Hey guys?
I got a request form Reena?it's a novel by Amruta Preetam. So here it is? Actually I wanted to set it in modern times, but youngsters today are so smart and well-aware, there isn't that vulnerability in them. Moreover, the hero is in army, army is not a favorite career today which was popular way back, so I have gone back in time. I think I am really obsessed with writing about time gone by, I thoroughly enjoy that essence. This is primarily set in 18th century?
I will write it in four parts where each will have a different title accordingly? ?
Hope you enjoy!!!
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A Love Story... ...
Part 1: Climbing the Mango Tree... ...
"JAIII?ruko?" bani shouted as she ran behind her best friend and neighbor?
"Jaldi aa?" he shouted back?his feet running around the narrow lane of the small village situated in the foothold of the Himalayas? ?
"Aayi?" she ran faster trying to catch up with his speedy pace? ?she was nine and he was eleven, a couple of years older than her?
They both raced through the northern brick courtyard, headed towards the gardens. Just above the northwestern turret room of her houses was a tall barren tree where the kite had made its perch? every autumn when cool winds blew they flew kites, it wasn't a ritual but jai loved flying kites and bani was amused seeing a thin paper flying in the blue sky, it fascinated her? ?
Reaching the tree they both panted heavily?
"Kaise jaayenge?" bani said looking up?the tree was high...jai kept looking at the kite which sat their unperturbed? ?
"Chal?main chadta hoon?" jai said, though still young he was genetically tall, a lanky kid nicknamed 'lambu' by his close group of friends?bani at times called him that when she wanted to tease him...he certainly hated it, because he was quite proud of his height as his hand could reach places where none could? ?
"Girjayega toh?" bani asked, worried?
"Arre nahin girunga?" jai assured her?catching hold of the tree, figuring out how to climb it? ?
That moment, a breeze blew, the kite saw fit to swoop down hitting jai who had already climbed a considerable length of the tree?it luckily spared his eye but left a deep, bleeding gash just under it?
"Jaiii?kya hua?" bani screamed as jai struggled to come down, but finally he managed to stand on his tall feet, holding the colorful kite? ?
"Ammi maar daalegi?" he said? bani looked tensed?
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"Zaafir?" Nazeema stopped her restless son who was hurriedly tip-toeing inside his room?
"Khalajaan?hume kuch kaam hain?cahlo jai?" bani smiled meekly at jai's mother whom she adored?Nazeema looked at her innocent face?
"Bani beti?aap kabse jai ki tarah bahane banane lagi?" Nazeema held her ears lightly?
"Ahh!!!" bani let out a screech?
"Woh?jai ko chot lag gayi?" bani confessed?Now nazeema left her ear and held jai's ear turning him around, shocked to see the cut below his eye, it was turning blue-black?
"Ya Allah?iss ladke ka kuch nahin ho sakta?shaitan?" nazeema twisted his ear?
"Ammi...muafi?woh patang aake giri mujpe, maine kuch nahin kiya? ?" jai said earnestly?as nazeema twisted his ear?
"Khalajaan chodiya na jai ko?dard hora hain usse.,." bani held nazeema's arm?
"Aap dono ka kuch nahin ho sakta hain?" nazeema shook his head, releasing jai? ?
"Chaliye?ab chot ko theek karte hain?saheb zade?" she led them inside, trying to search a clean cloth in her small, clustered house?
Zaafir was the only son of Nazeema, about whose origin nobody in the village knew? One stormy night when there was heavy snowfall, nazeema with a two year old jai had knocked on the door of the Kirpals? due to bad weather they had immediately taken her in, she was greeted by a warm family, a husband and wife, the wife was heavily pregnant, mostly in her final stage of maternity?they had quietly enquired about her whereabouts, not being too pushy?and suddenly the lady started experiencing he labor pains, in that weather and time it was impossible to go out and bring a midwife, it was nazeema who took over and delivered bani?Since then bani's mother, Sudha befriended her, and even helped her to find a place, just besides her house? ?
Bani and jai eventually grew up together, though belonging to different religions and backgrounds, but still their friendship was as pure as the flowing Ganges River?without any pretence? bani was very young, and she couldn't pronounce zaafir, even though a simple name but bani rolled her tongue and failed in calling him, so Nazeema translated his name, Zaafir meant 'Victorious' in Urdu, so a Hindi translation of Zaafir became 'Jai' and since then bani called him jai?and so did most of their common friends in the neighborhood?
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Nazeema cleaned jai's wound with a soft cotton cloth dipped in warm water, blowing over his eye?
"Ab theek hain?" nazeema asked jai?who simply nodded his head, acting brave?
"Aapko ek kahaani batayen?" Nazeema asked the children?who excitedly sat upright, crossing their legs?in rapt attention?
