Rama ki Kahani

Raat ka rang bahat gehra ho gaya tha. Uske kaanon tak awaz pohachkar fir lot gayi. Kahmoshi ki chadar usne kuch kaskar apne par lapet li thi. Inn parbaton ke beech woh khud ko yun hi kai baar kho diya karti thi. "Aari karamjali sunn na rahi. Chinghad chinghad ke gala fatne aaya mera. Yahan mui bethi taare taak rahi hai," amma hafte hue usse boli. Amma bada chid jaya karti thi usse yun betha dekhkar. Uski nazaron main itna sukoon dekhkar jee jal jata tha unka. Itni takllefon ka dhua jo unki aankhon main din raat pani bhar diya karta tha, Rama ko kabhi uss aag ki lapte chuti na thi. Jane kahan se usne itni saari muskurahaton ka pitara apne andar sama rakha tha. Kisi se churate na banta. Uski iss badhawasi ko dekhkar kai peer fakir bhi bulaye. Babaon se kai taviz banwaye. Ki kahin kisi bhoot pret ka saaya toh nahi ladoo par. Magar kissi ka koi asar hi nahi hota nigodi par. Din bhar daat khakar fir inn pahadon ke beech aakar beth jati. Jaise inse inki khamoshi udhar lekar khud main bhar leti ho.

Rama ne mud kar amma ki oor dekha aur muskurayi. "Aab bethi bethi muskurati hi rahegi ya ghar chalegi. Khana parosane ke liye naukrani aayegi?" anma ne jhlakar kaha. Rama uthi aur amma ke saath chalne lagi. Raaste bhar amma badbadati rahi aur Rama muskurati. Ghar pohackar seedha chule ke pass jakar beth gayi. Baba lete lete beedi pukh rahe the. Amma ne khane ko bulaya toh aakar beth gaye. Bole, "Itni der kuyn lag gayi?". Amma ne unhe bhi jhatak diya, "Tumhari ladli ke peeche peeche hi saara din nikal jata hai. Aur koi ghar ka kaam nahi hota kya? Pura din chule main maro, fir bhi yeh toh kissi se hota nahi ki madaat karde. Haan thandedar bane sawal zarur puchenge. Itni der kuyn ho gayi"? "Aare main toh sirf puch raha tha. Har baat par youn bigad kuyn jati ho"? baba ne zara zor se poocha. "Bigadungi nahi. Ek admi kaam karne ko. Uspar yeh hai ki bas apni hi duniya main khoyi rehati hai. Na kisi se bol chaal. Na kuch. Maa se tak beth kar do baat nahi karti. Fursta mili nahi ki bhaag jati hai. Kahe deti hun. Mujhe iss ladki ke lakshan bilkul aache nahi lag rahe. Yahin yeh haal hai jane sasural main kya karegi. Wahan na baat karegi apni saas se. Na puchegi apne rishtedaron ko. Mui jane kahan se paida ho gayi hai. Main keh rahi hun hamari bachi par koi saaya hai. Magar tumhe hosh hai kisi cheez ka? Kheton main pura din pade rehte ho. Raat main bhi jakar rakwali par beth jate ho. Kitni dafa kaha hai kissi ko rakh lo. Magar tumhe kissi par bharosa ho tab na" bolte hue amma rotiyan sekhane lagi.

Rama ne thali parosi aur baba ke samne rakh di. Baba chup chap khana khane lage. Amma ki baaton ka unpar kabhi koi asar nahi hota tha. Amma bol ballkar khud hi chup ho jati thi. Rama janti thi, amma ki inhi baaton se bachne ke liye baba kisi ko kheton ki rakhwali ke liye nahi rakh rahe the. Jabse pichle mausam main aalon ki fasal se nuksan hua tha, amma ne baba ki jaan kha li thi. Kai hafton tak un naspite aalon ko lekar hi roti rahi. Fir apni kismat ko ki na jane kounse paapon ka fal bhugat rahi hain iss ghar main aakar. Rama ne aajtak amma ko baba ki kisi baat par khush hote na dekha tha. Aur baba, woh toh bas apni hi dhun main jeete the. Ghar ke jhamelon main woh kabhi padte hi na the.

Amma ko bhi dadi hi pasand karke layin thi. Baba ne toh bas shadi ki din unhe dekha tha. Sundar toh thi hi amma hamesha se, dulhan ke libaz main aur hi kuch noor tha unka. Baba ne sirf wahi dekha. Amma ke dahej main bhi kai saara saman aaya tha. Aab tak uska wasta ghar main diya jata hai. Amma ke bauji kisi zamane main zamindar hua karte the. Ser ser bhar gehun, chawal aur fal bheje unhone apni beti ki sasural main. Ladke ka chunav kis tarike se kiya, bhai londa aache ghar khandan se hai, khet bhi khub hain aur umr bhi amma se kuch 2-1 saal hi badi hogi. Bas, aur kya chahiye ladki ko sukhi hone ke liye? Byah di apni ladli pehle muhrat main. Kehte hain Amma bada roi thin jab babul ke ghar ko chodkar aayi thi. Rama ko hamesha iss baat par hasi aaya karti thi. Kai baar woh mazak main keh diya karti thi, "Amma toh aab tak ro hi rahi hain. Jo hasti toh koi anokhi baat hoti". Iss baat par amma use khub daatti.

