Gently Falls the Bakula

147 Pages·2008·0.57 MB·English

by  Sudha Murty

Sudha Murty

GENTLY FALLS THE BAKULA
Contents
About the Author
By the Same Author
Dedication
Preface
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTY-THREE
TWENTY-FOUR
TWENTY-FIVE
TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SEVEN
TWENTY-EIGHT
TWENTY-NINE
THIRTY
THIRTY-ONE
Follow Penguin
Copyright
About the Author
Sudha Murty was born in 1950 in Shiggaon in north Karnataka. She did her
M.Tech. in Computer Science, and is now the chairperson of the Infosys
Foundation. A prolific writer in English and Kannada, she has written nine
novels, four technical books, three travelogues, one collection of short stories,
three collections of non-fiction pieces and two books for children.
Her books have been translated into all the major Indian languages and have sold
over 300,000 copies around the country. She was the recipient of the R.K.
Narayan’s Award for Literature and the Padma Shri in 2006.
By the Same Author
Other books by Sudha Murty
Fiction
The Magic Drum and Other Stories (Puffin)
Mahashweta
Dollar Bahu
Non-fiction
Wise and Otherwise
The Old Man and His God
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read
and Other Stories (Puffin)
To all those women who allowed family commitments and
responsibilities to overpower their own aspirations
Preface
This was my first novel in Kannada, written about three decades back. It was
extremely well received then.
I had not seen the corporate world from close and only imagined how it
functioned. But now, in real life, I have seen it all. I am aware that
industrialization, technological progress and scientific advancement are
necessary and bring prosperity to our country, but they have their own
shortcomings. They create a whole set of problems, sociological and
psychological.
This novel is set in north Karnataka in the 1980s, so it may appear outdated in
some parts. But the story is such that it can happen in any part of the country,
even today. There must be innumerable couples who have been through, and are
still going through, such dilemmas, be it in a small town or a mega city.
I have chosen Hubli and Bombay as the setting for the novel. These two
places are very dear to my heart, since I grew up in one place and in the other, I
have enjoyed working.
I would like to thank Keerti Ramachandra for editing the manuscript and
Penguin for publishing the novel.
Sudha Murty
Bangalore
ONE
It was a day of great excitement for the students of Model High School, Hubli.
The results of the district-level interschool essay competition were to be
announced that morning. The competition, open to students of the tenth standard,
was a prestigious one not because of the prize money, but because the award had
been instituted by a highly respected essayist. The prize-winning essay would be
sent to the state-level competition.
The hall was abuzz with anticipation. The boys were in animated discussion,
the girls in whispered speculation. Competitions such as these invariably threw
up unexpected winners. Ugly ducklings often turn into beautiful swans when
they are tested. So who was it going to be this time? The suspense was palpable.
When the history teacher Mr Kulkarni walked in, a sudden hush fell upon the
room. Sensing the tension in the air, Mr Kulkarni decided to prolong the
suspense a little longer.
He began by saying, ‘I know all of you are waiting impatiently for the results
of the essay competition and to know who the winner is. But I am going to ask
you to wait a little longer. I will read out the essay first and allow you to guess
who the author of it could be. After hearing the essay I am sure you will agree
that it is a most mature and heartwarming effort, definitely deserving of the
prize.’
A few ooohs and mild protests of ‘tell us first, Sir,’ were quickly silenced, as
Mr Kulkarni began to read:
‘All are my children . . .
I am like their father.
Like any father wishes for his child,