Amarjit Singh Hon
We just returned from Canada yesterday from Kuldeep. Even the fatigue had not subsided, when the ruler told about Bhua’s serious illness over the phone. On the second day, while drinking tea, we walked towards Bhua’s in-laws.
Saying “Matha tekad Bhua!” I leaned on Bhua’s bed, but Bhua remained lying.
“It’s been a week and now I don’t even recognize anyone,” said the ruler sitting on the bed next to him.
“Just a spoonful of dirty water would go in…” The ruler’s wife started telling Jeet Raman, “… no movement.” no words Just out of breath. The doctors did not understand, all the reports kept coming right. Now they say serve at home.
“Bhuya, me Raman.” She spoke a little louder. Bhua’s pupils twitched. The four of us looked at each other.
“Bhuya…” I said leaning close to his ear. He opened his evil eyes. parted lips His hand rose towards me. I held her on my shoulder and put my ear to her mouth. He spoke only a couple of words, which I tried to understand, but the loud voices of Raman and Jeet thwarted my efforts. Bhua’s lifeless hand fell from my shoulder.
His eyes were left open. I pressed her pupils for a few minutes and the wart escaped my discharge.
I felt as if Bhuya would have breathed just to speak these words, she was waiting for me. What would she want to say!
Sitting on Bhua’s pillow, I held her head on my knee and my tear filled eyes fixed on her face.
I felt as if Bhua would say even now, “Sagara, brother, you took so long!” How long have I been waiting for you? When did you go… when you went, that day’s ‘dick was sodi.’
“Kadon di ‘Diki Jani Aan…” This is what Bhua used to say when I used to study with her in the fourth-fifth grade. She used to wait for me and Hakim at the bar during the half-time break from school.
We used to eat freshly baked gadar gadar rotis with brown sugar and desi ghee.
My fascination with Bhua was from my childhood.
One of the reasons for this is that I did my primary school education from my father-in-law’s village in Bhua. Bhua once came to visit our village. Hakem and I will be five years old then.
We used to play together. having fun Completely merged. When Phufar came to pick up Bhua after a few weeks, we both insisted. The ruler was not going to the village without me. I didn’t want to live in my house without a ruler. Holding each other tight, we cry, we cry…bad situation. The issue arose.
The solution to this problem was solved by Fuphad. Instead of letting the ruler leave our village, he decided to take me with him. Bebe was left with a sister.
Bhuya’s in-laws used to go to school together. to come playing Bhua loved us equally.
“…Uncle, Chachi is calling you.” The voice of Hridepal, the ruler’s son, broke my sleep.
Taking out the knee from under Bhua’s head, I saw Chuphare. The neighborhood had started gathering at Bhua’s house.
“The old women say, at the time of the final bath, all the food is from the parents… soap, oil, curd… even the shroud. How to do it?” Raman was taking my advice.
“When a woman spends her entire life at the expense of her in-laws’ house, why is the last dress not from her in-laws’ house?” This house is what he wants.
“And why… with your words, the customs have started to change somewhere. Hain… Kamala na hawe!” Bhua was standing in favor of my aunts.
And what they wanted happened. Even if I wanted to, I could not get my mother’s shroud from home.
“What do Jeet and Hakim say?” I asked Raman.
“They also speak the language of the villagers.”
I took out two thousand rupees from my wallet and handed it to Raman. She went with Hridepal on a motorcycle to buy new clothes and other trinkets for Bhua’s shroud.
“These are new clothes… keep them for ten to twenty days… like new ones.”
Bhuya-Phuphad had never placed any trust in me or the ruler. For them, I was like a ruler. When they brought something for the ruler, I had equal rights.
Once Bhua brought new clothes. She started measuring us. We started playing in the mud with those clothes. There was speculation, but where were we to believe!
The villagers were gathering at Sathar. Sake-Sambandhi had started to put the thick wood lying in a corner of the yard into the trolley one by one. All the relatives and friends had rang the phones about the payment of the dowry.
“The day you left, Babe Thivan started. For the first week and ten days, I did not even eat tea, bread and chaj…” while sitting next to me, Hakem continued to talk, ”…My old man used to say that the house has become empty. I just remember you all the time.
… Yes, Bhua’s Peka house was indeed deserted.
Bapu had fallen in love with God many years ago. When the plane from Kuldeep Isles boarded for Canada, Bebe mingled with the passengers due to her anxiety and separation. The sister used to live with her father-in-law. Me and Raman were left behind.
Then I started leasing the farm. Agricultural implements and goods were also sold. The house found in two canals used to be haunted even when our two sons were there.
The ruler was speaking, “Now, just a few months ago, the beard was broken.” How many times a day would you ask ‘When will the sea come?’
After listening to the words of the ruler, I began to understand some of Bhua’s last words. I started trying to understand the meaning of those broken words.
“Boss, listen to me for a minute!” A boy interrupted him.
I was left alone. My face got stuck going to my sister’s wedding day.
‘Son of Veer da Bhatija my … Nyun Jar Pekayan di.’
