Night crawler

Night crawler

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He got up from the bed it was about 11 o clock in the night in his village. He took the 5 cell torch opened the door and went out. It was dark outside; he lighted the torch and started walking through the kacha pakka road. The ruins of the old jamidar house was by the side of a pond. The light from the torch was tearing through the sheet of darkness of the village road; with his walk light was swinging to and fro. He had heard there was treasure buried in the ruins so stealthily he was going to explore. After reaching the old dilapidated mansion he started his search for the treasure. He climbed the broken staircase, went through the abandoned rooms with hanging ceilings, the light from the torch was snaking around impatiently. He abandoned the search and went back home.

Whenever Rajat went to his village he had this recurring dream of that Ruin and his searching for treasure. He thought probably he had heard so much about that haunted house with buried treasure that his subconscious mind always thought of looking for the treasure.The villagers were scared of that haunted ruin.

He had heard people discussing about mysterious movement in the night around that ruin.

Now of course after retirement Rajat has come to the village to visit his uncle.In place of the ruin a club has come up. He visited the library of the club. He enquired about the old ruin. He was informed that the panchayat took a decision to demolish that ruin and start the club. After performing puja the club was started and no more ghost story. They of course remember to have seen movement of some shadowy figure during those old days in the ruin. But dead in the night no one dares to come to the club, that lingering fear of haunted house was still there.

“What about the treasure?” Rajat enquired.

“Oh that! While digging for foundation we did go down to a few meters but nothing was noticed.”

Rajat went out and took a round of the club. A small ruin was still there by the side of pond.

The demography of the village has changed after the new road came up. Now many young men go to their work place from the village. So no longer it is village where working members would stay in some bachelor mess in town and come to village for weekends.New colleges have come, the undergrads can attend college by staying in the village otherwise they were compelled to stay in towns to attend college.

After visiting the club that dream of Rajat again came. This dream was about his going near the pond instead of the ruin with his torch and hunting the treasure.

He was discussing with his friend Parimal about his dream.

Parimal said,” I am scared to go near that club in the night because I grew up seeing that ruin.”

“I am subconsciously hooked to the treasure story so I get that dream repeatedly whenever I am here.” Rajat absentmindedly said.

But the younger generation was not buying the ghost story; incidentally the club was often used for boozing by those youngsters which was fawned upon by elders. It was late on that Thursday night. The club members left one by one  after watching the match in club TV, India lost to West Indies in World Cup T 20 semifinal. But a few of them had other plan. They stayed back for boozing. Their boozing session was warming up when one of them said, “ Looks like someone is coming.”

They were worried that the village elders would catch them boozing. They switched off the light and went out after locking the club door. They noticed a dancing ray of light from a powerful torch going towards the pond. They got curious and followed the light. They waited at a distance and watched the curious activity. The man with the light hardly spent a few minute by the side of pond and then started walking back the way he had come. They followed him and found him to enter Mukherjee house, heard the sound of the bolt drawn on the outer door.

Rajat was restless with his recurring dream.

That night it happened again, after a peg of whiskey he went to sleep. He dreamt that he got up, took the torch opened the door and started walking towards the club but then he was woken up by his uncle. He was standing outside in the dead of night with torch in hand and surrounded by young men of the village and his uncle.He was like in a trance with glassy eyes. He did not remember when he had sleep walked out. He was embarrassed by that situation in the night.

He knew that he was a somnambulist but that was during his childhood days. As per scientists up to 17 years of age due to delayed maturity some people get it . During his childhood he had got up from his bed and sleep walked to the neighbor’s house. There are reports of people doing cooking or cleaning the house or even driving in that somnambulist state. As such there is no particular cure; it is more due to sleep disorder. Navigational brain cells that help sense direction are as electrically active during deep sleep or sleepwalking as they are during wake time, scientists have discovered and that is why he always thought it was a dream when he was actually performing a task.

Rajat next day went back to his Calcutta flat as he knew that haunted ruin would pull him in the night and he would sleep walk again.

The news about Rajat's sleep walking spread in the village, Parimal was asked by all about Rajat's strange behavior . Parimal was not happy that the wayward youngsters were using the club for boozing and which might lead to other nefarious activities in the village.

