A Border Checkpost
Due to the scorching heat of the latter part of May, the coal tar of the road of the Public Works Department was melting down to shame those who didn’t shy away from criticizing the work of this department. However, the river flowing along the side, at night time, would force people to tremble by the winds passing through its snow-like cold water. On the Border Checkpost, situated on this queer cross-path of the weather’s temperament, the sentinels would have to pay attention to their duty before the twilight, leaving their daylight slumber. In addition to the government salary, what could have been a more appropriate and easier means of earnings? Located on the borders of the three states, this border check-post was established especially to prevent the smuggling of grains. For the purpose of checking, two Inspectors of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, one Head Constable and six constables of the Police Department adored this check-post. Towards the backyard of Checkpost there was a large and dense forest and on the front side, across the road, a river flowing with fierce roars. Local people would say that lions, elephants and other wild animals come out of this forest at night to the river to quench their thirst for the day. That’s why all the extra activities used to be stopped before it got too dark.
There was a border of another state across the river, where there was a colony of poor people. There was no means of farming work or business, therefore, people used to live their lives only by working hard. A poor woman named Budhia also lived in this settlement. Four years had passed since the death of her husband. At this stage, the only support she had was her twelve-year-old son, Ram Khilavan, on seeing whom she would forget all her sorrows. Somehow she was maintaining her household by working in the fields of the landlords. The son was admitted to a government school in a nearby village. Like a promising son, he too was engaged in realizing the dreams of his destitute mother. But it was not known who got a bad eye on this small family of theirs. Budhia suddenly had a slight fever and then that ill-fated hit her so much that the poor thing had been stuck in bed for the last six months. She missed work and then food became inaccessible. Now both, the distress of the house and the illness of the mother had left that little one nowhere. The school was left and at the same time, the mother's wishes were also shattered. Instead of books, now he had tools of hard work in his little hands.
Every day, as early as dawn, most of the youths of the settlement used to pick up boats made of dry bottle gourds on their shoulders to cross the river and go to work in the jungles on the other side. Putting coarse pieces of bread in a small cloth kept on their shoulders and holding small wooden paddles in their hands, but still with joy and fun life, they used to go towards their destination, laughing and singing. Now a companion was joined with this caravan and that was the little Ram Khilavan. On receiving a week's salary from the contractor, they used to buy some food items for the household by saving the rest a small amount of money. Carrying bundles of food items on the head the path of return of this caravan would have changed. They would walk the long curved path silently instead of singing and chanting the daily songs so that the ill-intended look of the sentinels of border check-post would not fall on them.
Sugarcane crop was ready in the fields. So, sometimes the elephants used to come there from the forest with the object of tasting them. But due to the promptness of the people, they often had to return. Failing in their mission, the herd of elephants one day was taking a rest on the edge of the river. After finding the elephants in front of them, all the people stood at some distance. Seeing a sugar cane in the hand of Ram Khilavan, a small baby elephant lifted its little trunk and came towards him. Ram Khilavan, without hesitation, laughed, went ahead, and gave the cane to the baby elephant. This relation of friendship started getting stronger day by day. Ram Khilavan would carry the cane with him without a miss and the baby elephant used to wait for his arrival in the forest. It was as if he had a friendship with the elephant's clan. He used to go into their flock without any hesitation and restraint. They too didn’t fail to raise their trunks and greet him. His little friend used to express his joy by jumping and running hither and thither on seeing him.
While going to work in the morning, Ram Khilavan picked up the sugarcane every day. Seeing him, the mother said:
‘Son, I have been watching for many days, you suck sugarcane early in the morning every day. One day if you get cold, you will get sick and hold bed like me. Then there will be no one even to give us water.’
‘Amma, you are also naive. I don't suck at it. I take it for my friend.’
‘I see, and then you will make him sick too. Who is your friend? You never brought him home.’
On hearing this, Ram Khilavan started laughing at the mother.
‘Why? What did I say? Was it a matter of laughing?’
‘Amma, what else was there to laugh about? You only think, does an elephant ever come to anyone's house?’
‘What Elephant? Is your friend an elephant? Hey, has elephant ever been a friend of anyone? My boy, what am I listening to? If anything happens to you, then how will I live? Just leave it. You will not go to work. We will live by eating half food instead of stomach full.’ Tears started falling from mother’s eyes.
‘Hey Amma, why are you so nervous? Nothing is going to happen with me.’ Saying this, Ram Khilavan picked up his baggage and sugarcane and then left for his work with other labourers.
Like every day, labourers went out on their place of work laughing and singing. The Head Constable of the police was sitting on the cot and was taking tea sips. Seeing the labourers passing by the check-post, he growled:
‘Look, how happy the idiots are getting for free. If they had got a full stomach, they would have lifted the sky on their head.’
After listening to the Head Constable, the sentry standing on duty said:
‘Sir, you don't know, these are big crooks. I went to Washerman in the village last week to have my uniform pressed with a heated iron. There I heard that people from the other side of the river buy flour and porridge from here only. There is a lot of difference between the prices on both sides.’
‘You are right. There is truth in your talk. See, how the idiots are whipping right now. And in the evening they will leave quietly like wheat insects. Have you ever noticed one thing?’
