Murmur of the Lonely Brook (15 page)

Shevak lit the fire and Ria helped him with more logs. Parvati made tea and carried it outside with a plate of nuts. Meanwhile Nisha lit the candles and the diyas and shut off the room lights. The family sat in the darkness except for the small flickering flames all around and the fire in the middle. Ria burned fuljhari, which emitted small specks of flowery sparks that danced all over. Shevak sat smoking his bidi. Parvati closed her eyes and sang an old folk song. Nisha listened keenly to her.

A few moments later, the silence was shattered by the noise of firecrackers echoing across the peaks. Ria pulled Nisha to the edge of the courtyard and they saw the Ravana burning at a distance. One by one, the heads burst into flame. Finally, the main head burst with a huge bang and brilliant flames, making a series of popping noises as the firecrackers burst inside it. The ten-headed demon stood glowing in flares. They could see the boys shouting and dancing around the demon silhouetted by the flames. Ria clapped and announced, “The demon is dead!”

***

Pravin and Raju first visited the temple, which was located outside the town. The temple was famous and there was a long queue of disciples waiting for a darshan (a view). They bought a garland, flowers, and a pack of sweets wrapped in sal leaves. They finally emerged after the darshan with big red tilaks on their foreheads. Outside they had jalebis and puris before returning to the town. The town dazzled with lights and firecrackers burst everywhere. Both roamed around the market and the streets for quite some time, and then went back to their room where they found Ganga waiting for them. He also had firecrackers and sweets.

“Let’s burn the crackers!” said Raju who could not wait any longer.

They all sat in the courtyard with Ganga’s mother, and Raju burned the crackers, clapping and jumping with each explosion.

Ganga performed the puja in the morning. Dewali was a new year for traders, many who worshipped Goddess Laxmi. She represented wealth and prosperity. Ganga’s mother served dinner for everyone and Pravin and Raju ate to their heart’s content.

“This is the best day of my life,” Raju said.

Both he and Pravin sat in the courtyard late into the night watching the rockets spreading glares as they flew in the sky.

***

Diwakar came back and saw Nisha seated next to the fire. Her face glowed in the light of the dying embers. She smiled and he sat next to her, spellbound and captivated by her beauty.

“You are late,” she said.

Diwakar pushed in a log and smiled.

“Did you see the Ravana bursting into flames?”

“Yes, we saw it. You’d better eat your dinner before it gets cold. We are all finished and everyone is sleeping.”

“I am not hungry. I had enough food at my friend’s place.”

Both sat quietly next to each other enjoying the warmth of the fire. Diwakar removed the lid and pushed in a few logs. The flames leaped out and he rubbed his hands to soak up the heat. He again looked at Nisha. She seemed like a divine beauty. He wanted time to stand still for all eternity. Soon he floated across to his dream house.

“We will have a fireplace in our courtyard where we will light a fire every evening.”

“And you will play the flute while we sit next to it.”

“I will play while you dance.”

“Then who will cook?”

“I will roast potatoes and meat in the fire.”

“I can do that too,” smiled Nisha.

“No, you will burn your fingers,” Diwakar said and took her hand.

They held hands and sat next to the fire in the moonless night. Above a million stars hung in a dark veil blinking at each other while their fingers made love in blissful isolation.

That night Diwakar had a dream. He saw his aaté collecting wood with him in a forest. Both returned home and aaté arranged the logs in the middle of the courtyard. He then picked up a drum and went inside the forest while he and Nisha sat next to the fire. After a few moments, they could listen to the beats of the drum coming from a distance. A leopard roared and they saw flames chasing it. The beats returned and Nisha got up and danced while he played the flute. She wore a purple scarf and her moist face glistened in the orange glow from the fire. She danced late into the night and then slept in his arms. The fire died but the full moon spread a silvery glow across them.

