Nature's Friend wants to save Kissanpur

Raju’s father – Khagesh was a rickshaw puller, in a small township – Soonpura, of Sibsagarh district of Assam. Raju had three siblings. He was the eldest, so, he thought himself responsible enough for taking care of the family, next to his father.

His mom - Champa used to go to the villagers’ house on various occasions to help them in the household work and whatever money she used to get from there, used to keep separately for the school fee of her children.

Champa studied  till class six; still remembered the lecture of her teacher who taught her about nutrition and related benefits. She never used to leave any effort unturned to make all her children sharp, intelligent and healthy. Raju was the first boy of his school.  

   

Every afternoon, she used to go to the nearby jungle in search of fruits, green vegetables, wild eatable leafs etc. Early morning, she used to get up and go to the paddy fields and the small public ponds for fishing. She heard people saying – eating fish sharpens the brains. Raju used to accompany her all the time.

Khagesh used to believe in hard work. Getting up early, after having a cup of tea, he used to start his day. Small township. So, sometimes, he used to get pessangers and sometimes, he had to come  back with no money. But, he did not had to think much as Champa used to connect the dots with her morning and afternoon excercise. Till date, they never had to stay empty stomach. As if, the jungle was the blessing for them. 

The jungle was Raju’s kind of best friend. When he was hungry, he used to run to the jungle to pick some fruits, every afternoon accompanied his mom to pick vegetable and green eatable leafs and in the summer vacation, he used to pass most of the time in the green lap – the green cozy grass carpet shadowed by the big trees, cooled by the soothing breeze. He used to borrow few story books, novels from his classmates and peers and read them hour after hour  lying there. If hungry , get up and climb a tree and have some fruits...may be few mangoes, or a jackfruit or some guavas, bananas....!!! 

He even gave a name to the jungle ‘Kissanpur’. Engraved his name, few hidden expectations, fantasy in some trees. As if the jungle became his second home. His brothers used to join him  sometimes too.  

  

***

Now he was 15 years old. Month of March. Beautiful weather, the flora and fauna were dancing with the song of Spring....beautiful flowers were decorating the earth as if for some beauty contest.

After coming back from school, he was just all set to run towards his Kissanpur. All the way from the school to home, he was thinking about the ripen jackfruit, he was eying on. He was planning to call his neighbor friends and his brothers to accompany him to relish the fruit.

But whaatt!!! He heard some sound of cutting trees....Suddenly, he could hear a bigger sound in his heart. He felt helpless for a second thinking of his unsecured Kissanpur. But, gathering some courage, he enquired his mom if she could also hear the sound of cutting trees. He waited for answer, but could see few drops of water penetrating through his mom’s eyes.

She said, “Don’t go there, our village-head has bought this jungle from government and now he will open up an amusement park, cutting all the trees.”.... She said what she heard from others, though she could not understand the complete meaning of ‘amusement’. “I am sorry son, I cann’t save your best friend....I am helpless, don’t know how will I feed you now onwards.....Probably, I will work harder...”...Champa could not help crying loud.

Raju ran fast towards his Kissanpur....Around 40 labourers were in their full speed in cutting the trees. The village-head was giving instructions and also encouraging everyone to meet the target before the dask. Few cars were standing in the open space. And two/three people were cutting a big jackfruit. Raju went to the village-head, cried and prayed him not to cut the jungle... The village-head replied, “This is my land, its my decision what will I do with it....Go have some portion of jackfruit and go away....U brat!”

Raju came back; but he was not crying like a child; Chinned up; consoled his mom, “Do not worry Mom, I will study well.....and clear my IFS and save my mother Nature. I will bring back my Kissanpur....”

In the extreme distress also, Champa could see some rays of hope, and got some encouragement for working harder......

http://www.kissan.in/

Image courtesy : Google

Was that a Ghost???

Guwahati University Law hostel. Month of Feb of some year of 90’s.

“Just few days left for the exam. Need to finish so many chapters and then would have to do revisions, at least once or twice.” Reena thought.

She planned to study with Pompi for couple of days. Pompi’s situation was also the same. Both  of them were from the same place, and not only that, they were very close friends too, and always helped each other in study. Both used to believe in – early to bed , early to rise. So, they planned to get up early at around 4 am and study in the dining hall, as their rooms were four seaters. Others  would get disturbed if they would study in their own rooms. In the evening, they used to decide who would get up early and wake up the another.

The hostel was of Assam-type. All rooms were in one floor and were connected with very long corridor. Each room was four seater. It was adjacent to a hill, for which monkeys were the frequent visitors. The Dining hall was the bridge between the hostel and the hill.

For a week, getting up at 4 am became a routine for both the girls. Now just 4 days left for the exam. They needed to gear up. So, they decided to get up at 3 am next day.

“Reena, O’ Reena...get up, lets go for study!” Reena heard a voice. One of her roommates made a comment from her bed only, “Your best friend calling..”

Reena got up. Took her books and copies, drank a glass of water and rushed towards the door.

Oops, Pompi was not there.

“She must have got bored of waiting for me and so probably has gone to the dining hall”, she thought.

She hurried through the dark, serene, lonely corridor. At last she reached the dining hall.

But, What!!! The door was closed. Pompi was not there. 

