A Bend in the River of Life

by Budh Aditya Roy

  In about an hour, the snow-capped peaks began appearing one by one in the northern horizon. Rana sensed that Ghum could not be far behind. In a few minutes the train entered the Ghum station. After a stop of 15 minutes the train whistled out of Ghum and began hurtling down the northern slopes. In a few minutes, the awesome Himalayas unveiled its unparalleled beauty beyond all descriptions. As far as the vision carried to the north, spreading from the far west to the far east, there was an unending array of tall white peaks skirted in patches at the bottom by the blue-gray color of the coniferous mountain vegetation that signaled the fast approaching summer on the Himalayan Mountains. In about 15 minutes the train turned round the corner of the mountain and the pretty township of Darjeeling, the queen of the mountain resorts, showed itself up in all its beauty. Slowly the train entered the station at the southern outskirts of the city. Apart from being a pretty mountain city, Darjeeling had a checkered history. As mentioned earlier, when Calcutta was the capital of British India, Darjeeling used to be the summer capital and the home of the Viceroy of India. As such, it had all the trappings of a great city. Even when the capital moved to Delhi, Darjeeling continued to be the summer home of the Governor of the state.

  As expected, Devika and Siddharth were at the station to receive him. Their bungalow was about 10 minute’s drive by a jeep from the station. It was one of the ten bungalows in a little groove neatly ensconced between two taller peaks on the east and the west with the north completely open. So the view of the tallest peaks of the Himalayas from that point was simply astounding. Observing him completely mesmerized by that picturesque scenery, Devika showed him the Kunchenjungha, the third highest peak on the earth, rising head and shoulders above the companion peaks. She mentioned that the Mount Everest was also visible from there to the northeast on a bright and clear day. Rana had no other alternative but to wait for that bright and clear day to have a glimpse of the highest peak on the earth.

  Rana took it easy the rest of that afternoon. However, the evening was kept free for socializing at the Government Officers’ Club. Devika and Siddharth took him to the club primarily to introduce him to the club officials and to obtain a temporary membership for him for a month. That was the peak season for the tourists. Almost all the residents in Darjeeling had some friends or family visiting for a week or two from all over the country. By the time they reached the club it was pretty crowded. Introduction to the club officials and issuance of the temporary Membership Card did not take long. As a bonanza, he was also invited to the club picnic to be held at the Horticultural Institute on the same weekend. Devika introduced him with some members of the club and a few of her neighbors in their ten-bungalow groove. Everything seemed to indicate a promising vacation time.

  Next morning, after Siddharth left for his work, Devika and her two sons took Rana to the Mall. No visitor to Darjeeling could miss the Mall because it was at the very heart of any Darjeeling trip. The Mall was a table land, undoubtedly the most conspicuous property in the Darjeeling valley. It was of the size of a few football fields, nicely paved with stones for people to take stroll without the fear of traffic while watching the greatest panoramic view that this world could offer. At the north and the south ends there were heavy stone railings with wide parapets to prevent any accidental fall. The northern side had a grand view of the entire Himalayan Range with endless rows of snow-covered peaks. The southern side had a bird’s eye view of the valley of Darjeeling. The road to the east of the mall led to a shopping plaza.

  As Devika, Rana and the children were walking toward the shopping plaza, she met one of her neighbors out of the blue. Her name was Rita. She just came out of a ladies’ boutique. She was accompanied by another lady and a very attractive young woman in her mid-teens. Rita introduced the lady as her sister Mita and the younger woman as Mita’s daughter and her niece Keka. They were also on a visit from Calcutta. On her part, Devika also introduced Rana to them. After the exchange of the pleasantries Rita asked Devika, pointing out to Rana, “Devi, did you mention about him the other day? Is he the one who would be an Honor Graduate in Economics this year?

  Before Devika said anything, Rana looked at her and said, “Why me again? You have already started talking about me even before I arrived!”

  Devika smiled at Rana but responded to Rita, “Yes, he is the one.”

