Pinky, Tukai, Bablu
and Rohan were sitting atop the boundary
wall with long faces sad expressionand dangling their feet Bhulo sat on the ground
stretching himself out with his face on
his outstretched paws time to time raising eyes to watch his human friends and
trying to figure out what they were up to. It was Durga Puja and it was the
Moha Nabami , only a day was left and all the fun will be over.
Durga Puja as you all know is the ceremonial worship of the
mother goddess, and is one of the most important festivals of India. Apart from
being a religious festival for the Hindus,people belonging to all different
faiths join and enjoy like all Hindus;, it is also an occasion for reunion and
rejuvenation, and a celebration of traditional culture and customs. While the
rituals starts from Mahalaya, offering prayers to the
forefathers , of fast, feast and worship, the last four days - Saptami, Ashtami,
Navami and Dashami - are celebrated with much gaiety and grandeur in India and
abroad, especially in Bengal, where Dasho-Vuja Devi Durga ( ten armed Goddess) riding the lion is worshipped with great
passion and devotion. Ma Durga is the Goddess of Shakti (power) who destroys
the demon and devil and makes the world peaceful and happy,
As always It was
such fun this Durga Puja , going around the city all four of them in a luxury
car Rohan’s parents arranged for them . Yesterday they were taken to South
Kolkata and were taken around some very remarkable Puja grounds with innovative
pandal ,innovative designs , grand lighting, also there were variety of type of
Durga, made by artisans at Kumartoli. They went to some prise winning community
pujas among which Mudiali was declared as best puja that year. They went pandel hopping in the morning
as at the evening time there would be tremendous rush and it would be difficult
to drive the car and the children would need escorts lest they were lost in the
crowd
During the Puja through Shasti, first day of Puja to Dashami,
various cultural programme were organised by their neighborhood Puja Committee in the evening which
extended into quite late in the night. The children were allowed to stay on as
almost all elders in every house in the neighborhood were awake and watch it. Last night it was
fun as the many parents and elders performed a drama which they rehearsed
during the a long period and the drama was a comedy and everybody enjoyed it
very much.
Nabami morning the children walked round the neighbouring places and watched puja pandels and idols all by
themselves. All of them wanted to make most of the pujas , offering prayers (
anjali) to Durga Ma in the morning , pandel hopping after having lunch at the
para puja, during the Durga Puja no one in the neighbourhood cooked at
home , as almost all women in every house remained busy with puja work community
lunch and dinner were cooked for all residents and it was such a fun having
lunch and dinner together and the Prasad , which consisted of khichri, sabjis,
paisiom and sweets. These prasads and other food cooked in the pandel always
tasted divinely palatable. As if a very large joint family were having food
together , the taste and the feeling was so unique that even if these were
prepared at home by the same women for their own family it would be a far cry from the community food.
The four musketeers were sad and thinking a way to
find some fun before the puja ends. Navami night there was going to be
religious concert at the puja pandel and the children were not much interested.
Suddenly Bhulo started to growl in a low voice and gathered himself up on all
fours. It was obvious that Bhulo had sensed or smelt something wrong.
The children looked in the direction that Bhulo was facing and found a strange
man, unusually tall, walking with a limp in the opposite direction. They could
not see his face but watched that man was wearing a chequered blue half sleeve
shirt and rotten jeans. They also notice that he had a head full of orange
hair, very odd indeed.
Pinky asked Bhulo
to calm down and all four of them started following the man, automatically without consulting each other. Suddenly the
man looked back and the face had a terrible scar on its left side. The stranger
looked back quite a few times to make
sure that no one was following and walked for quite a long time covering a lot
of lanes and by lanes and suddenly
turned left. During the Durga Puja festival the whole of Kolkata and even whole
West Bengal, are lighted up with grand decorating lights and music on the air,
people come on the street, by car, by bus or simply walk through the street to
enjoy the grandeur. At the evening time sound of Dhak , smell of incense lighted by the people
dancing before the deity mesmerises the
people in all the Puja grounds . Everybody wares new and shiny cloths, and
everybody seems happy. And nobody cares about what others are doing.
The children kept a distance and Rohan said " the man is walking towards the
Devil Tower!
Really , so odd chipped in Tukai"
Has anyone seen this man before? Asked Pinky?
No- was the answer in chorus.
Pinky stopped and
said’ Bablu you go back with Bhulo you are too small for this expedition’.
‘Please didi take me along I will not make any noise I promise’. There were
tears on his young innocent eyes. Pinky said okay everybody let us prepare ourselves
for a tough journey. Devil tower itself is a devilish place and a satanic man
is going to enter it. Everybody cross yourselves and pray to Ma Durga , come
what may we will not be scared and will not backtrack
Four musketeers crossed their souls and with closed eyes prayed to Durga ma.
Do you think day light would be fading soon and dusk may come on us in Devil
Tower asked Tukai.
People say shady figures are seen there at night and moving lights and moaning
sounds comes out from the place.
