by Debashis Dey
Nisha glanced out the window. It had been a long time since she had gone this route. Diwakar showed her the bridge with the brook flowing under it and the place where a flood came and washed out some of the orchards. When the car reached Batseri, he showed her the temple with red and yellow flags. They rode along the river and watched its blue-green water undulating across the valley. Next, they came across the peak that held the meadow for grazing goats and sheep. He told her about the shepherds who stayed there braving the weather in all seasons. Balbir stopped the car at the next bend. He lit two incense sticks and went down to place them at the Shiva temple on the corner. He returned and drove the Jeep down the slope where they saw apricots and apples in full bloom. Finally, they crossed the orchards and were inside the market.
Sangla looked festive with women flooding the streets in colorful dresses. Stalls with firecrackers, toys, snacks, shawls, garments, gifts stood on both sides of the road.
“Both of you can walk around and have a look. I will get the meat and join you later,” Diwakar said.
Ria pulled Nisha over to one of the stalls selling bangles, earrings, clips and other items. She started checking one after the other and was soon confused. Nisha smiled and helped her choose a few. Nisha bought two sets of earrings, one for her, and one for Parvati. They next moved to the garments stall and Nisha bought two scarves, one for her, and one for Ria. She also bought a packet of sweetmeat before they set off to roam around the rest of the market. Soon they came across a stall with a peephole slide show and stood in a queue to see it. The slides ran inside an illuminated box while a popular song played on a tape-recorder. It showed images of famous places and gods and goddesses. The show lasted for five minutes and both came out happy, having seen a world they would never see for real.
They saw Diwakar coming toward them with a pack of firecrackers and a big smile.
“Let’s go and have something to eat,” he said.
“Chowmein!” Ria said.
“And momo!” added Diwakar.
The three went to a restaurant and had their fill. Nisha was enjoying every moment, as this was a different day for her and a break from the routine work. The three went around again and checked all the stalls. Diwakar suggested they buy a set of cups for the family and everyone agreed. Nisha went back to one of the stalls and got a big pack of diyas (small earthen oil lamps). They then checked out the robot-like contraption with blinking red lights forecasting the future in a mechanical voice. Except for Ria, none of them were interested in knowing their future but listened to the device as it told others of their futures. Ria decided to save it for some other time when no one was around; she did not want the robot device to make her plans public.
It took some time and some honking for Balbir to collect his passengers. Finally, he got most of them and started back. Everyone was happy and cheerful. Diwakar again played the songs on his mobile but the battery went dead after a few minutes.
***
Shevak sat at Lalaji’s shop in the village and had a cup of tea. A few children burned firecrackers and every now and then, a loud bang went off that scared the pigeons and sent them flying from one corner of the valley to the other. The sounds echoed across the peaks and broke the serenity of the otherwise peaceful place. Half of the men who sat there were already high on liquor while the others were well on their way. Lalaji sold most of his wares and for the rest he offered a big discount. The goods had a shelf life of only a few days and then it would be dead stock for him. Dayawanti distributed a few free firecrackers to the children. She also distributed sweets and biscuits to Shevak and others sitting there. She kept on shouting at all who planned to burn firecrackers near her shop. “Everyone be careful! Dry grass and hay are stacked everywhere and could catch fire at any moment,” she said.
Shevak nodded in agreement and asked the children to move toward the barren fields to burn their firecrackers.
“Don’t worry, the Devta will save us all,” remarked Ravi, tapping his feet to the music that came from Lalaji’s shop. He was drunk as usual.
“Devta never saves the fool,” Shevak said and got up to leave.
***
Ria and Nisha placed diyas across the balcony and the windowsills. They also placed two bigger ones at the gate. When they ran short of diyas, they placed candles in patterns across the courtyard. Parvati set a plate of dry coconut pieces, biscuit, nuts, and toffee in front of a picture of Lord Ganesha and Laxmi (the god of wisdom and the goddess of prosperity and wealth) and then lit two incense sticks. She prayed for a few moments for peace and prosperity for the family. She then offered the prasad to Nisha and Ria and kept the rest for others. Shevak came back and changed. He stood in silence in front of the images and folded his hands in prayer. He had prasad from Parvati after which he placed a spare bukhari in the courtyard in which he laid some logs.
