Memoirs are such a kalidescope ,which is not tangible ,but always remains with you ,with good & bad patterns of memory flashes spawning melancholy or cheerfulness at the same time .No escape from it ! Sometimes their unwarranted intrusion on your memory plate ,lives you sad & helpless & rarely allow smile to play on your lips .
This is a story of 1956. Papa in his service life stationed in Madhepura, Mahua, Jhanjharpur, Siwan ,Muzaffarpur ,Bhagalpur Buxar, Chaibasa &finally Patna & his duration of service life was from 1949 to 1977. I had been with him & had various poignant memories of different stations.
In 1955 Papa was transferred from Jhanjhapur to Siwan . Jhanjharpur , though small hamlet compared to Siwan as it was small town in 1955 .In Jhanjarpur we had a Ceylonese bungalow bequeathed by circle manager of Darbhanga Raj. The front moorum path after the grassy compound was equally distanced by Amatash trees & during its full bloom period ,moorum path remain laden with yellow petals of Amaltas spelling a fine spectacle & rarefied landscape .
When Papa was transferred from Jhanjarpur, I thought Papa will get good healthy accommodation to live but In Siwan we were allotted a twin double story private house in a narrow lane Due to paucity of government houses , the department had requisitioned private houses on rent . Mother demurred but Papa had no problem with accommodation. It was a shock to me but gradually I also accepted the fact.
From Jhanjharpur , among the many pets we had brought two pets ,one was male deer endowed with horns & other a small dog. They were given very small darkish places as abode . Only their morose expression & forlorn eyes were telling their plight but we were helpless. The small dog ,which had the propensity of barking on any moving thing ,simply started sleeping closing the eyes & his clamoring for food became erratic & infrequent & one fine morning Kiddy ,which was its pet name was no more & died on her mat !
The allotted house in Siwan was double story & its staircase was typically carved out by masons from house planning ,directly going to upstairs with two blank walls on both sides least bothering for the shape & size of rise & tread of stairs . The hollow space created under the single flight of the stair ,which was dark ,dingy was given to deer to live with its eating pot. The small latrine kiosk of old Indian style had the doorway passing through the hollow spacace earmarked for deer .
The deer's habit of lowering its head on any passer by gesturing it will gore any body by its horns & many a times if somebody invlountarily caught its horns got injured by getting up or getting down . One old maid servant who was very much rickety ,always blabring & murmerring for no apparent reason & mother wanted to get rid of her . Once she involuntarily caught hold deer horns going to latrine was mercilessly punished by making her to sit & stand umpteen times . The silence during her presence was amiss & mother came down stirs & saw comical uninterrupted exercise. Anyhow ,maid servant was made free from the hold of deer horns & she became senseless . She stopped coming to our house for doing household cores ,which mother wanted !
I remember deer & dog hilarious act during its train journey from Jhanjharpur to Siwan . Ma insisted , both deer & dog should accompany us in train compartment . When ever train stopped on any railway station , the deer got up from is sitting posture inviting astray onlookers for weird comments . Some even pronounced it as Muslim goat ! I was sitting with Papa & Ma watching the whole spectacle . On a big station ,perhaps it was Darbhanga two ticket collectors making threatening arguments were in the process of sending deer & dog to brake van. The belligerent posture of Ma, asking the ticket collectors 'who will be responsible for the life of deer & dog in the brake van'. The ticket collectors left the scene arguing among themselves & I just prayed to in my own way to God & got relieved .But after so many decades I remember palpitating moments & hilarious comical scene of theirs in train compartment .
I daily made a habit to observe the deer & lo! one day I found male deer was lying as a sick patient ,which was unusual .. I came running to Ma crying hoarsely our 'Hirna' was dying . Ma , instructed the peons to bring veterinary doctor to see the dear . For the whole day veterinary doctor didn't come only in the evening he came after much cajoling & pestering .Veterinary doctor during his visit gave more lectures & less treatment .
