Beyond The Water
(Translation of Hindi Novel - Jal Tu Jalal Tu)
(10)
The old man often insisted that Kinjan should accompany him to Jeddah where he would meet a number of his relative but somehow to Kinjan this all seemed fictitious as he had never heard about it from his mother.
His mother was a woman who loved America with all her heart and who after losing her husband, a dedicated soldier, wanted to send her son to the same American army where her husband had lost his life. And now had left this would with her unfulfilled dream. But Kinjan was more concerned with his owe unfulfilled dream. How can God, the creater leave things in the world half done? Had he prepared his blue print of the world in advance, Kinjan’s dream would have been fulfilled.
Dreams leave an irritating scratch in eyes. It does not allow full space to sleep till the dreams are fulfilled. Kinjan had only given a temporary stay to his dream and had not surrendered himself. The uncle, Rasbi’s lalf brother, stayed with him for some time and then left.
Kinjan noticed strange things in his home. They often took place when he was alone in the house but knew nothing about him. The refrigerator had eatables he had never brought. He wondered, how could it be, was it a sign of memory loss? May be he thought things from market and forgot about them! It often happens in old age but Kinjan was so young. How could he make such mistakes. He wanted to tell his friend Earnest about it but then had a second thought. No young man wants to be a laughing stock among friends.
He thought of starting some small seal business in Buffalo. There was a lane near the main road. He established small shop there. Keeping articles that attracted tourist wasn’t difficult and soon business picked up. The number of customers increased so he was very busy. Whenever he was free he looked out and could see the Niagra Falls. He often wondered and smiled, how this stormy while foam had became a part of life for him and a craving to cross it had become his dream project, his adventures mission.
Many local boys sold a variety of articles where Kinjan had his shop. They often met, talked and became friends. Kinjan got quite friendly with a boy who sold old books.
Kinjan often spent his time with him and after discussing business and its prospects often picked up some old book to read.
Right from his childhood Kinjan was not interested in studies. Even now he liked some reading material, turned pages, read some interesting parts a little and returned the book in evening.
But one day, he picked up a book and was so lost in it that one or two customers went back. And he did not even notice them. He felt the incidents of his life were reflected in it. The book was about people who had and yet were there in the world.
The book called such characters ‘soul’ who were still around in some form or the other and were visible to those who knew them. These souls materialized in a strange way, first something attached to them appeared and them either in a visible or invisible way they made their presence felt. It was very surprising that some people could talk to them about their whereabouts thus knowing a lot about them. Their connectivity with these souls was supernatural.
Had Kinjan gone through the book a few days earlier, he too, like other boys would have accepted the stories just as a fiction written to amuse the readers, but for the last few days he had experienced the presence of some invisible being. His own heart tried to convince him that his house was haunted by some such soul.
That night when he reached home there was a strange colour around. Even the picture on the wall seemed different. It had been there since so many days but he felt it was much bigger than its original size. How could it be? It must have been an illusion or the psychic effect of the book he had read.
No, it couldn’t be. It wasn’t any psychic effect. He very clearly remembered that the sheet on his bed was not red. You cannot forget bright red colour that way.
He tried to recall when he had spread a bright red sheet on his bed but could not recollect. He felt ill at ease and did not want to lie down on that earie sheet so sat down on the ground.
He continued to sit there for some time when suddenly his attention was drawn towards a line of golden and moving on a wall, coming out of a little hole and going down, following one another in a disciplined way as if specialty trained to move like that. His mind strayed away and he thought soldiers in army learn to parade in this disciple way after such a harsh training and this tiny creature automatically moves in a line without any clue or instruction!
His playful mind decided to break their discipline. He took out his small lighter from his pocket to interrupt their line but soon found their path again and joined their group. Kinjan tried to find out where they were going and soon came to know they were going on that red sheet. Now he was curious to find out the ultimate destination of invasion where the army intended to attack.
And then he found, on one side, near the end of the sheet a small tamarind shaped golden saffron colored small shrunken dead fish. Caught between crumpled crease of sheet, helpless exhausted, which when alive in water emits smoke and now to lifetime body was emitting that stench. He could snifl that foul smell in the room now that he had seen the dead fish with his own eyes.
The army of ants, led by this stinking object’s stench was going to dispose off its body from this world.