‘Five stairs attic tap jama… Chak Ke Bhatijje.’
Bhua was holding my arm and kicking me in the ass, talking and talking.
She used to visit my maternal aunts in the evening with the help of her mother.
“With the happiness of living… What happened? This will be my uncle for the rest of my life.
“Yes brother, parents are parents. After death, even till death, daughters come and ‘call’ their fathers.
Nani’s response to Bhua at that time rang a bell in my mind. I was beginning to understand Bhua’s last words.
Kuldeep got PR from Canada. He sponsored me and Raman to visit Canada. We went to Bhua along with other Skiries before going to Canada.
Bhua was not happy.
“I don’t understand… Why does Mulkh get up and go to Canada? Come and see. The color part was on… God gave all the grace to come home. Tomorrow’s Juak… ‘Kalli ‘Kahri Jaan… Chhata Jahsa. Now then you are ready to kill.
Bhua had taken a very big look.
“Bhuya has to move according to the times. Babies don’t believe in their parents. Those who say they are peers, they get ready like that.” I tried to clean up.
“Come on! Don’t believe their children…” Bhua left the matter unfinished in anger.
“We just want to walk around. Don’t stay short. Come back in six months.” Raman spoke the truth with the desire to heal Bhua’s grudge.
“No one will come again… They will come again!”
Bhuya’s rude words caused silence between us.
And after some time, Bhua himself broke the silence, “Let’s see, brother.” Who am I? Nanna Paon Aali. Still, I wish you would stay as long as I live. Old women…”
Don’t know what was the next thing from ‘Budhiyan Ta’ that Bhua didn’t complete.
Finally, she handed us two notes of 100-100 and said, “Khair Suk Na Jau Bhai…Rangin Vaso”. I am from Khawani Ek Chunni ‘Gi Khawani Na.”
And Bhua quickly turned his face to the other side. Still, the mind that came through the eyes had failed to hide from us.
“Where will we go if we leave Kalle tomorrow, come here to hug us…!” Sisters who tore the ambers of others brought my face back to Bhua’s bed.
The sister was brought to Bhua’s bed by two women holding her left and right arms.
* * *
In the night after the cremation, there were talks about Bhuya, about his nature.
“Kade Sir Nai Si Dukhya Bebe Da, B Kime Dukhda Hundai.” Jeet was speaking.
“It was a good diet… there was no worry. Lived like friends with grandchild…” replied the ruler.
“One of the neighbors will come to meet Bebe…” Hridepal also started to tell his story, “She was younger than Bebe… but Bebe put her hands on her feet… then hugged her and met her. Then baby pat his shoulder. Nikki and I stopped laughing.
After hearing Hridepal’s words, a small smile appeared on everyone’s faces.
“The meaning of this is very big son. i understand But for a few generations this thing is beyond understanding.
“Hain…” Hridepal and Nikki looked at each other in surprise.
“Uncle, explain to us too,” Niki said.
“No son, ever again…” Seeing the atmosphere, I wanted to avoid it.
“Then we will forget, uncle, tell us now.” Now Hridepal insisted.
“Why are the bones removed from the jawans? If you know anything, tell me.” Raman also turned towards the children.
Now I just had to tell.
“Look, brother, there was a relationship between a few neighbors’ cousins and our cousins, a sister-in-law relationship. Nanad Jani’s husband’s sister, Awadi’s sister-in-law takes a bigger place in the relationship, so little grandmother put her hands on her feet.” I spoke first.
“And a hug?” Niki said.
“When a little grandmother comes to this house married, her closest friend will be this brother-in-law. Two friends hug each other. It was Nand’s sister-in-law and friends too.
“Uncle, when the foot fell… the hug fell. Then to shake the head…?”
“Nodding… Yes! Good sisters-in-law consider young Nanda as a substitute daughter. Even if Kush month is correct… she must be younger than a little grandmother.
“I… so the thing in it was ah.”
The children were satisfied after hearing my answer.
“Adi is going early, niin si bhua… When we went, it was nine by nine.” Our conversation turned from Mukki to Raman, Jeet and sister.
“I think, just going away for a while will take my heart. Food and drink decreased. She will start living quietly. Juak used to tease a lot. But don’t… Akhe, don’t bother me. In a month and a half, she will be on the bed…” Jeet stopped to take a breath.
From his words, Bhua’s last words began to be somewhat clear to me.
Jeet said, “… now the month has taken hold of the same rattan… the bar of my parents has been closed. I have no one coming even from death. Binde Binde would take a few names and ask, “The ocean will not return now, Kanadeo…?”
“Isn’t it your custom, when an old person dies, the shroud belongs to the parents. Otherwise they say that the soul does not move after death. Bibi was consumed by this storm from going to bed… B Mere, there was no place to put a shroud. My soul wanders.” With this sister’s words, the meaning of Bhua’s last words became clear in my mind like a white day.
I felt as if Bhua had spoken in my ear again, “You come bhai, mera siva dhak..k..n…” and without even speaking, Bhua’s soul had moved.
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