the organizational representatives, including Ramulakka, were now beginning to talk tough. Since the loans were issued on a group guarantee basis, she was also under severe pressure from her peers. She was behind her repayment schedule by more than three months and was now desperately hoping for some good fortune to help her repay the loans.
Despite Mylaram’s hopes, ill luck had refused to leave her side. One day her older daughter complained of acute abdominal pain. Fearing complications in her pregnancy, the local midwife advised Mylaram to take her to the town hospital.
It is outside the maternity ward of that very hospital that Mylaram now waits. Scared, she continues to pray for good news.
A nurse exits the ward and calls out to her.
Mylaram rushes to her side and looks at her fearfully.
“Your daughter has survived but the baby is lost. The
foetus was not properly formed, though. You can take your daughter home the day after.”
The nurse turns on her heel and goes back in, leaving Mylaram unsure of what to feel. Is she supposed to celebrate her daughter being alive, grieve over the lost child or be grateful that it did not survive to live a deformed life?
The nurse returns with a chit in hand.
“You need to pay Rs 5,000 before we can discharge your daughter.”
Mylaram is stunned. She had not thought of this part at all. While she was already hard-pressed for money to meet loan repayments, here was an additional expense!
A tired Mylaram takes a bus back home in the evening. As she walks forlornly towards her hut, she is stopped in her tracks by a few women, who are her fellow group 1 members.
“What happened to Kala?” asks one of the women.
“She survived but the baby is gone,” answers Mylaram, mournfully.
“That is sad. But maybe it is better not to have the offspring of a son of a bitch who has dumped her this way!” observes another woman.
“How can we hold the father’s crimes against the child? She is devastated for the child was still her flesh and blood!”
Mylaram starts to walk away when one of the women holds her by the arm.
“The loan recovery agents will be here the day after.”
Mylaram looks tired and defeated.
“I don’t have the money to repay them.”
“You can’t do that! My daughter’s wedding will be ruined then!”
Mylaram looks at her in alarm.
“What are you saying?”
“Mylaram, you know the loan terms as well as we do. One of us defaults on her repayment and all of us suffer!”
Mylaram feels her head begin to spin.
“If my loan does not come through, my daughter’s wedding will be stalled. We will be shamed before the whole world and will have no other option but to kill ourselves. And our deaths will be on you!”
The woman speaks in a tone that is a mix of a curse and a plea.
Mylaram does not know what to say. She nods her head slowly and walks back home.
Her younger daughter is waiting.
“Mother, is Akka alright?”
Mylaram nods her head before curling up in a corner. She cannot cope with questions.
The next day she collects whatever little cash she has, puts together anything of value in the house and takes it to the scrap shop in town.
She begs and pleads with the scrap dealer to give her a good deal. Lady luck finally shines on her, or maybe the scrap dealer is just in a charitable mood. Mylaram gets enough to meet the hospital expenses and some more.
She goes to the hospital, gets her daughter discharged and brings her back home.
That night, she cooks a good meal and feeds her daughters with her own hands. Then, she goes to sleep, hugging them both.
The next morning, the loan recovery agents from DevEx arrive in the village.
They are just in time to see her hanging from the very roof that they had lent her money to repair.
CHAPTER 5
N E W YORK, 20 SEPTEMBER 2010
“The number you are calling is either switched off or cannot be reached at the moment.”
Bob swears loudly. He has been getting the same response
Despite Mylaram’s hopes, ill luck had refused to leave her side. One day her older daughter complained of acute abdominal pain. Fearing complications in her pregnancy, the local midwife advised Mylaram to take her to the town hospital.
It is outside the maternity ward of that very hospital that Mylaram now waits. Scared, she continues to pray for good news.
A nurse exits the ward and calls out to her.
Mylaram rushes to her side and looks at her fearfully.
“Your daughter has survived but the baby is lost. The
foetus was not properly formed, though. You can take your daughter home the day after.”
The nurse turns on her heel and goes back in, leaving Mylaram unsure of what to feel. Is she supposed to celebrate her daughter being alive, grieve over the lost child or be grateful that it did not survive to live a deformed life?
The nurse returns with a chit in hand.
“You need to pay Rs 5,000 before we can discharge your daughter.”
Mylaram is stunned. She had not thought of this part at all. While she was already hard-pressed for money to meet loan repayments, here was an additional expense!
A tired Mylaram takes a bus back home in the evening. As she walks forlornly towards her hut, she is stopped in her tracks by a few women, who are her fellow group 1 members.
“What happened to Kala?” asks one of the women.
“She survived but the baby is gone,” answers Mylaram, mournfully.
“That is sad. But maybe it is better not to have the offspring of a son of a bitch who has dumped her this way!” observes another woman.
“How can we hold the father’s crimes against the child? She is devastated for the child was still her flesh and blood!”
Mylaram starts to walk away when one of the women holds her by the arm.
“The loan recovery agents will be here the day after.”
Mylaram looks tired and defeated.
“I don’t have the money to repay them.”
“You can’t do that! My daughter’s wedding will be ruined then!”
Mylaram looks at her in alarm.
“What are you saying?”
“Mylaram, you know the loan terms as well as we do. One of us defaults on her repayment and all of us suffer!”
Mylaram feels her head begin to spin.
“If my loan does not come through, my daughter’s wedding will be stalled. We will be shamed before the whole world and will have no other option but to kill ourselves. And our deaths will be on you!”
The woman speaks in a tone that is a mix of a curse and a plea.
Mylaram does not know what to say. She nods her head slowly and walks back home.
Her younger daughter is waiting.
“Mother, is Akka alright?”
Mylaram nods her head before curling up in a corner. She cannot cope with questions.
The next day she collects whatever little cash she has, puts together anything of value in the house and takes it to the scrap shop in town.
She begs and pleads with the scrap dealer to give her a good deal. Lady luck finally shines on her, or maybe the scrap dealer is just in a charitable mood. Mylaram gets enough to meet the hospital expenses and some more.
She goes to the hospital, gets her daughter discharged and brings her back home.
That night, she cooks a good meal and feeds her daughters with her own hands. Then, she goes to sleep, hugging them both.
The next morning, the loan recovery agents from DevEx arrive in the village.
They are just in time to see her hanging from the very roof that they had lent her money to repair.
CHAPTER 5
N E W YORK, 20 SEPTEMBER 2010
“The number you are calling is either switched off or cannot be reached at the moment.”
Bob swears loudly. He has been getting the same response
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