Chapter 15

Shevak was in the backyard waiting for Diwakar. He watched Shankar roaming leisurely around the barren fields looking at the cows. He had multiple choices as well as a strong libido. After all, he was a yak and a bull owned by Devta himself. The other bulls stayed away from his huge bulk and he fathered the majority of the calves. The villagers tolerated his open display of passion and worshipped him on special occasions. He often became affectionate in the middle of the road, causing cars and Jeeps to wait for a long time.

The day before, Shevak had brought one of his sheep down from the shepherds. Diwakar joined him soon and father and son offered the sheep to Devta and sacrificed him. The sheep was skinned and cut into chunks. A few chunks would be passed on to close relatives while the rest would be kept for drying. In the absence of vegetables, meat served as an essential food for sustaining them through the winter. Shevak kept the blood in a bottle mixed with salt. He rubbed sand and salt on the skin to speed up drying. Once dried this would be used as a cushion to sit on.

Father and son carried the meat, entrails, skin, and blood to Dongri. The family had moved there a few days back. Diwakar got busy cleaning the entrails while Shevak chopped the large chunks into smaller pieces. Parvati strained buckwheat, which when mixed with the blood, would be used to fill the entrails. It was boiled like sausages and cut into pieces, resulting in the greatest delicacy of the region, gimti. A portion of the blood would be used to make another delicacy, sikri, again a mix with buckwheat flour but cooked on a fire. Nisha rubbed salt on the meat pieces and Shevak put them in a string, much like a garland, which was hung on the space between the ceiling and the tin roof and kept there for drying.

***

Arvind sat at Lalaji’s shop cursing his fate. He kept a lot of apples in one corner of his orchard for brewing. A bear had come in last night and eaten most of them. He knew it was a bear because he had found large droppings near the broken fence.

“Can someone give me a gun?”

“You want to kill the bear?” Naresh asked.

“Yes, I want to shoot him in the head!”

“If you kill him, the forest officer will put you behind the bars. And if you miss, the bear will kill you.”

“And there is a chance the leopard will get you,” added Amarchand.

“You mean there’s a leopard around?” Naresh asked.

“Yes, Balbir saw one crossing over the road last night. It probably came to drink water from the river.”

Dayawanti listened while preparing a bukhari, which she kept outside. There were very few people left in the village, as most of them had moved down. The fire was a means to keep people around the shop, and that sometimes converted to sales. A few laborers and Kishori helped her to get firewood in return for free tea and biscuits during winter.

***

Pravin decided to plan a trip home. He would carry back apples, khomani (dried apricots), dried meat, and potatoes for Ganga bhaiya. But first he called his brother.

“How are you, Aaté?” Diwakar was excited.

“I am fine. How are things at home?”

“Everyone is fine. When are you coming?”

“I will come soon and stay for a few days.”

“But I may come to Rampur by the end of this week for the rations.”

“That’s fine. You can stay with me for a day and then leave.”

“No, Aaté, Mamaji (Balbir) won’t wait. I will have to return by evening.”

“Come to my shop once you are done with the shopping.”

“Say Namaste to Aau and Aama,” Pravin said and disconnected.

Diwakar was excited to meet his aaté at Rampur. He went out to find out when Balbir would be leaving. If there were more passengers then the cost could be shared.

***

It was another dull day and Diwakar left for collecting sutar (pine needles.) The pine needles were used as a cushion for the cattle to sleep in their sheds during winter. Parvati decided to take out the potatoes. She left with Nisha and Ria early in the morning. Ria went for fun as her school was closed for winter. She would be in the village for less than a week. Shevak had decided to send her to Chandigarh to his sister’s place for the next few months. There was nothing for her to do at home during winter. In Chandigarh, she would at least get tutorials from his niece. Ria was thrilled, as this was her first visit to a city.

