By – Rabin Prasad Kalita
‘Bibha’ an incisive striking lady, reminded her hubby Biren, “Vimal’s dad, are you there, do you care about our only son’s birthday?” And again, she kept on folding the dried clothes that brought in from the sunshine.
Yes, Mithi, ‘Biren a composed but humorous consort affectionately calls her Mithi’ I do remember it, isn’t it falls on the day after tomorrow? Are you testing my memory, asked smirking a little, before he received an answer from the latter?
She expressed her wish to Biren to invite a group of ladies for “Kirtan” (chanting hymns for blessings) on that sanctified day though the weather was not very pleasant being rainy. Monsoon was in its threshold.
Biren nodded affirmatively and said her to go for it.
Bibha made all the necessary arrangements for the Kirtan and of course, needless to say about the invitation of ladies around them. Kirtan is arranged piously at typical Assamese villages to get blessings from the invitees. They normally stick to their ethnic culture for celebrating anything with the age-old rich folklores which bind them with peace and harmony.
Though, there was drizzling since morning but, respecting the invitation, guests along with the group of ladies started coming one by one before the curtain of dusk came down. There was a particular place demarcated for the ladies to sit.
Discontentment due to the bad weather was overcast on Bibha’s face. Her happiness shadowed with great concern, and she kept on praying God to conclude the function somehow, into a good end, before the weather gets further worsened. What she could do, except to pray God for the cessation of rain! The clay built village road, and the courtyard became mucky far and wide by the spits of rain. Mud glued under the sleeper bottoms of invitees that marked dirty stains all over. This made her a little embarrassed; otherwise, she had no such big issues.
As soon as, ladies started chanting psalms of “Kirtan”, the drizzle gradually converted into a heavy downpour. There was no sign of stopping the rain, rather became cats & dogs, and continued even after the Kirtan was over. Waterlogged seen all over, slowly, the uneven clay built road got filled with pools of water after hours of constant rain. All stranded invitees were already getting late, hence decided to leave for their houses anyway, even if they get wetted. They started to sprint, to their respective homes soaking in the rain.
Bhibha was too sad, seeing her guests going drenching in the rain.
Biren had almost a hector of ridge gourd, cucumber, and lady’s finger then. All those healthy plants started yielding regularly. Regrettably, all of them were immersed in the water after three days of incessant rain. He established himself as a model farmer in the locality. The family was completely dependent on various crops and seasonal vegetables. The surplus was sold in the market and he utilized the benefits milked out of selling for meeting the rest of their needs including the expense of Vimal’s schooling.
Things were not going well. The river that was passing across the embankment towards the west got puffed up quickly and rapidly streaming above the danger mark. Its potent current gradually kept on hammering the embankment and made it fragile. Being housed close to the river, Dinesh was concerned about the river guard which was getting deteriorated swiftly. If the rain doesn’t come to a halt, or the torrent does not get receded, then the possibility of breaking the dam can’t be averted, as were discussed by the villagers dejectedly.
Predicting the possible danger, the entire villagers quickly marched over the dam along with their progenies and other portative important belongings. Keeping children in a safe distance, putting their life at stake, they toiled together to repair the damaged part of the dam.
God forbids, if it breaks, the river would divert its flow towards the village. Properties earned over the years of suffering by those poor village inhabitants may get washed away in a minute.
Unfortunately, something alike was written on their fate the way they thought. The collective efforts of all proved insufficient to withstand the embankment. In a wink, the mighty river broke the clay mounded dam and diverted its way out with a big bang. Thenceforth, everything became history.
Dozens of poor villagers, who had been working at ground zero, were blown away by its massive water explosion in a flash. There were painful clamors echoed around, searching their near and dear ones. An inexpressible horrifying situation swallowed up to them all of a sudden.
Being it was low land, the newly diverted river traveled dangerously. To search for missing and deceased ones, were almost impossible on its aggressive flow. No one could dare to search anyone in the death den. The entire surrounding villages got inundated in the deluge in no time. A few strong houses amidst the flood stood tall, some were submersed totally and the rest swept away. The river had flown deep into the village, leaving everything smashed, even on its way beyond.
Agonizingly, on the spur of the moment, Vimal turned out to be an orphan. He kept on crying intensely in search of his parents helplessly. No trace of them. Where would he go now in this shattering period?
