A Heart of Gold

Chapter 6 : The Bow and the Bowl

"Ashwatthama's words have", Shon proclaimed, "awakened the beast in you."

Shortly after his conversation with the Brahmin, Radheya had called Shon and Vrishali, and informed them about his intention of learning archery. Vrishali had let out an exasperated sigh and immediately backed off, declaring that she would not be the one rubbing ointments on his back if Adhirath chacha decided to use his horse whip on him. Now she and Shon were seated on the bank of the Ganga, near the edge of the very forest in which they had gotten lost a couple of days ago, and skipping stones towards their homes on the other side. Radheya was on his knees beside them, his tongue stuck out in concentration, desperately trying to make a bow out of a long thick piece of wood with a cutter, chisel and hammer which he had nicked ( "Not nicked Vrishali, I borrowed it. You truly think the worst of me.") from one of the chariot makers. Shon leant back and told Radheya, almost taunting, "That's the ninth bow you're making bhaiyya, not that I am counting, mind."

Radheya mumbled something unintelligible in response.

"Sorry?"

Radheya repeated himself a little louder this time, "When you fail once, keep trying till you succeed. Perseverance is the golden key that shall open the doors of success."

Vrishali turned around with interest, "Where'd you hear that?"

"Baba said so."

"I doubt that was the context he meant.

"Doesn't matter."

Shon interrupted this very important discussion by waving his hand in front of Vrishali's face, "Hey, isn't that Vaishali? She's coming again today. What's up with her 'I must be a good wife' training?"

"No idea." Vrishali muttered. She had seen her too now, as had Radheya. She was mounting the pontoon from the other side. A boy from the neighboring house, Parul kaki's son - Shon noted, hailed her and said something. Vaishali laughed in response, waved at him and another boy from the colony standing close by, and bounded over to them.

"Hey, what are you all doing? May I join? Oh! Radheya! You're making something again! May I help you? Shon, will you show me to skip stones that far? Vrishali, look at you, mud on your skirt, whatever will maa say?" She said it all, as she was wont to, in one breath.

"Aren't you helping maa today?" Vrishali demanded, irritated at the criticism of her skirt.

"She let me off, so there is nothing to do. She even said that I need not involve myself in such affairs unless she called again. She - what?"

The others were staring at her in utter incredulity. It was common knowledge that her mother repeatedly tried to make up for her mistake, which happened to be Vrishali and her so-called 'indecent' behaviour, by forcibly molding the pliant Vaishali into her ideals of a stereotypical 'good woman'. And though she was neither cruel nor abusive, her sternness had made her second daughter an outcast among the youngsters of the suta ghetto. That she had been let off from her almost military style training was nothing short of a miracle. Radheya was the first to find his voice. He discreetly enquired, "Are you being disowned or something? "

Vaishali's cheerfulness evaporated. Her answer was a rustle of butterfly wings. "She doesn't want me to see her pouring glassfuls of water to swell rice and lentil."

"Oh!" Oh! A hushed silence fell over them. Mostly to break it, Vaishali asked, "Are you making a bow?"

"Yes."

"He wants to learn archery." Vrishali supplied helpfully. Radheya sighed and repeated Ashwatthama's tale again. At length Vaishali said, " If you need a teacher, I can help you."