Amma ki baaton par Rama ne kabhi bahat dyaan nahi diya. Shayad bachpan se hi sunti aa rahi thi issiliye. Beti maa par na jakar baap se apne nak-nakshe udhar le aayi hai iss baat se unhe hamesha takleef rahi. Usspar uska ladkpan, woh unhe aur bhi gussa dilata. "Aae he agar jo khubsurat na ho toh kum se kum jo hai usse toh sambhal kar rako. Punji hai jo zindagibhar duniya main dikhani hogi. Ladkpan main yun isse lutao mat. Zara toh khud ka khyal rakhe apna. Yun thode hi londo ki taraf dhup main gandagi main fira kare. Uth se ho gai hai magar akal das paise ki na hai chori main," har din amma kehati usse.

Magar Rama hamesha se hi man mauji rahi thi. Yeh baaten uske palle kabhi padi hi nahi. Gaon main jeth ke mahine main ek chuski wala aaya karta tha. Sehar ko jane wali sadak par. Rama ko uski chuski aur uski chalti firti dukaan badi pasand thi. Ran birangi badi wali chatri jo uss chuski wale ne apni cycle par tanga rakhi thi, Rama ko uske rang bahat pasand the, Woh bhari dupahar main, chalti hui loo ko jhelkar bhi usske paas chuski khane zarur jati. Amma se daat na pade issiliye unke sone ke baad chup chap pichali kiwad se nikal jati. Tauji ke gulab ke kheton ke par ek choti si pagdandi thi, jo nathu chacha ke gehun ke kheton tak jati thi. Bas ussi pagdandi par woh apne baki saare doston ko jama karti aur puri paltan lekar sehar jane wali road par pohach jati. Ek ser gehun ke badle chuski le aati aur khub maze se bhagate daudte pagdandi par jakar beth jati. Baki saare dost kuch beri ke pedon par latak jate, kuch neeche jati choti se nehar main pav daal beth jate. Yun hi aadhi dophar nikal jati.

Chutpan main gav bhar ke dost hua karte the hamari Rama ke. Swabhav meetha tha so chachiyon aur taiyon ki bhi manpasnd thi. Amma bhi kitna hi jhalla len, Rama ki meethi nazaron se woh bhi na bach pati. Aakhir thi toh unhi ki aulad. Woh bhi ekloti. Bade hote hote Rama kai badlav aaye. Natkhat si choti Rama badi ho kar shant nadi ban chuki thi. Behna nahi choda tha usne magar bachpan ka woh ladkpan zarur chut gaya tha kahin. Umr ke saath saath uske shabd kam hone lage the. Boll chall toh sabhi se thi. Magar baaten kabhi kisi ko na kehati. Jo sab bolte woh sun leti aur chup chap apni aankhon main unn baaton ko utar leti. Magar nazaron main kisi cheez ka ya kisi insaan ki koi raay na hoti. Na kisi ko dekhkar uski nazaren jhukati na uthati thin.

Uski umr ki ladkiyon ko jo sajne sawarne ka shok tha, Rama ko na tha. Uss se toh bas ghanton tak pahadon ko takna aacha lagta tha. Wahan bethe bethe woh khub saari kahaniyan banati, geet bunti. Saheliyon ki shadi main kabhi kabhi gaya bhi karti thi. Padhai ka shok tha so sehar jakar B.A kar rahi thi. Gaon ke bachon ko saath saath padha liya karti thi. Amma ko yeh saari baaten pasand toh thi nahi. Magar ladki ki shadi karani thi aur aajkal bina padhi likhi ladki koun pasand karta hai. So unhone isse itni dur jakar padhne ki izzazt de di thi. Fir bhi magar jab bhi bechari se koi galti ho jaye, uske pure college aur masterain ko galiyan de daal ti thin amma. Inhone ne hi bigada hai chori ko, na jaane kya aan shaan padhate rehete hain. Samajh main toh hume rehna hai. Yahin ki baaten na sikhayenge? yun kehkar har baar uski soch par taala laga deti thi. Magar kaid toh kher kya hi kar pati woh usse. Ghanto pahadon ko takte hue woh apni soch khaniyon main bun liya karti thi.

Fir ek din gaon main ek masterji aaye. Waise toh Chandrakant babu bade zamindarji ke sabse chote bete the, magar choti hi umar main unhone khud ka kafi naam kar liya tha. Kai pustaken likhi thi, Ph.D kar rahe the literature main aur kai saare social works bhi. Ussi karan woh wapas gaon aaye the. Yahan unhone bachon ke school main ek saal tak padhane ka social work ka project karna tha. After all, charity begins at home. Yahi kaha karte the sabse. Dekhane main bade hi sushil lagte the. Kad kathi toh kher koi zyada nahi thi magar mukh zarur bada suhavna tha. Moti jaise daat bilkul seedhe. Aankhon par professoron wala chasma aur sundar baal. Rang saaf tha aur muskurahat bhari nazar. Badi hi seedhi aur saral baat karte the. Baat waise toh kam hi kiya karte the.

Unke aate hi thakurain ke kandhe aur chaude ho gaye aur aankhe jaise aasman ko chuti hon. Gav bhar main apne bete ke gund gati firti thi. Kuwari ladkiyon ki maon ke samne toh khaskar kar. Magar uski toh koi zarurat thi nahi. Gav ki har kunwari ladki ki maa ne apni nazar Chandrakant babu par jama di thi. Aas lagaye toh ladkiyan bhi bethi thi. Unki sabhiyat dekh kar sab ki sab jaise pighal hi gayi hon. Muh se lal tapane lagti sabke unke guzarte hi. Amma ne bhi badi apni nazar jami hui thi unpar. Magar Rama ko fursat mile apne pahadon se toh woh kahin kuch baat karen uss se. Iss taraf toh kai ladka uss se pasand nahi karega, yeh soch soch kar amma din ba din aadhi hui ja rahi thi.

