MINI STORIES MANY -- 06

DREAMS, DECEIT AND DANGER

(By Subbaram Danda)

It was totally an exotic course, conducted clandestinely in a far-flung holiday resort.  The fee for it was hefty – Rs.1 lakh for ten sessions.   It was titled “The Best Ways to Entice and Trap the Rich.”     The course would teach how to exploit the weaknesses of the prosperous people and fleece them.  Young men and women with vaulting ambition and no scruples were welcome.  The programme was organized every three years by the International Institute for Unconventional Studies.

Rupika, a final year B.Com. student, came to know of the course.  For long she had been dreaming of becoming wealthy in the easiest way at the earliest.   The course would give her a shot in the arm.   But unfortunately she was not in a position to pay the high fees.  Her parents were ordinary middle class people from Kerala and they could just manage to pay for her studies and meet her other essential expenses.  In a few weeks, her studies would be over and they did not favour her pursuing higher studies, as she was just an ordinary student.  They would like her to start hunting for a job.   But, when she got one, it could fetch her a salary not even enough to make her both ends meet.   

Rupika was restless.  She wanted to realize her dreams fast.  She had mesmerizing looks.  With blemishless fair complexion, chiseled facial features and slithering body structure she could easily captivate anybody.  She had a pleasing voice too.  She wondered whether her appealing personal traits could be of any use to her in her quest for riches.  She approached her close friend and classmate Sharmila for advice.

Tapping one’s own skills

She sermonized to her:  “Every human being is born with a unique skill, talent or attribute.   That is why some are excellent singers, some famous actors, some outstanding sportsmen and some great writers.   One’s life depends on how one recognizes one’s hidden faculties and exploits them.   You are strikingly beautiful.  You should make full use of it.”

She went on:  “Consider how you can go up in life in one jump by tapping your charms.  Don’t think in terms of what is right and what is not.  When you move to the top, whatever you do will automatically appear right.”

Sharmila continued:  “Do you remember our senior Ranjita of last year?   She was not even half as beautiful as you are.   She used to dress like a film star and move around like a model.  Even before she could appear for her final examination, a rich guy fell for her.  Now married, the two are living like the royalty.   A girl, who has always depended on public transport, she travels now in posh cars and is a director of many enterprises.  I think you don’t know how to push yourself up in this madly competitive world.”

She advised her:  “The best avenue open to you is to do the course.  Look for someone in your circle of relatives and acquaintances to lend you money for it.  Learn all the tricks and then exploit your charms.  Think over well and break the ice.”

This set Rupika wondering.   Yes, she would certainly love to enjoy fancy villas, fast cars and fine dining.  After a few days of intense thinking, she shook off her lethargy and got in touch with an aunt  of hers practising as an attorney in Canada and told her a blatant lie that she would like to do a course in Management for which she needed financial assistance from her.   Her aunt readily agreed to send her the required fees.

Marry or fleece

The course commenced shortly after her university examinations.  There were about twenty participants, mostly women.   Only three were men.  The atmosphere at the first class was overwhelmingly cordial.  The course director, a middle-aged lady, told them by way of introduction: “You might have read books, watched videos and attended seminars on ‘Fabulous Relationships.’  But this one is distinctly different and result-oriented.  I assure you that at the end you will all be fully equipped to play the game successfully.  You can dig gold, whatever your background is.  Girls can attract a rich man and marry him.  Or, fleece him and leave him.  Boys can tag on to an affluent lass.  It is all in the realm of possibility. You have my word on it.  At all times, however, remember the eleventh commandment – Thou shalt not be caught.”

The subsequent classes too were fascinating.  The theories and actions advocated were based on pure human psychology and behaviour.   The methods suggested for achieving the goals looked very simple and practical.  One general advice was: “Be classy – elegant, graceful and poised whenever you go hunting.  Be confident in the way you carry yourself.  Keep abreast of developments, political, economic and social.  In short, you should appear a thoroughbred and stand out in a crowd.”

Of all the suggestions, Rupika fancied one very much.  It was for girls:  “Go to a meeting after it has started, never on time nor before.  All invitees should have settled down in their seats.  Dress yourself to kill.  Walk down the side aisle of the hall projecting yourself in the style of a model walking on a ramp in a fashion show.   Sure, many heads will turn towards you.   You would create a lasting impression on them.   Make best use of it.”  Finally, the million-dollar advice that all the participants liked was:  “Your words and actions should make your target person chase you, though the truth is you are the one running after that man or woman.”     

