CLOCKWORK ORANG

“We don’t deserve to live” said Aniyettan sitting on his haunches and taking a deep puff from the ‘Gold’ he had in his pockets since yesterday. It was Ayinoonu night, Marriage was next day. The whole family was downstairs gossiping after the dinner when the guys decided to take a break on the terrace. That’s when Aniyettan said this. He was unusually senti and no one knew why. Nothing was wrong with him till evening, they had observed.

“We talk about making it large, having a great life. We want Claras in our life” he continued pausing between to take another puff. “What the heck have we done lately?” he asked. A thoroughly valid question, we all agreed. “Why? dint we plan a tour last time we met?… did anything happen? No! you know why?... because we are a bunch of losers” he paused again. Taking the final puff he asked again, looking at Kunjunni 

“What the heck have we done lately?”

Completely caught unawares, Kunjunni struggled to find some words. He found Aniyettan’s cold eyes waiting for an answer. The horrendous memories of Chemistry viva sessions came rushing to him. Finally, with some difficulty he said “Uhmm.. I don’t know”.

“Right… whatever” dismissed Aniyettan. At that moment Kunjunni realized he had found a perfect answer to evade questions to which’s answer he doesn’t know. He was surprised by the simplicity of it all. ‘Eureka’ he said to himself.

“I had enough of this” Aniyettan continued with his woes. “Aniya, this. Aniya, that. Aniya, get this. Aniya, go there… for everything they need Aniyan. Why? don’t I have a Life?” Aniyettan looked at us to make sure were paying attention. Satisfied he went on “Now, if I refuse to do something, then they get depressed and start with their even more depressing stories about how I was a good child and all the crap followed by some bitching. God!” he said.

“Who are you talking about?” asked Kuttetan, perplexed.

“The great Indian relatives” responded Aniyettan. “Whoever created the concept of relatives?” he mumbled.

Anu, however ,was very amused by this sudden emotional outbreak he had just witnessed. He couldn’t control his smile. The unexpected smile on Anu’s face completely destabilized Aniyettan who was already on the verge of a breakdown.

“Ya! What would a hipster like you, walking around with a goatee, understand?”

“Envy, Aniyettan, is not a solution” Anu quipped, caressing his goatee. He had an answer to everything.

“Right Mahn! I envy you” Continued Aniyettan in even more depressing tone “I wish I were a log floating in river, like you. No responsibilities”.

Anu didn’t had an answer to that. He just looked away for he couldn’t look Aniyettan in his eyes.

“Whats the matter anyway?” asked Kuttetan.

Aniyettan lied down on the terrace and said “They don’t want a Shantikaaran. I mean they need a Priest in society, they don’t want one however. Hypocrite lot.”

Ah! Finally it dawned on us, the reason of despair. Aniyettan’s hope of leading a happy married life was being dashed continuously by girls who would rather settle for any bums with a college degree. So, in a community known for wisdom, earnestness and the goodwill to serve society is downgrading itself by its own people by replacing those qualities with stupid college degrees as a sign of greatness.

Kalikaalavaibhavam!

What made it worse for Aniyettan is the fact that the relatives, for whom he had been an apple of their eyes, aren’t helping either. It was enough to piss of anyone who was nearing thirty and dint see a chance of getting hitched anywhere soon when all his other friends were having kids and called him to do Pujas.

“Know what?” said Aniyettan finally “I am done with doing everything for everyone. Am gonna lie here and not do anything for anyone from now on. I am going to live by my own rules now. People will do what I say not other way around. If no one wants to marry a Shantikaaran, so be it… I will create a legacy of my own. Great men were Bramhachaaris. I will serve people, I will join politics.”

Saying that he closed his eyes and sighed, as he hadn’t sighed in years. Aniyettan’s declaration of freedom came as an inspiration to us. We were sure this will be an example set for future generation.

“Aniyaa” someone shouted from below. “Is Aniyan upstairs” It was Cheriyamma.

“Yes” Aniyettan answered.

“da! Can you get those two cylinders lying in Verandah to the next illom before ten. Your uncle had promised to do it but he isn’t well now. Please Aniyaa. No one is going to do it other than you. We had promised. Please see to it.”

We all looked at Aniyettan. “Do not promise, if you cant keep it” mumbled Aniyettan furiously to himself.

Cheriyamma cried again when she dint hear any answers “Aniyaa… Da”

“Coming” shouted Aniyettan in top of his voice. And leaving us in a state of surprise he stormed down the stairs.