By-Rabin Prasad Kalita
The distance between Bhabitda’s house and my drawing room is hardly a bleat of a goat. A bullish, clear-headed and go-getter person in our ward is, Bhabitdaa, who would make anyone a friend in a snap. Even his generous traits could attract strangers. A socially expressive guy in the locality, he will be right on the spot in the hour of one’s need, leaving every bit of his personal work. He loves to be a forerunner on societal obligations.
Bhabitda’s sources of earnings were half a dozen rented houses just in front of the Air Force living out area, and more than a dozen domesticated Rajasthani breed Sirohi goats. Due to the paucity of hundred percent service quarters, married Air force personals were forced to stay outside on rent with their families. So, Bhabitda’s rented houses were an easy find for them to stay as tenants till the time they were allotted with service accommodations.
Very often, street meat traders visit his home for buying matured buck (he-goat) or castrated goat. She-goats were not for sale but kept for reproduction to expand his business. Thus he earned some extra money besides supporting sufficient goat milk for his family. Bhabitda recognized each of the goats in a particular name. Agile Guttu a predominantly brown colored, with light brown patches around, was the latest addition to the flock.
One day while going to my office, an incident took place with this cute little bustling buck. Guttu came running across the road perkily and banged on the wheel of my vehicle in a flash. Got down of my car at once and saw Guttu was lying and bleating faintly due to the pain. But his frolic run cost him heavily which left his front right leg broken. It was utterly an upsetting moment for me. I lifted him right away and ran to Bhabitda’s home for first aid.
Looking at my doleful face, Bhabitda gently placed his veined hand over my shoulder, and said not to worry much as if nothing had happened. Telling me to hold Guttu well, he started nursing the injured leg. Simultaneously, he told me to proceed for the office, so that I don’t get late and assured me, Guttu would be alright soon. The incident pained me much so I decided to stay back but his incessant assertion forced me to drive towards my office. This poignant situation made me think about the playful Guttu and the happening.
Thereafter, I made a habit of going daily to know the progress of physical condition of Guttu. Steadily, he became active and healthy under Bhabitda’s special care. I enjoyed seeing him chewing crispy Britannia biscuit on my hands. Hence, I used to go with a small pack of biscuits whenever I visited. That gave me immense pleasure and drew my empathy towards him. Moreover, this incident brought me more closure to know about this wonderful human being, Bhabitda.
Slowly Guttu recovered fully, grew up strong, but limped a little. He walked on the road without much hustle-bustle as before. Guttu, trusted me like a friend, and made a habit of coming to our main gate daily morning at a fixed time, before I leave for office. Standing outside the gate, he bleated once or twice to attract my attention as if he came to wish me morning. He didn’t go away until and unless I fed him his favorite Britannia biscuit. Of course, I also loved to see and care for him once. This became a part of my usual routine to follow on. Thus he silently occupied a little space in my heart.
One fine evening, there was a family get-together in one of my friends’ home. The occasion was to rejoice his happiness for achieving excellent result by his son in the twelfth standard examination. Accordingly, some days later, we too invited them formally at our home for a friendly dinner on a holiday.
We the Indians, have a custom of paying the highest standard of hospitality to our guests. “Atithi Deva Bhava” is the signature believes in our culture. Means we treat our guest or visitor as the God. The host takes care of them with the utmost enthusiasm and pleasure. We believe God comes to one’s home disguising himself as a guest to judge the host. Hence, we don’t leave any lacuna while hosting them.
So, in the afternoon, my wife chalked out the items to be prepared for dinner. Therefore, my consort gave me a long list of kitchen items to be procured from the market. Though, mutton was on the top of the list as per the priority of purchase, I preferred to obtain all other ingredients first. At last, I went to the meat shop section and looked for fresh and healthy stuff. Being a regular customer, I preferred buying mutton from Shahnoor’s mutton shop, who maintained quality and hygiene.
Always there is a hue and cry among fish and meat vendors for drawing the attention of the vendee, demanding one’s item is superior to others. Shanoor also didn’t hold back from shouting and tried to showcase his stuff as the best among others. He also assured saying that the stuff was undressed before half an hour to clear my doubt. He further spoke to me impetuously to convince its genuineness that the one which was hanging right in front of me, bought from my neighbor, Bhabitda.
The moment I heard the name of Bhabitda, my mind got mistuned from its natural vibe. So, I curiously wanted to know about the meat I sought to have. Therefore, I raised a query to Shahnoor “was the buck brown in colour?” he said ‘yes’. As my nosiness got condensed, further I asked him “did he notice slight deformity on its front right leg?” He promptly said, maybe yes because the goat was slightly limping. Shanoor must have thought that he could persuade me for a deal, hence he was ready chop a big slice from the leg portion as I always craved to have.
I lost my all words to react. Nothing was concealed for me to understand. Oh no! I was shocked and cried out abruptly sealing my lips with hands. I couldn’t stand and stare at the lifeless undressed remains of Guttu anymore as if my heart got torn apart.
I didn’t know how lovable Guttu was for me, whom I fed on my hand even that morning. And in the evening, I saw its headless corpse was hanging upside down, and within the early night, perhaps it would get ready on the serving table as luscious treats in many homes.
Oh, God! It was one of the most dismal evenings of my life.
Maybe this is the ultimate and untimely destine of all these animals. We domesticate these animals, take care to grow them up to a certain age, and then include them in our food intake. This is the unpleasant truth of their lives. All this was being eating up inside my mind.
Came back home right away and handed over the bag with the ticked list of items to my consort.
Seeing the missing tick on the top of the list, she enquired what happened to the number one item, whether I forgot to tick or missed out to bring.
“I said; yes dear, ‘it was skipped out deliberately”.
I didn’t want to spoil the evening by saying her all happenings, but promised her to share everything after the dinner.
The dinner was served to the guests with different types of appetizing vegan items. We didn’t let anything fall short to their hospitality. After leaving the guest, I narrated her whole sad story about Guttu. She stood like a stone for a while and took a long shy of grief.
I was extremely sad for many days recalling this sentient animal. Sometimes it seemed, he was signaling me by bleating to have my response, and I used to come out of my home hastily. Threw my eyes towards the gate, wish I could see him once. Alas! He also couldn’t escape from becoming the forced food, for the most intelligent animals on earth and thus he completed his life cycle.