The deer died & when I saw its dead body in the morning , my eye welled with tears & vowed I will become only veterinary doctor . The male deer discards old jutting horns in spring season & new fresh horns germinate from the slots & in one month time more virile horns start gleaming . Many of his discarded horns are lying at my house after so many decades & when by-chance I see them ,opening the flood gate of memories come alive !
In 1955 Papa was transferred from Jhanjhapur to Siwan . Jhanjharpur , though small hamlet compared to Siwan as it was small town in 1955 .In Jhanjarpur we had a Ceylonese bungalow bequeathed by circle manager of Darbhanga Raj. The front moorum path after the grassy compound was equally distanced by Amatash trees & during its full bloom period ,moorum path remain laden with yellow petals of Amaltas spelling a fine spectacle & rarefied landscape .
When Papa was transferred from Jhanjarpur, I thought Papa will get good healthy accommodation to live but In Siwan we were allotted a twin double story private house in a narrow lane Due to paucity of government houses , the department had requisitioned private houses on rent . Mother demurred but Papa had no problem with accommodation. It was a shock to me but gradually I also accepted the fact.
From Jhanjharpur , among the many pets we had brought two pets ,one was male deer endowed with horns & other a small dog. They were given very small darkish places as abode . Only their morose expression & forlorn eyes were telling their plight but we were helpless. The small dog ,which had the propensity of barking on any moving thing ,simply started sleeping closing the eyes & his clamoring for food became erratic & infrequent & one fine morning Kiddy ,which was its pet name was no more & died on her mat !
The allotted house in Siwan was double story & its staircase was typically carved out by masons from house planning ,directly going to upstairs with two blank walls on both sides least bothering for the shape & size of rise & tread of stairs . The hollow space created under the single flight of the stair ,which was dark ,dingy was given to deer to live with its eating pot. The small latrine kiosk of old Indian style had the doorway passing through the hollow spacace earmarked for deer .
The deer's habit of lowering its head on any passer by gesturing it will gore any body by its horns & many a times if somebody invlountarily caught its horns got injured by getting up or getting down . One old maid servant who was very much rickety ,always blabring & murmerring for no apparent reason & mother wanted to get rid of her . Once she involuntarily caught hold deer horns going to latrine was mercilessly punished by making her to sit & stand umpteen times . The silence during her presence was amiss & mother came down stirs & saw comical uninterrupted exercise. Anyhow ,maid servant was made free from the hold of deer horns & she became senseless . She stopped coming to our house for doing household cores ,which mother wanted !
I remember deer & dog hilarious act during its train journey from Jhanjharpur to Siwan . Ma insisted , both deer & dog should accompany us in train compartment . When ever train stopped on any railway station , the deer got up from is sitting posture inviting astray onlookers for weird comments . Some even pronounced it as Muslim goat ! I was sitting with Papa & Ma watching the whole spectacle . On a big station ,perhaps it was Darbhanga two ticket collectors making threatening arguments were in the process of sending deer & dog to brake van. The belligerent posture of Ma, asking the ticket collectors 'who will be responsible for the life of deer & dog in the brake van'. The ticket collectors left the scene arguing among themselves & I just prayed to in my own way to God & got relieved .But after so many decades I remember palpitating moments & hilarious comical scene of theirs in train compartment .
I daily made a habit to observe the deer & lo! one day I found male deer was lying as a sick patient ,which was unusual .. I came running to Ma crying hoarsely our 'Hirna' was dying . Ma , instructed the peons to bring veterinary doctor to see the dear . For the whole day veterinary doctor didn't come only in the evening he came after much cajoling & pestering .Veterinary doctor during his visit gave more lectures & less treatment .
The deer died & when I saw its dead body in the morning , my eye welled with tears & vowed I will become only veterinary doctor . The male deer discards old jutting horns in spring season & new fresh horns germinate from the slots & in one month time more virile horns start gleaming . Many of his discarded horns are lying at my house after so many decades & when by-chance I see them ,opening the flood gate of memories come alive !
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