Marriage in Heaven: A Social Drama

By M K Devidasan

This is the story of Wing Commander Krishnan who was in love with Rukhsthana, a Muslim girl, but could not think of marrying her because of vehement opposition from his sister, Shobha, a divorcee with a daughter and son, living with parents. Her strong objection was that if ever the wedding with a lady from another religion took place, the entire life and future of her children would be marred with the great stigma attached to that family. She had categorically denied acceptance to such relations to avoid endangering her daughter’s marriage market.
Krishnan had to live to look after the welfare and comforts of his sister and he had to struggle to educate her children; the daughter a doctor and the son an engineer, as dictated to him by his father on his death bed.
The sacrifice is never-ending and finally what happened is very interesting to keep every reader at tender hooks imagining what could be the life of Krishnan towards the end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M K Devidasan
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005596415

M K Devidasan

M K Devidasan is a graduate engineer in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering  with Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management. He had served the Indian Air Force for 32 years as a technical officer and retired as a Wing Commander.

Book preview

Marriage

In

Heaven

An Air Force Love Story

Novel by

M K Devidasan

Published by

RGEF Books

Thrissur-680712

Kerala, India

Dedication

Dedicated to all those, who are forced to remain, bachelors, due to compelling reasons and those who seek to spend the evening of their life with utmost enjoyment and entertainment with inmates of similar age brackets, taking shelter in senior citizen’s dwelling locations, where they gain peace and harmony.

Coopyright@2020 M K Devidasan

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9798566818672

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher, except by interviewers who may quote a brief passage in a review.

Some characters and events in this book are fictitious and any similarity to a real person, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Preface

Some men in India, especially from the middle class, demanded by family bondage and the existing culture, can not avoid commitments, such as a sister’s marriage, education of siblings, parents' financial dependence, etc, and wilfully postpone their marriages. As the age advances, finding a suitable girl will be difficult compelling them to remain a bachelor. All those for whom they sacrificed the golden period of life, seldom return the expected love and affection and consider them as a liability. They are forced to depend on old age homes, senior citizens' homes, etc to spend their evenings of life in the company of similar-minded people and get contented without thinking of their past.

The parents take immeasurable troubles, mentally, financially, and physically to educate their children to become eligible for employment to lead a respectable life in society. As per the present trend, on the acquisition of the desired education, children go to other countries, for a job without considering their duty towards the parents during their old age. They advise parents to take shelter in old age homes to offset the loneliness without realizing the need for social security in the presence of children to look after.

These bitter experiences of parents will be on the increase and more old-age homes will come up in the country to cater to the needs of the aged community.

-1-

Air Force Unit dinner dance party was in full swing in the officer’s mess. Wing Commander Krishnan, the unit commander, sat aloof to enjoy his drink looking at the joyous moments of his unit officers on the dance floor. The Unit Commander of another unit, an invitee to the party, Wing Commander Nayak, moved with his glass to join him. He had come on posting to that Air Force Station recently.

Why don’t you get on the floor? Where is your family? Nayak shot out in succession.

Krishnan looked at him and smiled, mocking his ignorance. The whole air force station knows that I am a bachelor. He whispered.

Looking at him he grunted. I am not married yet.

Nayak thought that Krishnan was joking. He chuckled. I think, you have gone out of the tracks. He laughed. The drinks made you forget your family? He showed mock anger. Come on Krishnan. Don’t tell me so. With a smile, he tapped on his back.

Krishnan was not interested in a further talk on the subject and smiled.

Nayak sat by his side and looked at him. Are you still a bachelor?

Krishnan disregarded his query and kept looking at the stage as if concentrating on the dance.

Why you don’t like my company? Nayak felt offended.

Not at all. I am enjoying my drinks. I don’t like to mix up this evening with unnecessary thoughts. He was sharp to cut him short.

Nayak was convinced of some hidden secrets in his life. He showed interest to know about him. If confidential, forget about it. I am new to the station and hardly know about you people. I have an interest to know you people. He chuckled. After all you are one of the unit commanders.

Krishnan turned to him. I am lucky to remain a bachelor to date. Devoid of problems faced by married friends. A free bird. Free to do anything. No one will question. He emptied the glass.

After emptying his glass Nayak moved to the bar counter. The inquisitiveness bloomed in him and encouraged him to inquire at the bar counter. Is Wing Commander Krishnan a bachelor?

The barman said. Yes sir. He is living in and not married yet.

Casting a sympathetic glance, Nayak moved again towards Krishnan.

Krishnan was not happy to get disturbed by anyone to destroy his melancholically embroiled mood. He turned his head towards the other side.

