My Ratangarh Gems

My early life has been quite fragmented as though it was in many unconnected pieces. What I mean is, there have been many things that I could not get linked to time line of my life. There are many gaps in the timeline of my childhood. All this happened when I was in the range of 3-4 and less than 10-12 years of age. When I was around two years old, I remember I was in a small place called Chhibaramau. Daddy was in a government job. I remember I used to be very confused about everything. Funny isn’t it? Such a small child feeling confused? That means strangely he must be having some clarity also in his life. After some time (I don’t know how long) he got transferred to another small village, called ‘Ratangarh’. I don’t remember the journey to that place or the activity of our luggage being bundled and carted in a truck or anything. May be I didn’t know what all had to be done when one is transferred. No such memory from the age. All I do remember a bus journey, but at the bus stop, I remember pleading to daddy to travel in a new model of bus that had the engine inside the body. So it had flat nose like today’s buses… I got to travel in the bus of my choice.

At Ratangarh, the bus stopped on side of the road. There was no bus-stop building at all, but just was just a metal flag on a metal pole. Also there was cigarette, ‘pan’, tobacco and a tea shop. About 10-12 men hung out. May be they were waiting for another bus or just came for a smoke. There was a large tree, perhaps a ‘Peepal’ or ‘Banyan’. My knowledge about trees was limited. We got off from the bus.

I was wondering how our luggage would be carried to our new home. I stood gaping at things and activities. I was a very observant child. I am sure my father and mother couldn’t have carried all the bags. Who will carry all that? The bus left. Then a Jeep arrived and the driver said Namaste to daddy. Gradually everything was done. My father was a state land-consolidation officer. During that era consolidation was a big deal. All the farmers who had their land in many bit and pieces, got them consolidated. In the sense if anyone had 10 acres of land but had it in 6 pieces in different locations, the government would consolidate all the pieces in one large piece of 10 acre for farmer’s convenience. Daddy had records of measurement of all the plots, their values etc. and after adding up everything, a large part of land was allotted to that farmer. It had to be done in consultation, and support of all the farmers, and for convenience of all the farmers.

We had reached our house. It was very large. Helpers had unlocked the main door for us. It had many rooms, a large compound inside the house and a huge plot of plot of agricultural land. Gradually luggage was placed where ever my mummy instructed. She got the kitchen fixed first, as it was going to be meal time soon.

Gradually it started getting dark. Now all the servants informed us to stay inside the house with strict instruction, “before going to sleep, lock all the doors and the windows properly. Animals like foxes or even wolf may sneak in if they find a crack in the door or windows, especially snakes.”

There was no electricity in Ratangarh also, like Chhibaramau. So, it did not matter to me. Servants had started working on lighting up the house. There were at least 3 decorative kerosene lamps and many lanterns in the house. I watched people doing the same job every day as the darkness fell; I too picked up this work. There were parts like cleaning the glass covers of all the lamps and lanterns, filling kerosene, adjusting the wicks and lighting each one and placing them where-ever required.

We ate at a dining table, because there was one here. Table was high for me. Daddy did not seem very pleased with the way I was eating by putting the plate in my lap. Mummy had made dal, dry potatoes and chapatis.

Beds were made on the ground only. First a durry, then one thin cotton mattress and then a bed sheet plus one sheet to cover. Soon after dinner, being very tired I lied down and quickly fell asleep. Initially I dreamt of wild animals and snakes entering the house, since it was spoken about.

We woke up at sunrise. I had to get used to a new toilet. It was in the end of the large compound but inside the house. Bathing space was elsewhere. After breakfast daddy got busy in his office work and after a while he left by the Jeep. For a while I explored the house. I found a staircase and went to the roof. There was a lot of junk. I got poked by a nail. I screamed loudly. A servant got me down. They cleaned my foot as properly as they could, since an old nail can be dangerous. After being bandaged I sat quietly for some time. But not for long enough. I walked around and soon went out of the door.

Exterior of Ratangarh was all trees. I went to the agricultural plot attached to our house. Few farmers were working on it. They knew the activities like ploughing and irrigation etc. I had never seen ploughing being done. Perhaps it was due to my extensive experience of 3 years. I followed them and in a bit tried to hold wooden handle. They encouraged me. It was very difficult and needed a lot of strength. I wasn’t good for it.

I walked away and went under a large mango trees. There were many low hanging fruits. I remember one mango was as large as daddy’s shoe! May be when you are small, things look much bigger. But it was really very big, and still green. Thankfully I did not pluck it, I would have been shouted at. I went inside the house and told mummy about the big mango. She was not impressed and not interested. In some time I walked out again. Wearing a foot-ware like a slipper was not in my mind. I went everywhere bare feet.

I went outside the gate, took the mud path and kept walking. The path turned right. After some time it turned left. I kept walking and heard the sound of a bus. I could see the bus parked in front. I had reached the bus stop! There I got scared. Without any drama I turned back quietly. Hoping no one saw me. I thought someone might complain to daddy. Some young women were returning home with pitchers of water. They entered their huts. Few small children also appeared.

I was back home. A servant asked me, “Where did you go for so long?”

“Bus stop.”

“Bus stop! You went so far? Don’t do that again.”

Mummy also felt warned. I wondered if she will tell daddy about it.

As night fell we all heard a commotion. People were shouting, women and children crying. We saw a red glow in the sky that seemed like due to fire. After some time we heard the news, a hut in the village had caught fire.

Due to so much of nothing to do, next day I had reached the bus stop yet again. This time I saw a very weird and a scary site. One man was tied to the large tree near bus stop. He was wearing only a loin cloth. He had painted his body black and it seemed oily. Perhaps to be slippery. He must have been a thief that got caught. May be they were waiting for the police. He was screaming with no words; just doing ‘haaa haaa’. A large crowd had collected to see a live screaming thief. Tea and tobacco shops were doing slick business.

I was home closer to sun set. Since darkness is scary due to two points; one it is scary by itself and two I will be shouted at thoroughly.

We used to get a lady sweeper to clean our old style wet toilets and sweep the compound. She was very smiley and very pretty. One day she was sitting on floor and mummy was chatting up with her. I don’t know how but I straight went and sat in her lap. Perhaps because she was the only pleasant thing around. Everyone screamed, loudest was mummy. Sweeper was smiling happily. In a few minutes I was made to get up. They sprinkled water on me, to purify, since sweepers are supposed to be lower caste or they do a low job.

After getting purified I stepped out and went to the farm where farmer boys were making the ploughed field plain. They used a heavy flat wooden plank tied to both bulls. The bulls pulled the plank as the boys stood on it for weight. I found it interesting. Large chunk of mud were flattening with plank moving on chunks. I also wanted to stand on it as both boys stood on the sides. They had ropes to catch and knew the trick. I stood by myself. As it moved forward I found it difficult to balance. They tried hold my arm, but sadly I fell forward face down on the mud. Like a flash, both boys picked the plank high up and it passed over me. I survived a major accident that day.

I had no school to go to. There was no school in Ratangarh. Whatever I experienced was my lesson, which I am writing about after 70 years!

After dinner we saw the glow of fire again from another direction. Servants ran out to see where the fire was and if any help was required. In a few days we learnt that there was a woman who was quietly lighting up the huts. She was somehow caught red handed by some villagers and beaten up. Crying bitterly she told, she was unable conceive even many years after marriage. In desperation went to the village black-magic woman who said that if she burnt seven huts where they had children, she will be able to get pregnant.