Murmur of the Lonely Brook (13 page)

Far away on the eastern side they could see the road winding down, sometimes visible and sometimes disappearing beyond the bends. The hills sloped down from both sides while the river went undulating in between, teasing both. Orchards and farmlands crowded the banks with a few huts and heaps of grass and hay stacked in places. The peaks on the west stood proud, holding the sun on their white caps. The small wisps of cloud that floated above played with the shadows on the grassy meadows across the faraway slopes near Sangla. Beyond that everything faded into a blue mist. They reached the bridge and were greeted by the angry rumble of the stream, which flowed below it in its mad final rush toward the river. The sun barely reached this corner except during the early hours and the place was filled with the smell of rocks and a cool mist that floated above them. A narrow pathway went down from one corner of the bridge and ended near a crevice filled with marsh marigolds swinging their little heads with the breeze. Two bulbuls chirped and hopped across the rocks. Reflections of the sky quivered in small pockets of water nestled among the rocks.

At the next bend in the road they saw the orchards. The trees stood bare except for a few shivering leaves that glittered in the morning sun. A part of their orchard was next to the Dongri while the other was across the road. The Dongri was a wooden house built on a one tier of land. It was set far down the valley with a fairly large courtyard in front and a stream flowing through the backyard. It only had two rooms and a space for cooking. A lower tier was for the cows and laborers. Grass, hay, and branches were stored in a corner shed and a big fireplace, used for brewing liquor, occupied another part of the compound. A small wooden storeroom stood on the east. It was used for storing the winter ration of dried meat, vegetables, and seeds. The house was way down from the road but in winter, it received a bit more sunlight than the village. Being a thousand feet down, it was warmer too.

Pravin joined them soon after he returned from the temple. He saw the orchard and again felt pain. Most of the trees had been damaged by the snowfall. Many dead branches lay on the ground below the trees. He knew that the family had put in every effort to save the orchard and it must have been heartbreaking for his aau. He saw the graded apples in the courtyard where aau and baya were packing them in cartons. Most of them were medium to small, but a few were big. A pile of apples with marks on them lay in one corner. He knew these would be used for making liquor.

Pravin started putting the apples in trays according to their sizes and placed them in cartons. By afternoon they had finished most of the packing. Diwakar went inside the house and made tea for everyone. Once the cartons were packed, they stacked them near the entrance.

“You both can carry on while I arrange for a few laborers,” Shevak said. Laborers were needed to seal the boxes with straps and also to bring them up near the road.

“Do you need more tea?” Diwakar asked.

“No, I will make more if needed.”

When the brothers left, they were munching on apples. Aau was a self-sufficient person and rarely called for help. They always felt happy helping aau in any kind of work. Pravin remembered his childhood days when he went with his aau, carrying his tools and passing him the pliers and wrenches. The brothers climbed up the rocky stairway and hit the road. Pravin saw the other orchard standing in an equally pitiful state with broken branches still hanging from the trees waiting to be trimmed and taken down.

“So you and Aau spent the night at the orchard?” Pravin asked Diwakar.

“Yes, but we could not save much.”

“I can see that. It will be four or five years before the branches grow back.”

Ahead, a few girls walked with loads of firewood and soon they caught up with them.

“Chotu Bhaiya, how are you? You seem to have forgotten us,” one girl said.

“Now that he has a beautiful wife!” another said and everyone laughed.

“I remember all of you, and even if I have a wife, my brother is still a bachelor,” Pravin said.

“But he is shy and never speaks with us.”

Pravin looked at his brother, who smiled and looked the other way. They moved on, leaving the girls behind.

“It’s not that I don’t talk to them. But most of them don’t talk about anything except films.”

“Girls are like that, except my Nisha, of course. But is that the reason you don’t want to marry?”

Diwakar remained silent. Aaté was more than a brother—he was a friend, too. But he could not open his heart to him, at least not on this subject.

“What if I find a girl like Nisha for you?”

Diwakar looked at him. He wondered how he could read his mind.

“Maybe yes,” he said.

Pravin saw nothing in his expression except for the hint of a smile in his eyes. He remained silent for the rest of the journey. Diwakar saw his brother in deep thought and wondered what was going on in his mind.

Parvati and Nisha were coming back from the field with bundles of grass on their backs.

