Dharavahik upanyas Bhoot-Adbhut!(24)

Vishakha got ready to go to school. She saw Pinku was normal , why last night he was so scared. All the girls used to go school  walking. As it was the time when mostly schools were Government schools in villages only in some big towns there were Private schools which were mostly organised by missionary. It was half n hours walk from her home to school . At the time of starting of school in the morning at 10.30 to 11, the main road towards the school used to be crowded with the girls wearing uniforms. Different groups from different areas going and coming back together. It was the time when there were no entertainments , no conema halls , no tv, even radio was found in one or two rich persons house. So school was the complete day’s engagement for for boys and girls in their schools, ten to five it was their complete day’s learning. Usually they join their own groups on the road. Vishakha also joined her group. Her friends Manjula said,”’I need to share something, Deepa also nodded , Vishakha said “ I also want to share something strange.” Kamala and Vimla were confused. They were now walking fast so that before prayer they could share that with each other. ———— Continued ———-

Dharavahik upanyas Bhoot-Adbhut!(23)

Vishakha was at home. She had a pet parrot in cage. She got it One year ago from a neighbourhood man because one evening it came flying inside his window. He was an alone man and was a labourer and he didn’t want to keep it. He was a middle age man named Govind. Vishakha saw this and she took the parrot, bought a cage and from that day onwards she was fulfilling all the responsibilities towards the parrot. Its cage was also kept in her room. She was the only child so her parents never opposed her small wishes. That day after coming back from Mathuradas’s house,She was continuously studying and she slept quite late about 12 P.M., she just fell asleep and suddenly the parrot start squawking , Vishakha woke up and she brought it’s cage on her bed holding it with both the hands. She was stroking and speaking soft words, then it stopped squawking. She kept its cage on her bed. It was a very nice parrot , it had learnt many words , including her name Vishakha too. We all know that parrots have a speaking organ syrinx , it can imitate words and do mimicry too. Vishakha slept again and her parrot Pinku too. In the morning she thought of night’s incident, why this happened.———- Continued ———

Dharavahik upanyas Bhioot-Adbhut!(22)

Mathuradas saw outside he felt that quite a long time had passed and now the girls should go back to their homes. He said, “ It’s too late , now all of you should go back home we’ll continue it some other day.” Girls obeyed him wished him and moved to their homes. All were silent and didn’t talk to each other. All were only thinking , thinking about Shamu and Kavita , Chandan Singh and his Haveli. All of them reached home. Vishakha stayed home. Kamla Manjula , Vimla and Deepa had to go to the Vegetable Market to buy vegetables. In Villages kist of the seasonal Vegetables arrive for sale and most of the people by them from the shop which is according to their pocket. Today’s market most of the shop keepers were selling ladyfingers. All the four girls asked the rates which was of 10 paise per K. G . , they all decided to buy the same. While the shop keeper was weighing one girl’s the other three were looking here and there , suddenly Manjula said whispering in Deepa’s ear, “ Look Shamu is standing at the tailor’s shop “Deepa also looked and saw him looking at them and he was smiling too. His white teeth were shining on his dark face like toothpaste advertisement published in newspaper.Both of them started looking the other way.When they again looked back to the tailor’s shop Shamu was not there.They didn’t tell anything to Kamla and Vimla ,bought vegetables and came back home hurriedly.—————- Continued——-

Dharavahik upanyas Bhoot -Adbhut!(21)

Till they were children it was overlooked by all , it was just a children’s play for all , Chandan Singh Kamini Devi and all the staff members.But time never stays at one place and with time children grow young, young grow adult and adults grow old it’s undoubtedly true. Every age has its own qualities and demerits. More or less found same whether they are Rich or Poor, lower middle class or upper middle class. As we know Chandan Singh was a Rich Landlord and fond of living with Pomp & Show. Once he got a chance to buy an Arabian white horse , immediately bought it He saw each morning Shamu used to run run and run if he has no work. Shamu was in teenage now thin moustache were visible on his dark skin too. Chandan Singh made a Stable for his Arabian horse and asked Shamu to take care of it. He has now only one work to take care of the horse, his food water massage, running with the horse whenever Chandan Singh riding. He was forbidden to enter inside the haveli now as Kavita was also a teenage girl. Both of them felt som type of vacuum in their lives. They were missing one another’s company. Shamu was dark but he was not ugly looking. A type of attraction was there in his personality.Might be because he was a strong young boy now. ————- Continued ———

Dharavahik upanyas Bhoot- Adbhut!(20)

Mathuradas said , “ But I used to take very interest in such talks. There was no entertainment those days, My father didn’t allow me to go out of the Haveli, No one was of my age Kavita Didi and Shamu were a little bit older than me. Kitchen’s cooking staff butler his helper were two middle aged men Radhekrishna & Mahendra , one cleaning staff was Babulal , he was also a middle aged person. Chandan Singh was very alert about selecting the staff so either children or middle age persons selected, this is my calculation now after so many years and after that mid happening. Shamu and Kavita were approximately of same age and nobody knew from where Chandan Singh brought him . Till he was child he was doing small personal works of Chandan Singh and of course those works which were asked by Kamini Devi and Kavita too. As we know Shamu never liked to speak much he used to speak Ues or No or sometimes his reply was just a smile. Being naughty Kavita used to do pranks with Shamu , he never opposed or cried or felt insulted or even felt bad. This thing brought him closer to Kavita and also Kavita gradually felt a soft feeling growing in her heart for Shamu. ———- Continued ———

Dharavahik upanyas Bhoot- Adbhut!(19)

The routine was normal, mostly but sometimes the routine change was essential because of the Chandan Singh’s family visits outside the haveli to attend any weddings or other celebrations to other villages. Chandan Singh had a buggy also it was also riding by the white horse and the three family members sitting inside the buggy. In these four or five days everyone in the haveli felt free from any type of orders. But Shamu used to be with them as Buggy rider. This way he was quite close to Chandan Singh’s family. Kamini Devi and Kavita both used to talk freely with him. Means their orders always became in soft language. Where ever they visited other guests also were in their own rides and personal riders like Shamu and of course their stay used to be organised by the host family. The detail information always was described by other servants of the haveli. I also listened to them with interest. My father Ganga Das always became involved in gardening and never took any interest in other matters. ———- Continued ———

Dharm & Darshan !! Banaras !!