  Rita said, “He looks very young and charming; in fact, too young to be a graduate.” She smiled at Rana in appreciation and he nodded at her acknowledging her kind words. She then asked Devika, “Will you go to the picnic this Sunday?”

  Devika answered, “Of course, no one can afford to miss that.”

  Before parting, Rita again said, “Most probably we will see you at the club this evening.”

  Devika smiled and said, “Yes, we will be there.”

  While Rita and Devika were talking, Rana and Keka exchanged timid and furtive glances at each other a few times and each caught the other stealing looks in the process. At the time of departure, they also smiled and made parting gestures. Rana felt the impact of the first blast of romantic feeling. For the first time in his life someone of the opposite gender swayed his heart. He thought Keka was very pretty. There was something in her eyes or something in her smile that made her more likeable than a traditional beauty. He avidly looked forward to seeing her again that evening.

  From the next morning Rana began riding. There were a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, in his childhood his name led him to fantasize himself as a prince of Rajputana, the land of princes, on horse back. Before that trip he had no occasion to savor that in real life. Secondly, his teacher said riding was a good exercise but he could not experience it before mainly due to lack of opportunity. There was an additional incentive for riding in Darjeeling. The riding facility was located at a very quiet and exclusive part of the city. It was a stretch of land, about a mile long, along the Governor’s estate. It was picturesque and majestic; almost paradise on earth. Rana fell in love not only with riding, but also the awesome beauty of the place.

  He spent the afternoons playing tennis and reading in the library and kept himself free in the evenings in order to catch a glimpse of Keka, not knowing when she would visit the club along with her family. Routine for the rest of the first week pretty much remained the same. All these evenings he came across Keka, but always closely surrounded by the family. All they could do was to exchange smiles only, no dialogues at all. The satisfaction for each, however, was that the other party also appeared to be as keen in opening a conversation. Anyway, by the Saturday of the first week almost everybody who is anybody in the club knew Rana by his first name.

  Sunday was the day for picnic. Rana was given to understand that the annual picnic was an event that every club member would fervently look forward to. From the size of the turn out he had no reason not to believe that. There were lots of activities and ball games planned for the day. Surprisingly, Rana was sought after by everyone to be a partner in their chosen activities. But only thing he was interested in was an opportunity to begin a dialogue with Keka. So far, there were numerous exchanges of smiles, but not a spoken word whatsoever! Nevertheless, from her gestures and vibes it was apparent that she was equally anxious to talk to him. When he was playing tennis, he found her riding a pony in the distance. She also kept track of him in the crowd. She not only saw him from her pony but also smiled and waved at him. However, there was no way they could talk to each other. Rana found no greater injustice than that on earth! He was getting sick and tired of staying happy with long distance smiles.

  Nonetheless, the opportunity that he was looking for came from an unexpected quarter. Before the day was done, Rita came to Devika with a serious request. She asked, “Devi, can I make a special request to you?”

  Devika said, “Rita, there are no formalities between the friends and neighbors. Please tell me what’s in your mind.”

  Rita said, “It’s about Keka. Since the day they arrived here she has been pestering Mita to take
her for riding. As you know, that part of the town is always little quiet, like a haunted place. Mita is scared to go there with Keka without any escort. You mentioned that Rana has been riding every morning. Is it possible for them to go with him?”

  Devika responded, “Let’s ask him directly.” She called Rana and asked the question in their presence. Rana’s heart began pounding in excitement. But he responded in his usually calm and courteous manner, “The pleasure will be mine. If they are ready by nine in the morning, I can pick them up since they are on the way.”

  Next morning Rana stepped out of Devika’s bungalow at the scheduled time. Devika also came out with him to see that there was no lack of coordination. There was none. Mita and Keka were ready and waiting. Devika’s neighbor Rita was also waiting with them to thank him for obliging her sister and niece. So Rana, Mita and Keka proceeded toward the riding facility, leaving the two neighbors carrying on with their neighborly talks.