Rama ne Chandrakant babu ke baare main bahat suna tha. Apni saari saheliyon se, unki maaon se aur jab hathe chad jati amma ke, unse bhi. Magar yun toh uss se kisi main koi dilchaspi na aati. Logon ki baaten sun sun kar. Ghamand nahi tha usme, magar vishwas zara kum hi sab par. Darasal saheliyan toh nain naksh se zyada kuch kehati nahi aur chachiyan aur amma zamindari ke. Issiliye Rama ne Chandrakant babu par koi zyada dhyaan nahi diya. Uss din tak. Shehar main college jate hue woh jo bus pakadti thi, uss bus stop par uss din uss se ek anjaan saaya dikha. Zara pass jakar dekha toh pata chal ki Chanrdakant babu hain. Rama zara jhep gayi. Logon se baat karneki waise hi adat nahi thi aur fir inse toh uska kabhi taruff hi nahi hua tha. Fir bhi zara hichkichate hue woh unke pass aakar khadi ho gayi.

Chandrakant babu raaste par bus ki raah taak rahe the. Nazar firakar dekha toh do moti moti aankhon se samna hua. Ek min ko zara dekhate hi reh gaye. Gol chehra, gappe jaise gaal, badi kali aankhe aur lambe ghane baal. Matha chota magar baalon ki maang se saja hua. Badan mota hi kehlta magar bahat zyada nahi. Dekhane bhar main koi bahat khubsurat shaks nahi dikhayi diya. Magar kuch toh tha usme jo ek min ke liye unki saas hi si ruk gayi. Unhone bina soche ek muskurahat Rama ki taraf feki aur pura uski taraf ghum gaye. Rama ne unhe dekha aur woh bhi muskurayi.

"Namaste Chandrakant babu"
"Aap janti hain hume?"
"Ji..Woh Amma ne bataya tha apke baare main"
"Aacha. Kounki ladki ho tum?"
"Suresh Gautam ki"
"Aacha Suresh Chacha ki. Aare Rama ho kya?"
"Ji"
"Aacha aacha. Tum shehar main B.A kar rahi ho na?"
"Ji. Wahin ja rahi hun. Aap kahan ja rahe hain?"
"Aare main zara shehar se bachon ke liye kuch kitabe lene jaa raha hun"
"Aacha. Toh Lalaji ki library main chale jayega. Bus stop se lagkar hi hai. Wahin aapko saari kitaben mil jayengi."
"Haan theek hai"

Itna kehkar woh ruk gaye. Fir na jane unhe kya suja woh bole, "Suno Rama, agar tumhe baht takleef na ho. Aur agar tumhe bahat der na ho rahi ho toh kya tum mere sang chaloge lalaji ke yahan? Mujhe bhi aasani ho jayegi bachopn ki kitaben lene main". Yeh sunkar na jane kuyn magar Rama ke rom rom main jaise ole padne lage. Haath pair thande ho gaye, dil ki dhadkan ek min ke liye toh ruk hi gayi. Fir zara uss se sambhalte hue usne kaha, "Ji kuyn nahi zarur". Unhone ek dusare ko dekha aur jaise bina kuch kahe bahat kuch keh diya ho. Uss din ke baad woh roz milne lage. Shaam ko school main chutti ke baad Chandrakant babu bhi Rama ke saath padhadon ka takne lage. Dono ne shadi ka faisla kiya aur gharwalon tak baat pohachi.

"Ai hai...main toh lut gayi barbad ho gayi. Duniya bhar ki khoobsurat ladkiyon ko chodke hamare nawabzade ko woh saand hi mili. Mujhe hi seengh maregi bahu bankar. Apna toh sikka hi khota nikla. Khub prasad chadha rahi hogi Suresh ki bahu aab toh. Sone ki chidiya phas li usne toh," yun keh keh kar thaukrain khub roi. Din raat apni kokh ka wasta diya magar Chandrakant babu ne apna faisla na badla. Maa bhi aakhir kya karti. Maan hi gayi. Saheliyon ne irshya ke maare Rama ko khub taine sunaye. "Ai hai hum hi kuch jakar padh aati college se. Na jane tumne toh kounse mantar padhe hain jo yeh maal phaas liya. Shakal se toh tumhari pyar hua na hoga. Yeh toh bata do kounsa manta phunka hai hamare shehari babu par". Rama sabko hass kar taal deti. Uss se pata tha ki uski saheliyan jal kukadi ban uss se chot pohchana chahati hai. Aur fir woh wakai khud ko khush kismat samjhti thi ki itne aache insaan uske jeevan saathi banenge. Issiliye usse inn sab baaton se koi farak na padta tha.

Amma toh jaise saatven aasman par hi pohach gayi hon. Din raat apne hone wale damad ke gund gaati aur beti ko duaen deti. Unhe bhi vishwaas na ho raha tha ki Rama se Chandrakant babu fas gaye. Magar unhe toh bas apni kush kismati main hi jeena tha. So woh iss baat par zyada gaur na karti thi. God bharai ka din aaya. Rama ko saheliyan saja kar dulhe aur uske gharwalon ke samne le aaye. "Rama aab tumhari shadi hone wali hai. Shadi par ladkiyon ka charera badan hi aacha lagta hai," Thakurain gurrai. Chandrakant babu ne unki taraf teekhi nazaron se dekha aur woh chup ho gai. Rama maan hi maan muskai. Sab theek se ho gaya.

