New Moon

Though the majority are black in the region, I have an inferiority complex on my color of the skin. Still I could somehow get an employment in a state owned bank with a handsome pay and quick promotion to a supervisor cadre which I never recognize. After seven years of service in the cadre, I got my transfer to a temple city in southern part of the country.

When I joined the branch of the bank as an officer, I could observe that the ratio of female to male staff members was two is to one. The counters in front of the branch for customers including the cash counter was filled with many lady staff members of wheatish brown complexion in the age group of less than naughty thirty. The smell of fragrant jasmine flower bunches in full blossom, adorned their black hair passing through their posterior neck, could attract more customers from the main road. The color of their skin was akin to the golden chains worn by them identifiable by some movements of their body by reflecting the sober light in the banking hall.

I am aware of the past history of the temple town. People from the north western region of the country migrated to this southern part during a dynastic ruler of their region, with a vocational job of weaving handloom fabrics and hence they are colorful unlike their counter part in the south. Slowly they have transformed themselves into the culture, dialect and customs of the migrated part. Still oral communication continued in their own mother tongue among themselves.

I was offerred a seat behind the counters near the rear wall, to authenticate the transactions . The smoke emanating from the incense stick inserted in the photo frames of the mythological gods was conflicting with the fragrant smell of jasmine flower from the front side.

The eyes and ears of mine were put into more attention than the nostrils and I was busy in my job to clear off the rush in the banking hall. However a chuckle disturbed me and I could observe that it was from a lady in front, murmuring to another staff and looking back at me for a moment. Though I was little annoyed, I did not show my resentment, being the first day in the branch office. The lady was also pretty good. My concentration was on my busy work though the grumbling continued till end of their job on that day.

The days transferred into months. I started getting acquainted with staff members especially with the menial cadre as they are the back bone of fast and efficient service. Someone used to jocularly say that they walk about five miles in a day inside the bank. Computer networking and the latest softwares were not introduced then. Still the grumbling continued with a bigger laugh among the pretty and her friend. I have decided to put a full stop to that since the main point of contention seems to be of my color as their sights often flashed at me before the grumble.

I called my subordinate.

"James, go and order three cups of tea"

"Three cups! For you alone Sir"

Burst of laughter in my vicinity.

"I wo'nt say now. Go and order"

A boy from the nearest tea shop arrived with three cups of tea after few minutes.

"Keep one on my table and give them two cups", I said, pointing towards those two ladies in front.

"Why suddenly? Just now I had", said the pretty.

"If it is free, I can have any number."

Her friend interfered. She was not a fair like the pretty.

"What about others, Sir?", quipped the subordinate.

"OK. Order for them also. Let it be my joining party.",I said.

"May be for to-day. But we require a bigger party", suggested the pretty.

I wanted a pause since the customers were all looking at me.

I said, "OK"

The pretty acknowledged with a smile for having accepted her suggestion. But her neighbour stared at me.

The days went on and the tea-boy started bringing three cups always whenevr one among us made an order and the payment was shared by the three in a regular turn.

The grumbles have completely stopped and frequent smiles replaced them.

My inferiority complex faded like a moon on the wane and started liking the acquaintance of ladies, that too, of a pretty good lady.

From my childhood, I used to keep away from girls thinking of my color. That only helped me to concentrate on my studies in a way and improve my knowledge though my inner instinct wanted to be friendly with girls.

As an adolescent boy, I used to suffer alone thinking of my color and inability to love any girl as some do at their young age. I used to think that they are lucky ones. When some one talk about my color and make fun of it, I get perturbed and hybernate for many days without any normal activity.

But now I am rejuvenated by the acquiantance of the pretty lady in my mid forty. I could look at her eyes deep and straight. She started getting up and come to my table for silly doubts and petty matters. The fabrics she wore, graze me sometimes when she closely stand by the side of my table. The other friend could watch the closeness of ours and started keeping aloof with a greedy outlook and grumble has switched over to the otherside girl friend. Other staff members were mute spectators witnessing the evolutionary changes in our friendship.

I started paying attention to my dress and had a close shave daily. Gentle behaviour and generous hospitality gravitated my thoughts always to her, mutually reciprocated in equal manners. Greetings and smiles amused me to greater heights with a scant disregard to my dark complexion.

That was a day of auspicious function for the ladies only. The function celebrated among higher caste Hindus, while others in lower strata were not aware of it even. The name of the function is not even known to the illiterate and rural mass.

Since I came early to the office, I was eagerly awaiting for my pretty good lady. She arrived in a beautiful attire, in golden yellow colored silk saree with a maroon border and a matching blouse, in a plaitless hairstyle loosely tied in middle covered with hanging bunches of jasmine flowers like a silver cascade over black shadow of long hair and a golden necklace with no contrast to her sleek white neck supported by a long chain.

She cacme straight to me and wished me , "Good morning"

There was no response since I was astounded by her angelic look. I slowly replied,"beautiful"

She could hear, I think.

"Really", she said.

Gained with a courage, I told her that she is looking like a full moon moving slowly in a clear sky in summber nights.

Suddenly she laughed louder.

"Full moon...me" She laughed again.

"Yes",I said, enjoying her beauty.

"Do you know that there is a nick name for you when you joined our branch."

"I don't know really"

"New moon" - she was laughing.

I was offended beyond limit and shocked to realise my inferiority in color.

She was explaining the purpose of the function and prayer for long life of her husband.

My ear turned deaf. My entire thought was to go home and shift my family.


....................concluded.