Memoirs are what ? Is it a mocking bird perched on a memory window positioned in any shape,any size, any where .But the mocking bird of memory is perched ,sometimes taunting,sometimes deriding,laughing at your naivety ,scowling & contemptuous of your act ,rarely sardonic & maximum of the time scoffing & satiric . This mocking bird never flies away , always remain with you making faces so,bear with it !
In the year 1956-57 I was at Siwan where Papa was posted as revenue officer in Bihar government. My school Victoria Memorial was on the other side of the road so when I got bored just ambled to Papa's office but reverential type of treatment by his subordinate staff of his , never caught my fancy to the hilt. Just peeping in this room here or there , talking haughtily to some staff , devoid of any bosom friend forced me to return to the monotony & tedium of the school.
One day, again I was toiling with my books or home work ,upstairs in my house under the leisurely gaze of my mother , somebody informed her ,, some urchin of 14 or 15 year old is weeping vociferously saying in his colloquial mother tongue 'I want to see Sahib only'. His noisy type of weeping was nonstop . Mother was good in Bhojpuri lingo & after much persuasion ,she was able to extract from his mouth the cause of meeting Papa . I was simply an onlooker with full of curiosity .
His mother was a widow & he was her only son. He had got only job of herding the cows in wielder land & pasture fields to graze them in his village & a very meager amount of money came in his hand . It was difficult for her mother to keep the cooking hearth of the house burning . One day he was denied simple pancake & a quarrel ensued between mother & son . In the bitter squabble mother challenged her son to have a fixed salary then demand good food . It went to son's heart . The urchin was desperate to have a government job of fixed salary at any cost & this was the reason of his noisy wailing & ardent desire to see Papa .
He was Viswanath Yadav & my Vishna for years to come . Mother was impressed by the earnestness & simplicity of his ardor . He was provided 1st by some food in the house & promised ,he will be allowed to see Papa in the evening. Papa was cajoled , coaxed ,requested to keep some how him, as apprentice peon but his age was only fifteen years ,so it was not possible . .Ultimately Papa was advised by his nazir to keep the boy as 'Pankha Pullar' & his salary will be 20 rupees a month . Twenty rupees was hale of money those days & Vishna was successful in his mission !
' The job of Pankha Pullar' was an old relic of the footprints left by British administration .Any official was empowered to appoint Pankha Pullar of his choice to provide fresh air to sahib disposing official work sitting in inner court room I don't know why this petty post fascinated me ,perhaps it was due to Vishna who was our domestic servant & my friend for many years of my growing up .
Now these short of Pankha is not available & these are simple antiques . Natives sitting out side the room ,pulling it with the help of a rope & providing air to persons sitting inside the room ,stopping stuffiness in the room at the sametime is Raj shenanigans .
Anyway Vishna ,that simple boy was with us & mother also felt relaxed as he was my pal when I hankered to go out on some petty errand .
During the school festival of selling goods by fixing stalls by school boys I was also a participant & Vishna was great help of me ,which is unforgettable ,but my this experiences will be shared some other time .
Vishna was my hero also as he always came trump in the game of 'Lattu' played with gully boys !
Continued .............
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| An urchin with his beloved cow ! |
One day, again I was toiling with my books or home work ,upstairs in my house under the leisurely gaze of my mother , somebody informed her ,, some urchin of 14 or 15 year old is weeping vociferously saying in his colloquial mother tongue 'I want to see Sahib only'. His noisy type of weeping was nonstop . Mother was good in Bhojpuri lingo & after much persuasion ,she was able to extract from his mouth the cause of meeting Papa . I was simply an onlooker with full of curiosity .
His mother was a widow & he was her only son. He had got only job of herding the cows in wielder land & pasture fields to graze them in his village & a very meager amount of money came in his hand . It was difficult for her mother to keep the cooking hearth of the house burning . One day he was denied simple pancake & a quarrel ensued between mother & son . In the bitter squabble mother challenged her son to have a fixed salary then demand good food . It went to son's heart . The urchin was desperate to have a government job of fixed salary at any cost & this was the reason of his noisy wailing & ardent desire to see Papa .
He was Viswanath Yadav & my Vishna for years to come . Mother was impressed by the earnestness & simplicity of his ardor . He was provided 1st by some food in the house & promised ,he will be allowed to see Papa in the evening. Papa was cajoled , coaxed ,requested to keep some how him, as apprentice peon but his age was only fifteen years ,so it was not possible . .Ultimately Papa was advised by his nazir to keep the boy as 'Pankha Pullar' & his salary will be 20 rupees a month . Twenty rupees was hale of money those days & Vishna was successful in his mission !
' The job of Pankha Pullar' was an old relic of the footprints left by British administration .Any official was empowered to appoint Pankha Pullar of his choice to provide fresh air to sahib disposing official work sitting in inner court room I don't know why this petty post fascinated me ,perhaps it was due to Vishna who was our domestic servant & my friend for many years of my growing up .
 |
| Pankha in a room |
 |
| Pankha in a dinning room |
Anyway Vishna ,that simple boy was with us & mother also felt relaxed as he was my pal when I hankered to go out on some petty errand .
During the school festival of selling goods by fixing stalls by school boys I was also a participant & Vishna was great help of me ,which is unforgettable ,but my this experiences will be shared some other time .
Vishna was my hero also as he always came trump in the game of 'Lattu' played with gully boys !
Continued .............
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