Shaam ko Chandrakant babu aur Rama hamesha ki tarah tille par mile. Pahadon ko dekhate dekhate Chandrakant babu ne zara sharamnak bhav se kaha, "Rama main maa ki baaton ke liye tum se maafi mangta hun". Rama ne unki oor dekha aur uski muskurahat jaise dil main hi maar gayi ho. "Kya baat hai. Pareshan lag rahe hain aap," Rama ne chintit hokar pucha. Chandrakant babu ne uski oor dekha aur nazaren jhuka li. Kuch der baad bole, "Mujhe bas zara shadi ke liye daar lag raha hai. Aaj jaise maa ne keh diya, waise kai aur log kahenge shdi par. Rishtedaron ko toh tum janti hi ho. Ladki ki sundarta ko woh sirf mukh aur sharrer se hi napte hain. Mujhe daar hai woh kahin kuch aaisa waisa na keh den". Rama unki oor bas dekhati hi reh gayi. Uss se laga jaise usne unhe pehle kabhi dekha hi na ho. Unki shakal jo uski saari saheliyon ke dil main basi hui thi aab uss se dikhayi dene lagi. Usne jhep kar pucha, "Kya aapko fark padega"? Chandrakant ne uski taraf dekha aur kaha, "Nahi Rama mujhe inn sabse koi farak nahi padta. Magar mujhe iss samajh ka daar hai. Log kuch bol denge tumhe toh mujhe aacha na lagega". Unki yeh baaten Rama ke dil main teer ki tarf chubh gayi. Woh uthi aur ghar ki taraf chali gayi. Uss raat pehli baar usne tarron ko chodkar apne ghar ke seeshe main ghanton tak khud ko taka. Takte takte uski aankhe bhar aayi.

Auro Beach

Auro beach in rain looks like a wet heaven. It just melts away all that you are. All that is left behind in the sand is an emptiness, blissful emptiness. That day it was only two of them on that beach. They looked at the sea silently, feeling the waves that crashed on their feet. The waves were mesmerizing. They could see nothing but their changing colors. Feel nothing but the coolness of the water on their feet. The wind orchestrated its music in their ears. Singing away a song of life in all its glory. The song seemed to reach their hearts, weaving a canopy of peace with the threads of their heartbeats. They held hands.
They started walking on the beach and smiled at the sand on their feet. It seemed to change colors. Near the water it was velvety smooth, its cream color spreading thin over the dry beach. From there, it seemed to change into a path that felt like salt spread over velvet, a dark brown color. A little way ahead it mixed with the yellow of the beach with shells and pebbles spread wide and far. They walked on all three feeling their texture on the feet. Then they climbed a little hill of rocks spread on one end of the beach. They hopped on the rocks while the raindrops tingled their skins. It slipped down their mouths and made them giggle. They reached the end of it and for a long time kept staring at the never ending blue. 
They silently sat on the rocks and saw the blue turning into the frothy white and settling into sea green. Below their dangling legs they could see the reefs being colored different shades of red and green by the water. The girl smiled and looked at the boy. "You know what I think, I think that there is a magical world under there. There are mermaids living with mermen who fly to the moon in the night. When the world goes to sleep of course". With this she lost herself in her magical world and the boy silently rested his head on her shoulder, linking his fingers with hers. No one knows if he listened to what she was saying. But he did fly with her to an unknown world, where no one existed but they.

