Out in front of her eyes stood the vast expanse of the
endless sea.Her eyes drifted from one end to the other . The salty breeze
slapped her bony cheeks and her eyes started to swell with emotions just like the
sea frothing with humungous waves. The rains had started to patter and the
petrichore grew stronger. The noolia started
warning people inside the sea to come out. The tide was high and inclement August weather was imminent. She had never
wanted to come to Puri. She had told her husband that.Yet he insisted. Now she could see him at some distance......
3 years back....
“We are all going to Puri . Don’t you want to come? It is a
family trip. Dad and I along with Dada, Dadi,Bua ,Uncle, Kaku and KakiMa and
your little cousin Shiv everyone will be there.” I told mom that I needed time
to think. Eventually I decided to go.It would be fun after all. It had been
quite some time since all of us had been together.The first day when we reached
Bhubaneswar it was fun eating Dadi’s homemade condiments rich in ghee and
sugar. Funny that Dadaji still needed Dadi to give him all his clothes and
utilities. He would cry out Dadi’s name and ask for stuffs and Dadi would chide him like he was 5 year
old asking him why it was not possible for him to take care of his belongings.
The place where we were staying in Puri was more of a holy shrine that in local
parlance is known as Dharamshala with a big courtyard where priests sang hymns
continuously.The first day we went for darshan to the famous Lord Jagannath
temple. I have always had a grudge against the superstitious rituals that are
done in the name of faith and religion. Can’t we pray in silence? Why is it
that I need to tussle in and strangulate myself in a dense smelly crowd just to
see a God’s image whose photo I see everyday? Ma as always asked me to shed
away my need for reason and logic and strictly asked me to wear the garb of
tradition . What an ordeal it was to get a glimpse of Jagannath,Subhadra and
Balram. I felt sorry for my 10 year old cousin Shiv and was constantly reaching
out to make sure he wasn’t crushed in this swarm of mortals. After that pandemonium
of darshan the next day Dad ,Dadaji
,Shiv, Kaku and I decided to go into the sea and bathe in it.
I was given the
primary responsibility of clicking pictures as I was the proud owner of a new smartphone.
Dadaji who had taught me to take dip in the holy Ganges tried to recreate the
same only to be sent ashore by the strong waves . Luckily Dad came to rescue at
the right moment and we further asked Dadaji
to stay onshore. By this time 10 year old Shiv was in the sea alone
jumping as each time the currents lashed against the shore. Shiv was a child
and his curiosity was only making him take baby steps into the ocean. Another
wave lashed out on the shore and while receding Shiv was moving along with it
into the ocean. Dad and I left Dadaji onshore and darted towards Shiv. Luckily
we rescued him. Poor Shiv was reprimanded by my dad for his little adventure stint and even
received a spank by his dad. As the sun uncovered from the clouds, the heat
became scorching and we decided to go back to the dharamsala. Our room was on
the second floor. Shiv wanted to see all the snaps I had clicked on the beach.
Of course I was wary of handing the kiddo my smartphone. Nevertheless he asked
for it, and I gave it to him. “Angry birds is my favourite game,How can I play
that?” , Shiv asked. Irritated by his pestering demand , I taught him to play
the game with the projectile aim.Shiv started humming his favourite song while
playing on my mobile phone,sitting on the projected window sill. His body resting against the aluminium glass window. Meanwhile
Dadi came into the room looking for Shiv. I was putting on kajal on the mirror.
“Where are is my little Shivi? I heard about your mischief in the sea” . Shiv
tried to hide from Dadi and leaned on further pressurising himself against the
window.
In a moment my Kajal dropped and my eyes turned towards the
window. I couldn’t believe what I had seen. Shiv was not there on the window
sill nor was the window there. I heard a thud on the ground and the sound of
crackling glass. What followed was Dadi ‘s screams of “Save Shiv, Save my child
“ He has fallen down. The window broke along with the frame.” We darted
downstairs. The child was covered in a pool of blood. The remaining description
sends a shudder through my spine. His mom i.e my aunt was wailing. The
ambulance was called and Shiv was taken to the hospital. The authorities
confirmed what we all were anticipating with horror and disgust. Shiv was
cremated then and there itself at Puri’s seaside cremation ghat.
Puri never will never be a holiday destination for her . She
had told her husband that.Yet he insisted.
Now she could see Shiv at some
distance......
That distance had made her look at life from a new direction.
That distance had made her look at life from a new direction.