“Let’s sit outside,” he called to everyone.
Diwakar was out with the firecrackers that made loud noises. He promised to be back early and asked everyone to keep an eye on the field toward the eastern peak, near the waterfall. He and his friends made a ten-headed Ravana (the demon god) with dead branches and twigs. Each head was fitted with firecrackers and the body wrapped in coils of cloth soaked with kerosene.
Shevak lit the fire and Ria helped him with more logs. Parvati made tea and carried it outside with a plate of nuts. Meanwhile Nisha lit the candles and the diyas and shut off the room lights. The family sat in the darkness except for the small flickering flames all around and the fire in the middle. Ria burned fuljhari, which emitted small specks of flowery sparks that danced all over. Shevak sat smoking his bidi. Parvati closed her eyes and sang an old folk song. Nisha listened keenly to her.
A few moments later, the silence was shattered by the noise of firecrackers echoing across the peaks. Ria pulled Nisha to the edge of the courtyard and they saw the Ravana burning at a distance. One by one, the heads burst into flame. Finally, the main head burst with a huge bang and brilliant flames, making a series of popping noises as the firecrackers burst inside it. The ten-headed demon stood glowing in flares. They could see the boys shouting and dancing around the demon silhouetted by the flames. Ria clapped and announced, “The demon is dead!”
***
Pravin and Raju first visited the temple, which was located outside the town. The temple was famous and there was a long queue of disciples waiting for a darshan (a view). They bought a garland, flowers, and a pack of sweets wrapped in sal leaves. They finally emerged after the darshan with big red tilaks on their foreheads. Outside they had jalebis and puris before returning to the town. The town dazzled with lights and firecrackers burst everywhere. Both roamed around the market and the streets for quite some time, and then went back to their room where they found Ganga waiting for them. He also had firecrackers and sweets.
“Let’s burn the crackers!” said Raju who could not wait any longer.
They all sat in the courtyard with Ganga’s mother, and Raju burned the crackers, clapping and jumping with each explosion.
Ganga performed the puja in the morning. Dewali was a new year for traders, many who worshipped Goddess Laxmi. She represented wealth and prosperity. Ganga’s mother served dinner for everyone and Pravin and Raju ate to their heart’s content.
“This is the best day of my life,” Raju said.
Both he and Pravin sat in the courtyard late into the night watching the rockets spreading glares as they flew in the sky.
***
Diwakar came back and saw Nisha seated next to the fire. Her face glowed in the light of the dying embers. She smiled and he sat next to her, spellbound and captivated by her beauty.
“You are late,” she said.
Diwakar pushed in a log and smiled.
“Did you see the Ravana bursting into flames?”
“Yes, we saw it. You’d better eat your dinner before it gets cold. We are all finished and everyone is sleeping.”
“I am not hungry. I had e
nough food at my friend’s place.”
Both sat quietly next to each other enjoying the warmth of the fire. Diwakar removed the lid and pushed in a few logs. The flames leaped out and he rubbed his hands to soak up the heat. He again looked at Nisha. She seemed like a divine beauty. He wanted time to stand still for all eternity. Soon he floated across to his dream house.
“We will have a fireplace in our courtyard where we will light a fire every evening.”
“And you will play the flute while we sit next to it.”
“I will play while you dance.”
“Then who will cook?”
“I will roast potatoes and meat in the fire.”
“I can do that too,” smiled Nisha.
“No, you will burn your fingers,” Diwakar said and took her hand.
They held hands and sat next to the fire in the moonless night. Above a million stars hung in a dark veil blinking at each other while their fingers made love in blissful isolation.
