The Fall (Part II)

Dama Kant Jayshi

small brown puppy, badly bruised, with flesh of its left neck and paw exposed was being chased by a bigger black dog. The puppy, in trying to run away from the angry dog, plunged into the river, right in front of Avichal, who had the report-card in his hand just 5 steps above. The puppy tried to stay afloat and hold on to the last step but could not. Avichal just stared at it, immobile. He couldn’t think of anything else; only saw himself in the puppy’s place, struggling. By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late. The puppy drowned. The black dog, growled for a few moments and returned.

Tears streamed Avichal’s eyes. The dead body of the puppy lay in front of him for a brief while and then it was taken away far from him.

When he reached home, mother had already returned from school. Seeing his face, she winced. But Avichal did not say a word. He could still hear the cries of the puppy. Mother thought his marksheet was not good. But the marksheet was the last thing on Avichal’s mind.

When Mr. Pandey returned, all hell broke loose. Avichal had to get up from his bed and go to the drawing room. The culprit was about to be questioned.

‘What’s this?’

Silence.

‘I say, what do you think you are doing?’

The puppy, the cries, the flouting dead body.

‘Haven’t you got a tongue in your mouth?’

No word.

‘Don’t stand there like a statue. Answer me.’

Avichal still did not say anything. There was nothing to say.

“Is it for this performance that I am spending so much money on you by sending you to the best school? Do you know how much your education costs me?’ The continued silence enraged Mr. Pandey and he beat his son black and blue. When his mother tried to intervene, she too was pushed aside and Mr. Pandey left in a huff.

It was a night of two nightmares.

Mr. Pandey fell off a mango tree when he had stretched out his hand to take the ripest fruit of the tree. When he woke up, he found himself soaked. When his wife asked, Mr. Pandey just turned his back.

Avichal found himself chased by blood hounds and fell into a river and drowned. The nightmares haunted  both father and son twice more.

It was a week later when his father had gone to Pune to attend a departmental work that Avichal got a chance to perform in the play Julius Caesar. His mother broke into sobs when Brutus (Srini) stabbed  Caesar (Avichal). It was such a lively performance that the applause which followed reverberated even in the taxi when the two were returning home.

To their shock, the hot glare of Mr. Pandey greeted them. Due to the union strike in Pune, he had returned two days early. It was not difficult for him to understand from where they were returning with the make-up still on Avichal’s face.

‘So, you’ll become Utpal Dutt, Girish Karnad and Naseeruddin Shah.’

‘Papa, it was a house competition.’

‘Chuup, house competition. I don’t want to hear anything of it in future.’

‘But papa, I love to perform in plays.’

‘Yes, his dramatics teacher was very eloquent in his praise. He said Avichal has the talent.’

‘To hell with his talent. Look, Avichal’s mother, I want him to study and not waste his time.’

‘I am studying....’

‘So, you’ve  learnt to answer back. If you want to do anything else besides studying your books, then our office is organising a science exhibition. Why don’t you take part in it? The first prize winner will get a scholarship in the + 2 level.'

‘But, I am not interested in models. Besides, your office is also organising a one-act play competition. The winner in it is also getting the same scholarship. I am sure...’

‘ I’ll have none of it. It is going to be the science exhibition and I have already brought the form.’

Mr. Pandey couldn’t see his son’s exhibit because of a sudden promotional transfer to Nasik. But, before leaving, he made his god-fearing wife swear that Avichal would not act in the one-act play competition.

The competition day was spent by Avichal in Mayuri’s house. Himanshu was also there. Reddy uncle regaled them with his classic jokes and anecdotes. His friends too decided not to take part in the open competition.

That night the nightmare haunted him again.

That was in December. After 2 months, they were sitting for their ICSE examination. Avichal’s progress in the dreaded subjects was not satisfactory. Even Mr. Pandey could not help him overcome his clumsiness. Even the last stretch was bumpy for Avichal.

