9. Jayalaxmi and Mohandas elope with ornaments

CHAPTER 9

Jayalaxmi and Mohandas elope with ornaments

Harikatha started again next morning. Mohandas kept looking at Jayalaxmi while telling the harikatha.

That night, Jayalaxmi brought tiffin.

Mohandas was not in the mood. “I don’t feel like eating.”

Jayalaxmi was shocked. “Why? Are you not feeling well?”

Mohandas said, “Ever since I saw you, I have lost my mind.”

Jayalaxmi looked into his eyes. “I too feel like that. I can’t stay without you.”

Mohandas looked at god’s photo. “I feel that god kept me a bachelor for so long for you only.”

She looked into his eyes. He had tears in his eyes.

Mohandas said, “If I live, I want to live with you only. Otherwise I want to die.”

He closed the door. She came and hugged him.

Mohandas moved his hand over her hair lovingly. “Let us go away. Will you come with me?”

Jayalaxmi looked into his eyes. “I too cannot be without you. Let us go somewhere.”

Mohandas said, “Let us go far away. You have to do one thing. Just bring those golden ornaments with you. We can live happily.”

Jayalaxmi was shocked. “What? God’s ornaments? No. I will not do such a thing.”

Mohandas pleaded. “Please try to understand. If I run away with you, I will not be able to tell harikatha anymore since I am well known all over the State. I will be caught immediately. But if we have the money, we can go somewhere far away and I can get some other job. We can live happily.”

Jayalaxmi remained silent.

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That night, Jayalaxmi spent sleepless night thinking of Mohandas. She wanted to run away with him but she was scared to touch god’s ornaments.

Next day, she attended the harikatha. As usual, Mohandas told the harikatha looking at her all the time. Jayalaxmi’s mind was in total confusion.

That night, Jayalaxmi took tiffin for Mohandas. But he refused to eat. Jayalaxmi felt sad. Finally she made up her mind. This was a big chance for her to change her life for the better. She felt that Mohandas will keep her happy whole life. She did not want to spend whole life with the old husband of hers. She took the ornaments and ran away with Mohandas, leaving her husband and child sleeping.