Short Story- at the Bank of Ganga
At the Bank of Ganga
My wife and wife of her brother were accompanying me when we started for Haridwar. We were accommodated in a Sarai and after taking rest, we planned to visit all holy places in the city and along side the river Ganga. First of all we reached Harkipori. This is the most important place in Haridwar. We deposited our shoes and then we had a round there. Both were standing on the bank when I took bath and after finishing this ceremony, I asked them to give their belongings to me and they should go inside the place which was meant for the women where they could take bath. When they went in I along with the personal effects came out and sat on a Chauntra. I started looking at the visitors.
All of a sudden my eyes fell on the boy who was just standing in front of myself. He was wearing a shirt, a short and very low type of shoes on his feet. In front of him there was a bench and on the bench there were about four five steel containers. He was selling ‘Namkeens’. He was not retail seller. The people who were selling’ Namkeen in Harkipuri’ complex were coming to him and he was giving them more supplies. He was collecting money from them and was keeping the same in the ‘Galla”. The boy was just 12-13, as per my estimates. But he was very intelligent. He could calculate the amounts and his calculations were always correct because none of the salesmen was objecting to the amount calculated by that boy.
After sometime a man came. The boy recognized him. He came forward and bowed on his feet and actually touched his feet. The man took him in his arms and started weeping. While in arms, he told the boy that his father has died yesterday. There was none in the house at that time. He died of hunger and illness. Now the Mukhia of the village has sent him to collect him and take him to the village so that you could perform the last ceremonies and rites. The boy also started weeping and when he was out of arms, the boy sat on the earth and started weeping. He continued weeping for some time and then stood up. He went to a shop and brought a cup of tea for the man from his village. He gave him the stool to sit. The man was still talking to him. He told him that a man has been sent to the village of his sister and she shall also be coming to join last rites.
I saw that another man came. He opened the Galla and collected all the money and put that money in his pocket. I could calculate that this man is the owner of this on the road shop. Then the man had a look on the man sitting on the stool. He enquired and the man from the village himself said,
“Sir, the father of this boy has died yesterday. The Mukhia of the village has sent me and has given me directions to take the boy to the village so that last ceremonies of his father could be completed as per Hindu traditions. The Mukhia has also sent a man to the village of his sister and she too shall be joining the last rites. There was none in the house when the old man died of hunger and illness.”
The man heard all this. He kept silence for a while and then said,
“This is a small boy. What can he do for the dead body of his father. The last rites shall be performed by the Pandit. His sister shall be present there.” And then he brought out some currency notes from his pocket and handed over the same to the man from the village. He again said,
“Please give this money to the Mukhia and tell him from my side that last rites of the dead body be completed as per traditions. This money shall be enough and if some more money is spent, you can give me accounts and I shall pay the balances. The boy is at work and at this stage I have got no spare man who can look after this shop. Please bring his last remains and I shall arrange the last rites in presence of this boy.” Saying this the owner of the shop left the scene. The boy was silent. He did not utter a single word nor he reacted or insisted that he should be allowed to visit the village.
The man from the village took the boy in his arms once again. Both wept for some time and then while going back to his village, the man from the village said,
“I shall be coming with the remains of your father. We shall perform the last rites in Harki Pauri. Then I shall stay with you for a day or two and only then I shall be visiting some temples situated in Haridwar. I shall bring the keys of the house because you are the only successor of your father.” The man also left and I noticed that the boy was again at work and started disposing of the salesmen. I observed that nothing had happened there. One thing I missed that the smile which was present on the face of the boy was missing.
In spite of all my efforts I am not forgetting the scene which I suffered at the bank of Ganga.
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- Dalip Singh Wasan
