English Literature – Juvenile Fiction ☆ The Tide of will – Part-3 ☆ Dr. Amitabh Shanker Roy Choudhury ☆

Dr. Amitabh Shanker Roy Choudhury

Brief Introduction

• Birth – January 18, 1955
• Education – MBBS (IMS/BHU)
• Publications – 4 books (2 in Hindi, 1 each in English and Bengali) and two are yet to come.
• Translations – Books and articles are translated in English, Odiya, Marathi and Gujarati.
• Awards – CBT awarded stories and novel, “Kamaleshwar Smriti Katha Award (2013, 2017 and 2019)” by Kathabimb.
• Honour – “Hindi Sevi Samman” by Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Wardha (December 2016). 

☆ Juvenile Fiction ☆ The Tide of will – Part-3 ☆ Dr. Amitabh Shanker Roy Choudhury ☆

Fear and Dare

From the kitchen Ananthi called out, ‘Gayatri, come here and listen to me please.’

Gayatri, sitting in the bedroom, was learning her lessons. As she was reading, her whole body was swaying. Her swaying stopped and she asked, ‘What happened amma?’

‘Just wash these coffee cups and the pot for me. I need them again.’

Gayatri left her book on the bed and came out in the courtyard. As she was washing the utensils, suddenly her hands were just paralysed. She shrieked in fright, ‘Amma, ach-chamma (granny), look at that -!’

Followed by a clattering sound of utensils dropping in the courtyard. Next, a thud too. And Gayatri was on the floor, both of her legs stretched in front.

‘Ananthi, just see what happened to Gayatri.’ Lalithambika was moving the beads of prayer in her hand. Next, rubbing her ailing knees, she got up herself.

Ananthi, immediately, came out of the kitchen, ‘What happened? Why are you so scared?’

And the third spectator, Narayanan, appeared on the spot, too. And as soon as he had seen the real reason behind Gayatri’s shriek, he burst out into a laughter, ‘So, is this the reason of your getting scared? O my god!’

Gayatri could not say a single word. The utensils were all scattered in the courtyard and she was looking at something open mouthed.

And there was a big yellow frog sitting just in front of her. Its bulging eyes were looking all around. It puffed itself up. The whitish skin just below its chin was bellowing with its breathing in and out. Once or twice it croaked. As if it was asking,

‘Why are you afraid babe, I am a yellow frog

Do you want to see me, how can I jump and jog?’  

And it jumped like the legendary frog of folk tales who was a prince and who was turned into a frog by the curse of a witch. After waiting for years when a princess kissed the frog he regained his human form. He became a prince again.

Covering her mouth with the corner of her saree Ananthi just giggled, ‘So this is the villain of the whole drama?’

A kingfisher bird was perching on a branch of the banana tree in the courtyard. It looked around in confusion. Just thinking whether it could find a piece of fish in front of any house. Startled it got and flew away.

Narayanan went to his kuchumol and patted her head. Suddenly he remembered the dialogue of Duryodhana, the character of a prince in Mahabharata. He had once seen this in a Yakshagaan performance. Which is a very popular dance drama form in Kerala. There, in the show, the prince Duryodhana had said,

‘O fear

Tell me where

You made your abode?

In the heart of a coward

Or in airy dreams

Down the fancy road?              

During his service period Sasidhar Narayanan taught math in his school. He remembered that if zero is multiplied by any number the result is always zero. Similarly if fear is deep rooted in someone’s heart how can he or she go ahead in life? He was worried for his granddaughter. He said to Ananthi, ‘We must not leave Gayatri like this. If she lives in the cocoon of a caring family and stays confined within the safety of this house only, how can she face the world when she grows up?’              

He stopped for a few minutes and announced at last, ‘From tomorrow onwards she is going to Pampa with me.’

‘And what would she do there in the river?’ asked Lalithambika anxiously.

‘She would learn swimming. And that’s final.’ Narayanan didn’t let anybody say anything. He simply made a theatrical exit.

Next morning, when it was still dawn, he woke her up, ‘Get up Gayatri. Wash your face and get ready. Let’s go.’

Naturally at the beginning everyone happens to be quite enthusiastic while doing something new. Gayatri readied herself quickly.

‘Did you take a separate towel? We’ll need this.’ He himself took a frock of her, other clothes and a thin Indian towel made of cloth. Everything in a bag.

Vishu, the festivities of new-year had passed. In Thiruvananthapuram, at the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple the ceremony of Arattu, that is the Holy Bath of the idols were observed with elegance and grandeur.

And the clouds in the sky were waiting for this opportunity probably. By the end of May they started sailing from the horizon in the Arabian Sea. Like some black fairies, the black clouds were floating in the bright blue sky. It had been raining for last couple of days. This morning, it gave a little respite to all.    

After the overnight drizzle, the road in the village was shimmering in the early morning soft light. Two shadows were moving ahead. Scattered on the way, there were some puddles. Eyeing them how little Gayatri could control herself? Silently, she just lagged behind a few steps and jumped on a puddle. Why couldn’t she be up to a little mischief, such as this? The water splashed and Narayanan turned back.

‘Oh, be careful.’ He came up to her and held her hand tightly.

