by Dipika Rai
Rani must have known all through dinner that she wouldn’t be here in the morning. Why did she leave?
Don’t fault her for her decision. There are so many Ranis in this world. They come in all guises, all lacking any sort of encouragement from their circumstances. Had Rani experienced a great drought she might have had the courage to stay, had there been less acceptance in her father’s prostitute she might have had the fortitude to ask for what she’d lost, had there been just something a little different about one of her patrons she might have accused her stepmother of cowardice . . . But there hadn’t, and so her life played out in an altogether other way.
In the end, this is not Rani’s story but Mamta’s, so all we can do is wish Rani an obstacle-free journey and the kindness of destiny.
‘Amma?’
She jumps with surprise.
‘Shanti!’ her two-year-old crawls into her lap. She puts down her cup, the tea still hot enough to burn.
As she takes this daughter in her arms, she realises she will never see her other daughter again. Rani will once again lose herself in that great faceless, nameless mass of unloved humanity that flits from here to there trying to make sense of this world. Every once in a while, Mamta will catch a glimpse of her in a crowd, will run to her, but won’t be able to catch up. Until one day. One day she will be by her side, will tap her on the shoulder, only to come face to face with a stranger’s eyes as befuddled as her own.
Mamta’s name means mother’s love. It is a good and fitting name. In her own mother’s love, she had more than most. It was a practical kind of love, never frivolous, always conferred with discretion, much like a limited resource. In that she is different.
‘Make a chapatti, bake a chapatti,
Give one to your father, give one to your mother,
One for your sister and one for your brother,
Then what’s left? One burned and dry,
Give it to the little girl to make her cry.’
Each phrase of her nursery rhyme is punctuated with kisses on her daughter’s palms. She sings the words not to toughen up Shanti but to remind her of where she came from. Finally, she burrows her face in her daughter’s hair.
What is it they say about innocence? It is being harmless and unharmed at the same time.
Glossary
Abba: see Bapu.
Aindri Mata: a manifestation of Devi. All perception is a manifest -ation of her energy.
Amma: mother; Mummy.
Apsara: these young women, with supernatural powers and complete mastery over the performing arts, are the handmaidens of Indra, ruler of Heaven; intoxicatingly beautiful, divine entertainers, they may be considered to be the equivalent of the muses, naiads, and nymphs.
Arey-oh/Arey: a call to attract someone’s attention, as in ‘Hey there . . .’
Ashram: place of sanctuary or refuge, usually associated with a particular temple or religious group.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Indian statesman who served as Prime Minister of India, heading a coalition government from March 1998 until May 2004.
Avatars: manifestation of Hindu gods in human or animal form on earth. Avatars possess the same attributes and powers as the gods they represent.
Babuji: a respectful way of addressing a man from a higher caste.
Babul: type of tree also called the Acacia Arabica.
Bakelite: kind of hard plastic used for making toilet seats.
Bapu: father; Daddy.
Barfi: sweet made from reduced milk solids and sugar.
Betel-leaf: also known as paan is a leaf from the pepper family. It is chewed with slaked lime and betel-nut, and turns the saliva red. Red betel-juice paan stains are commonly seen on Indian streets and in buildings.
Betel-nuts: Areca nut chewed by Indians wrapped in betel-leaf.
Bhagvat/Bhagavad Gita: literally ‘the Lord’s Song’, the holy book of Hindus. The content is the divine learning imparted by Lord Krishna to his disciple Arjuna on the eve of the great Kurukshetra war mentioned in the Mahabharata epic. The Bhagvat Gita, rendered in verse, is the oldest spiritual text known to mankind. The English translation referenced in this book is by Annie Besant.
Bhai/ Bhaia: elder brother.
Bhajans: hymns; devotional songs.
Bhajiwala: man who sells bhaji, a vegetarian preparation.
Bibiji: a respectful way of addressing a woman from a higher caste. Bidi: hand rolled tobacco-leaf ‘cigarette’.
Bindi: dot between the eyebrows of a woman placed for adornment.
Brahmi Mata: a manifestation of Devi. She is divine speech, her energy represents the immutable sound.
