Free One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan Page A

even gave, volitionally, what he did not ask for, what he did not even know existed. And she had remained the same to him until today. The separation this effected from his male companions was now complete.
    In summer, for as long as a month before the temple festival began, crowds started teeming into the town square. Beginning late in the evening and going on till midnight, two pariahs would hold forth with their instruments. A temple dance would begin. And as the musicians kept playing the thappu drums, the dance would intensify. Middle-aged men, already well trained in the dance, would go first. Then the novice youth and other boys would join in. Some of theold ones would suddenly decide to show off their expertise. So they would get up and say, ‘This is how you do it,’ show a few steps, and go back and sit down. They’d yell at the drummers: ‘What are you playing? As if someone is dead!’ And find fault with the dancers: ‘Swing your arms properly!’ The others would murmur, ‘These old ones never shut up,’ and the dancing would continue. Women and children would finish their chores at home and rush to the spot just to see the beauty of the men’s hair flapping around their backs and shoulders, their topknots having come undone in all the movement.
    Mastering these temple dances was no small matter. The dancers had to internalize the sounds of the drums and dance accordingly. There were over fifty kinds of rhythms, and there were only a few people who were skilled enough to dance to all of them. Those people always danced in the front, and the others danced behind them. Kali was somewhat adept at this dance. He could even follow the dances he didn’t really know. For him, there was nothing more joyous than being in the crowd.
    On one such occasion, Kali finished his work in a hurry, washed himself and ran to the town square. He did not even have patience to focus on his food, gobbling down what was on his plate before rushing out.
    Ponna unleashed her sarcasm. ‘What wonder is waiting there for you? Are they waiting for you to inaugurate things? How would this food nourish you if you eat so fast?’ But he let nothing bother him.
    Her mother-in-law laughed at this: ‘He used to roam around like a free ass with his friends. Do you think you can tie him to your lap?’ She was delighted that even Ponna could not hold him back from this.
    ‘How can I dance if I eat so much?’ he replied. ‘Only my belly would go up and down in its fullness.’
    There was such delight in dancing in the spacious field in front of the town square! Murugesan from Semmangadu was not very good at dancing. The nuances of the thappu drum simply failed to penetrate his thick head. When everyone took a step in unison, he alone would do something that would make him fall down between their moving feet. Not everyone can dance. And when one comes to terms with this, he can go and sit down with the oldies and watch the others dance. In a way characteristic to spectators, he can also criticize the dancers and pass comments. Failed artistes suddenly become critics. But what do you do about someone who insists on dancing even though he keeps tripping over people’s feet? No amount of teasing and taunting deterred Murugesan. With his clumsiness, he sometimes even made other dancers trip over him. He was well built and was the colour of a tender mango shoot.
    ‘Looking at his skin colour, I am a little suspicious,’ said Mutthan. ‘Maybe we should check with his mother, just in case.’ Everyone laughed.
    ‘It should be easy for peasant folk to do this dance,’ said Songaan. ‘If he can’t, it must be some birth defect!’ This taunt was followed by more laughter.
    Rasu got up, entwined his legs, imitating Murugesan, and said, ‘This is real dance.’ And more guffaws ensued.
    Usually, if the teasing got out of hand, Murugesan would say, ‘I will leave you to your dance,’ and then move away to join another dance party. But on