SAMUDI/17
Shantaba was quite restless as she thought ‘Why did Harshad murmured like that in his sleep?’ Shanta Aunty sat beside Harshad asked: ‘Bhaee Harsad, don’t you like Nayna? Don’t you want to marry her? Harshad was astonished how did mother knew second thoughts of mine? There were guests a place were cowherds live rattling at the door step prior to Harshad’s response. Harshad went to get milk from ‘Nehade’. How was Nehade. Ofcourse, it had a typical smell. Cow’s dung urine. It is cleaned only in the morning hours. They bathe their cows and take them for grazing towards jungle area. One may hear braying of small calfs. One could hear churning of butter milk from some house. Some one has to hold on a calf as and when a cow is to be taken out for grazing. A calf would keep on jumping as a cow was to be untied from its manger for grazing. From morning till evening a calf was separated from the cow. Inspite of this being a regular routine a calf does not form any regular a calf does not form any regular habit. It would goon braying the very moment of its separation. Samudi’s calf was very mischievous. My God! Even if it were to see Samudi going out… exhausted! It would keep on braying very loudly. So Samudi used to be always very careful in leaving her house. Unfortunately that calf ate some such thing and died. Samudi embraced that cow and wept a lot! Kali’s father-in-law’s took away that cow after the death of Samudi’s father but it didn’t live long enough. One could notice dots in round shape on a dusty road of ‘Nehda’ even though dung on the road side is collected in buckets. Generally houses in ‘Nehda’ made of bricks. They use cement or limepowder between two bricks as needed. Thereby brick-format seems to be nicely designed. Sometime loose dung is pasted on walls it shows finger prints also. Harshad had gone to ‘Nehade’ after Samudi’s marriage, he could see Samudi’s finger prints on those pasted dry dungs. Harshad did press on those finger print….. Harshad, as a small boy had heard Samudi’s abusive language in ‘Nehda’. He had a shock also how is that Samudi could use abusive language! From where did she learn such type of language! If Shanta Aunty knew, she didn’t give her anything to eat that day. One would notice road side coloured dust mixed up with dung and winter, it awfully smelled. In addition to this, one would notice scattered fodder from sheaves straws mixed up sand which would glitter in the sunlight. Even as a small boy, Harshad used to come ‘Nehde’ and he used to make different things for Samudi from those gilded straws which used to fall from fodder sheaves. He also used to teach Samudi to make it. He used to make a very decent cot. One was expected to pillout the skin of dry straw with one’s nail. One used to be quite careful about its length and breath. One would find very soft white pulp as its skin of gilded straw is removed. It was easy to inserting dry skin. One is expected to make sizeable pieces. It was meant to connect white pulp was used to keep fair balance of cot. Craddle was decent one. Harshad might be in fourth or fifth standard. He used to make toy’s not only of straws but even sticky mud. Samudi used to trample down sticky mud and Harshad used to prepare a small fire place, a bird, flat bowl, a rolling pin and several toys. Those were the days when it was very easy to get milk from ‘Nehde’. But currently it is quite uncertain to get milk. That too is never for sale, but whatever is reserved for the personal use, one may get it from that source only. All those houses in ‘Nehda’ used to supply to the local dairy only. There were greedy some people would not spare milk even for their kids. It was always lovely scene when cows return by evening time to ‘Nehda’. Those calves used to keep its eyes watching cow herds from at fairly far long distance. Cows’ hooves raised up dusty lumps. Then one would hearing cows’ braying and those shephers also shout ‘ee….ho….eeho…….fura’ and calves’ earlips would be qauite alert. Its eyes would blink and impatient legs would make a lot of movements from one side to another, cow herds would seem to be quite dusty and dull. But cows’ tinybell in its necks would keep ringing and it might wake up the whole ‘Nehda’. It would raise up sentiment of the whole ‘Nehda’. The whole ‘Nehado’ would be thickly charged with yellowish-orange dust raised by those hooves. A few patients used to come to Narbheram (Vaidya) village doctor to collect urine. The whole Nehda seemed to be stuffed with cows’ and calves’ braying, glittering of big brass bowls bellowing sweetly. But currently Nehda seemed to be quiet, as if dung cakes dots on the wall. Harshad looked at Samudi’s closed house. Harshad felt some kind of dislike as he noticed dots on red wall where Samu might have pasted dungcakes. He began to experience some kind of blackness. As if it were annihilation! As if he were being swept away in fire flood. As if the whole area burnt up in flames. However he was not destroyed. Yet, he was being swept away. He had burning sensation in eyes. He shut his eyes as if he saw in front. It Samudi with dark eyes! Now he began to feel, if he were taking bath in cold stream of the Ganges! Harshad collected milk from someone’s house, he seemed to be quite gloomy and helpless. Once again he began to think of betrothal breakup, such thoughts seemed to be blood sucker how did mother know about the breakup of betrothal! Did she tell father? It is good. There is nothing to worry about! But he couldn’t feel lessening of stress. Harshad waited for evening time. Guests were to go after dinner. He could talk to mother frankly as soon as guests go away. As the guest came, said instantly: ‘Did you fix up Harsad’s tie with Rambhee’s daughter? That’s very good. The prestigious house, and girl is also educated, she would look after your household work! You have not guide her at all, even what an appearance! Just an angel! A perfect match for our Harshad! We shall feel at ease on seeing such a couple! Now, Harshad was totally fed up on hearing such things… there was hardly anything left ever. Harshad was waiting eagerly.. When will be evening? When shall the guest leave? When shall he convey to his mother the whole event? When? How? Harshad went for a walk. He moved towards the hillock. Even the guest might have left, by the time he returns. He moved beyond that banyan tree and the lake at the outskirts. He crossed the highway.. Some traveler had asked, as he was passing by with Samudi. ‘Bhaven chhananoo setar chyon aaayon!’ Samudi said: yes bas aaa rod par rag rag hendya jov. Ek khetarna hhh. i.e. Samudi said, yes go ahead straight way beyond that field. Harshad felt how is that even about such thing he remembered? There was a very narrow pathway in the thickest trees. There was hillock. We used to climb up having hand in hand as little children. Harshad felt that sort of touch in his palm. He could recall the very touch of Samudi and kiss at the upper storey when he had invited Teja at his place… He had kissed Nayna several times…. But there is indeed difference in sentimental touch. When he had touched Samudi he felt as if countless blooming of delicate…. Doesn’t matter if he is to have Nayna’s touch or otherwise! Why does mind thing of this sort of comparison! Isn’t it meaning less to have such type of comparison! Harshad went to that nimtree after climbing the hillock. It was only this nimtree where he used to see the sunset in the company of Samudi. They used to inhale sweet smell of blooming of the nimtree. But its ‘limnolis’ seem to be ripen. If it is crushed under feet it burst and one way notice some bursting noise. Evening is so very quiet! Why those ‘seven sisters’ are silent? A camelion passed by very quickly and stopped at a distance as it walked on dry leaves there was some noise, it raised itself on its front paws keeping its tail quite steady. There was some little movement under its throat. Once again it was quite motionlessness. Harshad climbed a nim tree. It was Samu who had taught Harshad to climbing a tree. It was this very branch of a nim tree. Harshad and Samu sat side by side and they had seen such a scene which Harshad would never forget at all and Samudi’s words too. ‘Na, na, zagadton koyn na hh! hooo karah ae thodivar juoo kk boliya vana ekaa badhi khabar padse’ i.e. No, no, nobody quarrels! For sometime he won’t speak. Then he would realize. Two vultures were fighting at the top of a nim tree. Both of them were quite furious, they were piercing their beaks each other. Flapping their wings too hard. Screaming so very loudly as if the very hillock might thrill up. One could see it from below clearly because that nim tree had very mass of leaves. As the sun rays were so direct in eyes due to nim leaves trifling silhouette quite insignificant. Therefore Samudi and Harshad.. both could go quietly at the top branch. It was quite tough to keep aside those leaves.. However, a few branches and leaves used to obstruct our sight. There was very decent smell of nim cluster of blossom. But now there was something strong mixed up. Harshad tried ti inhale a lot to findout that mixed up smell. Meantime a big vulture could pierce forcefully its beak in the head of a small vulture and the whole sphere was heavily charged up with screaming. That small vulture didn’t try to escape at all! It could fight vigorously upto death toll! Now there was no more smell of nim clusters! It was quite unknown strong smell being sprinkled all ever nim tree. Harshad did ask, Samu, why do those vultures fight so much! How is that the small vulture does not escape! What is this awfully bad smell! Look. Be quiet, don’t speak at all. Latter on Harshad knew that vultures were mating! Harshad and Samu were sitting on the nim tree branch hiding themselves but these vultures feathers used to fall down during their mating. Now there were many feathers of the vultures below that nim tree. Harshad returned home without seeing today’s sunset, as he was gloomy and restless. Harshad used to go to barren place whenever he used to feel sad. He used observe those flying birds and the sunset. He loved to see different colours of evening and used to be back in jollymood. He becomes quite restless if he were to visit that place. He feels as if he were engulfed by the blankness, he was struggling to get away from such blankness. Sometimes he thinks that this barren jungle and the hillock experience unusual set up due to the very absence of Samudi!! Harshad reached home. The guest had gone away. He sat for his dinner after taking wash. All had eaten their dinner. Everybody knew that if Harshad had gone to the jungle uncertainty prevails. Shanta aunty asked Harshad, as soon as he had eaten his dinner. My son, how is it that you are quite moodless? What has happened? Don’t you want to marry Nayna? Harshad didn’t say a word. It was as his voice was choked up. He embraced Shanta Aunty had sobbed a lot. Shanta Aunty moved her hand on his back. Harshad told her everything that had happened. Dear Harshad, why are you so much so confused? I am here. If you don’t want to marry I shall convince your father. She stopped for a while and thought over it and said: ‘Nayna might improve after marriage… Well, it is upto you decide.’ Then Harshad seemed to be at ease. Suddenly his twelve kgs reduced to be at zero level! He had hardly experienced such lightness. All went to their bedrooms. Harshad was in his cot. Bapuji was doing meditation in his room. Mother will tell father everything and would give permission to have a breakup and say: Doesn’t matter, my son. Harshad was happy but he could not sleep till late night. He got an interview call letter in the morning post. He was supposed to go to Mumbai today. A call letter was quite late by six or seven days. It was good luck that he got it today. Harshad thought a story of some Hindi film – it was just flash light. If by chance, Samudi meets! But Mumbai is so big how she is to meet! It is said that one’s earnestly craving is bound to be fulfil. … yet. His craving did not have that govt. of intensity? Currently it is just craving to have a breakup with Nayna. Harshad felt diffidence. He was nervous. For a while he thought to postpone his programme to go to Mumbai for an interview. Bus suddenly, he could recall that Teja’s brother had given address: Thus he felt excessive pleasure.