Plan of action

Meanwhile, Sharmila surprised Rupika with an invitation to her own wedding.  “What a pleasant piece of news!  Congratulations,” Rupika hailed her.  The groom was a highly qualified youngster working for a major company in Japan with a fabulous pay packet.  She would have a lifetime of luxury.  She should have played her cards well!   

Rupika pondered over her own future.  She had several years to go before she could settle down in life.  Till then she could afford to play the games.  In the process she would like to build a sizeable fortune.  She recalled what all she learnt at the institute.  There was nothing that a determined woman could not achieve.  What was important was a clear view of what she wanted, a time-bound plan of action, employment of necessary skills for the purpose and the constant monitoring of the progress made.   Most essential, she should know how to wriggle out of a situation when things got pretty hot.

Rupika evolved her strategy.   She would carefully flirt with a few men, live together or get along with them, extort money and ultimately manage to extricate.  At the end, she would look for a guy, who would really care for her, and marry him. 

To begin with, she wanted to penetrate the celluloid world.  She knew it was a difficult and tricky proposition.  One advantage for her was that she was already in the film world’s circuit.  A year ago, when she had performed at her college cultural programmes, some directors had spotted her.   Since then she had been receiving invitations for parties organized by them.  She would like to strike now.

First success

One day she attended a party to celebrate the release of a musical CD of an upcoming film.  She employed a few tricks she had learnt at the institute and became a star attraction there.   A young guy Ritesh stalked her.    He was not very handsome but apparently of a fabulous pedigree.   They talked to each other animatedly.  At the end he dropped her in his car at her flat.  Their relationship blossomed fast.  They met almost twice a week and every time he gave her an expensive gift.  She felt she was on the right track.

The two moved closer to each other.   She deliberately raised the question of their wedding but he argued that it would take the sparkle out of their relationship and they should put it off as long as possible.   In fact, she wanted only such a reply.   Meanwhile, she collected more valuable presents from him.   

Suddenly, Ritesh’s meetings with her became few and far between.  She learnt that his wedding with a distant relative of his was being finalized.  This suited her because she had been hobnobbing with him for too long.  Finally, he disappeared from her radar.

Rupika felt she still had a long way to traverse in her dream journey.  She cast her net wider.  This time she made use of the social networks.  First, she managed to enter into a live-in relationship with a young thriving doctor, learnt all his professional secrets, blackmailed him and left extracting heavy booty from him.   She played similar games with a few more persons. 

Next, she threw her dragnet at a very famous film star of yesteryears.  He was ailing and fighting his loneliness, having been forsaken by his own kith and kin.  Though she had wanted to entrap him, she developed pity for him once she saw his plight.  She stayed with him looking after him well.  Out of consideration for her, he transferred a small house to her, though she did not expect it.   He also promised to get her a chance to act in films but before he could do anything about it, he passed away.   

This development stirred her conscience.  She became convinced that a person’s good behaviour had its own ways of fetching rich dividends.  She decided not to employ her skills for shady purposes thereafter.   It was time for her to settle down in life once and for all.  The wealth she had acquired was more than enough to see her through in life.   She recast her plans and started looking for a well-placed life-partner.

Fabulous assignment

One day, a classified advertisement in a daily attracted her.  “Charming female escort required to accompany a young businessman of a major industrial group to Singapore for a week.  Reply with photograph.”   A recruitment agency interviewed Rupika and selected her for the assignment.  On the eve of their departure she met the businessman Pradhan in a five-star hotel.  They liked each other at the very first sight.   In his early thirties, he was single, tall and handsome and could pass off for a silver screen hero. 

During their flight in Business Class, the hostesses lavished courtesies on them, as the businessman was their “classic customer.”    In Singapore they checked into the Diamond Suite of a swanky hotel, informally categorized as the seven star property.  She had never experienced such luxuries before.  She wanted to gain his confidence and took great care of his requirements in all sincerity.  However, on the first two days when he was fully immersed in his business matters, he did everything himself.   She was kept in the dark about what he was doing and where he was going.  This intrigued her.