Though he realized the avoidance, Nayak took a seat next to Krishnan. I came to know now of your marital status. He sipped his glass and glanced at him to study his reaction.

Looking towards the farthest, Krishnan murmured. Few people derive pleasure out of other’s problems.

I heard you. It is not so. I am your well-wisher.

Krishnan sat thinking looking at him. As he was slightly high, he was scared of turning verbose. Knowing well that Nayak was sure to hammer him out till he got what he desired; he decided to confide in the circumstances that had made him remain a bachelor. He called the waiter and asked for the snacks. The waiter was quick to meet his demand. He picked up a few fried cashew nuts and munched. With crushed cashew nuts in his mouth, he said. It is a long story. If you are interested, I will narrate in short.

Nayak took a sip and nodded. Yes, of course. I am interested to hear.

Her name is Rukhsana. Krishnan started with a smile.

Name suggests that she is Muslim. He raised brows. Kept the glass on the side table and looked at him inquisitively to confirm.

Krishnan nodded with a smile. Parents rejected on hearing the name. The hatred for inter-religious marriage!

Nayak showed more inquisitiveness. That’s right. Our society is not psychologically grown enough to accept that. However progressive and modern we claim to be, it will take years to come out of that shell. When the waiter again brought snacks, he picked up an egg on toast and asked Krishnan to continue.

Krishnan sat pensively. With reluctance, he continued with a smile. That was sixteen years back and I was thirty-two. I was Flight Lieutenant. An eligible bachelor. I was at Air Force Station, Tambaram. He slowly slipped into the stream of nostalgia. Sweet memories painted cheerfulness over his face. He gulped the whole liquor to empty the glass and continued. I was the Station Signals Officer. She was working in the Station Family Welfare Centre. She is a doctor and continues to work there, in the same post.

No transfer?

No. She is a civilian employee. Hence, no transfer. No promotion also.

Nayak was interested to know further. She might have got married to someone else and will be with grown-up children. He chuckled. So, it is a clear case of love failure. Looking at him sympathetically he queried. Have you met her later? I am sure she must be regretting betraying you."

He yelled to draw the attention of the waiter. You will be surprised to hear that she is not married - still a spinster. We are aware of the hurdles to uniting but are still hopeful. We are still waiting to get thumps up from near and dear ones.

The waiter came and Krishnan asked to bring one more drink. He waited for the drinks, watching the movements of the waiter wishing he came back with the tray full of glasses filled with his favorite drink soon. When that was brought, he picked up the glass thanking him for not delaying, and sipped.

Nayak murmured. The relatives are the culprits With a chuckle he said. You are great. I admire both of you. How this divine love, took birth in you both?

Krishnan felt shy and looked down with hesitation to reveal. The hesitation got reflected on his face.

Sensing his mood, Nayak said. It’s ok. If I crossed my limit, I regret it. He tried to get up.

Holding his hand, Krishnan tried to prevent him from moving away. Ok. I will tell you. The beginning of the whole episode was from a trip to Mahabalipuram. Few officers of the station had gone there, with food and drinks, on a picnic. The trip was enjoyable. He chuckled. Though I had met Rukhsana in officer’s mess functions earlier, I had never spoken to her. I did not have any interest in her. He smiled with nostalgia. She is very beautiful. There she was very active with songs and dances to entertain all of us and her smart behavior generated a feeling of softness in me. He chuckled. When I appreciated her, she was quick to appreciate my efforts in organizing that picnic. Heaving a long sigh he said. That was the beginning of the bloom of liking for each other. Thereafter, frequent meetings and going out to movies and eating out, generated an unusual closeness between us – some sort of unknown divine feelings. She attended most of the mess functions, just to be with me and to find time to talk freely opening our hearts. Without our knowledge, a divine feeling for each other started germinating in our minds; love. Some sort of craving to be together always and feeling uneasy if not met for days started creating discomforts in both of us.

Nayak smiled and said. I admire you. He looked at the crowd and saw the party games were in full swing making everyone enjoy every moment. He turned to Krishnan. On the grounds of religion, I can imagine the objection from both houses. From which side, the opposition was stronger?

Krishnan grunted. From both sides. My parents were worried about the family name and the future of my sister and her children. My sister was vehemently opposing, as she was worried about the future of her children.

How many sisters and brothers do you have?

