Children's Story by Sushila Deoja, Translated by Mahesh Paudyal
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| Author Sushila Deoja |
“It’s wonderful; really
wonderful. It’s going to be great fun, my dear friends,” said Charumati, who
was busy talking on the phone.
“What’s wrong with Charu today?
Who is it she is talking to, making such a big noise even on Saturday? She has
spoilt my sleep,” said her mother, complaining with her father.
“Leave her. Maybe it’s one of her friends. She is a sixth grader now. While at home, she gets my mobile phone to play with. Why grumble, if she is talking to her friends?” said her father, wiping his face.
“Why such commotion since so
early in the morning? Others’ children slumber till 10 o’clock on Saturdays.
But ours starts hollering even before sunrise, and disturbs.”
Grumbling, the mother came
out on the balcony. The father also sat nearby, pulling a chair.
“Listen to me. We must do it
secretly, without letting anyone know,” said Charumati secretly on the phone
kept underneath their ladder, and placed the receiver back.
Her father and mother gazed
at each other in a state of doubt and fear.
“I don’t think Charumati is
up to anything good. She looks like an upstart. Shall I slap her once and ask
what it is?” said her mother with red eyes, fuming with anger.
“Oh no! Do not show the
manners of a head-teacher at home. Instead, let’s feign that we heard nothing
she said. I shall spy on her,” said the father, requesting his wife to stay
quiet.
“Fine; start spying on your own daughter. What
a disturbance has come about even on a Saturday!” said the mother, muttering.
“Daddy, please give me
five-hundred rupees as loan. I will return when I have enough saving in my
piggy bag,” said Charumati, imploring.
“Why do you need money early
in the morning?” her father asked.
“Daddy, I urgently need it
today. Please lend me that as loan without asking why,” said Charumati, holding
her father’s hands tightly, and making a request.
Her father was at a loss.
Finding himself in dilemma, he turned towards his wife.
“It’s needless. Why should you give her money
so early in the morning? It’s the time of Corona pandemic. It’s terrifying to
enter restaurants and eat anything there,” said the mother, annoyed.
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| Translator Mahesh Paudyal |
Charu was delighted. She
hurriedly wore a new dress and walked out of home.
“Daughter, shall I take you
on my scooter?” her father asked.
“You don’t need to, Daddy. I
shall be back in twenty minutes. I shall walk,” Charumati said.
“Fine. Go and return well,”
said her father.
Charu’s mother, on her part,
continued to glare at her husband with red eyes.
“What a mess!” said the
father to himself in a low tone.
Following this, he secretly
wore a pair of black glasses and a fancy hat, and went after Charu.
Charu was busy walking on her
own. Perhaps she was confused, unable to decide what she should buy for the
five-hundred rupees she had in her hand.
On the way, people who, could
recognize Charu and Krishna Guru smiled and took their ways. Guru, on his part,
moved on, signaling the passersby to stay quiet.
“Oh, what’s wrong with
Krishna Guru today?” was what people said, after having seen him walk in such a
get-up.
Charu stopped outside a
liquor shop.
“Oh God, it’s a mess! Is my
daughter really going to have alcohol?” Krishan Guru thought.
In a short while, Charu’s
friend Radha came out into the street, waving at Charu.
“Oh, shit! This the house of
Charu’s friend Radha. What a fool I am,” thought Krishan Guru and slapped
himself on his forehead for thinking nonsense.
From there, Charu and Radhika
moved ahead, their hands locked in each other’s.
When Krishna Guru was at the
market in the middle of the village, the number of people laughing at his
get-up increased. Charu’s friends, who were studying in the same school as
hers, could not control their laughter. They moved homewards, laughing out
loud.
But Krishna Guru was highly
elated. He cared for no one. After all, his daughter was not aware of his
surveillance. He was contented at that.
When he was at the marketplace,
Krishna Guru met Safal Guru—another teacher.
“Where are you going so early
in the morning?” he said and almost spelled out Krishna Guru’s name. Before he
had done that, Krishna Guru went rushing to him and shut his mouth. Then he
whispered into his ears and told that he was spying on his daughter. Safal Guru
could not help laughing, though he tried to keep his giggles as low as he
could.
