Muthammas Agony

Muthamma decided to collect her three-day wage of Rupees 150 due to her, from the landowners wife , in whose land she worked as a labourer. She needed the money. Her only daughter has come to see her from the neighbouring village to which she has been given in marriage. Muthamma wanted to treat her daughter to good food. She also needed the money to buy some medicine for her one-year-old grandson. It seems that her son- in-law advised her daughter to go to her mothers house and take some money for their sons medical care, as he did not have money with him. Muthamma wanted to help her daughter as she loved her so much and so deeply. She could not afford to say no to her. Before her daughter departs for her in-laws house, she wanted to treat her to sumptuous food served with meat, apart from giving her the 100 rupees that her daughter required. She wanted to be very good to her daughter and she meant a lot to her as she is the only blood relationship she has after her husbands death many years back, leaving the only daughter to be brought up by Muthamma. The three-day wage that she would collect from the landlords wife would be sufficient to buy grocery items and meat as well as to give away the required money to her daughter. Muthamma was very sure that she would be able to collect the money from the landlords wife, despite the fact that she is a tough lady who does not show sympathy that easily. But I am not asking for loan. I am only asking for my wage due to me Muthamma convinced herself. When she reached the landowners house it was noon already and she saw the landowners wife sitting on the front portion of the house cutting vegetables as she was chatting with another woman. Muthamma, with all her respect and deference stood at the portico of the house, hoping to draw the attention of the landowners wife. When she looked up, stopping the conversation with the neighbour, Muthamma made her request, asking her politely if she could collect the three-day wage, as she has to help her daughter out. The landlady retorted saying that she could not give the money as and when Muthamma wanted. She also told that she did not have money with her and had to wait till her husband returns to take money from him. She told Muthamma very curtly to go and come back in the evening, by which time she would collect the money from the landlord. Disappointed and clearly aware that the landowners wife is lying, as she is the one who keeps all the money and not the landlord, Muthamma returned home. She promised her daughter that by the time she leaves for her in-laws home by the last bus, she would cook good food and give the money. In the evening around four oclock, she went to the landowners house. This time the landowners wife was sitting with her neighbouring women gossiping and laughing. On seeing Muthamma, her face stiffened. And even before Muthamma made a renewed request, she replied sternly that she had not yet spoken with the husband and she had a handful of work to do at the moment, so she would not go into the house to discuss with the landlord who was resting inside. Because of all these she commanded Muthamma dismissively to come later when both landlord and herself are free.


Muthamma returned home even more frustrated and helpless, as she could not hope to argue with the landlords wife. She told her daughter about this and took the pot away to collect water in the well, as a strategy to keep her engaged and to while away the time, before she goes back to landlords house for collecting the money. As the water source was a bit crowded, by the time Muthamma returned home after collecting water it was dusk. She hurriedly kept the pot at the entrance of her house itself, asking her daughter to keep it inside and rushed to landlords house. This time when she approached the landlords house the electric lights were on and no one could be seen in the front portion. Muthamma stood at the portico and called for landlords wife, who finally appeared at the door only a couple of minutes later. She looked visibly angry, as she had recognized that it was Muthamma with the request for her wage. With the voice that reeked of irritation, authority and arrogance the landlords wife told Muthamma that she was late as she had told her to come before sunset. Now she wont give her the money, since it is inauspicious to exchange money after the sunset and doing so would bring doom to her family. She told with a touch of finality that only tomorrow would she give the money. Even as she uttered these words firmly, she went inside the house waving her hands to suggest that Muthamma had to clear the place. Overcome by immeasurable frustration, helplessness and the thought that her daughter needed to go back to her in-laws house that evening itself, Muthamma walked back with her body limp. On reaching the house Muthamma broke down and cried loud. Her smart daughter could guess as to why her mother was crying. __________________