In the following days, he entertained her like a princess.   They went out in a white Mercedes limousine, visiting the famous tourist attractions – the Merlion (the iconic water-spewing lion statue), the Singapore Flyer (a giant observation wheel), Sentosa Island (a vast theme park), Jurong Bird Park (an avian sanctuary) and numerous malls.   One evening on the way to an acrobatic show by a visiting Chinese troupe, he told her, “I have made a cool profit this time and I think it is all due to your lucky company.  I am really pleased about it.”  That night they went to a cosy restaurant, where they were served dinner in gold plates.

Unexpected gesture

What surprised her was that he never tasted liquor.  Nor did he behave indecently to her at any time.  He appeared out and out a gentleman.  Would he marry her?  Would her final dream come true?  Could she propose to him?

On the last day of their stay in Singapore, he gave her a present.  It was a gleaming jewel case.  When she opened it, she could not trust her own eyes.  It contained a dazzling diamond necklace.   A guarantee card issued by an Antwerp firm said the 10-carat diamonds used in the necklace were of high quality in terms of their three C’s – colour, clarity and cut.  A tag disclosed a price of 15,000 Singapore Dollars (7 lakhs Indian Rupees)!

Pradhan placed the necklace round her neck and fixed it.  Unexpectedly, he kissed her very passionately like the French and left her speechless.   He handed her the e-ticket for her return journey and said, “I am going to Kuala Lumpur for some newly cropped up work.  I have a request to you -- don’t ever try to contact me hereafter.”   She was petrified.  She regained her composure fast and asked him, “Why?”  His reply was more puzzling, “It is my style.  That is how I worship beauty -- only once.  Good Bye!”  He remained a great riddle to her ever after.   It did not take long for her to realize that in Singapore everything went the way he wanted and she never had her say in anything.  Her plans to enter into wedlock with him were dashed.

Fresh move

As the wheel of time rolled by, she began her search once again for a civilized man for a matrimonial alliance with him.  One day she met Dushyant, a fair young man with excellent physique, at a restaurant.  He too responded to her gentle overtures.   The two hit it off.  His visiting card was very flashy -- an accountant in a multinational corporation with top professional degrees and membership in several social service organizations.  She too discreetly flaunted her newly-acquired riches through her designer attire and expensive antique jewellery.   They met frequently thereafter.

Rupika studied Dushyant carefully.   He looked well-mannered and appeared typically made for her.  To pull him closer to her side she wanted to play an old trick.  She remembered what her lecturer had told the class -- “To tighten your grip over a relationship, now and then keep your person at a distance.   This will boost the person’s longing for you.”  She tried this on Dushyant.   When she got a chance to participate in a fashion parade in Mumbai, she flew there without informing him. 

Dushyant made calls to her mobile.  Deliberately she did not answer.  He sent an SMS, “Where are you, dear?   I am feeling fish out of water without you.”  No response.  Next day another message went out, “I am becoming anxious about your whereabouts.  Reply at once or call.”   She wanted to prolong the suspense.   “If you are angry with me, tell me.  My unconditional apologies to you.  Don’t torture me like this.”  She had a big laugh but kept quiet.

The following day Rupika received yet another SMS, “Hi darling, something interesting happened last evening.  I never expected things will take such a turn all of a sudden….”  He cut short the message.  This created curiosity in the girl.   Could this be a ploy or he really meant something?  Was the bird flying out of her hands?   

Continuing war of words

A day passed.   She could not manage the anxiety any longer.  She replied, “How are you, dear?  I have been busy in Mumbai working day and night for a modelling unit.  Tell me, what the development you were talking about is.”

Dushyant was happy that his bait had paid off.  Now it was his turn to tease her.  “Temptress, come back soon.  I want to discuss an important matter with you.  Rest in person.”  Rupika felt enough was enough.    She would not like to lose him.  “Coming back tomorrow by Air India morning flight.  Pick me up,” she replied.

When she landed, she was surprised not to find her fiancé at the airport.  She took a taxi and went to her flat.  She picked up the newspaper thrown inside.  A front-page heading shocked her:  “A serial-groom cheating five girls arrested.”  A report with a photo of Dushyant said he married them one after another over three years, lifted their jewels and fled.   He was trying to ensnare yet another girl.   Unemployed and a college drop-out, the man presented himself as a highly qualified accountant.  Apparently a seasoned cheat, he had undergone a dubious course many years ago in a secret school known as the International Institute for Unconventional Studies.”  

