CHAAKARI
“Are you a daughter of a Nepali?”
“No, you don’t know anything,” outspread the smiling answer making the atmosphere pleasant
“Your father?”
“Gurkha”; was a short reply
“No, I mean your father’s name”
“I told you, it’s Gurkha” the girl repeated.
“Gurkha is the name of an entire community; does your father have
a precise name?”
“didn’t you get that?… its Gurkha! Gurkha! Gurkha!” an irritating firm retort.
“There should be a difference between an individual’s name and the
name of a community, who said the name, is Gurkha?” the girl answers with some emotion.
“Mother says my father’s name is Gurkha” The Gurkha Soldier is surprised and asks again in
affirmation.
“and what about your mother’s name?”
“Chaakari, Himali Chaakari”
“Chaakari sound some sort of a profession, rather than a name”
“No, of course, I swear, they call my mother- Chaakari, some calles her Himali- Chaakari” the name is also recorded in my school documents”.
The Gurkha soldier ponders, “may be because of illiteracy she
couldn’t distinguish a name from a profession, but she talks like an elite”
He asks again- “How far did you study?”
“High School”
“And you must have written you parent’s name at school, didn’t
you? What did you write?”
“I just told you Gurkha and Chaakari” came an annoyed response
“and the school accepted such names?”
“The school accepted because it was a private school, provided
the monthly fee had to be paid regularly”
“Didn’t you go to a government school?”
“of course! I had tried taking admission but they asked for my
father’s detail which we didn’t have”
“Where is your Baba then?”
“Well! I haven’t seen him yet, I only know of him from my mother
that he was a Gurkha Fauji (soldier)”
There was some commotion for a while; there are only two people in
the tea shop. Thus breaking the silence, the young woman gets up abruptly from
a stool and asks- “Why do you want to know about my family?”
to which the Gurkha Soldier replies with a short smile “felt
you as my own, for love, for closeness”
“Love and closeness felt in haste could yield nothing but a mere
infatuation, love accepted after a prolong period meeting and getting to know
each other can be trustworthy, isn’t it”
Perplexed with the reply the Gurkha soldier says “who taught
you such an intellectual and proficient words”
The young women responded instantly- “my mother, my experience,
circumstances, more importantly my mother’s advice and blessings”
“and your name?” the soldier asks promptly
“Anumanika, well! Okey! Its already evening and I am closing the
shop now”.
With this, she starts locking the window hinges, and pointing towards the door,
she requests the Fauji “please leave now”
“I am coming to your shop tomorrow again” wouldn’t you wait?” the soldier urged walking out from the shop.
Locking the door of her shop she yells “for what... to drive me
crazy with your dayily visit?”
“No, not to drive you crazy but to share my feeling with you. Understand
the call of my heart for you. God may have sent you to the world for someone;
wouldn’t you include me as one amongst them?”
Both start walking. The young woman turns back to the soldier
walking behind her and says- “Lahurey maya chaureypirti (falling in love with
a soldier is indeed futile)”
“I know what my mother has gone through in the past, I don’t trust
anyone and I am not going to be tapped in someone’s flattery tongue, did you
get that?”
Anumanika is
walking fast and the Gurkha soldier paused abruptly, to ask- “I know few
thing about you; you also have the right to know about me, don’t you?”
The young woman afar, turns back to respond- “tomorrow come to
the shop…I am in a hurry now, I am gone” she turns back with a smile
indicating that she would wait for him and walks quickly. The soldier watched
her until Anumanika dashed into the darkness of dusk.
The Gurkha soldiers are renowned for their bravery and courage, a
soldier whose recognition is not confined to a particular nation but also in
the entire world. The Vellore and bravery of a Gurkha warrior are exhibited not
only in the war filed but also in their normal life. Most of the lives of these
military soldiers who dedicate their precious youth hood for the shake of the
country are spent in the camp training themselves hard with every potential parameter.
For such diligent soldier the authority has made a provision for entitlement
leave and emergency leave once a year. Agamveer Thapa, a Gurkha soldier, despite having spent his vacation few days ago,
has been granted this leave for twenty days. This leave is of utmost importance
to him for he has a dream to marry a girl with modest temperament. Desirous of
these imaginations, he walks off the camp.