"Ek patang ki kahaani?" Nazeema said?
"Patang ki kahaani?" bani exclaimed? ?
"Bohot saal pehle?ek rajya tha?Kukraj, Rajasthan main?ek bar ek bohot bada yudh hua doosre Rajya ke saath?sabi log mar gaye the?"
"Fir?" jai asked, imagining the massacre, fights, wars and battles always mesmerized him?
"Ek chota bacha tha?aur wahaan sabko maar rahen the?tab asmaan main ek bada sa patang udd raha tha?woh bada sa patang aake zameen pe gira, us bache ke upar?aur woh ghudsavar chale gaye?aur who bacha bach gaya? tab uski maa usko leke bhaag gayi?tabse uska saara pariwaar patang to devta manta hain?" nazeema ended? ?
"Waahh!!! Bohot acha tha?" bani clapped her hands?nazeema smiled?
"Baniii?" came sudha's voice?who entered holding a bowl?
"Maa?" bani got up?
"Zaafir beta?aapki manpasand kheer? ?" sudha handed the bowl to Nazeema while jai looked at it greedily? ?
"Iski kya zaroorat thi didi?aapne hi isse bigaad ke rakha hain?" Nazeema said as she poured out the kheer in two separate bowls? handing them to the both bani and jai? ?
"Tumne kya bani ko kum bigada hain?" Sudha smiled?
"Acha didi, hume tiyaari shuru karni chahiye?dhoop bhi theek hain?" nazeema said?
"Haan?maine samaman bhi manga liya hain?"
A few years after bani's birth, her father met with a deadly accident, he was caught in a landslide?from then Sudha also joined nazeema in making pickles, papad, and selling them in the village and its nearby villages to earn a living? ?
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It was one of those sunny, crisp days?winter lasted only three months a year?
"Ammi?nahin hain?" jai whispered to bani loitering around his house?
"Maa bhi nahin hain?" bani replied to him?leaning over the wooden railing of the veranda of her house, her house was comparatively bigger, with a veranda, a small hall, a kitchen and spacious bedroom, also an attic upstairs which was usually out of use?
"Chalegi?" jai asked her?
"Haan?" bani said her eyes shining?
"Baaki sab ko bhi bulate hain? ?" jai said as he leapt?bani joined him?
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The gang of five, Bani, Jai, meenu, iqbal and mohan stealthily entered the mango orchards, the long expanses of orchards of apples, mangoes and other fruits were the undertaking of the British officers, mainly the governor of the area, the Indians were only employed in the orchards, since the village was far away from Shimla, a very remote area with no field lands, mostly step cultivation was the type of agricultural practice was followed that too only a selective crops, like rice, were grown, fruits like apples, peaches and mangoes were the main product of the area. Rearing sheep was another main occupation; the wool used to prides woolen garments. Maximum revenue came on these seasonal fruits, which were exported to Britain or stored for local use by the families of the British army officers and their families. India dues to its tropical weather was becoming popular, the families who came to pay a visit for a few days feel in love with the beauty and ambiance and of course the comforts and services offered in India and decided to stay back, leading to a lot of 'white population' cropping up.
"Dhyaan se?" jai said as he pulled bani to sit on the branch?seeing the still unripe mangoes their mouths watered?it was lunch time and people who worked here would be eating their lunch or taking a quick afternoon nap? bani and jai quickly collected the mangoes, and threw them down where iqbal, meenu and mohan picked them up putting them in a cloth bag?satisfied by the number of mangoes collected they jumped down? ?
"Chal?bhaagen?" iqbal said, holding the bag firmly?they all giggled before the fled from the orchards? ?
They decreased their pace as they reached the guest houses of the British officers; they saw white women sitting in the verandas, basking in the warm sun, knitting cardigans for the next winter? while their white children played with balls and bats? ?
"Kitne gore hain?"bani whispered into jai's ear?who nodded his head? observing?
Just then the white officers marched along the road?the horses trotting, jai kept looking at the soldiers?wearing a red and white uniform, they looked smart and elegant?jai specially liked their fluffy headgear? and the long rifle they carried?he felt an urge to hold it? ?
"Dekhna ek din main bhi aise hi banoonga?" jai said proudly, while bani looked amazed, iqbal and mohan chuckled?
"Fir bhi kaala hi rahega?" they laughed?jai made a face still watching the troops which were gone far away? ?
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Finally, reaching the bank of a gushing stream, they dropped?the unripe mangoes rolled on the floor from the bag?meenu took out a small packet made of paper, she carefully opened it which contained a mixture of salt, pepper, ground chilies, and roasted cumin?They cleaned the mangoes in the cold waters of the stream and hungrily munched the mangoes, along with the spices?
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God bless
Dhani? ?
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