‘What is that, Sir?’ The constable asked in a flattering manner.
‘Many times I have noted, in the evening, they also go through some other way. Maybe the same thing, what you are saying, that is the secret behind it.’
‘Yes Sir, we will have to keep an eye on them.’
By now the labourers had gone far ahead. Their voices were also lost in the depths of the dense forest. But today, a trick was being worked out to trap them on Checkpost.
The day was of distribution of wages. When the labourers received the money in the evening, they went towards the village shop to buy flour and pulses. After purchasing the household items, weighing about ten kilograms to twenty kilograms, according to their needs and availability of money, they tied the same in the cloths, they were carrying with them. Ram Khilavan also tied a small bundle by purchasing the goods according to his mother's wishes. The sun was going to set, so they were moving in quick steps by making a queue so that they could cross the river before the dark. They didn’t know that the policemen on the banks of the river were hiding behind the bushes to apprehend them? When they reached near them, a constable shouted:
‘Hey! Scoundrels, where are you going? Smuggling goods? You have to be put in lockup because you will not yield like this.’
Hearing his intimidation, all the labourers stood at their respective places.
‘What is in these bundles?’ Another constable asked in a loud voice.
‘Sir, we beg for mercy, you kindly forgive us. We are poor labourers. We are carrying food items for our house and nothing else. If you have any doubt, check it out for yourself.’
‘Committing thievery and becoming clever, idiot, how you dare to speak before me. Come on all of you to the Checkpost, we will set you right today.’
Ram Khilavan was trailing by a small margin. Hearing the rebuke of constables, he panicked and started running towards the forest. When a constable noticed him, he shouted:
‘You Pig’s offspring, where are you running away? Stop here; otherwise, I will break your legs.’
But he didn’t stop and entered the forest. The two constables, rudely abusing, started running after him. Where the poor fellow could run away from those stout policemen and be caught. One constable snatched the bundle of goods from him and the other put two-three slaps over his ear. The poor thing requested them while crying:
‘Sir, leave me, let me go home, my mother is ill. She will die of hunger.’
‘Pig’s offspring, if she dies, let her die. The country will not be going to be empty. It is already overpopulated. Not going to make any difference. But you tell me where you were going to take the smuggled goods. As soon as you were born, you started the business of smuggling.’
Ram Khilavan was no longer in a position to say or speak anything. Fortunately, the sound of his cry reached his friend's ears. He raised his little trunk up and screamed and started running towards him. Seeing the baby elephant running alone, other elephants also started running after him. Hearing the roaring of the mountain like elephants from afar, both constables started galloping backward. Coming close, the herd of elephants surrounded Ram Khilavan from all sides, but his little friend turning his trunk over his face started asking for his well-being.
On the other hand, the labourers were left after taking some hush-money. When they reached home, Ram Khilavan's mother started weeping after not finding her son. People from the neighbourhood gathered and, in their own way, began to console her. That's when they heard the trumpeting of elephants across the river.
‘Again came, go to hell you dirty elephants. If once they tasted the crop, they will destroy the whole farming. Only God will save from them.’ A man said from the gathering.
‘Brother, nothing will be done from the words of mouth. Leave the matter of crop on one side; they will also make the lives of us difficult. Now there is only one way left, they will have to drive away before crossing this river.’ Another person advised.
‘Yes, brother yes, that's right. If you want the well-being of the village along with the fields, then we have to chase them away before they taste our crop.’ Many voices were heard simultaneously.
Everyone started to give advice in their own way. The topic of Ram Khilavan's missing from the jungle was now clouded in this discussion.
No one had the memory to wipe the tears of Poor Budhia now. People started calling each other in a rushed manner. Within no time the people came out towards the river holding burning torches in their hands. By now, the elephant’s herd had also reached the bank of the river from the other side. But today the burning fire and the commotion of the people had no effect on the elephants. Seeing this stubborn attitude of the elephants, people retreated a little, hesitantly. Only then did the leader of elephants advance from the herd. What is this? In the light of the burning torches, they saw an appearance in the trunk of that grand elephant. The elephant got into the water with its proud walk and slowly started moving towards the people standing on this side. With a sense of fear from the elephant, the people retreated a little more. There was a fear among the people as the elephant came towards them, but at the same time, there was astonishment too. If they have come for the purpose of causing harm, then why are the others standing on that side? By now, the image started to be clear in the light of burning torches. Oh! This is our own Ram Khilavan. All the people now gave up fear and started looking with curiosity towards the elephant. Their hatred had now turned into affection for elephants. As soon as the elephant took down Ram Khilavan to the ground, after crossing the water, the atmosphere reverberated with the slogan of the people-‘Bravo! the grand elephant.’ The little friend raised its trunk from the other side of the river and shouted loudly as if it was also expressing its happiness at the well-being of its friend. The elephant had now turned back and landed in the water. But Ram Khilavan kept looking at it with a watchful eye till the elephant’s herd didn’t disappear in the forest. The news had spread throughout the colony. Don’t know where the energy was pulsed in the sick Budhia that even a sense of helpless suffering couldn’t stop her steps. To get a glimpse of her beloved son, she set out towards the river at a high speed. The only words coming out of her conscience were:
‘My son, you were right, elephants are also true friends.’
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