Chhoo Mantar

Rumi, a young shepherd boy of ten, returned home where his grandmother welcomed him with a glass of cool buttermilk. He gulped down the drink in no time and was about to start his daily prattle when the old lady put a finger on her mouth signalling him to stop talking. “First freshen up, eat dinner with me and then at bed-time we will talk.”

“Ok, Dadi.”

After dinner, the woman cleaned up the place while the boy rolled out their bedding on the mud floor of their hut, the thatched roof of which had quite a few uncovered patches. When the weather was dry, the two would admire the clear starry skies through those gaps, but on wet days the bed had to be moved away and pots and pans had to be placed strategically to collect the rainwater.  She was too old to repair the hut herself and had limited resources to get it done by someone. But, somehow, neither of them complained. They were happy in their simple lives, in each other’s company.

“Dadi, I have been seeing something very unusual over the past few days. Sometimes, around midday, I see a horseman in full armour galloping down the castle path. He jumps off his horse under the big banyan tree, ties the animal to the tree trunk, and then starts running towards the middle of the field. He normally runs for a short distance and then with every few steps he shrinks in size till he reaches a small wet patch. By the time he reaches the spot, he has already shrunk to no more than a small creature like a mouse which then jumps and vanishes into the soil. The last few days I have tried to follow him, hiding behind the trees and the bushes, and have also tried digging the soil at the point where I have seen the man vanish but it always turns out to be a dead end. All I find there is soil and more soil and no trace of the man or the mouse or whatever he had become. Later, I end up filling the hole that I have dug and levelling the ground to its original state. You have lived for so long here, do you know what this is all about?”

“How many times have I asked you not to take the sheep to the side where they grow the grains? You should take them to the other side where there is only grass which is good for the animals. Stop going to the other side and go to sleep now. I don’t have answers to all your silly questions,” said an angry and disturbed Dadi.

“Your anger tells me, Dadi, that you know about this vanishing act and you want me to stay away from it. Tell me, Dadi, what’s the mystery behind this?

The old woman went silent and the little one’s reply calmed her down. She now spoke with a quiver in her voice.

“What you have been seeing is trickery and black magic and getting close to it means you will get sucked into it and, finally, it will devour you brutally. I know who is doing this black magic and how dangerous that person is. I want you safe and so am asking you to avoid going to the other side and observing whatever is happening there.”

“I get your point Dadi but what is this ritual?”

Fed up with his constant questions, the old woman broke her silence.

“Long ago there lived in these lands a man who was, possibly, the greatest magician of all times. He had twin daughters who trained under him for years together. The younger one, Bela, was very pretty and was loved by all in the Kingdom of Kano. The king had a son, Prince Hano, and when the time came for him to marry, he ignored Bela and married the only daughter of the neighbouring king. Everyone was invited for the celebrations at the castle. Bela never forgot the slight and envied the woman who was to become the queen. As time passed, Hano ascended the throne. Bela, meanwhile, took to dark magic and slowly mastered it. She would practise the dark art on the villagers. Some people simply vanished; others were found badly mauled in the mornings as if some wild animal had attacked them. The master magician, on realising that he had helped create a dangerous entity, tried reasoning with the girl to mend her ways but she refused. One day the sad father, who blamed himself for the actions of Bela, jumped off the cliff and was never seen by anyone again. Bela’s sister was heartbroken and decided to give up magic altogether and cut off her ties with her twin.”

“Why then did the magician teach Bela the art of black magic?”

“Magic is neither good nor bad. It is how people use it. Some use it for entertainment, for creating something good while others use it for harming others. The father was just passing down to his daughters the life skills he knew hoping that the knowledge would help them in life.”

“What happened to Bela then?”

“What I am going to tell you is something unknown to anyone in the land. So just listen carefully but make sure you do not share it with anyone or it will get you into trouble. People who want to keep this a secret will go to any length to ensure it is never revealed.”

“I promise Dadi, I will not talk to anyone about it. Tell me.”

“King Hano and his lovely wife did not have a child for many years. And then, finally, they were blessed with a daughter. However, the little one was very sick from the time she came into the world and doctors tried their level best to keep her weak heart beating. Bela came to know about this tragedy and saw this as an opportunity to change her fortune. She went to the king and told him about her magic powers to cure all ailments. The king and the queen were very happy to hear this but then the witch spoke…

‘’I have a garden full of magical berries and if the princess were to have just one berry a day, she would have no issues with her health. She would be able to live a normal life. But I have a condition that you must fulfil or else I shall destroy the garden forever.’’

The king and the queen said that she could ask for anything for they treasured their daughter more than anything.

‘‘I will bring one magic berry a day for the princess and no more. No one will try and search for this garden of mine. In return, the queen will have to be banished from the kingdom and I will have to be given a place on the throne beside you.”

The king was about to put his hand on the sword when the queen stopped him and said, “We agree to your demands. As long as my daughter lives to be healthy and you stay on the throne, my going away is a small price to pay. My only concern is how Princess Sumi will take to a new mother?”

“You need not worry about that for I will change my appearance to become an exact replica of you. No one except the king will ever know.”

In the middle of the night, the real queen was put in a carriage and taken away by soldiers who appeared loyal to Bela, and by the time the sun rose in the morning, a silent coup had taken place in the palace.”

“So, you mean to say the queen in the palace is actually Bela. Where is the real queen now?” asked Rumi.

“She lives somewhere in a small house in the direction where you usually take the sheep out to graze. The house is guarded by soldiers and she is not allowed to step out of the house. Her daily requirements are provided for by the soldiers from time to time. She is under what you might call a total house arrest.”

“Bela is an evil woman. Why can the king not kill her?”

“The king is helpless. On the one hand the life of his daughter is at stake, and on the other his wife is held in captivity by an impersonator. It is like in the game of chess where he is in a checkmate situation.”

“Dadi, you always say that evil must be defeated and forces of good must come together. Why don’t you do something now?”

“How can I fight Bela, the witch? She is far too powerful.”

“Dadi, I have seen a picture kept inside your iron trunk. You had a sister who looked exactly like you. It means, you are the twin sister of Bela and the good magician who your father trained as well. You definitely are the only person who can match her in this art.”

The old woman froze and had no heart to refute the boy. She softly said, “Rumi, I have not practised the art of magic for years now and do not wish to get involved. I have one purpose in life now and that is to take care of you.”

“Dadi, now that I know the story, if you refuse to rise to the occasion, then you have to teach me the art. I am willing to step forward.”

“You are far too young and learning this art will take you years. Why don’t you go to sleep now while I think over this? I will let you know my decision by tomorrow morning.”

“Okay, Dadi. Sweet dreams.”

As Rumi slept soundly, the old lady opened up the big trunk. She first looked at the picture of her with Bela and then she saw one photo of her father performing on stage. She remembered him and his final words, “The world is a place to love and live and magic must play its role in keeping it like that.” There were books inside which had not been opened for long and some pieces of ropes, magic wands and other props of illusion, possibly meant to be used on stage during live performances.

She closed her eyes and asked herself a few questions and the answers that came to her mind:

a.      Is Bela doing wrong?  Yes

b.     Should she be stopped? Yes

c.      Do I have the ability to fight Bela? Maybe not, for I am rusty and old.

d.     Should I take her on? Maybe not, it is not my fight after all.

She slept off after a while and in the morning was woken up by the gentle hands of Rumi who was pushing against her shoulders.  When she opened her eyes reluctantly, he kissed her on her cheeks… “Dadi, please say yes.”

She could not say no and simply nodded her head and the boy jumped with joy.

To be continued.

SS