Gyembo’s Marriage - A true story
Gyembo was returning to the college after a short summer break. Travelling on the same bus was a girl. His base desire, not her beauty, made him squeeze his courage to speak but he couldn’t. He kept waiting for the right moment to speak a word or two, which was usually a prelude to one-night love affair. When the bus stopped at a town for the night, they walked their own ways without a word.
But the hope that he can somehow find someone to spend the night consoled him. After a shower and a quick dinner in the hotel, he attired himself tidily and went out for his usual business. It was common that the college boys would exploit their educational status, their age and chivalry on town’s girls regardless of their beauty and character. They made false promises and they normally ended up fathering illegitimate children.
The night was quite cold. Gyembo rambled round and round the town until he saw a girl sitting on a slab of stone. He lost no chance. In a moment, he was face to face with her. “Hi, what is your name? he broke the ice. Without looking at him, “I am Dechen”, she replied.
“And you?” quite a brave question.
Should I tell the truth? No, no, an illegitimate child would haunt me, he thought.
“I am Ugyen. I work for the Tashi Commercial Corporation”, he lied.
When he summoned enough courage and drew closer, he found her to be a sorrow stricken and sordid girl. Her visage read untold suffering. His (sexual) motive turned into a deep concern. For a minute, he was wordless. Shall he leave her? Pursue her? Help her? Questions haunted him as they walked to the hotel…
“Can you help me?” she asked him as if she had known him for years.
“What is it? Tell me frankly and I will try and help you”, he replied. When he next saw her face, she was all in tears.
“I study in Darjeeling and I’m on vacation. I am pregnant. My boyfriend left me. Now I have to ab…can you help me ab…” she couldn’t complete the sentence and broke down in tears. “Help you what….?” He asked. “…to abort a child in nearby Indian Hospital”, she replied.
The word ‘abortion’ struck his conscience. His grandpa’s advice that it is a sin to take life rang clear. Moreover abortion is illegal. How can he help her kill a human being? As a Buddhist he would not do it. And the words of his grandpa were ingrained in him. But now he could not take back his words and he had promised to help her.
In nearby Indian Hospital, preparations were made to abort the child illegally. All Gyembo needed to do was to sign the consent form. He did not sleep that night. The very act haunted him like a ghost. Under his grandfather, who was a village lama, he had an austere religious upbringing. Religious by nature, he also believed that abortion is a sin. He knew his grandfather would never approve it. All persuasions to stop Dechen failed.
They were dressing up the next morning and at 10:00 am Gyembo was to sign the papers.
“Dechen, tell me frankly, why don’t you prefer delivery? Are you afraid of shame…. Bitch…bastard… or you want to continue with your studies?”
“Yes Ugyen, I feel ashamed. I would burn my family name to ashes. I come from a respectable family. They will not approve it. They will..beat…kill me, ostracize me”, she replied.
He thought and thought, gathering all compassion he was capable of. He made a hard decision at last and said, “Now listen Dechen. Will you stop it if I accept the child as my own and I marry you?”
At hearing these unexpected words, she jumped up to embrace him., her face washed with tears of joy. She felt as if even her child within her womb kicked her with joy.
“Ugyen, thank you, thank you very much. I will never forget your kindness”.
And together with his tears, he washed all her sorrows.
They parted. Dechen went to Thimphu and Gyembo to the college. He was late by a week. In the college, he couldn’t focus on his studies anymore. He felt lonesome and yearned to be with his new found love. He decided to take leave and proceed to Thimphu.
He phoned Dechen, “It’s me Gyembo, oh sorry I mean Ugyen! I came to meet you. Did you introduce me to your parents? I am coming, I know your house”.
She did not reply. The few minutes of silence nearly killed him.
“What is wrong, Dechen?”
“You need not come. Please wait there, I will be there in a few minutes”, she replied in a changed tone.
In the hotel over a cup of coffee, Dechen said, “I am sorry, I cannot marry you”.
“But why?” asked Gyembo who was on the verge of tears.
“I am sorry. Listen and don’t be angry with me. Both our parents know about my pregnancy. They accepted my boyfriend and they allowed us to marry. I had to make a choice for the child’s sake. I thought a biological father would be better. I hope you will understand and forgive me”.
“Yes, I lived these few days for you. You changed me. I came to see you. I can’t study. But I know at heart… you did the right thing”, he said.
“As a token of my love, please take this gold ring. Always wear me on your finger”, said Dechen, putting it on his finger. “Now you look good and gold”.
When they parted after few hours of emotional outpours, “take care of our child… name him Gyembo to remember me. And remember I saved him. I have a special part in it”.
“I promise you”, she replied.
Dechen delivered a healthy boy and as promised name him Gyembo. Gyembo, alias Ugyen, graduated a year later. One Sunday morning, they met at the Sabji Bazar(Vegetable Market). Gyembo’s newly wed wife Tashi was with him. Dechen was accompanied by her husband Sonam.
“Hi Dechen, what a surprise to meet you, how are you”, he broke the ice for the second time.
“I am fine, Ugyen. This is your son. I named him Gyembo as you wished. You see, I remember you”. She replied. And as if to thank Gyembo for saving his life, the child smiled an unforgettable smile at Gyembo.
“One last secret, I lied. My name is Gyembo, not Ugyen. I graduated from the college last year”, he said.
“So Gyembo will be with me always, like my ring is with you”. Neither Tashi nor Sonam understood what it all meant.
By: Dorji Penjor, Health Division