Parvati and Nisha started digging the field and took out the potatoes. Ria collected them and filled a sack. The plant was kept in another lot, which would later be dried and fed to the cattle. The earlier snowfall damaged most of the crops and the yield was poor with most of the potatoes small in size. This was the last crop before winter, after which there would be no farm work left. All other vegetables, like radishes, peas, cabbage, and spinach, had been taken out and the fields stood barren with only cow droppings scattered across them. The alpine choughs that come down in winter flew around in flocks looking for food. They normally fed on insects and turned over the soil in search of worms. The cows grazed the field, munching on the dead plants and the leftover grass. A few donkeys used their hooves to dig up soil and look for roots. The donkeys served as a lifeline to supply salt and rations to the shepherds and the army in the border areas stationed in high altitudes. Parvati took a break and called everyone for tea and snacks.

“This is the last day in the field,” she said.

“And then you can rest for a few months,” Nisha said.

“There is no rest for me. I have to make wool from the fleece, make oil from the apricots, feed the cows, and shift the cow droppings. I will get rest only after I die.

“Don’t say such things; I am here to help you.”

“You are a big help but it’s difficult for me to rest after so many years.”

Both continued with the digging and by evening, they had four sacks. These sacks would be kept below the ground, covered with dry leaves and pine needles, and taken out when necessary. The accumulated snow would help them to stay fresh.

Parvati remembered the last yield, when it was nine sacks. Out of the four from this year, she had to send one with Ria, along with some buckwheat, garlic, and a crate of apples. After all, she would be there for quite some time. Nisha and Parvati carried two sacks each tied to their backs and started back for Dongri.

At home, the family decided to have potatoes for dinner. Diwakar took out the few large ones and kept half for roasting and the others for boiling. Parvati washed her hands and sat down to grind almonds. Nisha took out some dried mint, chili, and garlic and chopped them. A little salt was added and the dip was ready. The family sat around the bukhari and Diwakar passed out potatoes. Everyone had their fill and the rest was kept aside for future use.

At night, Parvati saw Shevak sitting on the bed lost in thought. He normally slept early as he got up before everyone else. “What are you thinking?”

“We only have four sacks when we need at least seven to eight. We will need to buy two sacks.”

“Maybe three. One sack needs to be sent with Ria. I am also worried.”

“I don’t know how to manage when the family grows.”

Parvati wondered if she should discuss Chotu’s proposal with him. She had promised not to discuss it with anyone. But Shevak was not anyone; he was her husband, god, and everything.

“Chotu told me something before he left.”

“What was it?”

“He said that if Diwa agreed, both the brothers would go for common marriage.”

Shevak was surprised. This was a new development and he had never thought of this as a possibility. For a moment he was confused and then he saw the logic and benefit. Even though he would have received some money from the bride’s side if Diwa married, it would not be sufficient to cover the marriage expense and the cost of expansion. Again, the problem of division of the land and orchard would be there. He realized that Chotu was not as dumb as he assumed and he also thought for the family. He remembered that only last week he had sent money and promised to send it regularly. If not proud, he felt pleased about his son. He looked at Parvati, who was waiting for his response.

“And what did Diwa say?”

“I have no idea. Chotu said he would speak with him and let us know.”

“Let’s wait for his opinion.”

Parvati watched Shevak stretch out and close his eyes. It seemed he was at peace with the proposition. He was always quick to respond and would have expressed his opposition instantly if there was any. She thought maybe this would really benefit the family. She prayed to Devta and slept.

***

Ria managed one last meeting with Jeet before she left for Chandigarh. Jeet was still in the village, as his family kept the cattle in a small shed nearby. Ria went with Lila, who had called Jeet under an excuse of asking him if he could lend her his schoolbooks. Jeet came out and the three went to the Temple. Ria was prepared to ask all her questions. Jeet smiled at first but when he saw that she was serious, he gave his answers more thought.

“But I need to finish school first and find a job. How can we live in a city without money? And who will give me a job if I am illiterate?”

Ria was taken aback. She had never anticipated any such problem. And this was a setback to her plans of marrying early. But she was happy that he was positive and that he, too, shared her dreams of living in the city. Maybe the Devta would be kind and help them.