Brooke Bond: brand name of a bestselling Indian tea.
Chacha: literally ‘father’s younger brother’; respectful way of addressing a man belonging to one’s father’s generation.
Chai: sweet spiced brewed tea.
Chaiwalas: chai seller.
Chakra: literally ‘wheel’; chakras in the body are focal points for receiving and transmitting cosmic energy.
Chitrahaar: literally ‘garland of pictures’; this popular thirty-minute television programme features the latest songs from Hindi films.
Charpoy: literally ‘four legs’; Indian rope bed.
Choli: short blouse that may be worn with a ghaghra or sari, leaving the midriff exposed.
Chunni: long scarf (2.5 metres) worn with a ghaghra or salwarkamiz.
Congress Party: complete name The Indian National Congress; a major political party in India.
Daal: soupy lentil stew, a staple throughout India.
Daku: dacoit; bandit.
Devi: the Hindu divine mother, embodiment of all expressions of female energy. Devi has many manifestations propitiated on specific days for specific purposes.
Dhobi: washerman who does the laundry off-site.
Dhobi-ghat: the place, usually by the banks of a river or stream, where a dhobi does the laundry.
Dhoti: four-metre-long loincloth commonly worn by Indian men.
Dhruv Tara: the constant North Star.
Didi: elder sister; respectful way of addressing a woman your own age. Diwali: festival of lights; the start of the new year for Indians. Eve-teasing: euphemism for groping/sexual harassment of women in public.
Fenugreek: a bitter leafy vegetable whose seeds are used as a spice.
Ficus: a type of tree with aerial roots.
Ganga: another name for the Ganges river.
Gautam Buddha/Buddha: literally ‘Awoken One’; spiritual teacher and founder of the Buddhist faith.
Gayatri Mantra – Ohm Bhoor Bhuwah Swaha, Tat Savitur Varenyum, Bhargo Dewas Dhimahi, Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodaya: Highly revered mantra recorded in the Rig Veda, requests the blessing of enlightenment.
Ghaghra: skirt made with 8.25 metres of material.
Ghazal: poetic song that celebrates the pain of loss and the beauty of the struggle.
Gnostic: of or having mystical knowledge.
Gopal: another name for Krishna, the blue Hindu god of love. Gulab jamun: deep-fried dumpling made from reduced milk soaked in sugar syrup.
Gundas: gangs of men and boys who indulge in Eve-teasing and unruly and destructive behaviour.
Gurdwara: holy temple for the Sikh community.
Guru Dutt: Indian film actor, director and producer. He ushered in the golden age of Indian cinema, always tackling social issues head-on.
Guru Nanak: the first of the ten divine teachers of the Sikh faith.
Hai: long sigh.
Halwa: any preparation that is made with a combination of carbohydrate, clarified butter, sugar and spices. Halwa can be made from semolina, flour, carrots, lentils etc.
Henna: a flowering plant. The dye made from its leaves is used to decorate palms during marriage ceremonies;.
Hijras: members of a third gender, neither men nor women. They refer to themselves linguistically as female and usually dress as women, though they never attempt to pass for women. Some hijras are eunuchs, and m
any consider only castrated men to be true hijras.
Hir-Ranja: tragic Muslim Jat couple who died for love.
Indigo: plant used for producing blue-black dye.
Ishvari Mata: a manifestation of Devi. She is pure reflection, she represents absolute freedom.
Jaggery: blocks of unrefined sugar.
Jai ho/Jai ho Devi, Devi jai ho: Hail/Hail to the Divine Mother, Divine Mother hail.
Jalebi: deep-fried sweet pastry doodle soaked in sugar syrup.
Kabari-man: the man who collects a household’s recyclable rubbish.
Kali/Kali Mata: a manifestation of Devi. Her energy represents cosmic destructive power.
Kalidas: one of the greatest and most enlightened Indian literary personalities of all time.
Karma/Karmic: the Hindu law of cause and effect that governs the universe.
Kaurav: the hundred sons of the Kuru clan; in the epic tale of the Mahabharata they fought the five brothers from the Pandava clan.
