Arabian nights

………………….

Arabian nights

I was always fascinated by the 1001 stories of Arabian Nights.

The story goes that Shahryar  found out one day that his first wife was unfaithful to him. Therefore, he resolved to marry a new virgin each day as well as behead the previous day's wife, so that she would have no chance to be unfaithful to him. He had killed 1,000 such women by  the time he was introduced to Scheherazade, the vazier's daughter ,the Scheherazade had perused the books, annals and legends of preceding Kings, and the stories, examples and instances of bygone men and things.

Against her father's wishes, Scheherazade volunteered to spend one night with the king. Once in the king's chambers, Scheherazade asked if she might bid one last farewell to her beloved sister, Dunyazade who had secretly been prepared to ask Scheherazade to tell a story during the long night. The king lay awake and listened with awe as Scheherazade told her first story. The night passed by, and Scheherazade stopped in the middle of the story. The king asked her to finish, but Scheherazade said there was no time, as dawn was breaking. So, the king spared her life for one day to finish the story the next night. The next night, Scheherazade finished the story and then began a second, ….thus goes on….but as the legends suggest all the stories are not written by the same author….for example Alaadin and the Wonderful lamp was added by a French translator  Antoine Galland who heard it from a Syrian story teller in 18^th century…similarly the other stories started getting included to make the number to 1001..

That second Saturday with mindful of Arabian Night I went for my usual hunt for pirated DVDs in Gariahat. I have some targeted DVD shops where I browse through the stacks. Once in a while I come across a dwarfish looking bearded hawker in a colorful gown with a funny cap selling a few DVDs but somehow no one bothers to go to him, he too does not make the usual noises to attract customer.  Yes he was there on that day and gave me a strange look.

“Looking for Arabian Night movies?” He threw those words from the corner of his mouth like a ventriloquist.

I frowned at him and walked towards his wares.

“Are you a genie out of the magic lamp or what?” Teasingly I said.

“More or less!” He shrugged in his that colorful gown.

He pulled out a frayed book and asked me to have a look. The book was;

 THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT

A Plain and Literal Translation

of the Arabian Nights Entertainments

by Richard F. Burton

It was the original 1889 publication and would be counted as antique. I was nervous because it could be a stolen one.

“You take a look at the book and take this DVD.”

“What is so special about this DVD?”

“This DVD will tell you the story from the book. You put the DVD in the player and play. An empty space will appear where you put your date of birth in 4 digits with date and month in that order. It is password protected.”

“How do you know my date of birth?”

“I don’t but as per your date of birth it will scan a story for you matching with your star and the number worked out using numerology from your date of birth.”

“All the 1001 stories are there in this single DVD?”

“No, but the like The Arabian Night you have to listen to the stories till the end of the DVD, it may take whole night.”

“What about the book?”

“Oh that is like a family loom passed on through generation to me. We are from erstwhile East Bengal and my forefathers were sailors. This book was gifted by a Turkish Sheikh to one of my ancestor.Just to get your attention i showed this book to you.” He carefully took the book back from me and put it in the leather bag lying by his side.

I purchased the DVD by paying him double the cost of what I actually pay to others.

On Saturdays I watch DVD in the night after dinner, my wife goes to sleep early.

It was 10 o’clock in the night I inserted the disc in the player and sat on my usual sofa with two remotes in hand. My wife had already gone to bed, I half closed the bedroom door and reduced the volume of TV.

I started playing the DVD, as told the empty window appeared, I put my date of birth with month and pushed “Enter” on the DVD remote.

On the screen the scenes from Middle East country side appeared with suiting Middle East music. There were sandy dunes, mud houses,souques. Alaadin and the Wonderful Lamp was the random pick by the system. I got engrossed in the movie till Alaadin has retrieved the lamp from the cave for the crooked khalifa, then Khalifa cheats him by taking away the lamp. The story was slowly building up till Alaadin takes back the lamp from the khalifa and gives it to his mother. His mother looked at the lamp and thought that she can get good money by selling the lamp so she starts rubbing the lamp to clean. Suddenly the room gets filled with cloud and the genie comes out of the spout of the lamp.

I was taken aback to see that the genie was the same person from whom I had purchased the DVD. I started feeling as though I am in the same place with Alaadin, his mother and the genie. That man who is genie now holds my hand and says “Are you ready for Arabian Night Stories?.”

I was flummoxed by this turn of event, I was in a trance like state and hesitantly said,” Yes.”

“Ok, come with us.” He held my hand and pulled me towards the TV screen.

“Wait, let me leave a note for my wife.” I told the genie.

Dearest Anima,
I have written it down for you to know that I am going for a long voyage of Arabian Nights. In case I don’t return then contact Pratul, he would know what action to take.Don't worry will come back after the voyage.
Yours,

Kaushik

I was sitting in my drawing room when Pratul showed me the letter with the amazing story.

“Kaushik is missing for the last one week, his wife contacted me and gave this letter.”
I read the story. I tried to imagine the scene. There Kaushik was on his sofa when suddenly the genie, a dwarf comes out of the TV screens and takes him along and vanishes in the screen. Somewhat like Harry Potter story of improbable. Kaushik getting transformed into a character of Arabian Night and evaporates.I thought to myself ,"Did he go out by himself?"

So i asked,“What about the outer door? Was that open, it could be a prank.” 

“The mortice look was in place, the collapsible gate was locked from inside.”

“You mean he just evaporated like camphor. Have you tried to find out the hawker at Gariahat.” I asked.

“Yes for the last one week I am spending four to five hours there in search of that colorful dwarf with no result.” He said with defeat in his voice.

Kaushik is mutual friend of me and Pratul. I knew Kaushik was a bit disturbed for sometimes after his retirement also knew he was fond of watching English movies.

“His wife has informed police and their daughter.”

I could not reconcile with the story that he walked inside the TV, it so surreal that I started getting goose bumps thinking about it.I too went to Gariahat and inquired about that colorful dwarf from the DVD hawkers. None of them had ever seen that fellow.

After a fortnight or so I got a letter through regular post.

It was from Kaushik.

Dear samar,

Pratul must have met you and showed you the letter which I left for Anima. Don't worry I am fine. Whatever you read about genie is the result of my grey cells, i tried my hand in writing a story. How did you like that? Nothing like that has happened. That night when I could hear Anima’s snore then I picked up my bag which was already packed, changed my dress and took the money bag with my debit cards. Opened the door unlocked the lock on the collapsible gate. Again I put the lock with my duplicate key by putting my hands through the grills and then pull the inner door and heard the click sound of mortice lock.

I just want to be alone for sometimes will visit some remote places in hills as you know I love nature. My request to you is not to let out the secret but give hope to Pratul and Anima that I will be back some day. There is enough money in the bank for Anima and also my monthly pension will be deposited in our joint account.

I will keep you informed time to time but don’t try to locate me by using your usual detecting skill.

Yours.

Kaushik

Kaushik has retired a few years back. He often would tell me that he was struggling to put his life on rail. I knew that his restless mind was trying to figure out an alternate fruitful life. I also knew Kaushik loves travelling and his wife is a reluctant traveler. Kaushik must be trying to live a bohemian life for a change. I am pretty sure that he will come back.

I let out a sigh of relief and started framing a convincing story for Pratul and Anima.