Murmur of the Lonely Brook (16 page)

He smiled, did two somersaults, and sat in the snow half submerged.

“Better be careful. You will catch a cold and fever.”

Diwakar again smiled and pushed against the snow, making a small snowball and then rolling a huge ball out of it. He balanced the ball on his head and stretched out his hands. Nisha took a handful of snow and threw it at him. The sun was out after three days and everyone was outside trying to soak in as much warmth as possible. The peaks stood against an azure sky in all their majesty. A few puffs of white clouds floated across the western sky. The pines stood awaiting the wind to help them shed the snow that draped over them.

Nisha went inside to help Parvati, who was grinding apricot seeds in a stone mortar to extract oil. The oil was good for health, for massage and could be used in cooking too, but the villagers sold all of it, as the price it fetched was quite high.

Nisha came back and saw Diwakar putting finishing touches to a ten-headed snow Ravana. He was putting small twigs on top of each head. He came back, made a few snowballs handed them to Nisha.

“Now, let’s knock him down!”

Both threw the snowballs as long as the figure stood and finally managed to level it. Nisha clapped and laughed aloud. She loved being a child sometimes.

***

Shevak sat on a pole while Mahajan and a few villagers held the cable below. He was an expert at climbing poles and could work high on top of one without the help of ladders or anything. Even at his age, he was agile. The villagers normally came out to help them during winter, as it would take days for people to come from Sangla. Replacing and erecting a pole took several days or more if the terrain was difficult. The work continued until five in the evening, as beyond that time the government would not pay for any accidents. Shevak came down and everyone went to a nearby house where they drank hot water and tea.

***

Pravin started across the snow-covered road by walking through a narrow trough. There was less snow in Sangla and it was like walking on a crisp carpet. But ahead he had to slog and sometimes push through the snow to make any headway. The poplars stood on both sides spreading their naked arms toward the sky as if praying for spring. There was no sign of green except for the pines, though most of the trees remained covered with snow. The river ran far below like a silver snake undulating across the snow-covered plain. The villages looked like something out of fairytale books with only the tall flags fluttering in the wind. Smoke rose through chimneys from the snow-covered rooftops. A few stray cows stood gazing aimlessly at the snow, unable to find anything to feed on. A few desperate birds picked on the dried grass that was still on trees.

Pravin walked along and finally reached the stream before the final bend. It flowed in a narrow trickle now and the music it played among the rocks was lost. A thin layer of ice adorned the rocks wherever the stream kissed it and icicles hung on the underside glowing in the reflected light. He crossed the bend and the valley opened up before him. The sun was down and the sunlight fell on the eastern peaks reflecting a golden shine. The peaks opposite also glowed with shared light from the white valley that stretched for miles. Pravin watched the snowscape for a while and turned toward the steps that led toward the Dongri.

Chapter 16

It was morning but clouds hung overhead covering the sun and snow drizzled across the valley. Diwakar cleared a portion of the courtyard and started sizing up the branches with an axe so that they fit into the bukhari. He was happy that his aaté was there. He had missed the trip to Rampur as Balbir said there was no need for him to go and also there were no seats available. Balbir himself purchased the ration and brought it for them. But aaté was a big help at this time. It was always good to have more hands during winter. The grass bundles left on trees and firewood had to be brought to the Dongri. Diwakar stacked up a pile of firewood and set his axe aside. He was feeling warm and decided to clear off the roof; otherwise, water would leak inside and spoil the goods stored below it.

***

Pravin woke up to the sound of footsteps overhead. It took him a while to realize where he was and then to make out the source of the noise. The previous night he had been tired and retired early. He shivered for quite some time and Nisha put two blankets over him. She held him close until he felt comfortable. Pravin came to the other room and saw Parvati making wool from the fleece and Nisha grinding the apricot seeds for oil. Nisha got up and gave him pancakes and some vegetables.

“Aama, cook some meat today. And also give me a few pieces when I go.”

“I need a sack of rice. Take Diwa with you and get one from the house,” Parvati said.

The dongri did not have much space so part of the ration was kept in the other house in the village.

“I will go and feed the cows,” Nisha said and left.

“How long do you intend to stay?”

“I will leave as soon as the roads are open.”

“Did you talk with Diwa about Nisha?”

“Yes, he is okay with the proposal. He understands what is good for the family.”

Parvati felt relieved that Diwa was in favor of the proposal. She wondered how Nisha would take it but that did not matter. Women had very little say and had to accept if the brothers agreed.

“I will leave for the village with Diwa,” Pravin said and got up to leave.

***

In the village, Dayawanti looked at the shop in despair. Huge chunks of snow that fell from the roof blocked half of the shop. She took a shovel and started clearing a part of it. Kishori came a short while after and took the shovel from her. He lit a bidi and first cleared the front, making a space for placing the bukhari.

