At length, as Tara’s outlook insensibly gave her a new perspective of her life, Roopa began to see Sathyam’s death in a fresh light. And late that night, to retrieve the treasure that Sathyam had left behind, Raja Rao, helped by his women, had crouched into the loft. ‘If not for the sentiment attached to it,’ he thought disconcertingly, ‘how mean all this could be!’
~~~~~~
The mourners’ number had swelled by the next day, what with the arrival of relatives and friends from far and wide. While Ramu helped Raja Rao to keep things moving, Raju ran errands for his brothers-in-law and others.
When the body was brought back from the mortuary, while a shocked Pathrudu tried to console Durgamma, she went delirious over it.
‘Why instead of him, didn’t God take me away?’ she cried inconsolably, ‘how could He be so cruel to my son in the midst of his life? Did he ever harm even a flea, all his life?’
But while Janaki cried herself hoarse that her daughter got widowed so young, Ramaiah found himself burdened by guilt, ‘Had I not then brainwashed her into marrying him, I might be busy now searching matches for her. Oh, what a fate it is.’
It was left to the Kamalakars, together with Sandhya, to console Roopa, as Chandrika was yet to arrive.
‘No doubt it’s sad,’ said Kamalakar, patting Roopa, ‘but you need to be brave.’
‘How sad, it’s all over for Sathyam,’ said Damayanthi, taking Roopa into her lap, ‘but you shouldn’t lose heart, knowing we’re always with you.’
‘That’s true,’ said Kamalakar, overwhelmed by Roopa’s plight at such a young age, ‘we would treat you like our second daughter.’
‘‘I love you all the more for your love and understanding for her,’ said Sandhya moved by her parents’ empathy for her friend.
‘We’re proud of you darling for your commitment to friendship,’ said Kamalakar, patting Sandhya,
‘Not to speak of yours as well,’ said Damayanthi to Roopa.
‘I never experienced a like moment,’ said Roopa, shedding tears of sorrow and joy in equal measure. ‘Your love lightens as well as burdens my soul.’
‘That’s what makes your life so unique,’ said Sandhya, ‘
‘And your friendship so singular,’ said Damayanthi.
By the mid-day, when everything was in place for Sathyam’s last rites, Roopa’s eyes were left with no tears to shed and when Sathyam’s body was lifted on a bamboo stretcher, Pathrudu, with a pot of embers, led the funeral procession. As the corpse was thus taken away, leaving the females behind, Sandhya held a benumbed Roopa from collapsing.