 बनारस के गलियों में इस बार उतरे फ्रांस के सबसे बड़े 'फूड क्रिटिक' (भोजन समीक्षक) मिस्टर जूलियन, जो दुनिया भर के 5-स्टार होटलों को अपनी रेटिंग देते थे। जूलियन साहब का मानना था कि 'मोक्ष' केवल एक दार्शनिक शब्द है, जिसका स्वाद से कोई लेना-देना नहीं। वे अपने साथ चांदी का चम्मच और एक 'फ्लेवर एनालाइजर' लेकर आए थे।

उनका मिशन था— बनारस के खाने में 'मोक्ष' के दावे की पोल खोलना।

जैसे ही जूलियन साहब गोदौलिया की एक दुकान पर खड़े हुए, उन्होंने देखा कि हलवाई बिना किसी 'ग्लव्स' के, पसीने से तर-बतर होकर कचौड़ी तल रहा था। जूलियन ने अपनी नाक सिकोड़ी और कहा— This is unhygienic! Where is the soul in this oil?

दुकानदार ने मुस्कुराकर उन्हें एक पत्तल पर गरमा-गरम हींग वाली सब्जी और कचौड़ी थमा दी। जूलियन ने जैसे ही पहला निवाला लिया, उनके कान के पीछे से गर्मी निकलने लगी। उन्होंने अपना चांदी का चम्मच जेब में रख लिया और हाथ से सब्जी चाटने लगे।

उन्होंने डायरी में लिखा— रिसर्च नोट: पेरिस में हम पेट भरने के लिए खाते हैं, बनारस में कचौड़ी का पहला निवाला ही 'अहंकार' का विसर्जन कर देता है। तीखी सब्जी ने मेरे अंदर के सारे 'लॉजिक' जला दिए—यही तो शुद्धिकरण है!

दोपहर को जूलियन साहब 'टमाटर चाट' की दुकान पर पहुँचे। उन्होंने देखा कि चाट के ऊपर देसी घी की नदियाँ बह रही हैं। जूलियन ने अपना 'कैलोरी काउंटर' निकाला, लेकिन दुकानदार ने चाट का दोना उनके हाथ में थमाते हुए कहा— साहेब, कैलोरी गिनोगे तो 'कोशिश' करोगे, चाट खाओगे तो सीधे 'ईश्वर' से मिलोगे।

चाट मुँह में जाते ही जूलियन को लगा कि उनके जीभ पर हज़ारों सितारे एक साथ नाच रहे हैं। उन्होंने अपनी 'मिचेलिन स्टार' वाली रेटिंग फाइल गंगा में फेंक दी और लिखा— "डिस्कवरी: मोक्ष कोई जगह नहीं है, मोक्ष तो उस 'टमाटर चाट' के आखिरी घूँट में है जो घी और खटास के साथ गले से नीचे उतरता है।

असली 'निर्वाण' तब मिला जब जूलियन ने 'मलइयो' चखा। उन्होंने उसे हवा में उछालकर देखा और चकित रह गए। उन्होंने नोट किया— "साइंटिफिक अपडेट: यह मिठाई नहीं, यह तो 'ठोस अवस्था में अध्यात्म' (Solid Spirituality) है। इसे खाते ही महसूस होता है कि इंसान का शरीर मिट्टी है, लेकिन उसकी भूख दिव्य है।

शाम को जूलियन साहब एक पान की दुकान पर खड़े थे। दुकानदार ने उन्हें 'बनारसी किमाम' वाला पान खिलाया। पान मुँह में दबाते ही जूलियन की आँखें बंद हो गईं। अब वो न बोल सकते थे, न सोच सकते थे—वह पूरी तरह 'शून्य' में थे।

उन्होंने पेरिस के अपने हेड-ऑफिस को ईमेल भेजा:

"प्रोजेक्ट खत्म! मैं वापस नहीं आ रहा। मैंने सालों तक दुनिया के सबसे महंगे शेफ के हाथ का खाना खाया, पर असली 'मोक्ष' तो बनारस की गलियों के इन जली हुई कड़ाहियों और पत्तलों में छिपा है। यहाँ पेट नहीं भरता, यहाँ 'आत्मा' डकार लेती है।

आखरी नोट:

फ्रांस में हमारे पास 'आर्ट ऑफ कुकिंग' है, पर बनारस में 'आर्ट ऑफ ईटिंग' ही मोक्ष है। यहाँ का हलवाई खाना नहीं बनाता, वह 'मुक्ति का मार्ग' तैयार करता है।

अगले दिन मिस्टर जूलियन अपना सफेद शेफ कोट त्याग कर, एक मैला सा कुर्ता पहने, अस्सी घाट पर हाथ में चाय का कुल्हड़ लिए बैठे थे और सबको कह रहे थे— "बाबू, ज्ञान बाद में लेना, पहले कचौड़ी चापो, मोक्ष वहीं खड़ा है...