The two girls, Charu and
Radha, were moving on their own accord. They went straight into the
marketplace. The market had no customers; one could see only shopkeepers.
“Sir, come with me. Let’s go to the hotel up
there on the first floor and spy on the girls from there, sipping tea. There is
no crowd, after all. Because of Corona fear, only a handful of people are
coming out of home these days. We can see the girls clearly, no matter wherever
they go.”
Krishna Guru nodded.
“Sister, would you give us a
glass of luke-warm water each? I forgot to drink even a glass of water this
morning, as my mind was completely on spying,” said Krishna Guru, looking at
Safal Guru and the lady who owned the hotel, turn by turn. On seeing Krishna
Guru’s get-up, the hotel owner broke into a giggle, and placed a jug of water
on their table.
“Guru, let’s quickly eat
whatever we want. I must soon walk after my daughter, spying,” Krishna Guru
said, taking snacks in haste.
Taking a sip from his teacup,
Safal Guru said, “It seems I must also come with you.”
“No, you don’t need to. If
the girls see, there will be a mess,” said Krishna Guru, stammering.
On hearing them talk, the
hotel-owner stared at them with doubt. She raised her ears with care.
“Sir, let’s go. The girls are
returning. They have reached fairly far. One of them carries a red bag as
well,” said Safal Guru, hurrying up.
“Is that so? I was lost in the tea,” said
Krishan Guru and paid the bill. Then they came out into the street downstairs.
When they were gone, the
hotel-owner said to herself, “Unruly old men!” and laughed out loud.
Safal and Krishna Guru
started keeping fast paces. Radha and Charu were much ahead of them.
“Sir, your daughter is just
twelve. Do you need to doubt her so much and spy on her? I didn’t really like
it, Sir,” Safal Guru said.
“It’s not doubt, Sir. It’s love to some extent,
and some fear too. We cannot rely on children these days. It’s a father’s
heart, you know. I love her. I must be alert,” said Krishna Guru, laughing.
“That’s right. Sir, you are
busy spying. But we have come outside my home. Let’ part for now.”
Safal Guru took leave of him.
“That’s fine. Goodbye,” said
Krishna Guru.
At the moment of parting,
Safar Guru giggled once again at Krishna Guru’s looks, and entered his gate.
When he was inside his home, he recalled whatever Krishna Guru had said and
laughed out to his satisfaction.
On the other hand, Charu and
Radha were outside Radha’s house. They were talking. Krishna Guru was watching
them, standing at a distance.
After some time, Radha went
into her house. Charu also went her way. Krishna Guru followed her, taking
quick steps.
“Oh God, the red bag in daughter Charu’s hand
is missing!” said Krishna Guru to himself, after they had walked through a
distance. He wondered what the red bag contained. He was impatient to know what
was there inside it, but there was nothing he could do. He could not walk into
Radha’s home. He feared that it would upset Charu and she might cry.
Helpless, he started
following his daughter. On reaching home, Charu walked straight into her room
on the first floor. Krishna Guru went into the washroom and cleaned his face
and limbs.
Having cleaned himself in the
tap on the ground flood, Krishna Guru entered the kitchen. Seeing her husband’s
get-up, his wife giggled.
“I had gone out to spy on our
daughter,” he said, softly whispering into his wife’s ears.
“So what did you discover?
How did your daughter spend those that hundred rupees?” asked Charu’s mother,
apparently quite unhappy.
“I don’t really know, but she bought
something. He put in a red back and gave it to her friend Radha to keep. I haven’t
been able to discover what lies inside the bag,” said Krishna Guru with a sigh.
“Maybe your loving daughter
spent the money on a trivial thing. If it was a thing of use, she could
certainly bring it home. Oh, how good she is in spending! A few days ago, she
quarreled with me and broke her piggy bag. It has somewhere around five
thousand rupees in it. She has finished it off, moving around with Radha and
her brother form the maternal home. She doesn’t allow me to ask. If I do, she
just says, ‘It’s a secret—Charu’s, and her mother’s,’ and laughs. I am quite
worked up, Sir. Youd daughter doesn’t seem to be in good manners. What are we
to do now? It has been a week she started going astray like this,” said Charu’s
mother with a grim face.
“Really? Why didn’t you tell it all to me when
she was asking for five-hundred rupees? I won’t have given her any,” Krishna
Guru said.