That night Diwakar had a dream. He saw his aaté collecting wood with him in a forest. Both returned home and aaté arranged the logs in the middle of the courtyard. He then picked up a drum and went inside the forest while he and Nisha sat next to the fire. After a few moments, they could listen to the beats of the drum coming from a distance. A leopard roared and they saw flames chasing it. The beats returned and Nisha got up and danced while he played the flute. She wore a purple scarf and her moist face glistened in the orange glow from the fire. She danced late into the night and then slept in his arms. The fire died but the full moon spread a silvery glow across them.
Chapter 15
Shevak was in the backyard waiting for Diwakar. He watched Shankar roaming leisurely around the barren fields looking at the cows. He had multiple choices as well as a strong libido. After all, he was a yak and a bull owned by Devta himself. The other bulls stayed away from his huge bulk and he fathered the majority of the calves. The villagers tolerated his open display of passion and worshipped him on special occasions. He often became affectionate in the middle of the road, causing cars and Jeeps to wait for a long time.
The day before, Shevak had brought one of his sheep down from the shepherds. Diwakar joined him soon and father and son offered the sheep to Devta and sacrificed him. The sheep was skinned and cut into chunks. A few chunks would be passed on to close relatives while the rest would be kept for drying. In the absence of vegetables, meat served as an essential food for sustaining them through the winter. Shevak kept the blood in a bottle mixed with salt. He rubbed sand and salt on the skin to speed up drying. Once dried this would be used as a cushion to sit on.
Father and son carried the meat, entrails, skin, and blood to Dongri. The family had moved there a few days back. Diwakar got busy cleaning the entrails while Shevak chopped the large chunks into smaller pieces. Parvati strained buckwheat, which when mixed with the blood, would be used to fill the entrails. It was boiled like sausages and cut into pieces, resulting in the greatest delicacy of the region, gimti. A portion of the blood would be used to make another delicacy, sikri, again a mix with buckwheat flour but cooked on a fire. Nisha rubbed salt on the meat pieces and Shevak put them in a string, much like a garland, which was hung on the space between the ceiling and the tin roof and kept there for drying.
***
Arvind sat at Lalaji’s shop cursing his fate. He kept a lot of apples in one corner of his orchard for brewing. A bear had come in last night and eaten most of them. He knew it was a bear because he had found large droppings near the broken fence.
“Can someone give me a gun?”
“You want to kill the bear?” Naresh asked.
“Yes, I want to shoot him in the head!”
“If you kill him, the forest officer will put you behind the bars. And if you miss, the bear will kill you.”
“And there is a chance the leopard will get you,” added Amarchand.
“You mean there’s a leopard around?” Naresh asked.
“Yes, Balbir saw one crossing over the road last night. It probably came to drink water from the river.”
Dayawanti listened while preparing a bukhari, which she kept outside. There were very few people left in the village, as most of them had moved down. The fire was a means to keep people around the shop, and that sometimes converted to sales. A few laborers and Kishori helped her to get firewood in return for free tea and biscuits during winter.
***
Pravin decided to plan a trip home. He would carry back apples, khomani (dried apricots), dried meat, and potatoes for Ganga bhaiya. But first he called his brother.
“How are you, Aaté?” Diwakar was excited.
“I am fine. How are things at home?”
“Everyone is fine. When are you coming?”
“I will come soon and stay for a few days.”
“But I may come to Rampur by the end of this week for the rations.”
“That’s fine. You can stay with me for a day and then leave.”
“No, Aaté, Mamaji (Balbir) won’t wait. I will have to return by evening.”
“Come to my shop once you are done with the shopping.”
“Say Namaste to Aau and Aama,” Pravin said and disconnected.
Diwakar was excited to meet his aaté at Rampur. He went out to find out when Balbir would be leaving. If there were more passengers then the cost could be shared.
