Beyond The Water
(Translation of Hindi Novel - Jal Tu Jalal Tu)
(2)
The specimen of the box had been designed on the basis of the photograph that the press owner’s daughter had taken during her trip to America. The specialty of the box was that the fruits packed in them did not look as if they had been plucked, they still seemed attached to the trees in natural way as if they had been wrapped in dried grass and straws there only. The fruit seller liked this box very much and soon he was identified with the pattern on the box of his fruits. It seemed as if the fresh flavors of fruits were safely preserved in the nest like box.
The world was moving on as usual, not just moving but galloping at tremendous speed by leaps and bounds. Hence spring following autumn and soon summer announced its arrival. The number of tourists in America increased immensely, which resulted in more and more consumption of fruits in this city. The tourist did not want to miss the magnificent scene of waterfall that mystified them and looked so unearthly. And if they came to see the Niagara, they had to come to this building for buying tickets. After booking they knew their adventurous exciting journey had begun. The cafeteria mall and stores of the building were packed with these tourists of all over the world.
At about two or three at night a big beautiful white and yellow van arrived with loads of these fruit boxes and three boys carried these boxes in lift to the upper storey for God knows how long. Thus while entertaining the tourists that building of Baffalo was remained busy day and night.
What was the sense of coming to America if they did not see the great Niagara fall made no difference in entertaining guests? The building offered its hospitability round the clock. At night the city bathed in multi colored lights looked fascinating, specially near the waterfall. The garden around the waterfall was illuminated beautifully and it seemed as if Lord Indra, the king of Gods was flashing a beam to observe if their place on the earth had superseded his abode in heaven.
In this Buffalo city a couple arrived one night with two children and entered to an Indian restaurant.
None of the four was interested in the furnishings of the restaurant. Perhaps the sightseeing had over tired them and they were famishing. It appeared that they wanted to have food quickly and then retire to their room and have a good night’s sleep. A mother always knows what children want so the woman ordered some south-Indian dishes. The father did not interfere and soon the ordered dishes were on their table.
Suddenly, an incident stunned the parents; their seven year old son put his plate aside, lifted the big water filled jug, put it to his lips and gulped the whole water. The other three were shocked because he was very well mannered boy reading in a reputed public school, not so ignorant that he would put jug to his mouth. It came as a surprise that a boy of that age, not spoilt at all, would drink three liters of water in a gulp, a waiter was looking at then so the parents were ashamed, though the waiter was rather amused. He took the empty jug to refill it but before the waiter arrived with the jug filled with water or the parents could discern the whole matter the boy feeling too sleepy, closed his eyes and rolled to one side. The mother immediately pulled him in her lap and using her apparel as a fan tried is sooth him. The sudden incident frightened the little girl who had never seen her brother gulp water in such uncivilized manner.
Food had been served but they got up without touching a morsel. The bill was paid. The father lifted the sleeping boy supporting his head against his shoulder and left the place the mother tried to wake up the child but he was in a deep slumber.
The family returned to the hotel in which they were staying as it was not far. They put their son to bed. The boy seemed ok, though in a very deep sleep. The family felt relived their fear and tension evaporating slowly. It was quite late, they realized they were hungry. They had some eatables with them and the mother decided to order some fruits.
Soon a waiter arrived with a trolley to load with glasses of fruit juice and a beautiful box containing some fruit. The little girl was delighted to see such an attractive fruits box that looked like a bird’s nest. She immediately went near the trolley.
Probably it was a day of bewilderment for the family. As soon as the girl touched the fruit box it started burning. After a few sparks flames flashed. The father immediately pressed the emergency switch to call the waiter, snatched the box from his daughter’s hands and threw it away. Struck by panic both the parents were drenched in sweat.
The door was thrust open and two attendants entered the room. The deftly extinguished the fire and tried to search why the fire had broken out. Finding nothing they just looked at one another and prepared to go out. The father beckoned them to take the trolley away.
The unusual events had upset the family. She went to bed without eating anything. The little girl fell asleep but sleep was far away from the parents. It was only during very late hours that the dozed off for some time.
They got up early in the morning and woke up their children. The children got up in very normal way with no shadow of incidents of last evening. The boy didn’t even remember what had happened in the cafeteria; neither did the parents remind him. All had become thing of part except in the memory of the parents.
The family was to return that day only, after travelling for a few hours. They intended to go to other tourist places.