“Do not show-off. You always
give in, whenever your daughter says. And now you boast off when she is away,”
said his wife, fuming.
“Mom! Dad!” I am going said
Charu, shouting from the courtyard.
“O God, where on earth are
you going again?” said her mother, coming out on the porch.
“Did you forget out decision
to visit maternal home today?” Charu said.
“Daughter, hadn’t we decided
to go together?” the father said in a loving voice.
“I am bound to reach rather earlier. I and
Radha are going together. Daddy, you please reach at 1 o’clock at all cost. I
will take my lunch at Radha’s and go. My lunch is ready there,” said Charu,
joining her hands in request.
After this, father and
daughter laughed.
Krishna Guru gawked, seeing
his daughter move away.
“Why are you gawking at the
road? Would you drink tea too, or it suffices you to spy on your daughter?”
said his wife in a harsh voice.
“Hurry up. We should leave
early so that we can reach there in time,” Krishna Guru said.
“That’s fine. Why hurry? Even if we go slow,
it is not more than an hour’s drive. If I drive, I think, I will be there in 40
minutes,” said his wife, laughing.
“Are you taking our vehicle?
I feel it boring to take it out of the garage and keep it back,” Krishna Guru
said.
“Leave it. You don’t need to
take it out. You don’t need to drive and keep it back, either. I shall do everything.
We must take our own car in such a time of Corona pandemic. Why should we hire
a taxi used by dozens of people?” said his wife, announcing her decision.
“OK. Your words are sensible,” said Krishna
Guru, smiling.
“You have tea and put new
dress. Rice will be ready in the rice-cooker in thirty minutes. Within
forty-five minutes, I will take out the car and get it cleaned. We shall have
our lunch thereafter and leave. Do not can glued to a comedy movie,
forgetting your tea. I am worked up with your comedy,” she said and moved towards the
garage, laughing.
Krishna Guru went into his
room and wore a new pair of pants, a shirt and a pair of socks. Then he got
hold of his binoculars and walked onto the roof of the house. Adjusting the binoculars—the
best pair of his days—he smiled and said, “Look! Daughter Charu and Radha have
just come out on the road; they are walking. This means, they spent a whole
hour to have their lunch. Let me see where they will be going next,” he said,
adjusting the binoculars on the stand. He started looking out carefully with
his binoculars.
Charu and Radha moved on,
taking quick steps. On the way, they also came across Safal Guru. He laughed on
seeing them. He ran his eyes all round, perhaps to find if Krishna Guru was
spying on Radha today as well.
“It seems everything will go
wrong. Safar Guru cannot maintain any secret. What if he leaks this morning’s
details to Charu?” though Krishna Guru and shuddered.
Even as doubts filled his
mind, he observed more keenly from his binoculars. Thank God, Safal Guru didn’t
go close to the girls. He kept his way, without caring to stop.
After that, Charu and Radha
went to the bus park further away from their home and boarded a bus. He zoomed
in the binoculars and observed keenly. They had boarded the route 21 bus that
would take them to their maternal home.
After having observed this,
Krishna Guru closed his binoculars, taking a breath of comfort. He packed it
back into a carton and thrust it underneath the bed where it was before. Then he hurried back to
the kitchen.
“Where were you lost? Your
tea has become cold. Leave it; take lunch instead. Else, we will be late,” said
his wife, apparently unhappy.
“Is the car in order?” Krishna Guru asked,
taking his lunch.
“It is. Why? Was anything
wrong?” his wife asked.
“No. But it has been three
months since we stopped using. I was concerned if it refused to start,” he
said.
“No.All is find. It got started easily.”
“Oh God. I was wondering
where you had gone. Means, you were on the roof with your binoculars, spying on your daughter!” said the wife, laughing.
“Dress up and come downstairs
quickly. I will be starting the car at the courtyard,” Krishna Guru said.
“That’s fine, my hubby! Get
into the car I have cleaned,” she said, giving her husband the key of their
car.
Downstairs, Krishna Guru
started the car and waited for a while, letting the engine purr.
His wife showed up in a
while, beautifully clad in a sari and
a cholo.
“You move to the other seat.
I will myself drive the car I cleaned,” said the wife, laughing.