Khadi: Indian hand-spun and hand-woven cotton cloth.
Koyal: bird from the cuckoo family, famous for its sweet song.
Kshatriyas: warrior caste, ranked just below the priest caste.
Kumari Mata: a manifestation of Devi. She represents valour. Harmony of thoughts, actions and feelings are guided by her energy.
Kurta/Kurta pyjama: long tunic worn with baggy pants.
Laddoo: sweets made with lentils, nuts and clarified butter.
Ladli: beloved.
Laila–Majnu: tragic Persian love story in which Majnu goes mad when he discovers that his beloved Laila is to be married to another man. The story appealed to the Indian psyche so much that it developed a local Indian ‘twist’. The graves of the lovers are believed to be in Rajasthan and their gravesite has become a place for pilgrim for other desperate lovers.
Lakshmi/Lakshmi Mata: Indian goddess of wealth; a manifestation of Devi.
Lassi: a shake made with yogurt, water and spices or sugar.
Maharashtran: person from Maharashtra.
Mahavir: Indian sage and ascetic, contemporary of Buddha, who is the founder of the Jain faith.
Maheshvari Mata: a manifestation of Devi. She is the compassionate supreme ruler.
Mangalsutra: a necklace of black beads worn by brides as a visible sign of marriage.
Mantra: a sacred verbal arrangement repeated in prayer, meditation, or incantation to bring one closer to achieving enlightenment.
Masi: literally ‘mother’s sister’, a respectful way of addressing a woman older than you.
Masterji: a respectful way of addressing a wise or knowledgeable man.
Mata/Mataji: literally ‘mother’, a respectful way of addressing a woman who could be your mother’s age.
Mauwa fruit: almond-sized fruit of a large deciduous tree.
Maya: literally ‘illusion’; the principal concept which manifests and governs the play of duality on the stage of the phenomenal universe. Mela: fair.
Memsahib: mistress of the house.
Meri jaan: literally ‘my life’, a strong term of endearment.
Milkcake: solid block of reduced milk and sugar.
Mirrorwork: kind of embellishment created with fragments of mica or mirrors and embroidery.
Motor rickshaw: three-wheeled motor scooter that can carry two or three passengers.
Murdabad: literally ‘death to’.
Namaste: Indian salutation, often accompanied by folded hands, acknowledging the divinity within the person being greeted.
Nani: maternal grandmother.
Neem: large tree of the mahogany family.
Netaji: leader, role-model.
Nizammudin Chisti: a famous Sufi saint of the Chisti order.
Ohm: the first divine cosmic sound, a very sacred symbol for Hindus.
Paan: see betel-leaf.
Pallav: loose end of the sari which is slung over the shoulder and often used to cover the head.
Panchayat: assembly of wise and respected village elders.
Parandis: hair extensions made of silk.
Paraya: literally ‘the other’; outsider; not of the family.
Parryware: brand name of a leading commode manufacturer.
Petromax: brand of kerosene lamp.
Phenol: a strong-smelling cleaning fluid, also known as carbolic.
Policewalas: another term for police force.
Pooja: prayer.
Postmanji: a respectful way of addressing the postman.
Pukka: strong, made of brick.
Pundit: priest.
Puris/Puri bhaji: fried unleavened wholewheat bread served with a spicy vegetable preparation.
Pyaasa: 1957 blockbuster Indian film starring Guru Dutt.
Rajasthan nuclear weapon tests: in May 1998, India conducted five controversial underground nuclear tests in Rajasthan.
Rakhale: kept woman; whore.
Rangoli: literally ‘coloured rows’; auspicious painting done with coloured powders especially on festival days.
Ravana: king of Lanka and chief villain of the Ramayana epic. Red Bazaar: red-light district.
Rickshaw: three-wheeled bicycle taxi.
Rudali: literally ‘crier’; professional mourner.
Sadhus: holy men committed to austerity and seclusion.
Sahib/Sahibji: respectful way of addressing a man of station.
Salwar-kurta: Punjabi dress consisting of pants and a tunic worn by both men and women.