Anumanika’s stunning
appearances and sweet words have made a permanent abode in his heart. In every moment of his journey, he
cherishes a plan of engagement with Anumanika and longs to make the mountain
beauty his bride. Anumanika too had started to like Agamveer (a Gurkha soldier). She wanted to
talk openly about things that had been on her mind but she couldn’t dare in
front of the people gathered in her tea shop. Often had she planned for an
opportunity to introduce herself. As such, she would close the shop very late.
Day passed by and it had been fifteen days she had been waiting
for the Gurkha; now the waiting seem like a year to her but the Gurkha soldier
did not come to the tea stall at all. Her expectation seems to be a distant
reverie now.
He had assured her “I will meet you tomorrow, I will introduce
myself,” but he never came.
Anumanika who
was usually cheerful and talkative seems upset now. She has lost her sanity.
Seldom does she talk, she seems depressed and gloomy most of the time. She
hardly recalls her customers and the things they have taken or consumed in her
stall. Few customers pay on their own, others often taking advantage of her
tormented mind would walk away without paying anything. These accounts of her
condition are remarked by few well-wishers of her who had observed her at a
close range.
“Have you opened this shop to distribute things free of cost?” why
aren’t you keeping account of daily transactions?
Another customer would add “I can’t understand what is wrong
with her these days, it does not make difference to her whether her customer
pays or doesn’t pay”
“I just wanted to see who is reliable and who isn’t” explains Anamanika with a smile that concealed her grief.
“we are getting late, just give us our bill” scoffed the angry well- wisher.
In reality, people frequently visit her tee shop to admire her
beauty and in the pretext of meeting her, sometimes they would buy stuffs that
were needless. People who have disliked tea throughout their life also come to the
shop to take a sip. Indeed people who wished to live a life of chastity would
also be lured by her beauty. Such was the charisma of Anumanika.
Out of sheer frustration Anamanika would
often grumble alone and sometimes amidst people… “sinister, betrayal…. hadn’t
he promised to introduce himself, yet he never turned up till now?”
Somewhere around a song resonates at the backdrop of a gloomy
scenario “pratiksha gara meri mayalu samayley manislai kahakahapuraohcha” (be patient my love, time can takes people anywhere) and she
recollects the word uttered by her mother…
Chaakari, yes she was named as Chaakari… deprived
of any religious rite called Nawran. There was a family who had nurtured
her and gave her this name. They had named her Chaakari for reasons that were
more deceiving than benevolence.
Chaakari’s mother
suffered from mental illness; she had spent her life like a tramp feeding
herself on whatever people offered. She had lost her mind so much that she had
no sanity to care for her own daughter. She was stripped of everything
except her youthful beauty. Soon, she became gloomy. Her sorrow went unheard
and unnoticed by the world outside.
In a country where women are worshipped as Goddess Durga,
Bhagawati and Kali, however, on the other hand, be it a girl child, teen girls,
elderly women, or for that matter even girls with mental illness, seldom are
they spared from grasp of lustful devils manifested in the masculine soul.
Girls with mental illness become easy prey and often live their life conceived
with illegitimate child in their womb. Such had been the case with Chaakari’s mother.
One day, in the course of her daily wandering, Chaakari’s mother had
chanced to leave the infant in front of a deserted house. The owner, who earned
his living selling local liquor, was a ruthless man, upon finding the infant
had taken this opportunity to nurture the child and finally raise her to a Chaakari (worker). No sooner had she reached the age of five, she had been forced
to work in the shop. It had become customary for people to call her Chaakari while
placing their order. As such, the name Chaakari soon engraved her life like a permanent marker and labelled as her
official name thereafter. The distress of her life rose when she turned
fifteen. May people flung to the liquor shop not only to enjoy their habituated
drink but also to quench their thirst of lustful desire manifested on the teen-Chaakari. There were times when customers intoxicated at
their heights would be reluctant to leave the shop but would wait for their
chance to get lured in her enchanting beauty.