I have only one younger sister. She is a divorcee with two children. Her elder daughter is doing her pre-degree and the boy is in tenth. My father is a retired airman, Master Warrant Officer, and my mother is a housewife. My father is running a garment manufacturing company. He started that after his retirement, He smiled. That business is flourishing well. He thought for a while and continued. My sister left her husband and is living with us with both children, for reasons known only to her, for a few years. Her husband doesn’t come to meet her. I tried to know about the cause of their separation on various occasions and she used to say, ‘that person is a drug addict’ and tortured her with whatever he could lay his hands on, without any mercy. There would be some serious problems between them. Otherwise, no girl on earth will ever stay away from her husband. He suddenly realized that he was revealing his secrets and looked at the glass to blame the liquor for not holding his tongue. I am sorry. I have been boring you with my problems.

Nayak finished his glass in one gulp and said in a morose tone. No friend. I too have a tragic case like that yours. The only difference is that I am married and have two children, but living without her. I divorced her. I couldn’t adjust to her and thought it better to lead a life without her. I am happy to live without her, other than getting into frequent verbal wars. My daughter is grown up enough to reason the causes of our separation. She is in tenth. Since, eleven years I am leading a life, like this. A lonely life! He grunted.

Nayak looked at Krishnan and heaved a sigh. Where is your Rukhsana now?

She is with her parents. The parents are tired of compelling her to marry but she is not budging. I am sure, she will not get onto it. She has one brother and he is in Dubai, with his family. So, the parents are worried about her lonely life after their demise. Her parents are modern and they didn’t show many objections to marrying anyone from another religion. The immeasurable opposition is from my sister, with worries about her daughter not getting a proper alliance, with any respectable family, if I get into this wedlock. As per her, no one will prefer to have an alliance with a family with an inter-religious marriage track record.

After a while, Krishnan got up. Now let us join the party, otherwise they will feel bad and brand me as antisocial. He chuckled.

They moved and joined the party. Krishnan and Nayak moved onto the floor and danced together, being each other’s partners. They saw other officers looking at them with surprise wondering, why they had not picked up their partners from among the sitting ladies.

After the dance session, Squadron Leader Vysakh, the master of the ceremony, went on to the mike and announced. Now, our beloved Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Krishnan, will say a few words.

Krishnan climbed up the stage and looked around and observed there was total silence. He saw all gazes beamed onto him. Highly satisfied, seeing the disciplined crowd, he smiled. Forgetting the earlier thought-provoking exercise, he smartly moved towards the mike and opened his speech, addressing everyone as‘ ladies and gentlemen’. He was liberal while talking a few words about the outgoing officer, praising his qualities and highlighting achievements during his stay in the unit. After he concluded by wishing all the best to him and his family, the outgoing officer, Flight Lieutenant Bhagat was invited to the stage. Bhagat took the mike and exposed his overwhelmed happiness, hearing unexpected words of adulation and praise, from his Commanding Officer.

Dinner was announced and all ladies were asked to move into the dining hall. That was the practice followed in the messes, to ensure the ladies, who showed shyness to move around in the crowd, get enough time to fill up their plates with dishes of their choice. After a few minutes, confirming the ladies moved out of the dining table with filled plates, the officers moved in. They moved around the table and filled their plates and mingled with others, including ladies, and exchanged pleasantries. Special care was taken by one and all, including the Commanding Officer to ensure that the guest was looked after well. After the sweet dish, everyone assembled outside, on the lawn, and joined the band to dance to the music, picking the partners of their choice. Krishnan joined the crowd and danced with anyone who went to give him company. The time was running, but there was no sign of anyone withdrawing from their dance craze, and kept directing the band to play music of their varying choices. A few ladies started cribbing, looking at their watch, cursing the dancing freaks – mostly living alone in the mess. Few were even heard blaming the Commanding Officer for being so lenient and free with the youngsters, without realizing of difficulties faced by those living out with their children, who were waiting for their arrival. As per the customs and practices followed by all Officer’s Messes, no one moved out of the mess functions unless the Commanding Officer and other guests went out, bidding good night. Realizing the pathetic situation faced by a few, especially the elderly officers and their lady wives, Nayak moved close to Krishnan and dragged him to the bar and asked him to say good night to all, permitting them to leave the lawn. When they looked back they could see the guests and others slowly moving out, wishing them good night.

Inside the bar, Krishnan and Nayak sat on the sofa and ordered their drinks. Under the influence of liquor, Krishnan continued to talk about the better part of the love affair he had with Rukhsana. So far, no one showed interest to find out, why I am staying alone in the mess. He patted the back of Nayak and said. After finding the inquisitiveness shown by you, I have a mind to adore you for having come forward to share my thoughts and grief. Sharing grief helps reduce the mental strain. He paused. While one is at peak of happiness, there will be millions to share, but in grief, the only companion you find is your lone shadow. That is the well-known fact of life and everyone knows that. He