Rajasthani Bhindi

Bahat din ho gaye the unhe uss restaurant main gaye hue. Bahat din ho gaye the unhe bina ek khalish ke koi baat kiye hue. Bahat din ho gaye the unhe sirf baate kare hue. Udate udate khayalon ko apne shabdon main bandhate hue. Bahat din...
Uss din raasta uss restaurant ka kuch kum sa lag raha tha. Unke hoton se khilkhilati hasi ne shayad unke kadmon ki raftar badha di thi. Restaurant pohache toh dekha ki andar bahat hi kum log behte hain. Ladke ne ladki ki taraf dekha aur muskuraya. Uss se shor pasand nahi tha. Yeh restaurant bhi kuch aaisa hi tha. Ek mohabbat ke maare shayar ki taraf. Jisko koi shor duniya ka sunai nahi deta. Woh toh bas apni hi kavitaon main mast rehta hai.
Woh dono kone ki ek table par jakar beth gaye. Kursi nahi thi chota sa sofa tha bethane ki liye uss table par. Ladki toh bade maze main pairon ko upar kiye uspar viraj gayi. Magar ladke se itni door apni mehboob se betha na gaya. Woh utha aur usne apna chota sofa hilakar uske pass lane ki koshish ki. Utane main chup chap aa kar ek waiter wahan khada ho gaya. Ladke ne uski oor dekha aur halka sa jhep gaya. Ladki magar zara bold tarike ki thi. Usse bhi uske baju main hi bethane ki jidd thi. Usne waier se pucha, "Hum isse yahan nahi rakh sakte?". Waiter ne muskura kar sar hila diya. Utane main uska boss bada waiter aa gaya. Usne pucha kya baat hai aur ladki ne bataya. Fir uss bade waiter ne dusare table se kursi ki taraf hi dikhane wali kursi lakar uss ladki ke chote sofa ke pass rakh di. Finally, Ladka wahan beth gaya. Bas fir kya tha. Ladki ne apni baaton ki fuljhadi jalayi aur uski chatakti matakit baaton ki roshni main woh dono kho gaye. Magar ladke ko lag rahi thi tez book. Ladki kuch bol rahi thi jab usne uski aankhon main ek bechani dekhi. Woh samjh gayi, ki bhaiya aab toh jo hai bina khaan paan kaam chalega nahi. Usne jhat se menu uthaya aur ladke se pucha, "Rajasthani Bhindi try karoge"? Ladka zara hichkichaya. Uss se ladki ki choice par pura bharosa tha, magar rajastani bhindi??? Nashate main??? Uski soch ke thode bahar hi thi yeh baat. Magar uss se nayi cheezen try karna bada aacha lagta tha. Kuch naya, kuch anokha. Uss se zindagi ko mauka dena bahat aacha lagta tha. Aakhir usse woh ladki bhi toh aase hi mili thi. Zindagi ke ek mood par. Jahan uske paas jane ka ki koi khaas wajah nahi thi. Usne tabhi ek chance liya tha. Usne aaj fir ek chance liya. Woh muskuraya aur ladki ne jhat se order kar diya.
Rajasthani bhindi aayi aur ussi ke saath unn dono ki favoirate hot apple buttered tea. Ladke ko rajhasthani bhindi bahat pasand aayi. Usne khush hokar ladki se kaha, "Tum na hoti toh main yeh kabhi order nahi karta. Sochta bhi nahi iske baare main". Ladki muskurayi aur jawab diya, "Tum na hote toh main kabhi inhe try karne ki nahi sochati. Tum mujhe mere mann ki sunane dete ho". "Aacha magar kaise? Tum hamesha apne mann ki nahi karti?" "Nahi. Sabke saath nahi. Agar aur koi hota toh main bhi ek safe bet main kuch pehle khaya hua, jana pehchana order karti. Tumhare saath mujhe galti karne main darr nahi lagta". "Aur tumhare saath mujhe zindagi jeene main. Main bhi nayi cheezen tumhare saath hi try karta hun. Warna kuch galat ho jaye toh sab bahat bolte hain". Woh dono ek dusare ko dekhkar muskuraye.
Fir unn dono ne baaton ke diye jalaye. kahin khwabon ki lau thi, kahin soch ki aur tel daala usme khoob saari hasi ka. Hot apple buttered tea peete hue kai armon main unhone jaan phunki. Kuch apni aankhon main, kuch ek dusare ki. Uss restaurant ki bheeni peeli light main unhone ek dusare ka haath thama. Fir ek baar ek pal unhone apni yaadon main bandha. Inhi palon ke dhaage bana rahe the woh. Hamesha jude rehne ke liye.

I Love you

He was coming. They were meeting after two weeks. She was very excited. She was new to the city. She lived alone. He lived with his parents. They couldn't meet often. She took out the new soap bar, which boasted of rose fragrance. She wanted to look her best.

She came out of her bath, took out her white t-shirt which she had bought from Westside the other day. She liked the quirky lines on plain T-shirts. She was comfortable in them. She wore it with her blue jeans.

He came while she was still combing her hair. She let him in. He came and stood besides her. They smiled at each other. “How do you like my new t-shirt?” asked she. “You know I am not a big fan of your Westside collection. Isn't this a little ill fitting?” said he. “I like to breathe in my clothes you know,” said she and smiled at him. He came closer and put his hands around her waist. “Well we surely don't want to stop your oxygen supply. However, why is there a need to wear your gym clothes all the time I can't understand. Why don't you wear those nice pretty tops like other girls. You know you will look more hot than many” said he, trying to kiss her.

“Because they are a pain to wear. I don't like them. I don't wear them,” said she, and turned towards him slowly. He kissed her cheeks and said with clouded eyes, “You need to sacrifice some to get some. You are such a doll. But you throw it all away by wearing such plain clothes. Why don't you stop being lousy and make an little effort to dress up? There will be mass murder at hand, trust me.”

“Look don't you love me the way I am? Why do you want to change me?” asked she a little hurt and irritated. He snuggled her more in his arms and said “Where did the question of changing you come from? I was merely suggesting how you could make your adorable self little more so. What is wrong in looking good”?

“Nothing. Nothing, whatsoever. But I place comfort before my looks. All right?” said she putting her hands between them and pushing him away a little. The manner suggested that the topic was now over.

He looked at her and smiled, “Yes mam”. He then moved closer again and said, “You know I love you the way you are. You are perfect”.

Tookie Land

Once upon a time in a land called the Tookie Land, there lived a young tookie called Vinu. Tookies are a rare breed in our strange world. I am sure most of you must not even know of them. Although they are all around us, they rarely make an attempt to attract our attention.

Now, if you were to ask me what a tookie looks like, I would have to ask you to imagine a really young child whose human age might be four or five, with mere slits serving as their eyes and ears. For they rarely hear or see what we pretend to with our big eyes and heavy ears. They can see enough to make them walk without banging into a tree, but not enough to take away their imagination from them.

I am sure you all must also be curious to know how the land itself looks like. Well it is a magical land whose appearance depends upon the mood of one tookie, the Holy tookie. If the Holy tookie is happy, tookie land looks like it is singing in the mountains arm, with the trees whistling soft music of wind which carries the sweet pungent smell of many flowers in its bosom. There would be lakes glistening in the sunlight and dew drops dancing on leaves. Birds in every color available would look like flying jwels in the sky, demanding vibrantly their colorful right in that expanse of clear blue.

However, if the mood of the Holy tookie is not-so-good then the sun refuses to shine on the land. Snow covers the mountains, and sometimes, when its weight becomes too much for them to bear, they erupt and flow in the form of hot lava towards the tookie town. The birds leave and the dew drops disappear. The lakes become marshy lands and the trees become yellow.