***
It was another dull day and Diwakar left for collecting sutar (pine needles.) The pine needles were used as a cushion for the cattle to sleep in their sheds during winter. Parvati decided to take out the potatoes. She left with Nisha and Ria early in the morning. Ria went for fun as her school was closed for winter. She would be in the village for less than a week. Shevak had decided to send her to Chandigarh to his sister’s place for the next few months. There was nothing for her to do at home during winter. In Chandigarh, she would at least get tutorials from his niece. Ria was thrilled, as this was her first visit to a city.
Parvati and Nisha started digging the field and took out the potatoes. Ria collected them and filled a sack. The plant was kept in another lot, which would later be dried and fed to the cattle. The earlier snowfall damaged most of the crops and the yield was poor with most of the potatoes small in size. This was the last crop before winter, after which there would be no farm work left. All other vegetables, like radishes, peas, cabbage, and spinach, had been taken out and the fields stood barren with only cow droppings scattered across them. The alpine choughs that come down in winter flew around in flocks looking for food. They normally fed on insects and turned over the soil in search of worms. The cows grazed the field, munching on the dead plants and the leftover grass. A few donkeys used their hooves to dig up soil and look for roots. The donkeys served as a lifeline to supply salt and rations to the shepherds and the army in the border areas stationed in high altitudes. Parvati took a break and called everyone for tea and snacks.
“This is the last day in the field,” she said.
“And then you can rest for a few months,” Nisha said.
“There is no rest for me. I have to make wool from the fleece, make oil from the apricots, feed the cows, and shift the cow droppings. I will get rest only after I die.
“Don’t say such things; I am here to help you.”
“You are a big help but it’s difficult for me to rest after so many years.”
Both continued with the digging and by evening, they had four sacks. These sacks would be kept below the ground, covered with dry leaves and pine needles, and taken out when necessary. The accumulated snow would help them to stay fresh.
Parvati remembered the last yield, when it was nine sacks. Out of the four from this year, she had to send one with Ria, along with some buckwheat, garlic, and a crate of apples. After all, she would be there for quite some time. Nisha and Parvati carried two sacks each tied to their backs and started back for Dongri.
At home, the family decided to have potatoes for dinner. Diwakar to
ok out the few large ones and kept half for roasting and the others for boiling. Parvati washed her hands and sat down to grind almonds. Nisha took out some dried mint, chili, and garlic and chopped them. A little salt was added and the dip was ready. The family sat around the bukhari and Diwakar passed out potatoes. Everyone had their fill and the rest was kept aside for future use.
At night, Parvati saw Shevak sitting on the bed lost in thought. He normally slept early as he got up before everyone else. “What are you thinking?”
“We only have four sacks when we need at least seven to eight. We will need to buy two sacks.”
“Maybe three. One sack needs to be sent with Ria. I am also worried.”
“I don’t know how to manage when the family grows.”
Parvati wondered if she should discuss Chotu’s proposal with him. She had promised not to discuss it with anyone. But Shevak was not anyone; he was her husband, god, and everything.
“Chotu told me something before he left.”
“What was it?”
“He said that if Diwa agreed, both the brothers would go for common marriage.”
Shevak was surprised. This was a new development and he had never thought of this as a possibility. For a moment he was confused and then he saw the logic and benefit. Even though he would have received some money from the bride’s side if Diwa married, it would not be sufficient to cover the marriage expense and the cost of expansion. Again, the problem of division of the land and orchard would be there. He realized that Chotu was not as dumb as he assumed and he also thought for the family. He remembered that only last week he had sent money and promised to send it regularly. If not proud, he felt pleased about his son. He looked at Parvati, who was waiting for his response.
“And what did Diwa say?”
“I have no idea. Chotu said he would speak with him and let us know.”
“Let’s wait for his opinion.”
Parvati watched Shevak stretch out and close his eyes. It seemed he was at peace with the proposition. He was always quick to respond and would have expressed his opposition instantly if there was any. She thought maybe this would really benefit the family. She prayed to Devta and slept.