The Journey and the Companions

Deepak Koul

There was a time when people in the mohalla could do nothing. not even swallow a morsel of food, without Ved Lal being a party to it; not to speak of Tota Koul to whom he was the `Mama' (maternal uncle). Now things have come to pass that nobody comes forth to carry his earthly remains to the cremation ground.

The gossiping women of the watering place heard of Ved Lal’s demise at the early day-break, they were terrified and saying trahi trahi? (Save, save) they went to their homes. Some of them heard of it on their way to the watering place and retraced their steps to their homes. They poured water on Shamboo and on reaching their homes, told their home people of the event and they felt sad.

Even those who would never visit Shiva's temple, came there as heard of Ved Lal’s demise. There they found Ved Lal's body wrapped in a rag of a blanket in a dark corner of the Dharm Shala; there was pallor of death on his face, his eyes were shut, his mouth agape in his death-sleep.

Who could believe it to be the selfsame Ved Lal whose humour would cause side-splitting laughter, whose presence graced even the walls of a room, and now there was such a pallor on his face it was hard to believe that a smile had ever played on his lips.

Whosoever came there, heaved a sigh and left for his home after washing his face at the water tap. Everybody had had a look at him and then left. It occurred to none that Ved Lal had to be carried to the god of Death and cremated.

That Babaji of the temple got worried as to what was to be done with him; nobody felt concerned about him. He had waited to see if some relative of his might come and rid him of the responsibility, but it was noon and his anxiety mounted. This Babaji knew but little of him. Although Ved Lal would go to the temple on some evenings to have a puff at the hookah or to offer something and then have a passing chat with the Babaji. He would ask him in Hindustani, "Babaji, what is today's food...?

Don't you feel the chill? When do you intend to go to Amar Nath?

This was his sole contact with the Babaji, so how could he be expected to know him.

Now, when it was getting late, Babaji began to lose heart and went to Mali Los who lived at the Temples compound. He asked him, in a mélange of Kashmiri and Hindustani, whether he had no one to take care of him. Mali Los sighed and said, "He has no one to call his own, he was completely forlorn, all alone. Those to whom he did good turns, do not remember his favours". Saying this, tears gushed up in his eyes and the Babaji was bewildered. Sensing his aggrieved face, Mali Los added, "Babaji, if you only knew what a fine man Ved Lal was! Only he knew what sorrows betided him". At this, Babaji got all the more anxious and sat at Mali Los's window, lost in his thoughts.

Ved Lal was also known as Ved Maam, whether he could be an uncle to them or not, nevertheless, he was the 'Maam' to everybody. He was a cousin of Tota Koul's mother from her mother's side. Actually he hailed from Wadviny. Having lost his parents, when still a child, whom would he live with then? Tota Koul brought him to his home as he had no child of his own then and as such enjoyed some affection there. Then children were born to Tota Koul later on, Ved Lal lavished much care on them. He had never seen his father because he was born posthumously. But as he grew up, he called his late father 'Laali'. Tota Koul often laughed at this but he still swore of his 'Laali'. Ved Lal, to be sure was not, beholden to Tota Koul, because he had a house of his own and also owned a piece of land. Its produce went to Tota Koul. The money got by selling his house was handed over to Tota Koul. Then he put in some exertion to pick up petition writing. His earnings were not inconsiderable. Part of it was laid by, and a part of it went for the expenditure at Tota Koul's household.

He never got any match, nor did he make any effort to this effect It could have been possible had somebody taken any pains and shown concern in time, and as such remained a celibate.

Then, as Tota Koul also departed to his heavenly abode, he assumed the 'master's' mantle. He did everything in fact and deed. Not even a brother born of one's own mother and father would do what he did for Tota Koul's children. He bequeathed his land to Tota Koul's children, as he had none of his own, and who to him were dearer than they? Whatever savings he had that went to Tota Koul's daughters by turns. He came to believe that they were as good as his own children. Little he knew that time suffers its vicissitudes. He spent himself out for Tota Koul's family till the children grew up. After getting married, they rose to high posts. Then, the household began to crack up. The eldest son got posted outside the valley and those who remained there, did not click and were driven by different interests, and took to separate hearths. For the sake of maintaining a semblance of a 'father's home' for the daughters, he lived with the younger son of Tota Koul and handed over to him whatever little he had retained. He kept for himself just apiece of carpet, a 'takiya' (a prop-pillow) and a pipe hookah that belonged to Tota Koul.

Now he got descript from his old age, with no money to fall back, upon, the younger daughter-in-law snatched away the carpet from under his feet, the 'takiya' that he rested his back upon was also removed, and the pipe-hookah, too, was shoved down the window, Ved Maam, for the first time in his life, felt his back well-nigh broken. All said and done, what remained with him, was an empty pocket, a tattered woolen garment and a torn to shreds blanket, which covered him when he died.

