words per minute
9
SidhuSebastian
00:00
Speed
Halku came in and said to his wife, 'The landlord's come! Get the rupees you set aside. I'll give him the money and somehow or other we'll get along without it.'
Munni had been sweeping. She turned around and said, 'But there are only three rupees. If you give them to him where's the blanket going to come from? How are you going to get through these January nights in the fields?
Tell him we'll pay him after the harvest, not right now.'
For a moment Halku stood hesitating. Without a blanket he couldn't possibly sleep in the fields at night. But the landlord wouldn't be put off: he'd threaten and insult him. So what did it matter if they died in the cold weather as long as they could just take care of this calamity right now? As he thought this he moved his heavy body (that gave the lie to his name) and came close to his wife.
Trying to coax her he said, 'Come on, give it to me. We'll manage. I'll figure out some other plan to get the blanket.'
Munni drew away from him. Her eyes angry, she said, 'You just tell me what other plan can be found. Is somebody going to give you a blanket? God knows how many debts are always left over that we can't pay off. What I say is give up this tenant farming! The work's killing you. Whatever you harvest goes to pay up the arrears, so why not finish with it? Earn some money for your own belly. I won't give you the money, I won't!'
Sadly, Halku said, 'Then I'll have to put up with his abuse.'
The bitter truth in Halku's words came charging at Munni like a wild beast.
She went to the niche in the wall, took out the rupees and handed them over to Halku. Then she said, 'Give up farming this time. If you work as a hired laborer you'll at least get enough food to eat from it. Fine work, farming someone else's land!'