She opened the door, the room was dark. A cool breeze touched her whole body. She hesitated to enter to search for the light switch.

To clear the doubt if Pompi is inside the hall, she uttered, “Pompi! Pompi! ...U there?”

Suddenly, a window opened. The window was just opposite side of the door, where she was standing. She could just see a white shadow going out like a breeze....

And..... she ran and ran......till she reached her room, and jumped on one of her roommate’s bed. She was continuously shivering. Her roommates got up, asked her what happened......she couldnot reply anything that time, but just could see the wall clock – it was just 1 am.

Two of her roommates could gather courage to go out, and knocked the door of Pompi. She was in deep sleep that time.

Playing with Innocence on April Fool Day

My room was dirty, messy. Mom was continuously blabbering… “Why don’t you clean your room, what people will think – being a college girl, you have no sense of cleanliness!!!!” …. “God knows who is deserving you as a wife…Hats off to him from now only!!!”

… Weather was so good, drizzling. I was feeling lazy as always. I had bought two Hindi song cassettes and one Ranju Hazarika’s thriller story book, just the previous day. So, didn’t feel like getting up from my cozy 30 degree horizontal position, putting the pillow on the back, having the Walk-man headphone on my ears and the book in my hand.

In this way, half an hour gone, again I heard Mom’s voice. I had to get up. I peeped through the door to my brother’s room. He is much more sincere and disciplined than me. He was cleaning his room.

Something clicked in my mind……

I said, “Bro …..I have Rs.500 with me.”

“Good. But, what will you do with that money…??”, he replied.

“I can give you Rs.300 for buying your Action shoes….Then you won’t have to ask much money from Mom.”

Those days, my brother’s mind was badly occupied by the beauty, agility and smartness of Action shoes with blinking lights in the sole. He was insisting Mom for buying the shoes. 

“But why will you give me?” My brother seemed to be interested, excited, but confused at my kindness........probably inside his mind,  "My Good heaven....what a deal....you cann't think of a better deal than this". …

“In one condition. If you will clean my room properly. …..And till you clean my room, I will use your room. And also don’t tell Mom about this.” I replied.

My brother nodded his head with excitement. …Immediately started cleaning my room, as if I clicked the ‘Forward’ button of a Media player.

One characteristic of my bro....he is of a kind that it takes hell lot of time to take up any work....however, once he decides to take something on.....then no stopping...will do that to his best ability and perfection.

So, here is the result: He broomed the room, dusted, aligned the books, put a clean bed cover, folded my cloths……And in half an hour, my room looked better than his.

Now it was my turn to give back……

Being ‘All set’ to run fast…..I said, “April Fool! April Fool! Ha! Ha! Ha!”…..

......And my innocent brother became Angry Man….chased me with a long stick…..I ran away…I jumped the boundary and reached neighbour’s house. And, he could not catch. ;)

Just feeling Sorry my Brother for playing with your innocence. But miss those days now…..

Happy – April Fool Day!!! 

Trick to handle gigantic buffalo

Just out of University! Bindaas time.

Those days were for planning, what to do next, whether to do a job or study further. We four girls – Anubha, Mausumi, Swastika and me took two rooms in the fourth floor of a big apartment at Katwariya Sarai. A congested, low cost living, student area of South Delhi. 

There was a long and narrow entrance to our building – at least 100 mtr long and 4ft wide. Both sides of the entry lane were covered by the windowless walls of two buildings. 

Ever visited this place?......You will get to see lots of donkeys, buffalos and various species of fly in this area. Two gigantic black buffalos were dwelling near our passage. Almost everyday, all residents used to struggle to reach the main road, as generally both of them used to block our narrow path. 

Anubha, Mausumi used to keep standing there for half an hour, sometimes one hour, while waiting for the clearance. But, I was unlike them. I was the bravest of all! I never used to wait for clearance. Actually, I knew a trick. ;)

I read about the life-history of Great Shankardev, how he encountered with a wild buffalo without weapon and turned him upside down only holding his horns. I portrayed this picture in my mind. So, I understood if you grasp the horns of a buffalo, he cannot do anything to you. I tried to teach Anubha and Mausumi this trick, but they never dared to learn!!!! 

One day, Anubha and me, both were going to the market. The titan was standing on our way. Anubha refused to put her step forward. But, I used my trick. I went frontward, clasped the horns, moved him aside, and freed the way for Anubha. We shopped, and then were coming back happily. Again, ‘Sir’ was standing in the same place blocking the passage. I went ahead….cordially held his horns and tried to turn him aside, and holding his horns only, I asked Anubha to cross. But, whaa…aat happ…end!!!

All of a sudden, my hands got a huge shake…a high pressure from the opposite side…heard Anubha shouting extremely loud……. earwigged Almighty’s whisper in my ears….. “Bhaago Madhu….run run…save your life……..”….. and….and……then no turn back….ran and ran till I found myself in the fourth floor. Probably, I would have broken PT Usha’s record with that speed….! Felt like the giant was climbing all the steps chasing me till the fourth floor.

At last, I had to put my break as there was no way to go ahead…..in front of my room’s locked door, dishevelled and trying to regain my lost breath.

After half an hour, I could see Anubha coming with a pleasant smile.