangalore and study gynaecology. He quickly became extremely busy. He was awarded a scholarship but their main source of income was Mridula’s salary from her steady government job.
In Sanjay’s batch, some students had work experience and some were right out of college. The head of the department was Dr Kamala, with whom Sanjay had worked before. She liked him for his hard work, experience, patience and intelligence. He took complete responsibility of all cases assigned to him.
After a few months, Mridula and Sanjay moved out of Yelahanka and into Vijayanagar. Fortunately, Mridula was able to get a transfer to Vijayanagar High School. She felt sad leaving the Yelahanka school. She was going to miss Principal Muniyappa and his wife, Kantamma. They had been family to her in the big city. Principal Muniyappa was going to retire after a year and he and his wife wanted to go back to Kolar where they owned fields and plenty of sheep.
When Mridula joined the Vijayanagar school, she found it quite different from Yelahanka’s. Nobody cared about anyone. But by now, Mridula had learnt not to expect to find a meaningful relationship in the school. The government schoolswere looked down upon. The school buildings were not maintained properly and the teachers felt it was the duty of the local corporation to maintain them. The corporation said that it was the duty of the government—and in this blame game, the school and its students suffered.
Four years passed.
Sanjay had finished his studies and started working as a doctor and lecturer in a government hospital. Mridula’s salary had also increased and, together, they bought a flat in Vijayanagar with the help of a bank loan. Soon, they also became parents to a healthy baby boy, Sishir.
In Aladahalli, Krishna had got married to Vatsala who was from a neighbouring village. Bheemanna and Rukuma wanted a village girl because they thought that she would understand the difficulties of an agricultural family.
Sarla had married Prasanna, a software engineer, and settled in San Jose, California. She had started working there. She came to India at least once a year and visited everyone.
Meanwhile, Satish had got married to Shyla who worked in a bank in Hubli.
Alex had married his girlfriend, Anita, in a church in Mangalore, and Mridula and Sanjay had gone for the wedding. It was a big event. Dignitaries from the government attended the marriage. Alex had come from the Middle East and spent money like water. Anita and Mridula liked each other at their first meeting and decided to keep in touch.
Shankar had been transferred to Mandya.
But life in Aladahalli and T. Narasipura had not changed even after four years.
When Lakshmi heard about Sanjay’s permanent job with the government, she was upset. ‘What’s the use of academic intelligence? My
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