Rupika was flummoxed.  She was outsmarted in her own field of expertise!  The net result was that her matrimonial dream had again been shattered.      

     

October 27, 2012

(2,760 words)

               

MINI STORIES MANY -- 05

CONTOURS OF A PREDICAMENT

(By Subbaram Danda)

Sahitya had posh qualifications – M.Tech. in Information Technology and M.B.A.   She held a well-paid job in a multinational corporation.   With captivating looks, she was bold but not brash, quick-witted but not quirky.   Though she had a mod outlook, she respected her parents, who were overly conservative, religious-minded and ritual-bound.    

 

Sahitya turned 25.   Only daughter, her parents started looking for an alliance for her.  On an auspicious day her father approached a broker and collected some horoscopes.   He shelled out Rs.10,000 towards registration charges and for the horoscopes.

He consulted an astrologer famous in their locality.   In a voice bristling with warmth he said, “I will straightaway suggest a compatible alliance for your daughter out of the horoscopes you have brought.  We charge Rs.1,000 as our fee.   You can leave the amount in the brass bowl over there.”  

Grim afflictions

The astrologer studied Sahitya’s horoscope.  His face turned grim.  He said, “It has several inimical factors.   In particular, its seventh and eighth houses are occupied by malefic planets.  Because of this, her would-be husband’s life will be compromised, if proper attention is not paid to selecting him.  What is required is a similarly afflicted horoscope, which will be rare.”   Then he went through the horoscopes given to him and rejected all.

He made a suggestion: “The chances of your getting a suitable alliance will be better if you do propitiating rituals.  Please check with my assistant to know how to go about it.”  The news produced mixed reaction in Sahitya.  She did not care for the astrologer’s words but to please her parents she agreed for the rituals. 

The broker provided some more horoscopes and collected more money.  The astrologer rejected all of them and received his fees.  “You have to be patient.  There is no other go,” he advised him.  The process of visiting the astrologer continued without any results. 

Two years passed.  At the office, Sahitya had brilliant tidings.  She had been receiving “outstanding” rating in her performance evaluation reports every year.   Her boss offered to send her to the United States for a month-long overseas orientation.  But her parents stood in the way and said assertively, “Your marriage is our first priority.  Get married and go anywhere you like.  We want it to be on traditional lines.  We do not encourage adventures.”   

Love failure

At Sahitya’s office the common dining hall was the bee hive of all gossip.  The latest piece of news was that her senior colleague Mohan had been deserted by his long time fiancée.  She was forced by her parents to marry a man of their choice.  Since then he had become depressed and was not mingling with others freely.   “This is the fate of a really decent person,” many employees commented.    

Sahitya’s father continued to make his visits to the astrologer.  But the outcome remained negative.   On the advice of a neighbour he changed the astrologer.  The new man wanted her to light a lamp at the idol of Mars in the shrine of “Navagrahas” (nine planets) on nine Tuesdays.  This also Sahitya complied with.  But, nothing emerged. 

Sahitya’s father registered her biodata and horoscope with a leading matrimonial website and also with a well-known marriage bureau.   There was not much of a response.   “People are scared of her horoscope,” was the reason given.   Following a friend’s advice, she wore two gem-studded rings.  Nothing happened.  Her father responded to matrimonial advertisements in newspapers.   It did not help either.  

Two more years rolled by.  Sahitya was disenchanted.  

  

Hitler’s lie

To unfathom her predicament, she met a reputed psychologist, who was also a sociologist. Providing him with her biodata, she told him:  “My father has been looking for an alliance for me for the past several years without any success.   According to astrologers, people shun me because of malefic planetary configurations in my horoscope.  Is there any scientific basis for what the astrologers say?"

He took a close look at her.  She was charmingly good-looking, well-educated and decently employed.   It was a pity that she was not yet married.

He replied: “I am reminded of the German dictator Adolf Hitler’s famous dictum – Tell a lie again and again.  Make it big.   Eventually people will believe it.  Lie automatically becomes truth.  Even assuming that a particular prediction is a conjecture, repeated pronouncements would make it sound true.   People believe it and never bother to probe its veracity scientifically.  They are not prepared to take risks, especially when somebody’s life is in jeopardy.  The easiest option for them is to look elsewhere.  There are many girls around without the malefic factors.” 

   

God’s prophesy?