He said seriously to the villagers, " Rajat used to get Nishi Dak ( in Bengali, it means call from ghost) every night. So he would get up in his sleep and walk towards the pond where we all know the ruin was there. Though we have built the club but the ghosts of the haunted house have not left that place. Ram Ram from today after finishing my card game in the evening i will leave the club as early as possible, i don't want to be lured by that ghost."

His concocted ghost story was bought hook and sinker by the village folks including those youngsters, after all who does not believe in ghosts. So the boozing in the club during night stopped.

Smoking

Is smoking a health hazard ?

.........................................
50 years back when smoking was not declared as health hazard I did not have a drag till my final year in IIT in 1965. Before passing out i smoked a Charminar which i did not purchase but scrounged from someone else.
Then i had my high and low of smoking when smoking was not hazardous, i touched 5 cigarettes a day in my hey days at BHEL sites.
We said good bye to Panipat Thermal in 1980 by smoking bidi in the control room, it was initiated by Late Gurdeep Singh, that was my first and last bidi.
In Bengali society smoking in front of elders or someone in power is supposed to be showing disrespect..But then the society went for an overhaul and younger people started taking to smoking in a death and authority defying act. Throwing cigarette smoke on someones face was considered to be act of bravery. I remember during my posting as Head of ER in BHEL during the meeting with trade union all the leaders from CITU will pull out cigarette to smoke before start of the meeting. Showing some kind of arrogance or don't care about management. That was their way till my coming. I had to put a ban in smoking cigarette in the office and the order was pasted throughout the office. Thus the nuisance of CITU leaders was checked, in this process i stopped smoking in the office.
But as "No smoking" zones are increasing and also due to health consciousness i find many of the regular smokers in my present office have stopped smoking. I find there is upward trend of girls picking up smoking in Bengal.
The other day some local people acting as moral police harassed a young woman of Presidency college for smoking cigarette openly in their pada.Her family is trying to justify the smoking by a girl. It appears the society is divided on this issue.
Now i smoke a cigarette or 2 in a week and that too in the privacy of my house. It has been eons since i smoked a fag on the streets of any city and don't plan to do so.

Keechak Vadh...retold

Keechak  Vadh...retold

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Please don’t force me, I am already married to Gandarvas, they are five in number and mostly remain invisible. Pleaded Sairandhari to Keechak the Chief of Army of Virat Raj of Matsaya kingdom. Keechak was also brother in law of the king.

But the ruffian Keechak won’t leave Sairandhari who actually is Draupadi. During this time of Pandava’s exile the last year was Agyat Vas , they have to live in anonymity. Draupadi as Sairandhari was working as maid of the queen and Keechak was enthralled by her beauty and wanted to marry her.

Let us see how her five husbands were hiding their identity. Incidentally all six of them decided to spend the one year of anonymity in Matsaya kingdom which was very close to Hastinapur, the plan was audacious as Duryadhan had put spies to locate them, as per condition if Pandavas are spotted then their exile will start from the beginning which was 12 years of exile in forest and one year of Agyat Vas. All of them did not arrive together; Yudhishthir came as a Brahmin who was expert in playing dice. The king appointed him as a minister and would play dice often with him. Yudhishthir was addicted to playing dice and having lost kingdom in a crooked dice game with Duryadhan he was honing his skill in playing dice with the king of Virat. Another dice game with Duryadhan? I don’t think he would have played having lost everything. Of course there was no scope for that as Kurushetra battle was the deciding field or the killing field for Kauravas, Where Arjun’s Gandiv spoke, Bheem’s gada thundered and Krishna’s far sight steered them to brutal victory….धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः।

मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत संजय॥१-१॥

Sanjay, gathered in Dharma-kshetra Kurukshetra (place of Dharma, Kurukshetra), what are my and Pandava’s sons doing?

That was blind Dhritrashtra asking Sanjay about the battle………..those are the opening sentences in Bhagwat Gita.