This story is of the time when Vinu was a young child, and it had been years since she had heard the birds call or the trees whistle. The Holy tooki's displeasure was a subject of mere speculation on the towns part. The tookies were scared to ask him, for there were rumors about those who had. Although none knew it to be a fact, the rumor had it, that the city’s oldest tookies were burnt alive by the fire spitied from the slits of the Holy tookies eyes, when they asked the reason for his anger.

Coming back, this is a story of one hot afternoon, in those years, when Vinu was left alone at her home. Sitting by her window, she looked out and saw only yellow trees and brown grass. She looked down at one of the paintings drawn by her father, who used to be a painter a few years back. She longed to see all those white lillies and red roses so prominent in his paintings. She had not heard the sound of gushing water in the longest of time or felt the music of wind on her face and hair. The sun had been a orange haze forever.

She looked up and was welcomed glumly by the falling snow. She sighed and got up. Now, since it had been years since the season had not changed in the tookie land and because tookies are a imaginative lot, who also love smiling, they had made their peace with their rumors and the curse.

They had gone ahead with their life by leaving their old ways. They made new spells and things to make their then more cherfull. Like her father,who had gone from being a painter to a magic lamp seller. One could hang his lamps in ones backyard and have the illusion of the sun shining, for mere ten tookie tooleys (tookie money which is made of cookies).

Vinu alsways wondered why no one ever again tried going and talking with the Holy tookie. She had asked her father this question time and again. Her father always told her it was dangerous and that she should be happy with what exist and not run after what could be or should be. “If the times have to change they would change,” was what he said.

That morning, while she was walking around her house restlessly, her eyes fell upon the road that led to the mountain. She looked at it and went towards the window once again. She had once told her father that she wanted to go on that road one day. She found it extremely intriguing. She had never seen the Holy tookie or his adobe ever and wanted to see what it looked liked. His father was appalled by the idea and couldn’t imagine why a little happy tookie would want to put herself in danger unnecessarily.

“You should help me create better lamps and not run around the mountains coughing up hot lava every now and then,” said her father to her. She had not said anything to her father after that. She could never explain in words her need or want to walk on that road or see the mountains top. So, she silently helped her father invent new and better magic lamps.

However, her father was not there that day and her mother wasn’t home either. Her mother was busy teaching younger tookies magical ways to help them innovate better and discover more, at old Mr.Shuppe’s house.

She stood there at the window for a long while, fighting an internal war between being a good daughter and a curious tookie. Finally, her curiosity won and she decided to visit the Holy tookie. Generally, one would have expected her to write a letter for her parents filled with goodbyes and loving words. However, she did no such thing for it simply didn’t strike her that she might never come back. Which was why, she never looked back at the place, she was born and bought up in.

She walked towards the road that had not been walked on for years now. It seemed like it was accuomsted to the loneliness and wasn’t particularly happy with the incessant guest. It opened up a little in anger the moment Vinu put her foot on it, and the hot lava shisssed and shuushhed past her. She had seen enough lava flowing like a stream from the mountain through her window, but never had she felt its heat before. It threw her back a step, but then it cooled down and she gathered her courage once again to walk on. Her journey through the barren mountain was surprisingly uneventful, only marred by the hissing lava, which was unsuccessful in dissuading her.

The top of the mountain, looked like a charred painting of what could have been a charming forest or an overgrown garden. She could imagine the blacks and the greys to be the colors that she had seen in her father’s painting. Her eyes fell upon the lone edifice there, which stood tall and proud in the midst of that scalded land.

The house looked like it could have been a little cozy place, like so many other places in tookie land. It had huge windows with dirty dark blue curtains. The door was a complete circle made of old wood. The house itself was triangular in shape, and the slanting pillars could either look like they are welcoming one with open arms or throwing its anger on it. Right now, the latter seemed more apt.

The orange haze of the sun had dimmed into a soft silvery miasma, and the contrast of its grey against the dirty white house and its black surrounding lightened the fire of fear in Vinu. She trembled from it and it felt like she was stuck in the ground. The image of the old tookies being fried in the volcano kept flitting through her mind. After a few minutes of fighitng her terror and confussion, she resolutely decided to knock on the wooden door and leave the rest to faith.

It was not until the fifth knock that the door creaked and opened a little. By then she had flirted with the image of a tall body under long brown hair matted dirty with dust and red eyes. Eyes that were trying to burn her. That image seemed to have seared its fear upon her mind, which was pounding wildly in her heart. She opened the door a little more and entered it.

It would have been an understatement to say that she was surprised by what she saw. She was more than surprised, she was shocked. Not only was there a fire burning in the hearth of the house, there sat a clean shaved tookie with his dinner. He was sitting cross legged on the floor, and was staring at the food. He seemed pretty angry at something but not enough to spit fire from his eyes. It felt more of brooding to her than anything else.

“Er…hi, I am Vinu. Are you the Holy tookie?” she asked. The old tookie nodded, but refused to look at her. “Hmm…may I sit down? I have walked a long way?” she spoke again. He once again nodded but still didn’t look up. Vinu went and sat facing him and after a few seconds of awkward silence, once again tried her hand at conversation, “So how have you been”? At this he looked up stared at her. There was so much of confussion and hurt in there, that for a moment Vinu was scared that he might be actually capable of opening up a volcano under her. She shifted a little but didn’t look away.

“So finally someone decided to bother with me is it?” he said angrily. “What do you mean?” asked Vinu confused. “It has been years since someone bothered to even walk this path let alone talk to me. Everyone decided that they want to live their life without me. Now after so many years, what happened that your lot has sent you?” he asked, turning towards her.