Krishna moved a little,
making room for his wife to seat on the driver’s seat. The wife started
driving. The road was quite empty. Perhaps
it was because of pandemic, people in the city streets were scantier
than those in the villages.
The town appears fully shut.
Our village is far better. It’s quite near to the city, and the shops are all
open,” the wife said.
“It’s unwise to open shops or
do a lot of moving,” the husband said.
To her husband’s words, the
wife nodded.
At quarter to one, Krishna
Guru and his wife reached their ancestral home. Having parked the vehicle on
the courtyard, they went straight inside to see their ninety-year-old mother.
He was pleased to see Charu Radha and Saurav—his brother’s son—who were busy
talking with their grandmother. He bowed down to his mother with respect. His
wife also did the same, showing her reverence to her mother-in-law.
“Did you bow to your grandmother, kids?” Krishna Guru asked.
“We did, Daddy,” Charu said.
“Brother, please give us some
water. We are hungry.”
No sooner had Krishna Guru
said this, his brother and his wife came into her room. The sister-in-law brought a glass of water
from the filter.
“Brother, did the kids eat
anything,” Krishna’s wife asked.
“I don’t really know, Bhauju.
Since early in the morning, they have been going to the roof. They only said
it’s secret, and kept working, shutting the door. It’s only now they have come
downstairs. They had also locked the door leading to the roof,” the brother
said.
“It’s time we go to the rooftop. Uncle and my
dad, you slowly lift Grandma and bring her on the rooftop. Others, you can come
upstairs only in neat, fresh clothes today,” Saurva said.
“We are in neat dresses,”
everyone said in a single voice.
Following this, Krishna Guru
and his brother lifted their mother and took her to the rooftop. Others
followed joyfully.
The rooftop had been beautifully
decorated with color-papers. A small tent had also been erected. At one corner
of the tent, pictures of the kids’ grandparents—father and mother of Krishna
Guru—had been pasted. There also was something wrapped in a red cloth.
“Oh God, the red bag Charu
had packed her purchase in the market is here. What does it contain?” said
Krishna Guru to himself. His spying eyes
took no time in spotting the bag there.
“What’s there inside the
bag?” he wondered.
“Grandma, Grandpa, Daddy,
Mummy, Uncle and Aunt! You please sit on the chairs near those photographs,”
said Charu, requesting everyone.
The kids clapped.
After that, Saurav said with
joy, “I know request Sister Charu to lift that red cloth and reveal the secrecy
of this event, the Mystery of Charumati.”
Quite curious, everyone got
up from the chairs to see the thing underneath the red cloth.
The red cloth was gone in the
blink of the eyes.
Oh, there was a wonderful
cake underneath the red cloth. The first word written on the cake was “90”. The
second line read: “Happy Birthday, Grandma.”
On seeing this, the eyes of
all the elders had tears in them. The kids helped their grandmother slice the
cake. They also put a paper-cap on her head. Then all of them sang together,
“Happy birthday to you, Granny!”
Then they added oil to the
wick-lamp, lighted it and placed it near to their grandmother’s photograph. All
of them put their hands together. The turn of the red bag came only after that.
Radha brought the bag and handed it over to Charu. Krishna Guru observed keenly
to see what lay inside the bag.
Inside the bag was a red
shall, on which, the inscriptions read: “Hare Krishna!” There also was another
thing wrapped in paper. Charumati tore the paper off and took out the thing.
Oh, it was a framed photograph that showed Grandpa, Grandpa, Krishna Guru and
his wife, his brother, his sister-in-law, Charu, Saurav and Radha.
Oh, how beautiful Charumati’s
mystery was!
All of them gave their gifts
to the grandmother, and sought her blessings. They bowed down to her feet.
After this, the kids pulled
out the containers they had kept hidden on one corner. They contained curd,
sweets, pulaw and other food items. All
of them ate their lunch, enjoying.
Seeing their daughter, Krishna Guru and her wife had tears in their eyes. Their hearts leaped up with joy. They heads rose high. Standing together, Krishna Guru and his wife invited their daughter Charu to come into their loving arms. Charu and Radha came running into their arms. Saurav too ran into his parents’ arms. Then, they all placed Grandma in the middle and took group photos.