Well let me roll back to Virat where Keechak is making his advances to Draupadi. It is a tricky situation for Pandavas, if they interfere then they will stand exposed and Duryodhan’s spies will pick up the scent. Their incognito stay will be exposed. Yudhishthir as usual advises Panchali or Draupadi or Sairandhari to manage the situation. Arjuna had a curse to be a eunuch, he is disguised as Brihanalla and engaged to teach dance to the princess Uttara. So he is of no use to handle the explosive situation. Draupadi is smarting under the lewd remark thrown at her by Keechak. She wants Keechak’s blood. Nakul is Royal groom in horse stable and Shadev is a royal cowherd, but as we know both are not warriors to match Keechak who is a great fighter.

Let us come to the fateful day.

As usual Draupadi after finishing her chore was coming out of queen’s chamber when the willy Keechak who was lurking around jumped on her. She struggled tooth and nail, fell on the ground , got hurt, her head starting bleeding , seeing the blood Keechak left her for the time being promising to be back. Draupadi goes running to king’s court and pleads with the king. The king is helpless , Yudhishthir as Kanka who was present there in the court asked her to manage the crisis. Draupadi was in rage and wanted revenge and swore not to wipe her blood till Keechak is killed by the night.

Oh, I forgot to mention about Bheem. Bheem was fond of food so he disguised himself as cook named Ballav. Ballav had heard about humiliation of Sairandhir or Draupadi in the hand of Keechak so he rushes to court to help Draupadi. Kanka means Yudhishthir stops him saying that his rash action will expose them to Durayadhan and their terms of 12 years of Vanbas and 1 year of Agyatbas will start again as per conditions.

But Draupadi has already taken oath of revenge; she meets Bheem in kitchen and asks him to act. So the scene is like this..Yudhishthir will not act, Arjuna is eunuch as Brihanalla so can’t act, Nakul and Sahdev are no match so it was left to Bheem.

Draupadi and Bheem hatch a plan.

Keechak is very excited finally his wish of spending night with Sairandhari or Draupadi will be full filled tonight.He takes a few goblets of Madira to ginger himself up for the big occasion. He stealthily approaches the dance hall where Draupadi is waiting for him.

He reaches the dance hall , a very few lamps on the wall was lighted. The reflected light of outside moon on those glass works around created a mesmeric ambience. In that mystic atmosphere Keechak spotted Draupadi waiting for him in a corner. She was draped head to toe in a black cloth. The creep Keechak with his libido approaches her and touches her shoulder lovingly.

“Wham”  a big fist lands on his face, from the cover of black cloth Bheem reveals himself. We don’t have to dwell much on the fight as we all know Bheem is way above the inebriated Keechak. He just kills him within a few moments; hardly that Chief of army of Virat could put up a fight.

Somehow this Virat parba of Mahbharat always intrigued me. Arjuna famous with his Gandiv was helpless as he was cursed to be eunuch. Why was he eunuch?

Here is why?

When Arjuna, the hero of Mahabharata, visited Amaravati – the Palace of Indra to obtain the weapon from his father( by the way Indra was the biological father of Arjuna), a party was arranged for his reception where court dancers of celestial beauties and fame like Urvashi, Tilottama, Rambha and Menaka were invited to perform. During the programme, there was exchange of passionate glances between Arjuna and Urvashi and in the night when Urvashi stealthily came to Arjuna’s bedroom with an intention to present herself to him, Arjuna retracted addressing her as mother.
Dear Arjun it is not done, calling an apsara Amma, it is like Arjun Kapoor in the film Gundey calling the cabaret dancer Priyanka Chopra a mother.

Urvashi felt very much insulted and being extremely annoyed, she cursed Arjuna that he would become eunuch and live with women dancing and singing. Later, on the request of Indra, Urvashi reduced the curse from whole life to only one year period i.e. the thirteenth year of Pandavas’ exile.

So Arjun as Brihnalla is a eunuch in reality because of the curse of Urvashi. 

Yudhishthir as usual gave gyan like a consultant does in any company but of course he had the responsibility of keeping anonymity. He was right on his own way.

But then we have this hot headed Bheem, Draupadi had to finally use her charm on him to act and the act he did with real gusto. Imagine the plight of Keechak who lustily approaches the shadowy figure draped in black for a good time and gets the shock of his life. He was there for amorous purpose and not for wrestling duel. I would have loved to watch his expression. 

 Yes that is the climax which I liked, i tried telling that episode the way i looked at it. Kind of retold by me.