Sahitya wanted to probe further.  She called on a well-known spiritual guru.   Without mincing words, she asked him, “Swamiji, is there any divine sanction behind predictions?  Why do astrologers link Gods and temples with their predictions?”

The guru sported a smile and replied:  “No astrological prediction can be construed as God’s prophesy.   It is not ordained by God.  There is no guarantee that a particular prediction will come true.  Astrology is different and temple worship is different.   Sincere prayer to God, coupled with good behaviour, will certainly mitigate any hardship.”

Sahitya felt relieved.     

At her office Mohan regained his old composure and started mixing with all as usual.  “This is not the end of the world,” he appeared to convey.  An elderly lady colleague of Sahitya, with whom she had shared her matrimonial melancholies, suggested that she could consider marrying him.  “He is a gem, take my word.  He insists on no horoscopes, nothing.”  But, Sahitya did not like the idea of marrying a man, who had already loved somebody else.

 

One more year passed without any development on her matrimonial front.  On returning home one evening, she noticed a pair of shoes in front of closed doors of her apartment.  She could vaguely hear the voices of people talking inside.  She strained herself to catch the conversation.

At tether’s end

The visitor was her uncle.  Her father was speaking:  “Next week Sahitya will turn 30.  Unfortunately, no alliance is materializing for her.  We have been scouting for five long years.  In fact, I am getting fed up going to the broker, matrimonial bureau and the astrologer.” 

Her uncle interjected:  “True, let us face the realities of the situation.   Marriage is not the be all and end all of life.  God appears to have ordained her to remain single.  Let her be so.  There are several middle-aged women in our neighbourhood who are not married.   You and your wife should also have somebody to look after you in your twilight years.   Moreover, you are a retired person without much income now.  Her earnings are necessary for you.”

Her father:  “I am also getting inclined to think on those lines.”   At this stage, Sahitya knocked on the door.  Her mother opened it.   Next moment her uncle left the place after greeting her gingerly.

That night Sahitya did not sleep well.  Her present predicament haunted her.  Propitiation rituals and gems were of no use.  People’s blind faith in what astrologers said appeared unshakable.  She recalled the conversation between her father and her uncle.  Tears swelled in her eyes.  The last words of her father proved the last straw on the camel’s back.  She mustered courage and decided that she should do something herself to break the gridlock.    

Crisis management

She marshalled her crisis management skills.  True, several negative factors were working against her.  At the same time, she was not hopelessly helpless.  There were a few positive factors, which she could mobilize to her advantage -- her good educational background, her official track record, possibility of new foreign assignments, money in her savings account and a few good friends.

Next day, shortly before lunch time in her office, there was a call from her director.  “Would you mind seeing me for a minute?”  With trepidation she met him.   He told her: “I have good news for you.  You have been selected for a year-long project in London.   I know in the past you have rejected a foreign assignment.  The present one you should not turn down in your career’s interest.   We have selected Mohan also for a similar parallel position there.  Let me know by tomorrow.”

Thoughts flashed in Sahitya’s mind.  She felt her parents had imprisoned her within the four walls of their rigid conservatism and blind beliefs.   They could not find a suitable match for her.  Neither would they allow her to seek her life-partner herself.   They had prevented her from going to a foreign country even once.  Yet, she loved and obeyed them sincerely, but how long could she put up with their ways.  

Welcome break

Without hesitation she replied:  “Yes sir, I accept the offer.  Thanks a lot.”   He was surprised at her instant response.  “Okay.  I am arranging for necessary papers.  After visa formalities, you will be leaving next week.  Good luck!”

Sahita knew that Mohan would also be flying with her.  He was a decent guy.  But, she would like to keep him at a respectable distance.

A week rolled by fast.  At the airport, as Sahitya’s parents waved her “good bye,” tears swelled in their eyes.   She remained stoic.  But on board the aircraft she wept uncontrollably.  Mohan, who sat next to her, tried to console her but she remained indifferent.

In London, they stayed in two adjacent studio-type flats.  Mohan picked her up daily and drove her to office in a car he had bought there.  Sahitya never assisted him in anything, as that would mean sending wrong signals to him.  Once when she fell ill, he abstained from going to office, took her to the doctor and looked after her.

Unexpected alliance

Meanwhile, Sahitya’s parents started sending her e-mails from a browsing centre and kept her informed of developments at home.  Her responses were few and far between. 