(concluding part next week)

Word o’ mania

Anil K Banskota

The richness of words is infinite in sharpening our thoughts, decorating our prose and literature and in

impressing our intimates. Words, like us, are alive, bubbling with lifetrons of their own, giving life to our thoughts. Just like us, they are created by the human mind and go through a life cycle from origin to extinction (derivation to expiration).  Words are frozen metaphors, which convey our mind’s inner consciousness to the world. There is poetry behind every word that charges it with power, and this unique characteristic gives every word a personality. Words can have sweet, sour, raunchy, musical, hostile, friendly, vitriolic… personalities, to list only a few. Our ability to express thoughts, reinforced with these potent word personalities can easily give an edge above others.

A mind that is a cornucopia of words is the mind that is armed with tools and weapons of victory in today’s tangled and challenging global cradle of humanity. There is no denying the harsh reality that in today’s information centered world communicating properly has been a preeminent desideratum to surviving in the race for survival. Allow me to briefly highlight the beauty and indispensability of words. Words are explosives when it comes to putting across a point with your rivals and as pleasant as a summer breeze when it comes to reciting poetry. No matter what the situation or ordeal, a single word can at times ruin a friendship or start a battle (marital?). Right words have enhanced the chances of a political campaigner to triumph over his opponents. Words like  – “ Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion “, (used in a Republican campaign speech) threw the Catholic vote and the Presidential victory to Grover Cleveland in the US. Electrically charged speeches made by great leaders in the past have had catalytic effects upon the development of our world. Words of such admirable leaders have changed the direction of history and carved the present we experience today. With this connotation, I am saying words can also change the direction in our lives. Language is our creation; it belongs to us, and the better we master it, the more secure it will make us in our daily walks of personal, social, and professional life.

It is important to master words routinely and with dedication. Like the Chinese aphorism goes “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. It is never too late to still train our mind with the best weapon of possession. For this the best way is, to date, a word everyday, love it and possess it, as you would to your man or woman. Delve into it, and together you will be successful in reproducing streams of newer ideas and thoughts. The catch is to marry words and not divorce them.

Remember that, no matter how we deal in business and life, how we pray, love, hate and fight with others we do it with panoplies of words.

Rudrakshya A sacred tree

By Asha Karki and Radha Niraula

Trees play an important role in the existence of mankind. Right from their origin, mankind has always

been dependent on trees for various uses, such as food, fruit, fodder, fuel-wood, shelter, timber and so on. In fact, trees have so much to contribute that without them life is simply impossible.

Nepal, being an agricultural country, trees have an extensive role in our life. Besides this, some trees carry religious as well as medicinal values and thus, find their place in worshipping the deities. Among them, Rudrakshya is considered to be one of the most important religious plants.

The word Rudrakshya is derived from Sanskrit, infact, a combination of two of them. While “Rudra” stands for Lord Shiva, the latter means the eyes. Botanically it is known as “Eleocarpus Sphaericus” and in English as “Ultrasum bead tree”.

The height of the tree is around 15-20 metres. Amongst 123 known species of the plant, around 25 of them are found in Bengal and Assam of India, Nepal and Bhutan. It is said that Nepal and Burma (Myanmar) are the two largest exporters of the Rudrakshya. The Tree has a similar appearance to that of the mango tree with branches branching out in all directions. In a Rudrakshya fruit (bead), there are lines which are also called ‘faces’ that range from one to as many as fourteen. A particular number of lines carry a particular significance. Going by the “Shiva Puran”, it is said that after the humiliating defeat of the gods in the battle against the great Evil (Tripura Sur), Lord Shiva kept his eyes wide open for thousands of years in sorrow. In this process, due to the pain caused by having his eyes kept open for such a long time, tears began to drop from his eyes and began to flow in all directions, in all parts of the earth. And in those very parts, which were drenched by the tears, the plant Rudrakshya came into existence.

In Hindu mythology, there is a widespread belief that by wearing a garland made from Rudrakshya beads, one can gain eternal happiness. Usually it is regarded auspicious to wear them on certain occasions like Sakranti, full moons and new moons. On such occasions, when one is wearing a Rudrakshya garland, it is completely prohibited from taking alcohol along with meat and certain other vegetables like onions and garlic.