Completely baffled by his reaction, it took Vinu a few minutes to collect herself. Once composed she said, “No one sent me. I came because I wanted to see you. But no one really knows that you were waiting either. And frankly, after what happened to those old tookies…”



“What happened to those old tookies? They were fine when they left me that morning they came,” said the Holy tookie a little confused. “Ohhh, none came back down and we all assumed that because you are so powerful and angry, you killed them”. “Killed them? Killed them! Are you all crazy? Why would I kill them?” he asked angrily. “Because you were angry,” she said. “So, do you kill tookies when you are angry?” he asked her, getting more angry with every word.

“Well no. But tell me why were you angry in the first place?” “Ohh well…one day I was walking down the tookie town and smiled at the old tookies there. However, they were busy thinking their thoughts so deeply that they didn’t even notice me. And then I went to purchase shweet sweet of sweeny’s lick-o-pop’s which have been my all time favorite, and they were over. So, I was a little upset because of that”.

“But then why didn’t you just ask the old tookies to smile when you next met them and why didn’t you just come down to buy the lick-o-pop’s?” asked Vinu incredulously. “Well the old tookies came to my place the other day and said that they would smile their smile when they came back with the lick-o-pop’s which I so wanted. But they never came back and I thought you lot have forgotten about me” said the Holy tookie.



“OH MY! Are you telling me, that we lived with cold up our noses and no sun or flowers, just because no one smiled at you, and that no one gave you lick-o-pop’s?” asked Vinu standing up now. “Well I like my smiles. Specially if one is living on the top of a mountain all alone. Smiles and lick-o-pop’s are and were an important part of my joy,” he said a little adamantly.

Vinu looked at him and smiled one of her most lovely and charming smile. He looked at her in revelation and was a little surprised to see his own long lost smile return to him. She then went up and hugged him tight. His stiff body which hadn't smiled or been hugged, for so long gave up its resistance in a few seconds and almost melted with warmth.

The stars started coming in the sky and the silvery haze started forming an almost round shape. She stepped back and promised him that she will bring him a valley full of supplies of smiles and lick-o-pop’s tomorrow. The stars now covered the blanket of sky and the soft green of the trees and the dark blue of the water could be made out in the region.

They then spoke all about tookie land in all those dreary years, till finally the sun came bouncing back, wearing its brightest clothes in the morning sky. The change in the season was noticed by all and missed by none.

The next day, all brought with them a smile and a lick-o-pop, filling the entire valley next to Holy tookie’s house with both.

Thus, the seasons in tookie land were returned by a valley full of smiles and lick-o-pop’s.

Kaziranga and Assam: Part 1

It was on a sticky boring Saturday that my colleague read out a mail about a tour in the north-east part of our country. Maybe it was the heat radiating from mother earth or maybe it was the fact that I hadn’t been on a tour for the past five years, but I was hooked. My friend Bindi and I decided to do us a favor and go on this trip.
I will confess that it was the last time I read that mail or the chain mails that were sent our way in hordes in the next two months. Therefore, I was blissfully unaware of the places that we were to visit or the people that I was going to be with. At that time a much needed break from the monotony called my life, some peace and a few known faces were more than enough for me to get excited and board the plane from Mumbai to Guwahati. Who knew that this journey will mark the beginning of some beautiful relationships and sear my memory with images unforgettable?

12th April, 8 A.M: I reached Mumbai airport with a brand new headphones of a new china phone dangling from my neck and a backpack killing my shoulders. I was standing outside when Bindi and her friend Mitali joined me. All three of us went inside and were greeted by a pair of twins called Dipti and Preeti. (If not for their names I would have been extremely shocked to see them use the loo with a girls face on it). There was also a middle aged uncle called Vachlekar who joined our party.

Speculating if the security guys will ask Deepti and Preeti to join the mens queue, we got our boarding passes and were on our way to Guwahati. The flight was not unique in anyway. However, the fact that the air hostess in her gelled hair looked like a bad version of TinTin made it a memorable one. After taking my luggage and becoming a caricature of a dwarf, I was all set to face the sweltering city of Guwahati.
However, we were forced to become a search party as Dhwani’s brother Shreyas, whom none knew and who boarded the flight from Kolkatta was to travel with us to the city. I decided to be the guardian of our luggage.
It was while I was simply staring around, when my eyes fell on this guy standing on the other side of the glass panel. A rather good looking chap. Curiously, he was also staring back at me. I, of course being the writer that I am started thinking of all the possible angles that I can construct with that one carless but somehow warm moment that passed between us. While I was busy with my would-be-story, Mitali started waving at the same person. Surprised, I looked up and heard Dipti telling Bindi that he was Shreyas, Dhwani’s brother. Now I really looked at him and saw some flattering similarities. Interesting, I thought.
Adding another male in our group which was at the risk of looking like an all girl gang, we sat in a supposedly AC bus that took us to our destination, Hotel Tibet. Yes, you can laugh away to glory. I did the same myself.
Luckily the Airport is in the outskirts of Guwahati and the ride upto the main city is long and not all stained by pollution. In fact the landscape is quite a view with all its long lazy pastures and houses the kind that we used to draw as kids. A slanting roof, one beautiful garden and a small temple right outside, with wooden fencing done in that exact same crisscross manner.
However, once we neared the city, it felt like these houses were being stripped off their beauty. The houses in this part looked more like ghetto with just walls. The beauty of those pastures was encroached upon by the newly painted buildings demanding development. The air was corrupted by too many vehicles and hoardings. Guwahati was in one word disappointing. Simply because it did not appreciate the beauty that it had and marred it by applying too much of concrete make-up.