All of them spent another tossing and turning night under the open sky crying for their loved ones. A painful sob kept on echoing throughout the night all over, and all cries reverberated in a single swansong.
The next day morning, some government aids and public helping hands were set-offs for those flood victims. All destitute were accommodated over the embankment under temporary makeshifts and fed by some local organizations.
In the meantime, many of them fell sick for consuming contaminated water, lack of proper sanitation, and dirty surroundings. Usually, it does happen to the people when the flood tends to move away. The area became filthy and unhealthy due to the putrid dead animals, which were once tamed by them. As the days went by, medical care for those wretched villagers was essential.
Meanwhile, a medical support team was rooted in the temporary camp. Doctor Raghav was supervising the team to check up their health and for sanitizing the area they lived in. Including Vimal, many of them urgently needed medical care. Some of them were suffering from high fever and diarrhea.
Under Dr. Raghav’s incessant medical care, Vimal recovered quickly. Raghav became empathetic enough on Vimal after knowing his pathetic fate. He expressed his compassion and concerns to the villagers for taking care of Vimal if he gets the consent from them. As Vimal had lost his parents, the future of this lad got jeopardized and the road ahead foreseen challenging to survive. Who would be taking liability for his sustenance?
Hence, the villagers took a collective decision to hand him over to Dr. Raghav. At least Vimal would find a home and would be taken care of by a wise human being. Raghav gave his words to all concerned, in the presence of the village elder man, wherein he mentioned his will to extend his helping hand at that critical phase of the life of Vimal.
Raghab brought him home happily and thus Vimal found a new shade to live. The doctor was surviving with his wife Nitu, who was also a doctor by profession, and their six years old Nayana. After a couple of days, Bimal had been admitted to a nearby local school, so that he doesn’t think much about the catastrophe he witnessed. But, seldom could he attend his classes. The reason behind this was, most of the time he spent by taking care of Nayana, as her duty-bound parents usually return home late.
It seemed Raghav made a false promise to the villagers. The intention was something else at the back of his mind. Descrying the misery of Vimal, he played this merciful card as a metaphor showing himself as a savior. And he didn’t want to miss this chance.
Vimal’s seldom schooling came to a halt before appearing class ten exams. What did he think in life and what, did he get?
Became much loyal to the family by then, and the doctor couple started using him as a full-fledged house help. In addition to his household works, he had to guard Nayana on her way to the school and bringing her back as well. The doctor duo got relaxed, leaving everything on him, and was happily discharging their duties.
As time went by, a new development took place slowly in between Vimal and Nayana after attaining adulthood. They started behaving in a sense that never had before. Both started reciprocating symptoms of love for each other unknowingly. But Vimal was scared off doctor Raghab. Once he gets to know a little about this, Vimal would be thrown away for sure, and then it would be hard to find a little ground for him to stand even. So, he tried to get out of this foolishness. But how come love stops this way; it is an emotional association between two hearts, adherent to a set of craving and aspiration.
Even who can stop it from being untoward?
On an unfortunate day, couple doctors discovered their behavioral transformation all of a sudden. They got shocked and realized their fault of keeping them together without a third person’s vigil. Her parents had never thought of it. Raghab lost his cool and beaten them badly. Infuriated Raghav, decided to toss him out of his sight once for all then and there.
Certainly, Vimal was afraid of this state of affair as he foresaw once. He regretted and helplessly proceeded to a nearby town, where one of his distant relatives resided. It was also true that all the passing years, he had been used by the doctors’ family for free. Reaching there, his prime aim was to grab a job whatsoever to mitigate his hunger. Fortunately, a couple of days later, he could find a cleaning job in a garment showroom.
But therein doctors’ home, mournful Nayana was missing him a lot. Putting her best efforts for tracing his whereabouts secretly, was her only objective. Suddenly his absence hurt her and began to feel lonely. She felt hard to spend time without him. Both grew up together without getting separated even a day. He was like a shadow almost all the time, and she never considered him as an outsider. Spending many sleepless nights, she tried to find a solution.
She recollected having her said by Vimal once, about one of his relatives who stays in the neighboring town. By all means, she quietly engaged herself to locate him, without showing an iota of doubt to her parents. When all information got handy, one fine morning, Nayana fled to meet him, pretending to attend classes in her college.