One day she received an e-mail that startled her.  They had located an alliance for her in London itself.  The horoscopes of the two matched well.  They wanted her to agree to this proposal.

Sahitya was in a dilemma.  On the one hand, she was in no mood to accept horoscope-based alliances.  On the other, she was not prepared to remain single lifelong.  What was the course open to her?  She called Mohan and invited him to tea at a restaurant nearby that evening.  She told him she wanted to discuss an important matter with him.  Surprisingly, there she proposed to him and he accepted willingly.  Here was a person, she reasoned, who cared for her unsolicited and unselfishly, despite her cold-shouldering him.

Sahitya-Mohan wedding took place in an Indian temple in the presence of close friends.   She e-mailed her wedding photos to her parents with a message, “I know I am breaking conventions, which did no good to me.  I am confident I will lead a happy life with Mohan, despite the malefic afflictions in my horoscope.  Certainly, God will be on our side.”

Novel and noble

One evening the newly-married couple took a stroll on a promenade by the Thames.   They recalled their immediate past.  Both of them were victims of circumstances, brought about by miscarriage of love or unflinching adherence of elders to archaic practices.  

Soft waves of the majestic flowing river, scattered clouds painted in shades of crimson by the setting sun and cool breeze caressing them set their thoughts soaring.  

The two figured out that there would be hundreds of disenchanted persons like them suffering silently in their native city, thousands in their state and tens of thousands in their country.   “This cannot go on,” they averred.  “It should change.   Something should be done.  God, show us the way,” they prayed silently.  

On completion of their foreign project the two returned to India.  The first thing they did was to set up a Research Institute for Matrimonial Compatibility.   One of its special programmes was a free service to evaluate, through stringent psychological tests, compatibility of alliance-seeking men and women for a lasting marital relationship.   It also insisted on blood tests for the prospective bride and the groom to rule out existence of AIDS and other life-threatening diseases in any of them.  It further recommended Police verification of their antecedents.  Independent observers hailed the programme as “a noble service par excellence.”   Within a year it hit high popularity charts.

October 06, 2012.

(2,070 words)

                                                                        ***



MINI STORIES MANY -- 04

THE GAMES TWO SISTERS PLAYED

(By Subbaram Danda)

Kusum entertained grand desires.  She wanted to live like a princess.    Her lifestyle should be the envy of everyone around.  She was prepared to do anything to realize her dreams.  Just 25 years old, she wondered how some of her neighbours had overnight become rich.    When would she strike gold?  

The realities of her current position were starkly different.  She was the wife of an ordinary farmer in a village near Delhi.  She had a mother-in-law and a one-year-old boy to look after.   A small tiled house, a three-acre farmland and a few head of cattle were all they possessed.  She was a middle school drop-out.

Kusum’s elder sister Rashmi was lucky.  She was ravishingly beautiful.   Captivated by her looks, a rich businessman’s son had married her.   A chartered accountant, he was a partner in a leading auditors firm, which had offices in all major business centres of the world.  He headed the Dubai unit and took her there with him.   Rashmi’s letters and photographs of her lavish ways of living added fuel to the fire of Kusum’s aspirations.

Tower of delights

When Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building at 2,723 feet, came up, Rashmi’s husband purchased a swanky residential suite in it and moved in there.   She invited Kusum to spend a week with her and arranged for her travel documents and tickets.

Kusum was thrilled at the opportunity of visiting one of the wealthiest cities in the world.  For the first time in her life she boarded a plane.   From Dubai airport she was driven to her sister’s home in a six-door limousine.   En route the sight of innumerable skyscrapers in incredible shapes made her feel she was in a world of fantasy.

She spent a full day savouring the delights of Burj Khalifa.  Its 160-plus storeys, extensive architectural embellishments, posh restaurants, fitness facilities, azure swimming pools and dancing fountains amazed her.  She was awe-struck by the Dubai Mall, a part of the Burj complex with over 1,200 outlets for shopping, entertainment and leisure activities.  The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, twin attractions of the mall, featured a long acrylic walkthrough tunnel providing incredible close encounters with the marine species and a rendezvous with rare denizens.  The high-speed elevators of the main tower were themselves marvellous.  As she entered one and moved up whisper-free, its floor-to-ceiling glass walls all around enabled her to take an awesome view of the city’s landmarks, the desert and the sea.   At the observation deck at level 124 called “At the Top” she walked along its entire perimeter and felt she was on top of the world.   In the night from her sister’s suite at level 100 she could view sparkling lights of the buildings below and the twinkling stars above. 