“I know you are upset but life is like that. Men have no feelings for us. We work all day and in return, what we get are unkind words. It’s a curse to be born a woman.”

Nisha said nothing; she had a stoic expression on her face.

“I have been living with this for so long,” Parvati said. “I have given up hope and now pray to God that in the next life he makes me a mule. Even a mule gets a pat after carrying his load all day.”

Nisha felt sorry for her. Parvati was in her mid-forties and Nisha understood the mountain of pain hidden inside her.

“Chotu is like his father. He has a short temper too but he does not abuse like him. Maybe you should try to adjust.”

“I will. It was my mistake after all to try something new. ” Nisha nodded and both walked beside the river toward home.

***

Ria was in high spirits when she arrived home. Lila had helped her pass the card to Jeet and speak with him. He said he was ready to meet her. She could not sleep at night. Though she had done this many times before, she planned the dialogue over and over again. She wanted a perfect start for the chronicle that she hoped would only end in the city of glitter beyond the hills.

Chapter 13

Sonu came quite early and blew his horn. Parvati was up already. After serving breakfast, she packed almonds, biscuits, and a few apples and gave them to Shevak. Shevak shaved and trimmed his drooping, overgrown moustache. He changed from his regular pajamas to trousers and put on a woolen waistcoat. He packed all the food in Diwakar’s school bag and hung it on his shoulder. Both the brothers were also ready. They would help him load the apples along with the laborers. Shevak closed his eyes for a moment and prayed. And then all of them left. Parvati stood at the gate with folded hands. She prayed for their safety and success.

The laborers were waiting on the road. The brothers got down and all of them loaded the apples while Sonu stood on top of the vehicle arranging the boxes. He then put a plastic cover over them and tied all sides with a rope. It was a two-seater Jeep and there was no place for a third passenger unless someone was flexible enough to fit between the two seats with legs placed around the gearshift at difficult angles. Shevak checked everything one last time and got into the Jeep. Sonu started the player and inserted a CD with religious songs. He lit two incense sticks and placed them on the dashboard in front of a small photo of Devta. He folded his hands, murmured something inaudible, and started the engine. Shevak also folded his hands in prayer. Sonu waved at the two brothers and changed gears. Both brothers stood and watched until the car turned a far bend and disappeared.

***

Parvati had a mild fever. She shifted near the bukhari and sat next to the fire.

“I will make you a thupka,” Nisha said.

Ria ran out and got a packet of maggi. In the village, a thupka and a thung were the best remedy for a fever, flu, and cold. While thupka was made with noodles in excess water, thung was a concoction of wild tea (herbs), butter, salt, and hot water prepared in a hollow bamboo canister.

Nisha served the thupka and sat next to her. After Parvati was done, she placed a woolen shawl on her and folded the sides. Then she went outside and brought in more logs, which she set near her along with a flask of hot water.

Parvati watched her. She was touched by her sincerity. She felt fortunate to have a nemsha like her. Then she wondered about the other bride who would come once Diwa got married. What kind of girl would she be; would there be peace in the house; where would they stay; how would the farm be divided? She pondered these questions until she felt exhausted. She closed her eyes and started chanting hymns.

“Aama, I will go for the grass.”

“Okay, take Diwa with you.” She assumed that Chotu must be busy with his friends since he would only be there for a few days.

“I have kept pancakes for you also. Please rest today and don’t do anything strenuous.”

“I won’t,” Parvati said and smiled at her. She watched her as she left with sickle and ropes.

***

Sonu knew Shevak was a serious kind of man and spoke little. He remained busy with the music and over a period of time, he changed from religious songs to popular numbers. It was a long journey of approximately twelve hours and it always helped if someone chatted. He tried thinking of something to say to strike up a conversation.

“Your elder son is doing fine now. I heard he is working in Solan.”

“Yes, he is working there but I don’t know if he is doing good or bad.”

“It’s always good to have an earning son. There are not many boys in the village who have the guts to go outside and make a living.”

Shevak nodded but did not show any reaction to his statement.

“And what about Diwa? When do you plan to get him married?”

“Maybe soon,” Shevak said and then added, “Do you have a girl in mind?” He regretted his question immediately as he knew that Sonu was not the right person for such an inquiry.