When Chaakari would outpour her grievances before the owner, he would say “this
is what we have raised you for and this is how you will repay our debts we owe
you”
Chaakark had
started sensing her insecurity; her daily confrontation with the impudent
customers had become her biggest toll, she now understood that her youthful
beauty was indeed her biggest curse.
Her master and mistress seldom paid any heed to her sufferings.
For them, the only thing that mattered most was how to increase their customers
and make profit. She had to confront times when intoxicated customers would
grab her hand and forced her in a manner she would not feel comfortable, the
owner would do nothing to stop them but avail the situation with a vicious
smile. “this is how a liquor shop is and you have to get accustomed to
it… make the customers happy… this you have to do it by any means”
Amidst the insolent customers, there would sometimes be an earnest customer
as well, who had come to forget his despair of life;
he however intercedes saying “just because she has no one does not mean you can do whatever you
feel. If I should complain to the police” Upon hearing this, the offenders would leave the shop hurriedly.
In a manner of consolation, he said “you must have no one in your family,
you ought to run away from a place like this, someday you might be molested by
these miscreants, and you shall definitely be”
That night Chaakari couldn’t sleep, the words spoken by elderly customer echoed in her
ears throughout the night.
Indo- china trade route had recently started, road repairing works
towards Changu, Serethang, Kupup, Dikchu Nala was
undergoing at full swing. Labors in groups were hired from different places, Disguised as one of
the labours, Chaakari
chanced her way to escape from the shop and ventured to work in the hilly
terrain of Himalayan boarder region.
Should proper attention be given to these places of Eastern
Himalayan region in terms of socio- economic development, these places should
stands nowhere inferior to other renowned places of the world like Switzerland?
Vast multitude of tourist flocks to this place to enjoy the chilly
breeze, snow clad mountains, furthermore, the mesmerizing view of sunrise in a clean weather from Zuluk 32 Golai appears like
Lord Shankar with Damaru in the replica of mountain at distant horizon.
On questioning about her name, she would say “Chaakari”, scooping
the freezing snow on the road with a spade. A blue truck in the early hour of
7am would ply towards the snow laden road of Gnathang loaded
with workers both man and women like herds of sheep. For a tourist who
has had a glimpse of such truck loaded with herd of animals few minutes
earlier, seems perplexed to see similar truck loaded with people in the similar
manner. Wouldn’t one sense the difference between human and animal in this
place?
There were many good-looking female labours like Chaakari. They would vile their face to protect the skin from the
dry breeze blowing through freezing snow clad mountains. This would also help
them protect their skin form the harsh light of the sun and the eye- straining
light reflecting form the snow.
As the truck plied the bumpy road, men would pretend to stumble
towards the female co- workers intending to brush past their soft skin. During
such an act, Chaakari had almost fallen out
of the moving truck, when an impious youth had bumped upon her, luckily, she
was saved. Such plight of the female labours remained
unspoken and unattained as one would hardly open her mouth in a fear of losing
their job.
Fear of being unemployed again lurks in Chaakari’s mind
too, where would she go? As such, even in the predicament of such struggle, she
remains silent.
With every clicking hands of a clock, time passed by, the State
made deliberate progress. Politician speech were made to change the state into
Switzerland, change has definitely come. The state has undergone a paradigm
shift in political scenario, from a monarchical government to democratic
government. Earlier, vehicles loaded with people plied their way to
listen to political leaders, now, comfortable and luxurious vehicles are
provided to fulfil this
purpose by the politicians. People are provided with more amenities and
facilities. Despite increase in the labour wage, the means of transport of labours has remained the same. There seems to be an irony when the
world Celebrating May Day with great zeal yet, the condition of these workers
remains unchanged. Indeed these very workers are the ones who play a leading
role in defining the progress made by the nation.
