What triggers a change in behavior of a person who follows a routine for past 25 years? A change that is in contradiction? An anomaly. In our life we see that many times. Some are minor, some major, making us wonder, is this the same person we knew. Some are known changes that happens as a person gets older that is attributed to midlife crisis. Mostly those are either change in their lifestyle, indulgences like buying an expensive bike or a designer watch.

Sujata delves in to this contraction in his unique “knife in the gut” technique in the short story Muran (contradiction / anomaly in English). Story came out in 1973. Kumarasamy, the school bus driver has followed a routine for 25 years, gets up in the morning, pray to god, drives the school bus, adheres to speed limit, picks up school children on the way and reaches school on time. Never been late, no accidents, and no complaints. Never taken a leave.

We enter the story on a typical day of Kumarasamy. School principal summons him for a meeting. Appreciating his impeccable, flawless service for 25 years, she gives him a wristwatch along with two hundred rupees. He doesn’t want the watch or money saying he has a watch in his head that gives the time, has enough money and doesn’t have a need for additional money. After some convincing, he accepts the watch and requests to give the money to poor students. When he was asked why he didn’t marry, he says he has never given a serious thought to it.

His colleagues congratulate him on his service, asks for a party, and the discussion turns towards marriage and women. Did he get dumped by any woman for not getting married? Does he have the urge? Did he ever get the urge? Has he ever touched a woman? Ever? Kumarasamy replies with a smile mentioning he is different and leaves it at that.

As the day progresses, he runs few errands to banks and service station, does the evening drop of kids back to their homes and comes back for the final trip. Waits for the play rehearsal to get over. Picks up rest of the school kids along with P.T. teacher, drops them one by one and goes towards N.S.colony for the last drop. He chit chats with the kid about the role in play, she plays one of the angels in all white costume. Story ends with bus taking a detour on a side unpaved road instead of going to colony and goes faster than usual in the dark.

Like the school girl in the bus, Sujata leaves the readers in the dark. What we are told about Kumarasamy and his impeccable character is in complete contradiction to the bus detour at the end. When you read multiple times, you see the hints in two places. One where he says he is different to his colleagues when they discuss marriage and women. Second before the evening drop, when he looks at the watch. Sujata gives a possible glimpse on the trigger. A fresh leather strap; A new face; New needles. An old person getting a new time. A new moment.  Putting this to together are we to interpret, is this something regular he has been doing or something new? Considering all others give a clean chit on his 25 years of service with no complaints, I think bus detour is new and something triggered the contradicting behaviour. Did the wristwatch remind him that time is running out? Did the colleagues’ questions kick started a crisis in him? What snapped in him? We will never know. What we know is though that Sujata knows how to make his readers lose their sleep. That he is a master storyteller.