Kaziranga and Assam: part 2

I was thinking these thoughts when Bindi showed me my first glimpse of Paltan Bazar, where our hotel was. It was like any other Bazar. Crowded with people and vehicles alike, full of voices and shops that prop out of nearly everywhere. One word of advice for all the fellow travelers. In case you want to pick up handmade wooden show pieces, Paltan Bazar is the place for you. Do not be under the impression that you will get better and cheaper goods further down, cause then you will end up like me. Buying things for your friends from the Airport as the last desperate resort and in the process forgetting your mother’s sari. Yes, the understanding yet pointed ‘ohhh’ of my mother is still ringing in my ears.
Coming back, our hotel was one of the cheapest hotels available in the town, literally and figuratively. However, since we had to spend just one night there and it wasn’t a part of the official YHAI tour we fought all our instincts and settled down peacefully. I am sure that the boys will have something else to say on this but we did sleep in that hotel ultimately.
Before going off to bed we of course had to spend our first evening as a group together. So, when we gathered down, the boys started walking and the girls followed. No introductions done or efforts made from either group. Dhwani who was a common factor was in her words being ‘sandwiched’ in between.
13th April 2010: We checked out of the hotel and were ready to leave for Kaziranga. However, our driv-ers weren’t. Another group was to join us and their train was running a little late. We prayed, we com-plained, we begged, but the sun turned a deaf ear on us. So we bought Bisleri after Bisleri from the nearby stall, proving our belief in supporting the local industry. Finally after winning the best customer of the day award, we sat in our cars.
Scorching heat, dusty road and too many stops marked the first half of our journey from Guwahati to Kaziranga. The transition period from first half to second half was played in my dream. However, when I did get up I realized that something more beautiful is being played outside my window. Never ending pastures with cows painted here and there. Tea estates with a green mountain posing in the backdrop. Brick houses springing in the middle of a palm tree conglomerate.
The blue gray sky with a hint of black was casted overhead as well. The sky must have been as overcome with emotions as I was, for it opened its arms and welcomed my arrival. Ahh! Raindrops on my palm, and the green in my eyes. A road between two mountains felt like a secret shared between friends. The shadows of night slowly falling around us made the black of the road more contrasting with the deep green of the mountains around it. Right then I realized that for me, Kaziranga will always be defined by this wet contrast.
It was night by the time we reached our hotel. It was in the middle of a tea estate. The location made us forget the disaster called Hotel Tibet and the rooms made us squeal in joy (at least the girls). Our rooms would have complimented the needs of a princess. The garden was as huge as my entire school area, and hotel staff was an ever smiling face. It’s a miracle that I didn’t sprain my ankles while expressing my excitement.
I took my bath lavishly and headed downstairs for a Bihu dance performance specially organized for us. Bihu is a festival celebrated from mid-April till mid-May in Assam. It marks the celebration of the new harvest and is also a season of love. Couples dance and express their affection for each other in the most melodious way possible. In fact the male uses a drum to call out to his lover who might be surrounded by her elders. The girl if not already headed for the Bihu dance will reply by playing her gogona and let the man know that she is still at home. It’s always said that love doesn’t require words. Well, Assamese seem to take that thought to their hearts.
The dance starts and unknown words start playing on my ears. The girls in their white and red sari look like a whirl of colors and the men become a synonym for music. One of the dancers was also a waiter in the hotel obliged us by explaining about Bihu. We, like all tourists clicked away every word he said and then some more. By dinner time everyone was talking about charging their camera batteries. Our second dinner together, the girls were all on one side, boys on another. One sentence here and one sentence there by each sex and that was it. We went up; we talked, and then slept.
Our reverie of jungle safari which started from that first mail flowed into our second day in Kaziranga. We all ran towards our open jeep and got seated as fast as humanly possible. On our way to the Kazi-ranga park, we saw tea estates breaking away from those heavy clouds of last night into yellow sunlight. The roads were like those in Bollywood and we felt no different. We climbed on every possible space on the jeep and got our pictures clicked in the oddest positions possible. We smiled our way through the gate and were busy discussing the youtube video on Kaziranga.
It took one hour and many sighing from us before the forest ranger finally graced us with his presence. Once he was seated next to our driver-cum-guide, we started our foray into the depths of the jungle. Ironically it was not until our first ride was over that our guide Salunkhe Uncle actually thought of telling us that the Rhinos and Deer’s that everyone was trying to spot in their zoomed in cameras will be as near as our hand the next day on our elephant ride. One reason I wasn’t much bothered about the 4x only zoom in my camera on our next jeep safari in the evening. Also why I enjoyed the butterflies and the canopy of trees more in these rides.
By the time our second night in Kaziranga was over, we all at least started putting up names across fac-es. Maybe it was the ‘Mayapuri’ style story-telling session taken by Sudhir, or maybe it was the magic weaved around us by the fireflies in that quite night. I don’t know. But the ice was definitely if not bro-ken, made a dent upon.
Next day we were up and about on our elephants wondering excitedly if we might come across any tigers. We did not but we did see our share of Rhinos and Deer’s. However, we also saw the inhumanity that is allowed in the name of tourism in Kaziranga. How else does one explain the cruel beating of the very elephants that bring in these tourists? The riders are mere teenagers who understand the power of force better than the companionship of a relationship, because force doesn’t take much effort. “How else do we control these animals?” was the statement made by one of the forest ranger there, when asked about this. Controlling the wild in their homeland and selling that to city sleeker’s like us. I might be sounding harsh, but I can and will never forget the wound near the elephant’s ear that I rode.