Ved Maam left the house for Tota Koul's eldest daughter, but how long could she feed him? Nobody cares for anybody, not even one's own off spring, born of one's own flesh and blood, leaving aside those who are not so related. There, too, despair benumbed his heart, and left for Tota Koul's second son. But empty hands are never welcome, they, too, did not put up with him for long; how could one take up an extra burden when one feeds even one's own self with difficulty. He left this place also and kept going to for a couple of days to this one and then to another. His health was running down, and it irked him to move about. Then, at long last, he reconciled to put up at the Shivaala.

All his life, Ved Lal did ill to nobody, on the contrary, he did all he met a good turn. The days when he afforded so, he even cast pearls before the swine, and kept himself at everybody's disposal. Maam Kak was the bride's father only in name, it was in fact Ved Maam who saw to his daughter's marriages. Ramjoo was sued by the in-laws of his own son, it was Ved Lal whom he sought for consultation to find a way out. But nobody remembered all this in the end.

Babaji was still propped up against the window sill of Mali Los, taking counsel with his own self as to what would happen next He got enmeshed in all this for no fault of his. But what could he do? He could not keep him in the Dharamshala for long. He again took counsel with Mali Los. He suggested that he should send a word to Tota Koul's younger son so that he might arrange something. He went there, but his wife told him that he had left for the office, and that it would be conveyed to him provided he was home early Babaji was disgusted at this and went to the temple priest hoping that he might find a way out There he was told that he had been to some match-making and that it would take him long to return.

Discouraged, he returned for Mali Los and sat there for a while and then he returned to the Dharamshala. There he saw Heer Dyad sitting at the threshold, staring at the corpse with wishful eyes. She burst into tears. Babaji told her that he had been there for the last three days, knowing that nobody was allowed to stay there for more than two days, yet he did not press him to leave as he seemed unwell. Babaji told her that he had perceived that his days were numbered, although he did not believe that he would die so soon. He continued to narrate that early at dawn that day, when he had gone to arrange fire, he had seen the door shut and he had looked through the window bars, he had found him unconscious there. He had flung the door open by kicking hard at it and there he had found him dead. He further told her that since morning many people had come to have a look and had left and it has occurred to none that he was to be given a bath and cremated. “Now tell me some way out. What should I do?” Babaji asked Heer Dyad.

Heer Dyad was physically present there, but she was lost in unknown rumination. Addressing Babaji, she said, "For all he did, he came out to be a pauper in the end. He had taken birth only to drudge for Tota Koul's household and that he did. It was his fate, how could it be helped? And then, it is what is in store for all. In his dealing with, he did all a good turn, but in the long run, nobody did anything for him. He was always under the impression that the spiced rice and dried fish would accompany him when he died, but alas, nothing accompanies one to the other world. O Babaji, nothing accompanies there. These are mere cravings of one's eyes. And then he heeded not when admonished. He would not leave Tota Koul, how he trusted him, he thought that his children might stand by him in his old age. Little he knew that he might be forsaken to the buffets of fortune. How could you help men when their own wits fail them?

Babaji was perplexed at her reply for it was not what he had asked her, still he asked her, "Mata, tell me what to do?"

Heer Dyad reassured him that all would come right. "You go to call my priest and get the necessary materials along". She stood there transfixed on the threshold looking up at the skies. How unbelievingly blue it was! Heaving a sigh, she began to reflect. She remembered the moment when she got in the straits in her tender youth and how Ved Lal came to assist her unstinted. Then she remembered how it was again the same Ved Lal who forgot his own self at her daughter's marriage and how he settled the whole affair. What tales were tagged on to him for having done all this! How the people's tongues ran! They said everything imaginable. However, nothing stuck to her, she was none the worse for all that ... Heer Dyad was reminded of many other incidents. But it was since, may be thirty or forty years. Ved Lal had get on in years since. His decrepitude was partly because of the want of his peace of mind and he was consumed by worries, and partly he was not strong enough to move about. He had given up visiting people, leave Heer Dyad alone. Oh, what besides our mortal bodies! Death overwhelms all the living.

Meanwhile, Babaji came along with Shivboy and the necessary things. Mali Los brought the bathing plank and the shroud. The corpse was given a bath, and after the obsequies, was laid on the plank.

Heer Dyad asked them to wait while she hastened to her home. The people gathered there were surprised at her doing so. After a while, she returned along with a 'Ram-Ram' sheet of cloth and asked them to lay it over the dead body. She had acquired the sheet and got it dipped in the waters of the Ganges after praying to many. She had got it for herself when she would die, but now she laid it over Ved Lal. People became inquisitive, but at such a juncture, it was not deemed fit to gossip and kept mum.

It was evening, and Ved Lal was carried to the cremation ground. Babaji led the party, although there were only a few persons, and in the dark, nobody could see whether a tear was shed by anyone.

Those who nod been there at the Shivalan to watch the spectacle, left after washing their faces at the water tap. Heer Dyad alone remained there till the last and left the place without washing her face.

The next day at day-break, as the gossiping women at the watering place were going to pour water on the Shivnaath at the Shivaalan, one of them said to the other, "Now sister, did you see that it was not for nothing that he was being traduced? See, how the whole thing was unveiled, but after forty years".

"Yes, of course, such things never remain a secret for ever these things come to light, sooner or later", the other said.