  In the appropriateness of things, conversation began between Rana and Mita. From the trials and tribulations of his uncommon life Rana had learnt not to rush things. Rather he preferred to work toward creating trust and confidence first before expecting something good to follow. Until then that policy seemed to have paid off handsomely. Keeping that in mind, Rana asked Mita if both of them were interested in riding. She replied that she just came to chaperone her daughter. She added that in a day or two when Keka would feel comfortable enough to be with him alone, she would not take the trouble to come with her.

  The owner and the trainer of the horses became very friendly with Rana because he was one of their very few regular customers. With his help Rana chose the most docile and disciplined horse for Keka and had the trainer follow her on another horse the first day to take care of any contingency. Mita appreciated his concern very much. However, the problem was not her daughter’s riding skill, but her own fear of loneliness in that solitary place at that unearthly hour of the day. As a result, Rana had to restrict their riding to a shorter perimeter to keep an eye on her and alleviate her psychosis of fear. Mita became very apologetic. She said to Rana, “It seems I came only to be a burden on you.”

  Rana said politely, “On the contrary, your presence here gives me courage. Taking the responsibility of a young woman is never too easy.” Mita laughed loudly. She understood that Rana did not want to embarrass her in presence of her daughter.

  Until then Rana did not know anything about Keka. To begin with, Keka was extremely shy. It was one thing to exchange smiles from distance and completely other to meet and talk face to face. Rana was aware that in that era and at that part of the world he was expected to open the dialogue, being male and older in age. Even then it was not easy for a girl of mid-teens to navigate sure-footedly with a male of twenty. As such, to make the situation as normal and as comfortable for Keka as possible, he kept his inquisitiveness to a bare minimum.

  So Rana began the conversation not by asking her name directly but by stating matter-of-factly, “I suppose the other day I heard your name as Keka; I hope I heard it right.”

  Keka responded with a smile, “Yes, you are right.”

  Rana said, “What a beautiful name; and meaningful too.”

  Still smiling, she asked, “You like it?”

  He responded, “I like it? I love it.”

  Displaying a broader smile she said, “Rita Aunty said your name was Rana.”

  Rana said, “You got it right.”

  She reciprocated by saying, “Your name is beautiful too. I like it.”

  He said, “I am not so sure about that. No one in my life ever told me that.”

  Keka smiled. She knew he was being playful. With a little pause he asked, “Keka, how long you are going to stay here?”

  She replied, “We came for a month; three more weeks to go.”

  He asked, “Is this your first visit to Darjeeling?”

  She answered, “No, I came once before six years ago when I was ten.”

  He chuckled and said, “That means you are a sweet sixteen now.”

  She laughed nervously and said, “I am a fool. I divulged my age to you.”

  He laughed mischievously and said, “There is nothing wrong with that.”

  She said, “No, age should always remain private.”

  He said, “I did not ask your age. You said it. So you cannot ask my age.”

  The more fluent the conversation became, the more courage and confidence she gathered. She said, “Okay, I will wait. I know I will also have to catch you on the wrong foot.”

  He smiled and said, “I have to be very cautious and deliberate that I don’t fall into that trap.” He continued, “Keka, when did you develop interest in riding?”

  She answered, “My grandfather is a member of the Equestrian Club in Calcutta. By accompanying him to their special events I had a desire to ride though I did not tell him anything about it then, because there were no women riders at that time. However, when we came here on our first visit, both my father and grandfather were with us. When I expressed my wish to ride, they not only supported but also helped me to ride.”

  Rana said, “That is a long story. I understand now.” He followed up, “I suppose there is nothing to prevent you from riding in Calcutta these days.”

  She said, “No, even today I feel shy to ride in Calcutta because there are still some friends and relatives who might feel jealous and make derogatory remarks.”

  He asked, “Why haven’t your father and grandfather come this time?”

  She replied, “Actually, earlier that year my grandmother passed away and my grandfather was broken-hearted. So my father brought him to take his mind away from the tragedy.”