Vimal stunned seeing her in his single room accommodation suddenly. Before he could speak anything, she embraced him wailing intensely and said, she has left her home to stay with him for life.
No, he can’t continue to do such a mistake again. He realized his idiocy to raise his hands to the moon being a dwarf. Tried his best to explain Nayana for restraining her feelings and requested to go back to her parents. But, she pushed everything into deaf ears. She didn’t leave her pig-headedness.
Why can’t you understand Nayana? Forgive me; I never can be matched with your status at any angle. Vimal briefed her everything about his pitiable financial condition. Hence, he advised her to concentrate on the study.
But nothing seemed worked out in his favor. She stood immutable into her obduracy.
By his earlier experience, Bimal could presume a dismal situation at her home by then. The doctor duo must be worried about Nayana. Being concerned in all that, he requested Nayana to dial her parents at least, for letting them know her presence with him. Though she disagreed first after several insistences, she gave her consent for a call.
Switched the handset on, dialed her father but handed over the set to him while ringing.
Seeing his daughter’s number, distressed Raghav lifted the phone at once and sounded angry, where are you Nayana!
With his trembling voice, Vimal reacted with ‘hello uncle’ from the other end. And further he informed that Nayana was with him. He was trying to bring his uncle into confidence that his daughter was alright and he may come and take her along.
How come she is there stupid, Raghav asked irately?
The question perplexed Bimal for a while. Before he spoke further, the uncle asked him to speak out the address quickly.
Raghav and his wife drove to the given address and reached within an hour, being dismayed with annoyance and fear.
Seeing her parents’ right there, Nayana felt no nervous. Rather, staring at them, she audaciously answering all probable inquiries of her parents. She intended to protect Vimal from spiking with redundant questions. Further, she made her parents clear that she had come there at her own will and would stay with Vimal as his companion, and in no case, she would go back home.
No way could she be convinced by them for a home return, as she was firm on her words. Also, she alarmed them, that the consequence would be unpredictable if they force to withdraw her decision.
Love is a composite set of sentiments, behaviors, and beliefs that are linked with strong feelings of protectiveness, warmth, and admiration for one another. At first, it’s a transitory passion for care and likes. All of these generate courage for one to go up to any extent under the influence of dogmatic love. Hence it was a clear testimony for Nayana too.
Her parents had been compelled to assent with her choice. Heaven forbids; they didn’t want to lose her that way. Therefore, for now, they requested her to move along with them from where they would arrange her marriage grandly. But that did not happen; she sensed something fishy. So, she stood inflexible on her commitment to stay with Vimal, and her parents had to return home without her.
While driving back home, the doctor’s duo was deeply saddened, thinking about Nayana’s future. Being Nayana their only child, her parents reared a lot of dreams; to settle her future stable and pleasant. They never thought that the ambiance of the house would turn this way shockingly.
Besides, they realized that day, if Vimal was educated properly, had they taken little care in his early days, he would have been in a better place today! But they didn’t do so; instead, he had been misused and deluded all the years. Probably, this was the reason which brought them this misery today.
The home looked deserted in absence of them, appeared darker even during the daylight. Sitting on their massive porch, comforting each other, the doctor twosome were remembering all these unforeseen happenings. Nitu seemed mentally broken as if the charm of living got disappeared. After all, it’s a mother’s fragile heart that always bears a soft corner for her children.
Listen Nitu, “destiny is always pre-decided; hence, it finds its way on its own. What you had yesterday, you may not have today and what is today, who knows its accounts tomorrow? Can anyone read one’s fate; wish that could have been! It’s entirely on the will of the unseen Supreme Being. The game of the creator is always unpredictable! Life is pre-destined, which has no access to its password”, Raghab said all by calming Nitu.
Telling all about it, he expressed his will to bring their children back and start a new phase of life along with them. Nitu loved to hear it from her hubby, which she had been thinking during these distressing days.
Let bygones be bygones! Finally, they decided to bring their children home before they die of poverty. “It’s never too late to mend”. Took out the vehicle in a wink and drove it to their children’s rented room. Forgetting each other’s differences, both have been brought back to join their parents and start living with a new approach to life. Hence, an adage says, “all is well that ends well”.