Kishori was a man of few words, plus no one understood him properly as his words were garbled most of the time. He wore a ragged jacket, woolen trousers, and a pair of over-used military boots. He always carried his axe. He rarely bathed or cleaned himself and his unkempt hair hung below his topi covering the upper part of his face. Kishori was much in demand during winter as he braved the snow to supply wood from the upper reaches. The government sold firewood at four hundred rupees a quintal while he charged only for labor. Even during summer the villagers gave him the contract for wood required for building or renovating houses. The villagers called him jungle mafia because the forest guards hounded him, hoping to catch him red handed some day.

***

The brothers walked up to the village but first Pravin wanted to meet Balbir. They saw the Jeep half submerged in snow in front of his house. They knocked and Balbir came out. He smiled at Pravin.

“Any word yet, Mamaji, when the roads will open?”

“The PWD bulldozers have reached Batseri and they should be here in two or three days.”

“That’s good news. I will need a drop at Sangla.”

“No problem. As it is, I plan to keep the car near Dongri once I am able to start it. The snowfall was much lighter there.”

“But you will have to wait a day or two as I am on Devta’s duty.”

The Devta selected his carriers every year and now it was Balbir’s turn. He had to be available whenever there was a call. But there was little chance the Devta would come outside, except for an emergency. The red flag was down and Devta rested during winter, locked in his private space along with all his jewels and cash. The snowfall normally came a few days after the lowering of the red flag.

The brothers went back to the village and reached their home. Like other houses, their house had a thick deposit of snow on all sides. They made their way through the snow and opened the door. Pravin opened the windows to let fresh air in and checked the taps. Even though everyone kept one tap open to avoid bursting the pipes, a few old and rusted pipes always gave way, causing trouble for everyone. The water department had only one man in the village; he used rubber tubes to seal such leaks when they occurred. Sometimes such a disaster resulted in the total cutoff of water for many days and villagers had to get water from the hand pumps.

“I will clean the roof,” Diwakar said.

“Be careful to avoid the entrance and push the snow to the back side.”

“You stay inside while I finish this part.”

Diwakar came down after a while and found that his aaté has already cleared the entrance. He sat on a plastic chair firming it on the snow. Diwakar pulled up another chair and sat next to him.

“I wish I could have gone to Rampur for the ration.”

“Bad luck, but there is always a next time.”

“Now I can go only after the winter is over and the snow melts.”

Pravin also wished his baya could come to Rampur and spend a few days with him. He could show him around and, with Raju on the team, the three would have a nice time. But he had something else on his mind. “Did you think over what I told you last time? About Nisha?”

“Yes.”

“You have not changed your mind?”

“No, I think it will be good for the family and we will stay together.”

Pravin once again felt relieved. He knew that his baya would not change his resolve but still he wanted to be certain.

“One more thing. Nisha will be with you most of the time except when I am here. It may be a few days or even a month. I hope you are okay with that.”

Diwakar simply nodded. He thought it was fair that his aaté got his share of Nisha whenever he came, which would only be once in two or three months. He was not bothered even if he stayed for a month. His presence gave him immense happiness and he always wanted to be near him. He also knew that he could never have anyone entirely for himself and even if he wanted to marry someone later, it would depend solely on Nisha and her approval.

On the road, they met Naresh rushing in with a few men. His son, who was the same age as Diwakar and his friend also, had been in an accident. He was sitting on the balcony of the first floor when, apparently, a ghost pushed him and he fell down, injuring himself. It had to be a ghost because there was no one else around. The injury was not severe but he was speaking incoherently and very scared. They all reached the temple and the Gur advised a puja to be performed immediately.

Everyone sat down and the Gur performed the puja, informing the Devta of the victim’s name and condition. After a few rituals, the Gur passed him some prasad and advised him to give it to the boy. He also suggested Naresh bring the boy and cook halwa after he was okay.

Diwakar went back with Naresh to check on his friend. After having the prasad, the boy calmed down. Everyone praised the Devta and Naresh promised to perform puja. He decided to take him to the hospital at Sangla to treat his physical injuries.

Pravin walked back home. The sky was overcast and a mild wind was blowing. He reached home and saw Parvati cooking while Nisha helped her. He waved at her and went to the other room.

“Aama, your son is calling me. I will see what he needs and come back,” said Nisha.

Parvati nodded and Nisha joined Pravin.

Pravin closed the door and gestured to her to sit down. He sat next to her on the bed.

“I have something to tell you.”

Nisha remained silent and looked at him. She saw he was serious and hesitant.

“You know our farmland is small and if divided will not be enough for the two of us to sustain.” He paused.

Nisha nodded.

“I have decided to work while baya will take care of the farm and orchard. As of now he does not want to join the army.”

“But that was always his dream.”

