English Literature – Juvenile Fiction ☆ The Tide of will – Part-18 ☆ 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-18 ☆ Dr. Amitabh Shanker Roy Choudhury ☆

Riding the Waves

The door clicked open and Kalyani’s son, Kunjiraman, shouted out excitedly, ‘Amme, just see who is here.’

Kalyani was at a loss. As if she couldn’t believe her own eyes, ‘Oh, is she Gayatri? The daughter of our Mani? When I got married Mani was just as little. Always looking at my face, in a bridal make up.’

‘Hey Krishna!’ Narayanan started joking with his much younger sister- in-law, ‘Won’t you let us in? Started all your Ramayana standing on the doorsteps only?’

Kalyani started running from this room to that. She called out her husband, ‘They’re already here. Why don’t you come?’ A joy full of excitement winged its way all through the house.’

Her husband and her children all were too happy. Kunjiraman said laughingly to Gayatri, ‘We enjoyed a lot at brother Mani’s wedding.’

‘You too can come some time to Haripadam and spend your holiday there.’ Narayanan said.

‘We must’ answered the young man.

At night, during their dinner Kalyani was pestering Gayatri much to take more of this or that item. She smiled and refused, ‘Tomorrow I’ve to participate in the competition. If I eat so much, I’ll certainly float my sweet granny, but won’t be able to swim.’

Everyone laughed.

Early in the next morning, they got readied. Gayatri checked her competition card, swimming costume, swimming goggles and all. Narayanan said to his sister – in – law, ‘Now we must start, Kalyani.’

She touched her forehead with folded hands and put an ornamental mark with sandalwood paste on Gayatri’s forehead affectionately, ‘Everything will be alright.’ Then she asked Narayanan, ‘I think by the time you’ll return it’ll be past six o’clock.’

‘I think so.’

Kunjuraman accompanied them to the ferry station. When they were seated in the launch he said, ‘Now let me go. In the evening if you feel I can come to fetch you.’

‘Oh, my boy, I’m not that old. This much I can manage myself.’

The steamer was sailing on the waves. The waves were striking it and it was shaking a bit from side to side. So many sea gulls were following it. Spreading their wings, they were flying and shrieking. A kingfisher ducked into the water. It had got its catch. Behind the steamer a garland of white foams was floating on the blue water.

‘Hold the railing tightly.’ Narayanan cautioned Gayatri and came closer to her.

The steamer was totally full of men and women. Some had their cycles or scooters with them. Everybody’s destination was Ernakulum. Some were students, some were office goers, and many were daily labourers.

The harbour city of Cochin consists of many islands. Hundreds of years ago Jews came here and settled. They offer their prayer in synagogue. After them so many people – Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabians – all came here to trade in the business of spices. A few of them even wanted to rule.

On the deck, near the fence, so many were standing. Probably they couldn’t find a seat or they were in much hurry to get down from the launch once it was anchored.

Just on the right of them was the Jews neighbourhood. The Chinese nets were hung near the seashore with the help of four or more sets of wooden poles and bamboos. This has become a trademark sign of the city.

Near the shore there were so many fishermen’s dinghies. The whole air was heavy with the fishy smell. The fishes were spread on the boats to dry up. The nets were hanging from the sides of the dinghies. The steamer was proceeding slowly. Everybody started rushing on the deck to reach the exit point first. Everyone was in a hurry to catch a bus or to attend his duty. Suddenly a dinghy came floating in front of the launch. The driver tried to move it in another direction. But by this skilful manoeuvre the launch was tilted on one side. Everybody on board screamed out in terror, ‘Oh, take care. What’s this happening?’

But by that fraction of a second …….

‘Amma -!’ A child’s helpless cry was heard from the sea. The child had slipped from the deck under the railing and fell into the water.

Were there a few bubbles in the waves? Could anybody see a little hand waving madly from them?

Contd…      

© Dr. Amitabh Shanker Roy Choudhury

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