The different number of lines commonly known as “Mukha” in Nepali, has a particular significance of its own. Their significance goes as follows:

If you Wear “Ek Mukhe” which is very rare to find, it brings you all prosperity while “Dui Mukhe” helps you to gain tantric powers. Go for the “Teen Mukhe” if you want luck to be on your side whilst if you want to have a strong desire towards the opposite sex wear a “Char Mukhe”. To achieve salvation wear a “Paanch Mukhe” and if you want your business to succeed there’s the “Cha Mukhe”. “Saat Mukhe” makes you immune from attack by any weapon; “Aath Mukhe” brings a good fortune in venture of chances and if you want to subdue the anger of your enemy, wear the “Nav Mukhe”. To win over your enemies, wear the one with “Dus Mukh” and if you really want to come out as a winner in all your ventures there’s the “Eghar Mukhe”. Then there’s the “Bhara Mukhe” if you really want to feel the energy of the sun and get rid of all physical pains. If you have a strong desire to have a child which you haven’t been able to have so far, wear the “Thera Mukhe”. Finally wear the “Chaudha Mukhe” and be safe from all sorts of problems that could be anything from either mental or physical.

These are the religious aspects of the Rudrakshya. Even as we have entered into the new millennium, the plant still has not lost its significance for it has proved to be very useful in curing many diseases. People say that they have been able to overcome various diseases like Hysteria, Epilepsy, mental diseases as well as different sorts of Heart problems like blood pressure just by wearing it.

The year “2056 B.S” was declared as the “Banaspati Barsha” by the Department of Plant Resources on its successful completion of forty years. To mark the occasion Hundred and Eight Rudrakshya saplings were planted by various distinguished persons in the Pashupati Development Region.

It is thus our duty to conserve and take care of the plants not just for the sake of greenery, but keeping in mind their significance as well as importance.

Journal with a mission

china Study Center, Kathmandu, has come out with a bi-annualjournal 'Friendship' which, inter alia, purports to play a

critical forum for researchers to exchange and disseminate cutting edge information and experiences on Nepal -China relations.

There are some 8 articles on issues debated, ranging from the need on the part of the Chinese government to revamp their Nepal policy to trans-Himalayan trade to development of the Tibetan language after 1951 of course to an overview of Nepal-China trade and joint ventures to Nepal-China economic relations.

The contributors are Madan Regmi, Dr Tirtha Mishra, Dr Ballav Mani Dahal and Subhadra Dahal, Chakra Das Rajbhandari and Prof B M Shrestha respectively.

Regmi argues that all is not quite in the northern front in view of anti-China imperialist forces having entrenched in the Nepalese soil although the relations between  the two countries may be said to be surprisingly steady over the years.

Dr Mishra delves deep into the issue of Trans-Himalayan trade as conducted over the years to mutual benefit and in keeping with the relations existing between the two friendly countries.

Article by Dahal duo is an interesting piece on Tibetan language. They have painstakingly gone into the necessary details to draw a picture of the status of the language which is spoken even elsewhere in China. A must for anybody who loves Tibetan culture and language.

Article by Rajbhandari of course sums up the joint economic activities undertaken by both the countries. Although Nepalese products are entitled to duty free entry this, however, is not applicable in the case of overland trade. The number of joint ventures add up to 31. What’s more, he has recommended ways to boost the same.

Article by B M Shrestha shed light on Chinese co-operation to Nepal. As he argues, the trend now has graduated to joint venture projects far removed from building infrastructure as in the past. Article by Krishna Silwal dwells on the rights the Chinese women enjoy and which have been put at 6, and which put Chinese women at par with men. An article purportedly written to set the record straight, the writer dwells on marriage and family life, political life and the height the Chinese women have scaled in various spheres of life.

Second article by the same writer narrates the tale of Macao since the sixteenth century to the handover of the same to China. The last by Upendra Gautam of course sheds light on the China Study Center. 

Reviewed By D L Bhandari

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