Sunday 31 January 2010

HAVE MERCY

A loud cry in the middle of the night woke me up. The rain should have actually drowned out any other sound, but this cry was different. I woke up to find that there was no power (as usual). As I walked over to the living room, the cries grew louder. I opened the door and looked around. No one was there. As I turned back, my eyes fell on the porch. I got the shock of my life.


He was like God to his people, Lal sahib. He was the wealthiest zamindar in Allahabad. And the kindest. People from all over India would come to him with their problems and he would treat those problems as his own. And this man was about to become a father. His entire village was in celebration. In a few days, they were going to be blessed with God’s successor.


DADI! Please get the lamp!” Dadi was 78 years old, but I knew that if there was anyone I could count on in such a situation, it was her. We’d been living alone in this village for more than 20 years now, and she was respected (even feared, maybe) by every person. When she came to see what was happening, she just silently shook her head.


Lal sahib had brought a doctor home. His wife was in labour. In those days, only the wealthiest could afford to bring a doctor home. Apparently, the doctor threw up words like ‘complication’, but Lal sahib would have none of that. He ONLY wanted to hear good news. A little while later, the doctor came out.


“UFFF! Are you going to keep that poor thing out?” Dadi screamed. She took the little boy in her hands, and dried him with the towel that wrapped her shoulders. I looked on, almost in disbelief. “Dadi, it’s a BOY! And as it is, we’ve got problems of our own? Why should we care?” I got one resounding slap.


"Please, don’t shout, the villagers are standing outside.” Yes. The entire village indeed wondered what was going on. This was supposed to be a day of happiness, of joy, of celebration. But Lal sahib was bellowing at the top of his voice, and things were flying about. There were pleas and cries for help, but no one moved. Probably the villagers were too stunned to hear their God, so angry, so out of touch with his usual self. And then, it was all revealed.


“Have you forgotten Dadi? Have you forgotten how we were humiliated? It was YOU who told me all those stories, Amma! You told me how my father lost his mind! You told me how he just kicked out a woman and her helpless daughter! You hated men, AMMA! YOU HATED MEN! YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN STRONG AND PUT THEM DOWN DADI! Now, you’ve slapped me for this BOY?”


“AFTER SO MANY YEARS, YOU GIVE ME A GIRL?? A GIRL?? FIE UPON YOU!” Saying so, he just kicked them out of the house. Both mother and daughter. In front of the whole village. Lal sahib was no longer God. He had transformed into something terrible.


“Don’t be a fool.” was Dadi’s riposte. “And don’t be under the impression that I’ve forgotten anything. I haven’t. That’s why I don’t want you ending up like your father. Now come inside and help me with this little lad. Looks like he’s going to need milk.”


Dadi could never forget Lal sahib. She had only forgiven him. And that was that.

1 comment:

Ire said...

I like the flow of the narrative. Update more often please!