“I don’t know about tomorrow but now he wants to stay in the village.”

“And what happens to the land when he marries?”

“He will not marry anyone else. He will be your second husband. I have spoken with him and he has agreed to share you with me. This way the land will remain intact and the family will stay together.”

“What?” She sat quietly as the full depth of Pravin’s statement sank in and hit her consciousness. She was stunned and outraged.

“But… but I look at him as a brother,” she managed to say.

“That was before. From now, you can treat him otherwise. Even my fourth uncle who got married to my aunt later is much younger than she is. It will not be a problem. And this is best for the family.”

“How can I love both of you? How can I love equally? How can I be in bed with him?”

“It’s only the two of us, not four or five. If both of us can sacrifice for the family, then it should not be difficult for you.” Pravin raised his tone a bit.

Her universe crumbled and sank before her. All the while she thought that he loved her immensely and wanted to possess her and keep her for his own. It would have been different if it were a shared marriage from the beginning. Even her cousin was married to three brothers. She never thought, even in her dreams, that this was a possibility. She was not prepared mentally. She was terribly shaken and disturbed.

She knew she could not contest the decision; she had to accept it. If she didn’t, she would be marked as an outcast and thrown out of the house. There would be no place she could go. She also knew that her world would not be the same again. She knew the meaning of love would be lost forever. True, she enjoyed his brother’s infatuations and also floated with his dream sometimes, but in her mind, the image of love was always around one person. Was it that he did not find her love strong enough, not passionate enough, that he could share her so easily?

She looked at him in pain. How could the person she trusted so much betray her love? Had he ever loved her? She felt very much like a commodity that had no say in the trade, or who would acquire it. How could he decide like that?

She looked away. She went to the window and looked outside. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Outside the sky was dark and the wind gathered speed and grew into a storm. A blizzard came from the south and hit the eastern peaks, sweeping the snow off the pine trees and blowing them down on the valley. The trees swayed violently and the wind started brushing the rocks and boulders in broad furious strokes; the deposits forming on them rode the storm to scatter everywhere. The blinding blizzard moved from one peak to the other like a caged leopard, knocking down poles, flags, tiles, and all in its path.

Nisha stood still as a rush of snow came along with a gust of wind and plastered the window. Another came soon to clean it and then a burst of wind approached, twisting and twirling with snow, and hit the house, shaking the foundation. The front yard, the logs, the grass, everything disappeared below a covering of white. Huge slabs fell from the rooftops, blocking the roads, lanes, and steps. Pravin left the room while Nisha sobbed silently near the window. Her sobs floated across the ranges and finally condensed into a single teardrop, which fell on the river and flowed toward some unknown destination.

***

Shevak came in late. He had been struck by the storm and had snow all over him. He changed and sat next to the fire with the others. Parvati gave him a glass of hot water. She lit a candle and placed the meat on the bukhari to warm it up. Diwakar told everyone about Naresh’s son and Parvati listened intently.

“They need to call the Lama to perform puja. If there is an evil spirit, he needs to be driven out.”

“It was all his fault and his son is paying for it,” Shevak said. Everyone was aware that he neglected his wife and spent most of his time with his brother’s widow.

The meat was delicious and all ate silently. Outside the storm lessened. Nisha fiddled with her food for some time and then ate a little. No one in the room was aware of the storm that raged within her mind, devastating her.

At night, Pravin found Nisha sleeping on her side with her back toward him and her head buried in the pillow. He placed an arm around her but she remained silent. He realized that she was upset and that it would take time to make peace within her mind. He hoped she would realize what was good for the family. He left her alone.

***

The storm ceased at night and took away the clouds with it. The valley woke to an azure sky with bright sunlight dazzling across the snow. The villagers pushed their way through the snow. A few stray dogs followed them. Everyone was busy clearing their compounds and roofs. A few trees had fallen, blocking a major part of the road and forcing everyone to skirt it. Dayawanti abused the PWD officials, as they always came late to this part of the valley. Balbir smiled at her as he sipped his tea.

“Yours words won’t make them come earlier. They will clean the approach first and then reach here.”

“But, Bhaiya, I am out of stock. I have almost nothing to sell except these snacks.”

True she had only a few cabbages, which had shrunk in size and turned black, and a few potatoes with sprouts showing on them.

“Ask Lalaji to get some when he returns,” Balbir said and waited for her reply with a smile. Lalaji had left a few days back to see his second wife in Bilaspur and he knew Dayawanti was upset.

“You think that man would carry goods? You think he will find time after having a good time with that witch? He will enjoy the warm comfort of his home and his preferred lady,” she fumed.

“Then you should close the shop and rest for a few days.”

“I cannot rest. If he finds out he will abuse me like an animal.”

Shevak came in a while later with Mahajan. He had been out since morning to assess the damage.