Barrister Parvateesam

I am wavering. My obsession with studies, which has gripped me from the very beginning, has not yet shifted towards family life. What does my future hold? Should I bid farewell to my education and embark on the journey of domesticity, or should I continue my studies for a while longer? I found myself caught in this dilemma. My mother, my relatives, and my circle of friends—all of them are urging me to do what everyone else does, and to do it quickly. It has become the popular verdict that my education will not redeem me, nor will it be of any use to me.

In this time of uncertainty, I was filled with both curiosity and anxiety to know what advice the court would give. With her head bowed, leaning slightly towards me, she stood there tracing patterns on the ground with her toe.

Listening to that girl’s words, I felt a surge of affection and pride for her. “Is this innocent girl speaking truly my wife?”—the pride swelled within me like the rising waves of the sea.

“Very well, the court has heard your plea attentively. After careful consideration, the verdict will be delivered tomorrow,” I said, pulling that innocent girl once again into my embrace, kissing her lotus-like face, and sitting there for a long time. Neither of us spoke a word. In that midnight silence, in that utter stillness, it was as if we could not even tell whether we were breathing. Time itself seemed to have forgotten to move, and after a while, Saraswati gently slipped from my embrace, left without a word, and did not look back.

I sat there, afloat on the waves of emotion that surged within me, forgetting myself until dawn. Leaning back, or rather, not even leaning back, I just sat there until some commotion in the house reached my ears and, seeing the light streaming through the window, I realized that it was morning and got up to attend to my daily routines.

I stayed in Bhimavaram for about a week or ten days. Every morning for an hour or so, and again for another hour after dinner at night, I would spend time with my father-in-law. The rest of the time, I would immerse myself in books. In the evenings, I would stroll through the village with Raja. This was my routine.

The plan. For these ten days of the week, my beloved would remain away from me. So, I decided that in another day or two, I would return home. I hadn’t mentioned this to anyone yet. That afternoon, after lunch, as I was sitting leisurely, Saraswati quietly approached me, perched herself on the arm of my chair, placed her hand around my neck, turned my face gently towards her, and said, “The request I made to the court a week ago—they said they would consider it carefully and give a verdict. So far, it seems their deliberation hasn’t concluded. Judging by their pace, it