Samsara: bondage to the endless cycle of life and death.
Sardar: head; chief; chieftain.
Shakuntala: the most beautiful of all apsaras.
Shiva: Hindu god of the holy trinity; god of dance, destruction and creation.
Sikh/Sikhanni: man/woman of the Sikh faith.
Sindhoor: red dust worn in parted hair as a visible sign of marriage.
Sudama: childhood friend of Krishna.
Sudras: the lowest caste, given undesirable tasks such as cleaning toilets.
Swaha: the offering of a gift or sacrifice to a deity, usually uttered when feeding the ritual fire with sacred offerings.
Swastika: meaning pure, auspicious. It is a sacred symbol of an equilateral, usually right-facing, cross with its arms bent at right angles.
Tamarind: sticky, extremely sour fruit from a tree of the same name. Widely used in Indian cooking.
Thali: tin plate.
Three-headed lion: The Indian national emblem adapted from the capital of iron pillars erected by pacifist Emperor Ashok (269– 232 BC).The national emblem is an adaptation from the Lion Capital seal of Ashoka. In the original there are four lions, standing back to back, mounted on lotus, carrying reliefs of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels of Dharma Chakras. In the state emblem, adopted by the Government of India in 1950, only three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view.
Tilak: dot between the eyebrows of a man, placed as a blessing.
Tonga: horse-drawn cart.
Tongawala: driver of a horse-drawn cart.
Tulsi: sacred basil.
Turmeric: yellow rhizome commonly used as a spice in Indian cooking.
Uffo: mildly chiding as a mother might a young child. Somewhat equivalent to ‘Come on now, don’t be that way.’
Vaishnavi Mata: a manifestation of Devi. Her energy is that of sustenance, preservation, perfection and performance.
Varahi Mata: a manifestation of Devi. She is all consuming. Creation is digested by her to make the universe play in harmony.
Veda Asi: literally ‘containing the Vedas’; vessel of all cosmic knowledge.
Vedas: Literally ‘wisdom’; sacred Hindu texts written in ancient Sanskrit, the Vedas consist of four canonical sacred texts composed four thousand years ago, which contain sacred hymns and can be considered the technical manuals of Hindu philosophy. They cover diverse subjects including ritual, spirituality, mantras, warfare, performing arts and medicine. The Vedas were preserved and passed
down through faithful recitation.
Vishnu: one of the three gods in the Hindu Trinity; Vishnu is the Preserver, the supreme being who pervades all time and space.
Vrindavan: a town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, North India. It is the site of an ancient forest where Lord Krishna spent his childhood.
Vyasia: working class; the second level in the Indian caste system.
Yamraj: collector of the dead, commonly depicted riding a bull.
Yogi: someone who practices a disciplined spiritual doctrine.
Zamindar/zamindari: land owner/land ownership.
Zindabad: literally ‘Long live’.
Sources:
Bhagavad Gita text and translation by Annie Besant
Facets of Chandi-Nava Durga by Chaman Lal Raina
Behind The Scenes
‘SOMETHING SPLENDID’
A Word from the Author
‘Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; the more select, the more enjoyable.’
LOUISA MAY ALCOTT
‘I want to do something splendid . . . Something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead . . . I think I shall write books.’ So said Louisa May Alcott on why she wanted to write. And yet the precise nature of the creative process is a mysterious one. What is it that inspires authors to put pen to paper: curiosity, sympathy, passion, obsession? In her own words, Dipika Rai reveals what inspired her to write Someone Else’s Garden . . .
As children we travelled with my parents all through India in a trusty Ambassador car with a bedroll on the roof and boiled water in a sturdy steel thermos. Each time we reached our destination I collected a story. As I grew older, I realised that I was born into an extraordinary country where hundreds of inspiring and interesting things, worthy of recounting, took place on a daily basis. The eternal stories of the milkman, the ayah, the dhobi, of the neighbour, the landlord and the dacoit were all vignettes that kept me company throughout my life. I knew a time would come when I would have to explain to my children why India is the way it is. So, armed with enough material for several books, I started out to tell a good story and record my impressions of India.