“I know many but you need to tell me what kind of girl you are looking for.”

Shevak remained silent for a while and then said, “We will discuss that later.”

He once again thought about his younger son’s marriage and the problem it posed. He lit a bidi and looked ahead. The Jeep had already crossed familiar terrain and was now passing Karcham. He felt thirsty for tea and decided to ask Sonu to stop briefly at Tapri.

***

Nisha was in a cheerful mood. Last night he had come to her. It was not that he said he was sorry. He just came and forced himself on her. She tried resisting but he overpowered her. At first she kept still but soon responded to his fierce lovemaking. She enjoyed every moment of it but pretended otherwise. She did not feel like it was a routine duty. It seemed like a kind of embrace, his way of reconciliation. Maybe a bit primal but she relished it. Only later, when he held her close, did she kiss him. She also massaged his back for a while. She hoped he would join them in the field, as it would be much fun with the two of them.

The brothers were on the road chatting with a few men. Nisha waved at Diwakar and handed him a sickle and the ropes.

“Ask your Aaté to come with us.”

Diwakar ran and soon came back.

“He said he would be going to the village to meet the chief. He has some important matters to discuss with him.”

“Let’s move on then. He will always be busy,” Nisha said.

Both went across the road toward the river. The river lost much of its splendor except for the exposed banks, which now invited the wagtails for a feast. They hopped on the flat white sand banks and created patterns with their tiny feet. The bushes that filled the nooks and corners with colorful flowers now stood bare with barbs. In the absence of leaves, the wind sang a different song among the trees. Diwakar saw Nisha in a jovial mood, swinging the sickle and humming a song. She wore a scarf tying her hair in a knot and moved elegantly among the trees. He wondered if there could be another girl like Nisha.

They walked the far length of the field and reached the meadows. Both started cutting grass and made small bundles. The sun was bright and it bathed the peaks. A few eagles flew high above gliding across the valley and riding the wind. The leaves whispered with each gust of wind and the river ran with an angry rumble as it hit the bend below the meadows.

“Why don’t you want to marry?” Nisha asked him.

He glanced at Nisha and realized she was simply teasing him.

“I am happy as I am.” He pretended to be serious.

“But who will look after you?”

“You are there.” He did not look at her and continued with his work.

“But I will have children and there is aama and aau to look after. How will I find time for you? And what if your aaté takes me to Rampur?”

“Did he say he would?” Diwakar was serious now.

Nisha looked at him and broke into laughter. “No, he didn’t,” she said, assuring him.

“Please don’t go. Aaté has already gone and if you leave also…” He did not finish.

Nisha could see his genuine concern. She felt sorry for him. “I won’t. I will stay here in this village,” she said with a smile.

Diwakar smiled too and got back to work. His demands were not much. He just wanted her to be at his side.

From the road Pravin watched his baya and Nisha moving along the pathway. From a distance they looked like a happy couple devoted to farming. He smiled to himself. He noticed that his aama was absent today. He assumed she must be at home. But first he had to meet the village chief. The village was wasting money in solar lights when they could spend the same amount or maybe a bit more and install a hydro-plant. This could provide free electricity for the entire village and also generate employment for a couple of men. He left his friends and went to the chief’s house.

***

The Jeep reached Selaroo. Both Sonu and Shevak were hungry. Sonu stopped the car at a roadside dhaba. It was much warmer and Shevak washed his face by splashing cold water on it from a hand pump. Both had dal, rice, and vegetables and then rested a while. Sonu stretched out on a cot lying outside, and Shevak lit a bidi and looked around. He had rarely traveled this far from his village.

“It will be late when we reach Shimla,” Sonu said.

“We will find a place to stay. And we need to park the car in a safe place.”

“No problem, Uncle. I know a small hotel which will allow us to park in the compound.”

“That’s great, but how much is the charge for a night?”

“Not much, around three hundred for both of us, and tea is free.”

Shevak thought for a while and nodded. He got up and bought a packet of cigarettes. He rarely smoked cigarettes but this was a special occasion.

***

Pravin came back home feeling dejected. The village chief listened to him half-heartedly and said he would look into the hydroelectric plant idea. Pravin knew it was a diplomatic answer. He expected more questions. At home he found Parvati seated by the fire, knitting.

