Chapter 3 - Ranga's Marriage - by Masti Venkatesha Iyengar

RANGA'S MARRIAGE

Summary

Writer's opinion about English

Ten years ago when the village accountant sent his son Ranga to Bengaluru for studies, the situation in the village was different. People never used to use English words while talking in Kannada, heir mother tongue. But things changed gradually. People started mixing English words with local language. The narrator does not  like this change.

Ranga's Homecoming

Now people are so fond of the foreign language and education that Ranga's homecoming is made a big affair. People crowd his house to see if he has changed. They return home on finding no significant change in him. The narrator is particularly happy to find the boy still quite cultures as he respectfully does "namaskara". The narrator spontaneously blesses him saying "May you get married soon".

Ranga's views on marriage

But the  boy is not ready for marriage, he says. He is of the opinion that one should better remain a bachelor than marry a young girl, as the custom of the village is. The narrator is disappointed to hear this, but as he sincerely wants Ranga to get married and settled, to be of some service to the society, he does not lose heart . He takes a vow to get him married, and that to a young girl of 11 by the name of Ratna, Rama Roa's niece, who has of late come to Hosahalli to stay for a few days.

Narrators plan to get Ranga married

Now the narrator plans to make the prospective bride and the bridegroom meet each other. So he does by asking Rao's wife to send Ratna to his house to fetch buttermilk. As Rathna arries she is asked to sing. As planned at that very moment.

Ranga arrives and get mesmerized by Ratna's singing and almost instantly falls in love with her bring oblivious of hs theories regarding child marriage. The narrator, from his experience, notices the quite well but purposely disappointed Ranga saying that Ratna is married.

The next morning the narrator meticulously plots with Shastri, the fortune teller, to trp Ranga and  have him marry Ratna. He tutors him in what is to be said and done when he will bring the boy to him.

The narrator finds Ranga miserable that day. The latter complains of headache and the narrator suggest that they should visit Shastri. Thereupon Ranga is taken to Shastri who cleverly reacts by saying that their visit has been a surprise. The narrator acts foolishly forgetting what he is supposed to say but Shastri cleverly manages the sene.

Everything goes well as per the plan. Shyama, the narrator, ask Shastri what might be worrying the boy. Shastri calculates throwing his cowries and suggests that it is about a girl. On further calculation he suggests that the girl's name has connection with something found in the ocean. The narrator asks if it could be 'Kamala'. Then he suggests 'Pachchi' meaning moss. When Shastri hints 'pearl' or 'Ratna', the narrator becomes jubilant and Ranga is amazed. Shyama further asks if there is any chance of negotiation of the marriage bearing any fruit, to which Shastri answered affirmative. But once again the narrator pours water on Ranga's hopes by saying that Ratna is married.

However, on the way the narrator enters Ratna Rao's and comes out of the house to inform Ranga that Ratna is unmarried and the previous information about her marriage was wrong. Now visibly Ranga's joys have no limits. When the narrator asks him weather whatever the astrologer told is right, he admits that it is true and further adds that there is more truth in astrology than he thought.

Later the narrator informs Shastri about the successes story and makes a sarcastic comment about astrology. But Shastri is not ready to accept. He says that the former gave only the hints and whatever he said was the result of his calculation.

Ranga marries Ratna

Whatever the case might be, Ranga finally gets married to Ratna and fathers two children. Moreover Ratna is now eight months pregnant. The narrator is invited to the third birth anniversary of Ranga's child, who named after the narrator as "Shyama". On finding this, the narrator mildly chides Ranga saying that he knows that; It is the English custom to name the child after someone one likes, but it is not fair to name him 'Shyama' because he is fair complexioned.

All said and done, it is interesting to find how Ranga forgets what he learned about happy marriages in cities and gives in to the far deeper influences the village customs and traditions have on him.