Exclaimed Rohan
Ooops lets go cried the four musketeers
And Bhulo barked
excitedly.
Now devil tower was dilapidated bungalow type building with windows and doors
closed. There was a huge place at the back which must have been a garden
once upon a time but now the garden was covered trees and bushes and creepers,
a mini jungle as it appeared to the children
.The rusty iron gate at the right side of the building must have been
built by the owner to let the cars to be garaged. This passageway however was
relatively usable than the building and its unkempt garden.
Pinky and her gang sometimes visited the building and peeped into the rooms
with plasters completely gone and cob webs dangling everywhere but they went to
the only during day time.
That afternoon they stopped at a distance to guess at which direction the
stranger had gone after turning left. The narrow lane went some distance as
a dark
dirty water body, covered with
dried leaves and garbage and water plants fell on the left
side, it was a breeding ground of mosquitoes, people said there were rats and
may be snakes too, as this water body had no owner , at least not known to the
people living nearby, even Pinky’s dadi was not ware about it. The water body
ended at a distance and the devil tower stood blocking the lane. It was a blind lane On the right side of the
lane there was a huge empty ground rounded off by brick barricade to thwart
trespassers. And during the grandeur and light of Puja this place remained dark
and deserted.
When they reached
the steps to the back door they found marks of fresh footsteps embossed on the
dirt. Simultaneously Bhulo gave a snarl..
They quickly went and hid behind the thorny bush. A sturdy man came out
and looked here and there and said there is nobody boss it must have been a
stray dog and went inside. The gang froze with fear and asked sternly Bhulo
shhh., Bhulo who was all alert and tail
wagging looked down with tail between legs.
The man with orange hair came out and murmured I am
sure I heard voices and looked around and stopped looking straight at the bush
and said ‘ look Srikant don’t you think there is something behind that bush.’
Srikant laughed and said check you power boss that is only the shadow; who
would come to this goddamned house. ‘
The two vanished into the building and soon came out with helmets in hand . The
Boss said, should you put a lock here also, don’t you think that it might draw
unwanted attention. After all we are new here and have locked the consignment
inside. Srikant seemed apprehensive and
with a smirk jerked his shoulders and said “as you wish Boss.
The two went out strolling as if they were lost
and looking for a particular address. The children sat there huddled even ten
minutes after they were gone and then tip toed up the steps and went inside
looking for a locked door.
The children wandered from one room to the
other and found nothing suspicious until they heard the faint bark of Bhulo
upstairs. Though it could not be seen from outside the building had a room up
the starecase.. They quickly went up and found Bhulo barking
from behind the closed door. They were baffled, how could Bhulo go inside a room
locked from the outside. Oh my, exclaimed Tukai look there is a window. They
all ran to it and got the shock of their life, Bhulo had entered the room
through an open window. Day light was
fading and it was already dark inside the room but they could easily figure out
that four children were sitting on the floor with their back on the wall;. They
opened the door easily as it was shut by only a
latch from outside. As they came nearer they saw four children were
huddled together with their mouth gagged and hands and feet tied. They looked
terrified, hungry, dirty and dishevelled. Pinky and friends hurriedly took out their gags but the children
did not make a sound. When goaded by Pinky and the group they opened their
mouth. They were from poor families in villages and they had been
handpicked by the duo with a promise to provide jobs at big cities. They had
also given some money to the hapless parents as advance salary.
The oldest among them was a girl about ten , who said that these two people
were crooks and they were going to sell them like cattle to strangers. Already
two children were sold to an Arab but the sheikh did not want to by the reaming
at a time as that might raise suspicion.
A small boy held out his palm and there were fresh marks of burn made by
lighted cigarette butts, a punishment for crying out loud.
Don’t they give you food and water
Tukai asked as the
children looked famished. They gave us one bun each at morning also a bottle of
water. They did not give any food now also.
If they come tonight they might get some food otherwise they would have to
starve
Babul started
crying at these words
.
The children said they usually come back at about 10 in the night.
How long have you
been here, Rohan asked
They brought us
hear on the Austomi night
Pinky stood up and said don’t waste any time we
must run for a safe place , the captives were extremely nervous and though they
were free of the shackles they wobbled while trying to stand up and take a step
or two. They all started towards the door and their stood the man with
orange hair; he had a gun in his hand pointing at Pinky. The sturdy man also
had his gun pointed at the children.
Surprised! Said the Orange head with a smirk. You thought you would outsmart
us. You stupid pigs you have walked into our trap. Why do you think the front
door was kept open and unlocked?
Heh Srikant
, said boss we have got special food to offer to the Sheikh, they are fat and
ripe and would fetch a fortune. The two men laughed a menacing way there teeth showing , body shaking but there was no sound coming out.
Srikant call up Rehman, tell him about the new
items and ask him to come early. The neighbourhood people would soon find out
that their kids are missing. We should make the deal by 8.00 pm. The
concert programme at the puja ground will be over by 10 pm. So they will
find about the missing children by half an hour later. We should clear
out of this place by 10 at the latest.