My bachelor pad

My bachelor pad

As a bachelor staying in a company hostel, food was not a problem but once I was allotted a quarter organizing daily food became my biggest challenge in Barauni Refinery of IOC. For the last four years of my bachelorhood I kept servant who would cook food and maintain the house for me.

My very first servant was Hafiz , son of Haroon who was the helper in my electrical maintenance department of the refinery. He was an excellent cook of Moghlai dishes and South Indian delicacies like Idli,Dosa,Vada etc. Me being bachelor and with an excellent cook attracted all my friends to my flat, thus my dwelling was the natural choice for a place for adda. My brothers and sisters whoever had visited me those days still remember cooking of Hafiz. Hafiz was my longest serving cook ,he was with me for about two years.

For a short while I was without a cook when Hafiz left for a greener pasture. I was toggling between the  refinery guest house and a nearby Rajasthani restaurant for lunch and dinner, I was not happy with that arrangement so was in the lookout for a suitable servant.

It was a Sunday morning; I was in my drawing room when I heard the calling bell. I got up and opened the door.

“Namaste!” A well built young man older than me in shabby clothes greeted.

“Yes, what do you want?”

“Sir, I understand you are looking for a cook?”

“Yes.” I looked suspiciously at him because I was looking for someone younger and also he did not look servant type.

“Sir, I can cook and will keep the house clean. I need the job badly so please give me a chance.”

“Ok, I will try you for a month. Move in by evening, in the meanwhile I will do marketing for dinner.”

That was the entry of my second servant Raghav Singh. His cooking was no match to Hafiz’s cooking but at least his coming made my life smooth; I did not have to scrounge around for food. My life fell in old rhythm of refinery ,club, bachelor party and so on.

I was in the first floor and my ground floor neighbor was Yadav who was my batch mate but was the oldest in our trainee group, was married with a kid when he joined. His brothers were staying with him, they were ruffians. From my balcony I used to watch them play football in the ground in front of my flat. Very often both the brothers would pick up fight with other players, fights were pretty violent. I noticed Raghav too started playing football with them when I was away for work. When I first found him playing he was embarrassed, but I encouraged him to play. I did not mind as long as he did his duty. It was winter time so on Sundays they would play in the afternoon. Raghav after serving me lunch would join them. I found that Yadav duo was not meddling with Raghav much during the game. Raghav was a bully in the field and would dash forward with the ball by using his brute force. I could see the Yadav brothers got a taste of their own medicine from Raghav. Surprisingly they did not have the guts to complain against Raghav, I too felt happy that now instead of a good cook I had a tough guy in my house as my servant.

Life was going on like that for a while but then one day after return from my work I found Raghav was waiting for me with his luggage packed.

I thought he must have got some urgent message so leaving for his village temporarily.

He bent down to touch my feet, I stepped back. Outwardly he was looking radiant.

“Sir, I am leaving you.” He said with a bright smile.

“Did you get a better job? If you want we can consider a rise for you.”

“No sir during my difficult time you gave shelter, I had no place to go.”

“Then why are you leaving?”

“I did not want to tell you but as you are insisting so I must tell you.” He said conspiringly.

“I was absconding from police; some people lodged a false police case against me for robbery.”

“You mean there was a warrant against you?” I was shocked but did not show that.

“Yes, it is alright now, I got information that everything is taken care, it is safe for me to return. I must thank you again for providing shelter.” He picked up his luggage and left .

I was shell-shocked; I sat down in half stupor thinking about the whole affair. I never noticed any unnatural behavior in him during his stay; he did his duty diligently though his cooking was not of Hafiz’s standard. I was uneasy to think that he was masquerading as cook in my house when the police was looking out for him. Though he presented me with a story but where was the veracity of what he had said. I had unknowingly given shelter to a law breaker; he could have been a habitual one too though did not do any harm to me or indulge in any illegal activity during his stay with me. For a few weeks after his departure I was tense, waiting for a visit from the local thana. Fortunately nothing like that happened.

Begusarai ,the nearest town was a notorious area, the area was full of antisocial elements, looking back today I realize that it was foolhardy in my part to keep someone in my house about whom I knew nothing. Well that was the time of my bachelorhood; there was a streak of recklessness in me, many a time my seniors cautioned me about my carefree way of life.