The sights and thrills

Rashmi and Kusum spent the next few days sight-seeing.   The famous mosque in the Jumeirah area and Burj Al Arab, the luxury hotel with its unique sail-boat architecture, were picturesque.   Shopping at the “City Centre” mall, Gold and Spice Souks was a memorable experience.   The night cruise on the Dubai Creek, a major salt water channel that divides the city, in an ornately-crafted sturdy Arab boat with dinner thrown in, proved a fantasy trip.  The “Desert Safari,” a roller-coaster drive in a four-wheel land cruiser up and down steep sand dunes, was excitingly spine-chilling.   Watching the spectacle of the sun sinking below the desert horizon amidst fiery colours in the sky was exhilarating.

 

On returning to her village, Kusum became doubly determined that she should do something to change her fate.   She wanted to uncover the secret behind the riches of her neighbours, but they would not oblige her.  She decided to tap her friend Leela living a kilometre away, who had also made millions within a few years.   She was only five years older than her.

Rolling in riches

One evening Kusum walked to Leela’s house, an architect-designed compact but elegant bungalow with a nice garden.  After sipping tea in a silver cup Kusum broached the subject.   Her friend was helpful.   “It is all simple.  But you should have grit, determination, patience and confidence.”  Moving closer to her, she whispered a lot in her ear.   Kusum was flabbergasted.   “Fantastic,” she exclaimed, “it looks like a mantra to roll in riches.   I am sure I can also do it.”

Next day Kusum told her husband:  “I want to take some burden off your slender shoulders.  I am going to get lucrative work in Delhi, thanks to my friend Leela, who has recently become affluent.   Let the mother-in-law take care of our child till I come back.”

The man was aghast.  She did not disclose to him her real plans.   She just told him, “I will let you know everything once I settle down there.  I seek your co-operation.”   The next day Kusum left for Delhi carrying a letter from Leela.

The far side

In Dubai, Rashmi and her husband led a happy life, each caring immensely for the other.  Every now and then they went on a holiday.   They visited all the constituents of the United Arab Emirates and almost every country in Europe.  Rashmi could not have asked for more. 

However, one problem tormented them.  Though they got married several years ago, they were childless.  They consulted a leading lady doctor of Indian origin specializing in fertility matters.   Tests and scans disclosed no physical abnormality in either of them.   She referred Rashmi to a psychiatrist.   After some personality and attitudinal tests, he subjected her to counselling. The first two of five sessions were of no consequence.  During the third one, when he was making a suggestion, she screamed, “Oh, no, I don’t want to conceive.  I hate getting pregnant.  I am mortally scared of carrying and the process of delivery.  That is why I have been skillfully avoiding the advances of my husband during those vital days in a month.  I love him alright.”   The remaining sessions failed to produce any impact on her.

  

The psychiatrist’s report provided details of Rashmi’s confessional outbursts on her attitude towards pregnancy and how the conselling sessions proved futile.   It shocked and angered her husband.  But he kept his cool.  The psychiatrist recommended further intensive treatment.  However, the fertility expert provided a different perspective.   She advised them:  “You don’t have to despair.  You can have a baby biologically born to you two.  But it will be carried and delivered by another woman called a surrogate.  To use the modern terminology, it is outsourcing pregnancy.  If you opt for it, how it actually works will be explained to you at the hospital performing the procedure.”

She pointed out: “For several high-flying women this is currently the preferred mode of begetting a baby, though they and their husbands are perfectly fit physically.  It is like getting one’s own child by placing an order.   Their reason is simple – in this fast age, when they are occupying top positions, they don’t like going around carrying for ten long months.  In fact, it is slowly becoming the fashion of the day!”

Most desired destination

The doctor continued:  “This is one of the miracles of modern medicine.  Surrogate pregnancy has several variations.  The first surrogate birth, a baby girl, was reported in the United States in 1986.  Since then thousands of births have taken place globally.  In India the first one was in 1994.   In recent years the country witnessed rapid progress and is now the most sought-after destination for couples worldwide opting for this procedure.”