They reached this place in the late noon hour. Looking very color and quiet like any other hotel the place looked absolutely peaceful. They came to know there was a whole new world under it. When the lift took them down the cool atmosphere soothed eyes as well as mind. There were natural eaves; ice cold water was flowing in their bottom. Nothing was manmade. Erosion process of this underground water had shaped the rocks and stones beautifully. There were small wooden boats to take to wrists around the caverns. Last in its enchantment the Indian family had almost forgotten the incidents of previous evening and might. The unusual shapes of rocks and stones fascinated them. Local young men and girls who were rowing these boats were their guides as well.
The boat in which this family was sitting was being rowed by a girl. The girl described the features in a detailed and very interesting way. Where the journey in boat was over and they got down, the girl patted the children’s cheeks and asked their named. Then she went away in her boat with another set of tourists.
When they came up in the lift, the children rushed out as soon as the door of the lift was opened. Suddenly they saw the same girl, ran towards her and hugged her. The girl shrieked, pushed them away and backed. The parents couldn’t understand her behavior and were rather confused. The same American girl had taken them round the cavern in her boat and talked to the children in very friendly way. What was wrong? Why was she behaving like a stranger and why did she scream in such an unmannerly way? One couldn’t hate or be afraid of such small children.
The edgy parents were at the end of their with and almost collapsed on a sofa nervously holding their head in hands. The children were frightened too. The parents had a doubt that some uncanny misfortune was hanging on their children’s head. They did not know what to do. The mother’s eyes were filled with tears, the panicky children ran and clung to their father.
Suddenly, an old came sunning with a lighting speed from behind the counter and tried to explain to this father in a fast flow of speech that there had been a misunderstanding. The company had twins working there. One sister had taken them in her boat who got acquainted with the children. This in the other sister who looks just like the one who was rowing the boat. Hence the children ran to her, she did not know the children, hence got nervous.
Hearing this, parents felt relieved. They caressed the children by stroking their head and took them to the ice-cream parlors.
The other girl whispered something into the old woman’s ear hurriedly. Hearing that, the old woman fainted. The girl tried to lay her down on the sofa nearby. There was great confusion. The employees ran towards the woman. So did the father who had purchased ice-cream for children. The children stood close their mother. Everyone was trying to bring the old woman to consciousness who had fainted.
After about half an hour, the mother, children and the old woman were having some snacks in a nearly restaurant while the father and the girl were in the lawn, busy in some very serious conversation.
The girl told him she and her twin sister were employed in this company and stayed in Buffalo city. The information that the girl gave the father was so shocking that he was left with cold feat. She told him she did not shriek become the children was strangers. The reason was she had seen a shadow of evil hanging over them. The children were fully in the grip of a spirit.
The girls’ maternal grandfather was doing some research work on the existence of super natural power. Since she had been his assistant for so long she too had learnt a lot and had become clairvoyant. The father was totally convinced. She suggested they should accompany the sisters when they go home for weak-end and meet their grandfather.
Next morning they were all in the car driving towards Buffalo city. The sister narrated many stories related to ‘SPIRITS’.
Even in their farthest dreams the couple had never imagined that in a modern civilized country like America. They would hear such strange stories about supernatural beings that they used to hear in old Indian scriptures and folk tales. But the events of last few days, thing that were happening to their children persuaded them to believe that all such stories were not mere fanciful tales but had truth in them. They were not enjoying the stories as they perturbed them but were glad they had two local well wishes young women with them with whom they could talk openly-and-freely. The children were enjoying the beautiful American landscape. The car was going at a good speed in one direction and the road and trees seemed to run in opposite. Sometimes clouds came down and enveloped the road and children remarked that the earth and the sky were very close friends.
She two sisters had the mere difference of four minutes in their birth but the younger one gave full respect to the elder one. She elder one was carrying on all the conversation as she was guilty conscious of scolding the children for no rhyme or reason.
“Do you know Simmi?” She asked. The father was somewhat taken aback. The younger sister was looking at the father too, eager to hear the answer but the man could not reply.
“Simmi Grewal, The Indian and Hollywood actress,” She gave a clue.
“Oh ! Yes of course. But she is not very famous or active at present.” The girls were disappointed. They said they knew only two thing about India. One was the scarcity of water in that country and second Simmi Grewal whose movie they had seen long back.
***