 In that wee hour of the day, there were some people already on the road. Coming from the opposite direction, one of them bowed his head and said, ‘Pranam, masterji.’

Narayanan responded with a smile and raised his hand.

They worked in the rubber plantations, in some other villages. It is here in Kerala the ninety percent of rubber in India is produced. ‘Kera’ is a word for coconut and ‘alayam’ is for abode, so Kerala is also called the place of coconut. But rubber plantations are there in many villages. It’s a big earner for them.

On the bank of Pampa, they met a few more. Haripadam was a small village. Naturally everyone knew every other person by face.

The famous scholar of the place, pundit Anantamurthi was coming from their neighbourhood, called Agrahar. He had decorated his forehead with the paste of sandal. He smiled and placed his hand on Gayatri’s head affectionately, ‘So, today morning the little kuchumol has come up with her appupan to take a bath in the Pampa? Very good, you must come regularly. Understand?’

Standing on the bank Narayanan just for once said to her, ‘Now take off your puntu and get ready for a dip.’

He didn’t press any further. Being a teacher he knew it pretty well that it would be better to give her some time to become mentally prepared. He changed and dived into the water. Within minutes he was swimming away from the shore.

Now, Gayatri, sitting alone there on the stone-steps, became very much thoughtful. Just like Shakespeare’s Hamlet she was counting, ‘To swim or not to swim, today?’ She had a sickly feeling in her gut. She decided in her mind, ‘Well, not today but it’ll be better to try tomorrow.’

Narayanan had finished his job. Still standing in the water he was praying to the sun, ‘I bow my head in reverence to you, O’ glorious and ultimate source of light! It’s you who enlighten the whole world. Please motivate us to our worldly duties!’

With folded hands he had finished his prayers. A few boats were sailing on the river. The boatmen were pushing their long bamboo poles deep into the water and moving their boats ahead. Some were rowing too. They were talking among themselves quite loudly, ‘Hey, Kariattu, did you get a catch this morning?’

‘Yes of course, Athiya. However I won’t be able to attend the market. This afternoon I must go to my maternal uncle’s place. My grandma, the poor old woman, is very sick.’

 Standing near the shore, some people were worshipping and others were taking dips very cautiously. Most probably they were quite afraid of drowning. A few had put forth some pulses and grains on the steps and above, for the birds. Five or six pigeons swooped down and started pecking at them. Happily they were cooing. A few sparrows and other birds came down and joined them. But seeing them the pigeons were probably not so happy. They probably said in their voice, ‘Hey, let us first!’

‘Gayatri, come down over here.’ her grandfather called her.

But she was scared, ‘Oh, grandpa, not today.’ She thought in her heart if only she could fly away from the place.

‘If you really want to do something, start it immediately. Only fools wait for the tomorrows.’ Narayanan was already standing near his kuchumol. He took her in his lap. Holding her tightly in his arms, came down near the water and then threw her into the river.

His philosophy of life was quite simple. No one can walk the roads of his life holding someone else’s fingers. If one is afraid of the tides, how can he swim in the sea of life? With a do or die attitude he was witnessing everything. He murmured, ‘Gayatri must learn swimming. Must!’

And there, just a few metres away, Gayatri was sinking into the water. Again she was throwing her limbs madly to float above the water level. She had already swallowed some water. Quite hopefully she called out. Her feeble voice was heard, ‘Oh appupan! Please -!’ 

One moment Gayatri could see everything around her. The men and women bathing near the ghat, the trees standing on the shore, the boats swaying on the waves – everything. Next moment, everything was vanished. Oh! Trying recklessly to arrive at the bank she was using her hands and legs.

Next, the tide of the waves covered the poor girl. She had already swallowed much of water. But still she was pushing ahead. Raising her hands and throwing them into the water. She must reach the bank.

Amusingly, the boatman Itukettu was watching the whole episode. He cried out, ‘Oh, Guruji, catch her hand. Your granddaughter is exhausted.’

Unknowingly Narayanan himself went ahead a few steps. His stretched fingers touched Gayatri’s hand. She called out, ‘Oh, appupan, oh! Help!’

Narayanan leant forward upon the water and gathered her in his arms close to his chest. Gayatri started coughing. She could no more hold her tears. She sobbed her heart out, ‘Grandfather, you didn’t come for my rescue.’

‘My silly kuchumol! I was standing there in the water keeping an eye upon you.’ he patted her head, ‘Just see, you can do it? What’s there in swimming? Then?’

They took off their wet clothes and changed. On their way back to home, he stopped at the sweet shop of Nilamperu. He asked his granddaughter, ‘What would you like to have? Idli? Veg cutlet?’

Gayatri was all smiles again. 

Now this became their daily routine. Gayatri would get up early in the morning. She would go to Pampa with her achchan for swimming. Gradually, with Naryanan’s help she learnt it. And day by day the distance, she could cover, was increasing. And every day a treat for her was waiting at Nilamperu’s shop.

This was her first reward. Full of affection. Given by her appupan.

Contd…      

© Dr. Amitabh Shanker Roy Choudhury

C0ntact: Care Dr. Alok Kumar Mukherjee, 104/93, Vijay Path, Mansarovar, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302020