Read Dollar Bahu for Free Online Page A

Since she and Girish had started life together, the two of them had never gone out anywhere except to a temple or the vegetable market. Now for the first time she would be going out of town with her husband.
    One day, out of the blue, the headmistress, Sushila Rao, called Vinuta to her office. ‘It seems Shashi’s marriage has been cancelled. Do you have any idea why? You ought to know because you two are great friends.’
    Vinuta was shocked. ‘I didn’t know this,’ she replied. Sushila continued to talk about Shashi, but Vinuta did not hear anything. Her mind was in a tortured spin. What could have happened? Had there been an accident? This was a marriage fixed with the approval of both sets of parents, so what could possibly have gone wrong?
    Somehow Vinuta managed to finish her work for the day and hurried to Shashi’s house. Shashi opened the door. When she saw Vinuta, she simply broke down.
    Vinuta looked around and noticed that the marriage preparations, which had been going on in full swing, had been stopped midway.
    Shashi’s mother came into the room. ‘Vinuta,’ she said, ‘you are Shashi’s friend, tell her not to act like this. She hasn’t eaten for two days. It’s destiny. She was not meant to marry Shankar. What to do!’
    Shashi took Vinuta’s hand and walked up to the terrace. It was pleasantly cool, all the lights in the city were gradually coming on. Vinuta marvelled at the beautiful sight, but to Shashi, nothing mattered. Vinuta put her arm around Shashi’s shoulders and gently asked, ‘What happened? Is Shankar all right? Has he met with an accident or something?’
    In an instant, grief vanished from Shashi’s face. A seething fury replaced it.
    ‘What can possibly happen to him? That devil is rock solid. He has humiliated all of us. I am just sick of life. I gave my heart to an unworthy man.’
    ‘Don’t talk in riddles. Tell me straight, what happened?’
    ‘He sold himself,’ Shashi said savagely. ‘One Indian family settled in the US came to India in search of a groom for their daughter. They put an ad in the papers saying that the girl had a green card and wanted a groom with certain qualifications.’
    ‘And Shankar fell for the proposal?’ Vinuta asked in disbelief.
    ‘He was not alone. Many others, doctors, CAs and other professionals, also applied, and went, just as if for a job interview. But Shankar was selected because the girl was also an MA in Literature. They offered him a green card through marriage and to support his PhD studies at any university in the US.’
    ‘But what about you?’
    ‘Who cares for me? His parents feel it is a great opportunity for him. He now feels that there is no future in tutorials. He has two sisters to be married off and his father is a retired man. If he had stayed back in India and married me, we would both have had to slog all our lives to repay the loans.’ After a pause, Shashi added, ‘Shankar told me that he would cover half my marriage expenses once he went to America. How generous of him, don’t you think?’
    ‘But Shashi, you have resigned your job and everyone knows about your marriage. Is nobody worried about that?’
    ‘What’s a teacher’s job, a simple girl’s life, in front of the Dollar?’
    Vinuta was speechless.



ELEVEN
    C handru’s dream had come true. He had finally got the magic ticket to the gates of heaven, the glorious green card. He was settled for life now. The son of an ordinary schoolmaster, who had never dreamed of riches, had not just become rich, he was now also an official resident of America.
    He was on top of the world.
    When he came home that evening he found a letter from Bangalore. Normally, he talked to his parents over the phone and rarely exchanged letters, so he guessed it was a long list of Surabhi’s demands or some such thing. He freshened up, brewed himself a cup of coffee and sat on the sofa to open the envelope.
    It was a letter from Girish with a few pictures