  Rana said, “That means for all practical purposes your grandfather has virtually retired.”

  Keka said, “No, he is still in control of his law practice and my father is still his assistant. At home also my grandfather is the decision maker.”

  Rana smiled and said, “That suggests that all the decisions about you always tilt in your favor.”

  Keka was very pleased to hear Rana’s comments. She laughed and corroborated, “Yes, you are right. He says I am the apple of his eyes.”

  Rana thought that was enough to know about the family and who decided what. The time was ripe to change the subject and probe more into Keka’s personal orbit. So he asked very discreetly, “Keka, I do not know if it would be too impolite of me to ask if you have graduated from High School yet.”

  Despite being only sixteen she showed a glimpse of her intelligence and that she was quite articulate. She said with a smile, “You are as clever as my lawyer father and grandfather, politely asking questions and gathering the information you want.”

  Rana had to do a little bit of acting. He said, “Oh no, Keka please don’t reply if you think I am too intrusive into your privacy. I am really sorry that you think that way. I am going to shut up my stupid mouth now.”

  The acting seemed to work very effectively. It was now Keka’s turn to be defensive. Wasting no time, she said, “I am really sorry. I did not mean that. I have no problem in responding to your question. I will be a High School graduate next year.”

  Rana said, “Thank you for trusting me.” He then asked, “What school do you go to?”

  Keka responded, “United Missionary Girls’ High School.”

  He said, “I believe, that’s a very good school.”

  Keka asked, “Yes, but how do you know?”

  He answered, “I know because my neighbor’s daughters also go to that school. Besides, I was also a student of a missionary school. I had a general idea about what missionary schools and colleges were good.”

  Their time was up. They returned the horses and paid their dues. By then few more clients also came to try their riding skill and Keka’s mother Mita was not frightened to death any more.

  From Rana’s perspective, over all, it was not a bad first day at all. Without an iota of doubt, Keka created a charming first impression
on Rana. On the other side of the coin, though Keka’s words did not indicate anything to that effect, he was positive from her gestures and gesticulations that she was simply thrilled at her new relationship with him. He only hoped that this relationship would transcend the carefree vacation time and stand the test of real life back home in Calcutta. Moreover, he scored high marks from Keka’s mother Mita. Upon returning home that day she announced that from the following morning she did not have to chaperone Keka because Rana’s sense of responsibility was extra-ordinary and he could take care of Keka without her presence. Rana was delighted to hear that from Keka the next morning. He further learnt that her Aunt Rita was also very happy to hear that Rana cared for her niece.

  Besides riding and club activities, during the rest of their stay Keka and Rana had occasions to visit the tourist spots in and around Darjeeling jointly with their respective friends and family. These visits gave ample opportunity to Rana to hone up his talent in photography. He took some wonderful shots of Keka with the backdrop of snow-capped mountains and the flora and fauna of the mountain variety. These pictures were later blown up by her mother for family archives and memorabilia.

  What, however, was encouraging to Rana was that no one around them raised eyebrows at the free interactions between Keka and him in the light of the prevailing social taboo on free-mixing of boys and girls. This, he thought, was possible due to unparalleled boldness shown by Devika, Rita and Mita. On their confident countenances Rana clearly saw the changing face of the society. He felt that Keka and he himself were born at the crossroads of time. They merely represented the instruments of change, but the actual catalysts of change were those young mothers in their early thirties. In their own girlhood days their own dreams had been nurtured to revolve around making men happy at the cost of their own happiness. Their subconscious dreams to be carefree in the presence of men that missed the winds of change by a slender margin were now being realized through their own children. At the first blast of education, in the increasing glare of cinema and theatres, under the influence of the beauty parlors and glamour magazines the minds that under the male dominated society were conditioned to cater to the pleasures and privileges of men were slowly shaking off their slumbering stupor. Rana saw a paradigm shift. Clearly, the River of Life reached another milestone; another significant bend on its relentless glide to its far away destiny, the ever enigmatic Eternity.