“I will leave for Chandigarh in a few days and will be back in the spring,” Ria said as she got up to leave.

“Have a good time and enjoy your stay,” Jeet said. He smiled but Ria could see he was sad.

“I will think about you,” Ria said and then left with Lila.

It was a few days after Ria left when the first snowfall came. The morning sky was covered with clouds and a fog stretched across the entire valley, covering the peaks halfway down. By afternoon, the snowfall started and soon covered the valley with a thin layer of white. The barren fields, the riverbanks, the mountain slopes, meadows, roads all lost their texture as the snow covered them, painting everything white. The valley looked like a large gray canvas. By late afternoon, over a foot of snow had accumulated and the road seemed to merge with the fields and the fields with the bank. The snow fell on the mountains and filled up the nooks, caves, crevices, and cracks on granite, exposing the texture that remained hidden in the sunlight. The empty houses in the village stood like scattered mushrooms with snow piling on their tin roofs and extending outside. The crows, the only birds to stay during winter, hid below the branches of leafless trees and shook off the occasional snow that fell on them. The dogs took shelter in houses and the few cows still outside stood below trees with white patches across their backs and heads waiting for their owners to put them back inside.

By evening, two feet of snow had fallen. Diwakar used a shovel to scoop out snow from near the door. Nisha stood on the balcony and looked around. The snow fell steadily, forming a veil, and through that, the mountains seemed distant. A few of the peaks hid below mist and were partly visible. The naked trees in the orchard stood with their trunks submerged in snow and the valley lost its contours. The courtyard looked clean and fresh with all the cow droppings and dry leaves hiding below layers of white. The snow accumulated on the tin roof while some splattered and melted on the walls and windows. Parvati took a bundle of soft apple branches and gave it to the cows for munching. Every year the orchard was pruned and Shevak applied paste to the cuts. While it stopped the growth of the trimmed branches, it ensured growth for the healthy branches, which held better promise of bearing fruit. It also provided cuttings to feed the cattle.

***

It was late evening when the cables snapped, causing a power outage. The snowfall continued and the temperature reached below zero. The fire was already burning and the family huddled next to it. Parvati made pancakes while Diwakar boiled potatoes for dinner. Shevak and Diwakar shared one room with the bukhari and Parvati slept with Nisha in the other.

The whole night it snowed and in the morning, Shevak found a build-up of four feet of snow covering the entrance. He called Diwakar and both shoveled to make a road to the pathway. Diwakar went back to milk the cows and Shevak left for the village. On the way, he met a few villagers and one of them told him the snowfall was as far as Karcham and the roads were all blocked. The villagers did not complain about the snowfall, as the moisture was necessary for the orchards and the farm. It even provided the necessary water to keep the peaks green. He followed the narrow trench like path made by others who had gone out earlier and in slow steps reached the village. His colleague Mahajan informed him that it was not only power cables that snapped in a few places but also a few poles, which fell. Even Sangla and neighboring places suffered from the power outage. Shevak knew it would be days before the power could be restored.

***

Pravin got into a shared Jeep early in the morning. It would take him to Sangla. He heard about the snowfall but was not aware it was heavy. The army frequented this route and the PWD normally cleared the road with bulldozers after a snowfall. The Jeep stopped at Tapri for a tea break. After crossing Karcham, it slowed down as the road had just been cleared and only a narrow stretch in the middle was passable. It was getting cold and Pravin put on a jacket. Outside, the landscape changed with layers of snow covering the meadows and pastures on the slopes and only the huge granite peaks managed to keep their surface exposed as the snow skidded away from their smooth face. The sky was clear, making it difficult to gaze on the patches that reflected sunlight. It was afternoon when the Jeep reached Sangla. The snowfall was heavy and Pravin found the road to his village was still blocked. He picked up his bag and decided to walk the last stretch.

***

“You should have joined the army!” Nisha exclaimed as Diwakar made a straight jump from the roof and landed on the three-foot layer of snow on the courtyard.