A thought flashed in his mind. Could this fish be responsible for changing the color of the sheet? Has there been magical supernatural in change it dead body just like discharge of smoke when it is alive? Is this inexplicable phenomena related to incident of a last few days? Or is it just scientific phenomena related to the structure of a creature?
That night when Kinjan slept he had a dream. It was late and he was very tired so he fell in a deep slumber. It is believed that the deeper the sleep, the clearer are the dream.
Kinjan dreamt that he picked up the dead fish to throw out. He could feel the foul odors of the fish so he did not want to put it in the dustbin. He opened the door silently, crossed the road to throw it in the big dustbin hence most of the people used it to throw defecated mother of their pet and other refuse. Chemical were regularly put in it to stop the stench from spreading around.
As soon as Kinjan opened the lid is throw the fish it jumped back in his hand. He was shocked as it a current had hit him. When he looked at his hand, a scream escaped from his lips. His palm was covered with blood. He looked intensely but there was no woman, no eat. From where had the blood oozed out? He again tried to throw the fish with greater force but the same thing happened again. The fish sprang and was back in his hand and in a minute his hand was drenched in blood. But this time he wasn’t afraid. He knew now the mystery of the red sheet in his house.
This time he used all his strength and threw the fish far away where thick grass was growing. Kinjan’s hands, full of the power of youth had thrown the little dry dead fish about seventy feet away. Kinjan was sweating but when the fish came back in his hand making a parabola in its reflex action he was soaked in perspiration.
His whole body shook with fear. It was about two o’clock at night. Totally exhausted and feeling defeated he tried to put the fish in his pocket. Nothing frightening or furious happened. But the fish softly came out and slipped into his hand. Kinjan was helpers exhausted. He came back well being with heavy steps. As soon as he pushed the door, he woke up. He got up, looked around and was deeply relieved. He looked at his palm. It was normal with no blood stains on at there was no fish in his hand either.
Then he remembered he had slept on the floor because his bed sheet had mysteriously turned red. He looked at his bed. The sheet was light grey with no trace of dead fish. Morning was far. Kinjan got up from floor, got into his bed and was soon fast asleep.
Sun wasn’t very bright in was Hinton that day. Darkness usually engulfed the city at nine o’clock but light and dark clouds started the evening much earlier and it looked like dusk.
The vast lawns in front of the white house looked pleasant as usual with people who daily came there for a walk or stroll. Youngman and children had gathered at a spot to watch a Brazilian puppy who stood on two hind feet and danced are rend in the circle they had formed most probably it was drunk. It was swaying and whirling energetically, its golden scarf waving like a little flag. Everyone was clapping including its mistress mom create and her friend from New York. A photographer was capturing this funny scene in his Camera because there was still some time in the event he had come to cover.
Kinjan hadn’t reached the spot with his bride to be and all were waiting for his arrival. Some of his friends stood near the beautiful fountain in front of the American president’s residence. She woman and the Brazilian dog had also been invited.
Just after about two minutes a luxury car decorated with flowers and driven by Ernest slided in and stopped, Kinjan and his beloved were in the back seat in their traditional wedding attire. The centre of attraction shifted from the little dog to the alighting bride and the bridegroom. Everyone congratulated then.
The photographer clicked each moment of the memorable event, specially the one in which the guests displayed their ecstasy by jumping with delight rhythmically.
Those wonderful moments! It was an authentication, witnessed by all his friends, of Kinjan’s pledge that he had dedicated his whole life span to his wife and would cover the distance between the earth and the sky with her. Champagne flowed freely spraying the green velvet like lawns. Kinjan’s face was shining brightly as it intoxicated by ecstasy.
It was not yet dark when crowded in there or four cars they leaded towards a restaurant that served delectable dinner. Kinjan who lovingly called Perina ‘panni’ introduced her to all. One pleasant evening and nearness of all his near and dear ones wiped out the testing moments he had been through during last few days. After spending an intoxicating time they waved good bye to friends and earnest turned the car towards road that led to Buffalo city. Kinjan and Perina were home.
The saying goes that the earth or to be more exact the ground may be of any type but greenery does cover it when the right time comes. There are prescriptions with a promise of spring for every type of soil, just have patience to wait for the right weather. Kinjan’s house that had gone through so much became. Cheerful when Perina came. The walls of the house transformed and soon the place became home. Gone were the cob-webs and habitation of other insects as if their expiry date had come. Just as expert hands bring shine to brass pot with bright polish, Perina`s hands had brought a sparkle to every object.
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