5. Vengamamba’s Marital Life

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5. Vengamamba's Marital Life

The belief is marriage puts an end to mad behaviour, but this

maxim did not work out in the case of Vengamamba. She was looked

after well by the in-laws. She was loved much by her husband but

these new attachments did not bring about even a wee-bit of change in

her. In fact these attachments looked like shackles to her. She

continued her prayers in her own way. The in-laws and their relatives

were initially impressed by her Bhakti but as days rolled by, it

became an irritable thing. They were filled with displeasure and

distrust. The mother-in-law drove her back to her home with her

father. The change of scene made no difference for her. She involved

herself in the household duties.

The parents tried every possible means to make her love her

husband. They consulted doctors, prayed to Gods, did Santhi Poojas.

Finally they decided that if they perform nuptial ceremony for her,

the marital bliss might pull her down to the mundane world. Even

great kings or saints are no exceptions to the weakness for the

opposite sex.

No sooner thought than done. They fixed the date for her

first night and sent word. The husband hastened with his kith and kin

with rosy dreams about his Rasa-leela with his wife. Vengamamba was

sent into the room. They could deck her body but couldn't deck her

mind. She did not have the shyness or the colourful feelings of a

bride. Her husband approached with tons of love, addressing

her `Venku' fondly, embraced her. She began shivering like a deer

before a tiger. He hugged her more closely to drive her fears, but

she gave him one rough push.

He asked her caressingly, `My dear Venku, what happened?

What's wrong? Don't you love me?' Poor Venku ran out of the room,

crying bitterly. Venkatachalapathi remained in the room like a statue.

Vengamamba hid her face in her mother's lap and cried

silently. The parents were speechless. The son-in-law came out of the

room in search of his wife. The father-in-law held his hands in his

hands and pleaded, `Please, keep it a secret. We will convince her

and send her to you.' The son-in-law was moved by the father-in-law's

request and kept it a secret even from his parents, Mother explained

to her in as many ways as possible. If a baby was born to them, it

would put an end to all their problems.

Second night, she was ushered into her husband's room once

again. Venkatachalapathi was attracted towards her. He approached her

from behind. He didn't notice Vengamamba's feelings. He put his arm

on her shoulder and turned her towards him. That's all! Vengamamba

pushed him back angrily with all the force. He fell near the bed and

hit against the log of the bed. He was wounded at the head.

She said, `Who said you are my husband. You are not my

husband. I was married long ago to Lord Venkateswara. If you touch me

again, your head will break into thousand pieces. Go, get lost!' She

was trembling with anger and was crying. Her husband was frightened

by her mad behaviour. The news reached the mother-in-law's ear and

she began crying, cursing all the while his in-laws. Vengamamba went

to the temple unmindful of the commotion at home.

The news spread like wild fire in the village. The villagers

were divided in their opinions of Vengamamba. When some praised her

on par with Godadevi, Meerabai or Sakhubai some looked down upon her

as a mad cap. Vengamamba continued her practice of singing and

dancing in the temple. People who believed in her spiritual powers

gathered round her.

Venkatachalapathi was scared beyond words. The words `If you

touch me again, your head will break into thousand pieces' haunted

him day in and day out. He became half mad with the fears of

Vengamamba approaching to kill him. Some times she looked like a

devil and sometimes like goddess Alivelu Manga. His parents wanted to

perform second marriage for him but he was sinking day by day. He was

mentally upset. One night he shouted in his dream. `Venku, No, I am

not your husband Don't kill me, don't kill me.'

In the mean while in her village, Vengamamba's friend, Seetha

delivered a girl baby. Vengamamba predicted that the baby would die

within three days. That night itself the baby died. Vengamamba said

that she only conveyed what God conveyed to her but this incident

filled the villagers with strange fears. They were worried that she

might spell out any untoward incident in their lives and that

might come true.

So the people avoided her sight. For that matter, nobody

dared to pass through their street. This worried the father all the

more and he approached Peddacharyulu for his consultation. He was

also good at astrology. So he said, `Nothing to worry. Just wait for

a month. You can leave her back in her in-law's house. In the

meanwhile do the necessary Poojas and Danas. This gave him a new ray

of hope.

There, back in her in-law's house, Venkatachalapathi's health

came back to normalcy thanks to the talisman of the Poojari. He

resumed his duties in the farm. One day he declared, `I'll go get my

wife. Mother had her own fears. She advised, `Please wait. You have

just recovered. If your wait your father-in-law may bring her back.'

`Why the hell should I? Why should you object to my bringing

my own wife?' The father could understand the young heart's longing

for marital life. So he agreed at once. He had planned to go two days

later. Though he was eager, he was also skeptical about his wife's

coming, but still he wanted to go. He went to bed with mixed feeling,

but did not get up the next morning.

Vengamamba's parents were shocked but Vengamamba just smiled.

The villagers came to console her but she asked innocently, `My

husband is alive, why do you console me!' They sympathized with her

all the more.