“Are you unwell?”

“I had a fever but now I am feeling better. Do you want tea?”

“Yes, but I will make it.”

Pravin made tea and then sat down with her. Parvati wondered what happened to her son that he preferred spending time with her instead of his friends. She knew something was different because he would rarely make his own tea.

“You could have joined Nisha and Diwa.”

“No, I have something to discuss with you.” It was good that she was alone. It would be easier to convince her first and then the others. “Our farmland is small and the house has only two rooms.”

Parvati nodded. She knew this and tried to figure out what he was trying to say. “Soon we will have to get ready for Diwa’s marriage but then…” he paused and looked at her. He could see she also shared the same concern.

“I know, and that’s what keeps me awake all night. We need money for the marriage, then to add rooms, and then again for Ria’s marriage. Your aau’s savings are almost nothing.”

He had been thinking about this for the past few days. Like his father, Pravin was a man of few words and thought he should come straight to the point.

“What if we brothers share Nisha?”

Parvati was startled. It came as a big surprise to her. For a moment, she could not comprehend the depth of the statement. And then it sank in. True, this was a custom and had been followed for thousands of years but it was not a widespread practice. In some families, three to four brothers shared one wife to keep the farmland undivided under a single name. Even Shevak’s two brothers were married to one wife and they had the highest portion of the land among all of them.

Some said it started from the Pandavas as mentioned in mythology. Though one brother, Arjun, got the bride—Draupadi as a prize displaying his skills with a bow and arrow—all five brothers married her and shared her among them. They decided the days of a week between them when one brother would be with her and others stayed away. The custom was old in this region and over the years, it proved to have an economic benefit. The family remained together, offspring were limited, and land remained undivided. And without land they were nothing; they had no means to survive.

But it called for trust, responsibility, and great understanding between the brothers, and also the bride. Parvati realized where he was coming from.

Pravin saw her startled face and her thoughtful eyes. He knew it would not be easy. “Do you think Diwa would agree? He might have other plans.”

“I will ask him and tell him what is best for the family. If I am willing to share her then he should not have a problem. Also, he doesn’t have any plan as yet. I only want to know if you are with me.”

Parvati hesitated to speak her mind. She knew that it was between the brothers and if they decided it was to be, she could not stop them. And once Diwa agreed, he would be bound to it and the land would remain intact. A brother who broke the common marriage in order to marry another woman not only had to forfeit his share of land but also ran the risk of being convicted for rape. That was the agreement and custom in these villages.

“Did you talk with Nisha?”

Parvati knew that her opinion was not important and did not count. If the brothers agreed, that was enough. The only duty Nisha had was to take care of both the brothers equally. And bear children for both. The brothers would decide how to share her and generally it was alternate months. But still she needed to be informed.

“I will inform her when the time comes. And it’s only two of us, not three, four, or five. I don’t think it will be a problem for her. But don’t say or discuss anything with anyone; I want your word on that.”

“I won’t, but what about your father?”

“He is a practical man. He will realize that we are doing this for the family. And if we all are in agreement, he will be with us.”

“I am not sure about him and the way he thinks. As for me, I will wait for Diwa’s opinion and listen to it myself.”

She had a special place for Diwa in her heart and she would not like him to be deprived of his choice if he had one.

They heard Ria coming back from school and stopped the discussion.

“You must promise me not to discuss this with anyone, especially Nisha,” Pravin said.

Parvati nodded and Pravin left for the other room.

In the field, Nisha and Diwakar twined the grass in bundles using vines. Some of the bundles would be kept on the trees while the others would be carried back and kept at the Dongri and used as food for the cow. The cow was important, not for the milk but for its manure, which was free and was used to maintain the fertility of the soil year after year. During winter the livestock stayed with them at the Dongri and fed on dried grass, buckwheat hay, and dried leaves for the period when snow covered the valley.

***

Shevak and Sonu reached Shimla at night. They had a light dinner of black dal and chapatti and slept. In the morning they drove down to the dealer. Shevak had a little over two hundred crates of apples. Although the sizes were medium and small, the quality was good. There was some negotiation with the rate but finally they settled on four hundred rupees per crate and Shevak was happy. It was a hundred rupees more per crate than he expected and that meant a great deal to him.