Youthfulness is a product of nature, a phase of our life where we
rejuvenate every ounce of our spirit. An age when we prefer to be entertained,
an age to fall in love, chose a life partner. Even if you are an illiterate,
this is the time when you can’t resist the desires of youthfulness. Even
a destitute Chaakari enticed
with fragrance of her youthfulness, now desires to seek for a life partner. Sometimes
she would miss her mother though retarded and thought to herself “if my
mother was still alive, I would have known how it feels to be adored, Now she
was destined to be a worker (Chaakari), what disturbed her most was the thought
of her mother being gang raped, then she would also remember” the owner who
had raised her to be a worker in a liquor shop, if only she had not dared to
escape, wouldn’t she too become subjected to molestation?.. Her life would be
doomed”
A perfect day to have a glimpse of Himali Sundari (mountain beauties) was on Sundays. A day where labours (girls)
would clad themselves with the best outfits they have, ornament with best jeweller, lotion and potion. These are the girls who ought to be
entitled as Himali Sundaries. Chaakari was
always at the forefront of these beauties. She too looks like a heavenly angel
as she walk passed the streets of Rongli and Gangtok town. Though a distant place, these towns have been
significant as a place where workers like Chaakari often
dwells to fulfil their
desires.
The workers residing in places such as Tukla, Baba Mandir
and Dukla would
go to Gangtok Town, whereas, workers residing in Gnathang and
Zuluk made their shopping pilgrimage to Rongli Town. These places being a
strategic point of Indo- China Boarder, hundreds of Indian Militaries are
stationed here. These militaries would leave no stone unturned to have a
glimpse of these beautiful Himali
Sundaries(pretty girls) in
the monotony and wilderness of such place. These militaries would get mesmerized throughout
the day.
In such routine life, one a Gurkha soldier approached Chaakari intending
to establish a relationship with her. They had been
dating at Rongli Bazar on every Sundays. One day Chaakari had
resolved to ask “your introduction
please”
“I am a Gurkha Soldier; I do not like myself being affiliated to
any cast, creed or community” we are best known in the world as “Bir
Gurkhas” what better could be a caste other than A Gurkha having such worldwide
recognition?”
Chaakari wanted
to ask other questions as well, but feared of being cross- examined by him in
the course of sharing introduction. How could she talk of her childhood days
which were full of despair and tragedy? The very thought of it made her feeble.
“my name is Chaakari”
Listening to her, the Gurkha soldier seemed less concerned to ask
any questions further
“Whatever your name is, I shall call you Himali Sundari”
he adds… “you look beautiful, why don’t we discuss issues of
getting married straight off?”
On their journey back home, there was a huge snow fall. The road
covered with snow made vehicles unable to ply forward. They had reached Zuluk at dusk and travelling further was impossible. As such, they
decided to stay in a small hotel. The temperature of the weather outside
dropped considerably. This made Chaakari shiver with cold; despite her first time, she wouldn’t care to
venture with few sip of whiskey in order to make herself warm. The drink not
only relieved her from the chill weather but also ignited her youth-hood spark.
That night, there was no doubt that she would not offer herself to the man whom
she adored most. Soon the two entwined themselves in the knot of union.
Consequently, Chaakari bored a
child in her womb.
False love, assurance, expectation are indeed nothing but a mirage
in the desert of vanity. Such unkempt promises abound in every corner of their
bleak world. To deliver a fatherless child was something beyond her
imagination. However, as days passed by, it had been nine months and then a day
arrived of her delivery. Yet a girl child was born on her lap. As she grew up, Chaakari would
fear of her indignities and if her child would come to know the reality,
wouldn’t she blame her?
Chaakari’s daughter
started going to a school, as years passed by, she was promoted to higher
grades. Chaakari had
written her husband’s name as Gorkha Chaakari in
her daughter’s school documents.
One day her daughter desired to ask Chaakari a
question that had been lurking in her mind for years “mother”, my
friends keeps asking me, “What does your father do?” Chaakari bursted
into tears… she was not prepared for such question which appeared as intricate
as this.
With a feeble heart she answered “your father had deceived me…”
she could not speak further
wiping her mother’s tears the daughter said “I have always
tried to figure-out myself the pain you have gone through when I was born, the troubles a single
mother would take to nurture me, educate me and take care of my needs,
henceforth I shall not bother you with such questions”
“It’s not what you think…my child, he was a brave soldierindeed, maybe… he might have
been sent at war and probably he might have been a martyr..”
