Resumo de Beware! Why This Woman Smiles For No Reason! 3

As years rolled by, Industrial Revolution brought the flood of more and more migrants to the cities! People were compelled to shift! The reasons were obvious. Mass spread of education due to mushroom growth of educational institutions of all sorts in villages! Population exlosion! Rural poverty and plenty!The village youth took fascination for the city life. Instead of grinding day in and day out in the open fields, suffocating flour mills,smelly gur manufacturing units for low daly wages, they arrived to cities. Some more reasons contributed to this trend--compulsoty acquisition of land to establish new housing colonies, industrial estates and forest clearance for electrification. Land Ceilings Act pased by the Government! Fragmentation of land holdings. Division and sub-division amongst the members of the family! Marginal land holdings became uneconomcal and distress sale of small land-holdings became order of the day.Seth Mashi never visited Palen! Hehad an earnest desire to do so, nevertheless. He had some relatives in Palen and villages around. His own and from the side of the late better half! That pious, departed soul.Somehow, the visit never materalised. And then, Mohini dissuaded him, whenever he thought and expressed his desire. Firmly winked at him, shaking her head! Powerful wink! De-stabilising shake! The glare of rebuke in those eyes! Her dislike for the village folks was open!But Mashi Seth continued to be the reference man in Mumbai for the villages of Palen and around! Their post box number in Mumbai! Those who arrived here, made it a point to visit him. Gave references and cross-references! Described the family tree in detail, to prove that how closely he ws related to them!A chosen few remained his guests for a day or two, though Mohini accepted them grudgingly.In tune with the 'athithi devo bhave'(guest is God) culture fast vanishing in the crammed cities, in the crammed accommodation!In the crammed hearts!Mostly, his guests stayed at the top floor, that had an independent acces. Aa staircase connected the drawing room of the first floor, but the door remaianed closed when the terrace guests arrved. Seth Mashi had the surprise of his life that day when he received a call from Prof. Shomu, about whose name and fame he had heard much."Is't Mashi Seth? Well, I am Prof. Shomu from Meran. Yes, I am intimatley connected with Palen and most of your fellows know me. I seek a favor from you. My son, who has just graduated from Delhi University, has secured admission for a specialised course at University of Mumbai. He will be there, for one year! With no hostel facilities, I need to find some accommodation for him. You have a guest house that you rent out eh? My concern is in a big city like Mumbai, this young man should be secure with some of our own people, as his stay is for a fairly long perod of one year!Mohini sprinted beside him, like a deer, her ears on the convesation earnestly.She owned the responsibiity of the continuity of that conversation, after some thought. " The village Professor's son wants the accommodation?" she asked eagerly."Yes, for one year," Mashi Seth replied briefly. He feared for her usual veto...and waited!But, to his surprse, the corners of her mouth curved upwards slowly, as she tried to hide some suspicion behind!Then, a gentle smile sneaked between her llips. It lingered on for a while!"Is he coming with the family?" She knew the answer but wanted confirmation!

Resumos Relacionados