The two listened to her carefully.  She went on:  “According to an unofficial estimate, about 1,000 fertility clinics in India out of a large number have developed expertise in surrogate procedures to assist child-seeking couples in this way.  More than 2,000 surrogate births take place every year.  It is currently a highly flourishing industry.  Anand, a town in Gujarat, has acquired the reputation of being the surrogate capital of the world.”

The specialist, however, warned them:  “One should be very careful in choosing a clinic for the purpose.  Bogus advertisements and touts are aplenty.  There have been dreadful failures and untoward developments. If you are interested, I can refer you to a renowned hospital in Mumbai, where the doctors and the staff are really capable and truly devoted.  Without any hassles, you will have your own sweet baby delivered to you.   But be prepared.  It is expensive, though significantly cheaper than elsewhere in the world.”

The procedure

Without losing much time, Rashmi and her husband visited the Mumbai hospital recommended by the Dubai specialist.  After going through their medical reports and subjecting them to new tests, a senior doctor told them:  “In your case it is going to be what we call gestational surrogacy.  Under this procedure, sperms of the husband will be fused in-vitro (in the lab) with the eggs extracted from the wife.   When a fertilized egg becomes an embryo, it will be placed in the womb of a surrogate, who has already been screened and prepared for the purpose.  She will go through the full course of pregnancy.”

The doctor explained further:  “The surrogate mother will stay in our residential homes for better monitoring.  She will get necessary food and medicines, including vitamins and nourishing supplements.  Her own children can stay with her and her husband can also visit her periodically.  She will sign an agreement that after delivery, she will hand over the baby to the biological parents.”

About expenses he said:  “We have different packages, which will cover doctor fees, test charges, costs of mother’s accommodation, food and medicines, delivery and legal expenses.  You can pay the amount in installments also.  A high rated package will ensure a high level of comfort for the surrogate.  You pay nothing else.”

He continued:  “We have on our registers about 100 would-be surrogates, all medically and psychologically screened.   You can meet and choose any one of them.   If you desire, we can also suggest the best woman suited to you.”

Confidentiality sought

Rashmi and her husband opted for the most expensive package of Rs.15 lakhs.   Half of it would go to the surrogate mother and for her upkeep.  They wanted the doctor to select her.  She could belong to any religion or caste.  Even after the delivery, they would take care of her interests.   Money was no constraint for them.  They would meet her at the time of taking delivery of the baby.   Rashmi’s husband was particular that the matter be kept a closely-guarded secret, as he did not want to expose his wife’s reservations on pregnancy at least for a while.  They stayed in the hospital only for the days of the procedure involving them and then rushed back to Dubai.

When they received reports that the entire implantation process went off well and the surrogate mother was making good progress they felt jubilant.  They sent clothes, gifts, sweets and flowers to her.  

Two days before the projected delivery date, Rashmi and her husband arrived in Mumbai.  Early in the morning on the predicted day, they received a call that a baby girl was born to them.   “The infant is very healthy, cute and charming.  The mother is also doing well.   She is waiting to meet you both.”  Their joy knew no bounds.

The climax

The two rushed to the hospital.  The resident medical officer led them to the room where the surrogate and the baby were resting.   It looked like a cosy suite in a star hotel.  They entered the inner enclosure and what they saw there stunned them.   The surrogate mother was none other than Kusum.  She was also shocked.

For a few moments they kept looking at each other in disbelief.  Then smiles lit up their faces.  Kusum kissed the baby, as tears swelled in her eyes, and handed it over to her sister.  The little one appeared to smile oblivious of the mysterious ways of the world around.  

The next day Kusum disclosed to her sister what all happened.  “In my anxiety to become rich at any cost, I applied to this hospital’s branch in Delhi to be a surrogate mother.  After extensive tests they accepted me.  They also called my husband and got his consent. I stayed there waiting for my turn.  Within a fortnight the chief doctor asked me whether I would be interested in moving to Mumbai for a surrogate pregnancy.  I was their choice because I had everything they were looking for.  I accepted the offer as the terms were very attractive.  Immediately I shifted here, though my own child remained in the village.  My experience here has been very pleasant.  The rest is history.”

Soon, at the invitation of Rashmi and her husband, Kusum and all members of her family relocated to Dubai.   One day, while fondling the baby, Kusum crooned, “I am very lucky.  My dream has come true sooner than expected.”   The baby smiled back as if refuting her claim.  The little beauty appeared to convey, “I am the luckiest. I am enjoying the care and love of two mothers!”

September 15, 2012

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