There would be night when her mother was fast asleep, Anumanika dreamt
of her father. “Father, where on earth are you? I want to tell them
that I am a proud daughter of a patriotic soldier, but alas! I can’t. I have
been raise with mother’s care. However; I also miss my fatherly protection. I
see a void in my mother’s life, a void of her Gurkha husband’s shelter; I have
become a daughter without a father” She would cry throughout the night and
feared if she too would face similar destiny.
“Thanks be to God for my father have not touched me. He left
without caressing me” She sensed an unusual pleasure inside her, she closed her eyes,
her imagination sublimes like flake of smoke in the world of oblivion.
One Sunday instead of going to the routine market they spentthe day
cleaning their house and taking bath. Aunmanika proceeded towards
the tea shop. Customers who had arrived at Chaakari’s shop
enquire “where is the house of a woman called sundari?”
astonished Chaakari shouts “which beauty are you talking about?”
The strangers (apparently married couple) takes out a
photograph for his pocket, shows the picture to Chaakari “we
are looking for this beauty, Himali Sundari …”
Seeing the photograph, Chaakari seem
baffled for the picture was of her own.. a picture of her youthful days.
“it’s me? Where did you get it?” demands Chaakari
“is it you? Is that you?” cries the confused couple in unison “Our son had asked us to
find this name… the same girl”, “what do people call you here”?
“Chaakari, yes everyone calls me by the name Chaakari”
“In that case we are you in- laws, our son have send us to look
for you. We had come sever times looking for you but he had instructed us to
find a girl by the name Sundari” retorts the amused couple, they continues “it
has been eighteen years, we have been look for you. Since these places falls in
a restricted zone, we were denied permission. Even if we got the permission to
enter this place, we had very little time to search. Further, the workers keeps
shifting their home, as majority of them are transit residents”
wiping their tears of joy the couple states “Our son was sent
to Kargil, to fight Kargil War, unfortunately his survived major injuries in
his legs. His right leg does not have the strength to walk, as such; he has to
take support of a crutch. Ever since, his has returned home, he is desperate to
see you all, he keeps talking about you. He is our only son and our only hope
to continue our legacy”.
“We
feared that you have aborted the child and got married to someone else, but our
son kept us insisting to look for you. Where is your child? Where is our
grandchild?” mother-in- law patted her hand.
Bowing her in-laws Chaakari says “it’s not the boy I bore to run your generation, but a
girl”
“Is her name Anumanika?” replies the female couple
Surprised Chaakari snaps “who did you come to about this name?”
“Agamveer Thapa a Gurkha soldier form our village had informed us. He has
gone to tea shop to see her, He really likes Anumanika, He would meet her parents to
talk about his marriage proposal” informs the couple. Further they adds “When Agamveer had shown the photo of Anumanika, we had sensed an intuition
of our blood relation with the girl”
Anumanika and Agamveer arrive
in the scene and bows before the elderlies.
Mother- in- law speaks “Buwari (daughter- in- law) we have a big plot of land in Dehradun
Cant, you have to be there and take care of the land. Do you know, you are the
wife of a brave Gurkha soldier? Garkhamaan has been honoured with a Paramveer Chakar form Govt. of India.”… “Anumanika is our only generation!”
The mother- in – law gives Anumanika a
tight hug and says “Child, you are my granddaughter,” “Thanks be to Agamveer, for you have reunited our
estranged family.”
Even Agamveer is pleased to see this; his life partner was indeed a child of a
reputed Gorkha family from his native place. Chaakari remains
silent; tears were flowing like river Ganga and Yamuna from her eyes. She sits
abruptly. Anumanika sinks
into the warm lap of her mother “This is the fruit of my mother’s long
awaited perseverance and patience. We are united finally”
Few days later, the entire family boarded a flight at Bagdogra. A
marriage ceremony would be conducted in a lavish Gurkha tradition at Dehradun
Kant.
Chaakari is
enfolded in the warm arms of her long estranged husband. This was her long envisaged moment of happiness
which compensates her lifelong struggle of misery. Today she lives in world of
reality where her fortune takes a quantum leap towards prosperity.
Translated from a Nepali Story by Thaman Nawbag