Yes boss,
Srikant showed his dirty yellow teeth and dialed the number.
Bhai, the
consignment is ready; you have to come early as delay may spoil the goods, he
spoke over the mobile.
He listened to the person at the other end and
said, this time we are delivering excellent goods and the price would be higher
I tell you.
Bablu tugged Pinky’s top Pynki looked down and he whispered
Bhulo is not here!
The fat man noticed him and gave him a hard slap on his face - Did I
said no talking, no sound, forget and get a slap as reward and laughed his
soundless laugh. Tear drops started falling down his chubby cheeks and he wept
silently while Pinky sat down and comforted him and noticed a bluish red mark
on her brothers, cheek and glared at the villain.
The man took a step forward at thundered- look
down you bitch, don’t ever show me your red eyes or else ... He did not
finish and put the nozzle of the gun on her forehead. Bablu clutched at his
sister, Tukai and Rohan came closure and guarded their friend.
The two men found it funny and punched each
other playfully but did not take away their guns. He again put his gun on
Pinkys forehead and said Jhansi ke rani eh.. Where are your soldiers ... These
monkeys/? and pointed to her friends. Strangely Pinky did not feel
scared but felt anger and humiliation boiling inside.
You call
yourselves brave- you are like rats who come on the sly, and slap children’s
.Ma Durga will destroy you. Anger overtook her fear and she stood erect and
tried to take away the gun from his hand. There was a scuffle Pinky surprised
the man and a shot went out of his gun and hit the window pane broking the
glass as he fell down on his back.
All the
children started crying and a hell of a
Pandemonium broke out , children started running
helter smelter, the noise reached out side, some passerby’s stopped and looked
here and there to find origin of the gunshot.
Suddenly Tukai shrieked , here is a strange
orange porcupine and I have stepped on it’ for a second there was pin drop
silence in the room, then all the children started laughing pointing at his
head, bewildered the villain touched his head and it was as bold as a cricket
ball, the orange wig was on ground and children started running and jumping on
it.
The Orange Head was furious and lifted Pinki up
by her hair and slapped hard and shouted at his mate- Srikant finish her off, but
as Srikant did not answer he looked back and looked straight into the nozzle of
the gun police officer Ramakant Sing pointing at him. Srikant had already been
caught and hand cuffed by the second officer. Bhulo came running and jumped at
the fat man and surprised, the gun fell from his hand.
Thank your stars children, if Bhulo did not come in time and
forced us to follow him , you might have died or been sold. Pinkey and her
friends took Bhulo in their laps and gave him a thousand hug.and Bhulo put his tounge out licked them and smiled a happy smile.
That
night all the children had a disturbed sleep often waking up and crying save
us, don’t hit and their parents sitting
by them put them to slip cajoling and
reassuring.
On the last day of final day of Durga puja, vijoya dasami, women put vermilion on the deity and put
vermilion on each other. All the women wore white sari with red border which
they kept for this day when they bade teary goodbye to Durga while immersing her on river Gangal
and chanted ‘come back next year’.
The community
members embraced each other and distributed sweets among themselves as a ritual
The four captured
children had slept well, washed themselves and had put on new clothes presented
by the puja committee.
On dasami or dashera there was a
programme where pop singers were invited to perform on the stage.
Everybody was present and the singers were
coming up the stage when Rothin Uncle, the president of the puja committee took
up the mike and asked everybody to sit down and keep silence. The Officer in
charge of Police Station joined him.
He took the mike and addressed the gathering
On the
Navami Puja there were four brave children who dared to catch two very
notorious crooks that were connected with child trafficking gang and helped
police to catch and bust their nefarious activities without thinking about
their own safety. With their help four poor children from rural Bengal were
freed from their clutches and would be handed over to their parents. The puja
committee jointly with the police are presenting bravery prizes to them and
proposing their name for Presidents bravery award. It is a fitting act on the
day of Vijoya Dasami, the day of Victry of good over evil.
Everybody screamed and clapped the four rescued
children, now clean and with new dresses danced with delight,
But we have not mentioned the bravest and
cleverest of the gang- Bhulo. If Bhulo did not come running from the devil
tower and insisted the police officials should follow him, by pulling him by
his shirt sleeve and guided to the devil tower, we might have lost our
children.
At First The Police Officer wanted to ward off Bhulo, as he tore his new shirt
by tugging at it, but constable Ramdin recognised him and told “Saab, something
must be wrong, I know this dog and his master. “ and convinced the officer to
follow Bhulo, and had to run hard because Bhulo kept running at a high speed, looking
back now and then to be sure that hey
were following him.
Everybody cheered and clapped while Rohan, Pinky
, Tukai and Bablu were presented gift boxes and Bhulo with delicious dog treats
and new and shining ball to play with.
The children cried Jai Ma Durga and the whole
ground full of spectators shouted Durga Ma ki jai. It seemed the spirit of good souls cried together and the sky and air
joined to hail the Devine Shakti, which
prevailed over evil.
