'முகமூடி’ - The Masked Man
சொல்வனம் இணைய இதழில் வெளியான என் 'முகமூடி’ சிறுகதையைப் பேராசிரியை வி காதம்பரி அவர்கள் The Masked Man என்ற தலைப்பில் ஆங்கிலத்தில் மொழிபெயர்த்திருக்கிறார்கள். மைஸூரிலிருக்கும் த்வன்யலோகா வெளியீடான சாரஸா இதழில் ( 2021- Vol.No.37&38 ) அது வெளிவந்திருக்கிறது.
The Masked Man
Mugamoodi by M.A.Susila in Tamil,
Solvanam, Digital Magazine, March 14, 2021 Issue No 242
Translated by V.Kadambari
A small asbestos roofed shed like structure. The
entrance was closed with a tin door and a seventy year old man and a middle
aged man who could pass off as the son of the former were struggling to put
their heads through an open window which was only slightly open like and
resembled a hovel.
I who was seriously engaged in capturing the rays of
the sun trying to pierce through the chinks in the snowcapped Himalayan peaks,
got distracted by akka’s voice.
“This is why Ammu I think a thousand times before
going with you. Pushing aside the purpose of the visit you start photographing
trees, barks, hills, humans and all that you see like a loose screw. It is so
difficult to get your attention then.”
“Cool down akka! Let the purpose of the visit be on
one side. But can one miss such a rare opportunity after coming this far? Why
don’t you too pack up all your worries and tensions and enjoy the sight for
some time. When to you think we will get
another such chance in our lives to see a rare sunrise with sun and snow
competing with each other?”
“Even I too have been watching it Ammu. But let me ask
you something. Do you think however high-tech your camera is, it can capture
the secrets and mysteries hidden behind the beautiful nature?”
I stared at her as such words rarely come out of a
pragmatist like her.
“Why do you look at me as if I also have lost my
balance? Whatever we do, we should not forget the purpose of our coming her.
Ammu… that manager Bhaiya – what is his name - Prathap or Predeep? I saw him go
somewhere towards the left. Four more have tagged along. We too should put in a
little effort. Ammu my darling! Please go and see that side. May be he is
returning now.”
“Why would you get excited so much akka? Haven’t you
spoken secretively to that pet of yours in Hindi and made some plan?”
“Poor fellow Ammu! Why do you get annoyed with him?
Here he is only a watchman. He is giving us ideas in his own limited way. It is
up to us to carry it out isn’t it? Look here Ammu, since the time we reached
this place yesterday afternoon, I have spoken to the manager in my broken
Hindi. Why don’t you show your face to him and try in English? This place is a
little steep! I don’t want to take any risk with my knee pain. Otherwise I
myself will…”
“You don’t fall down and have an adventure. Be here
and keep yourself warm looking at the sun. I will go and find out.” I started
climbing slowly the steep on the left hand side having prevented her from
venturing to do so.
Phata, a small hill
side village had a helipad on an even, expansive ground between the narrow
roads and ranges. It was one of the Heli-stations for the onward journey to
Kedarnath. The Helipads were laid both left and right for the copters which
flew out and landed every ten minutes and the booking office was a little away
with chairs laid in front of it where we were seated. The waiting hall for the
pilgrims though was adjacent to it, we had chosen the chairs under the sky in order
to not to be out of sight of the ticket shed.
I who had climbed up thoughtfully towards the left
side helipad was about to slip when a hand caught me and helped me to my feet…
and it was the Manager Prathap’s.
“Savdon Behanji, savdon. Take care”, he moved on
speaking both in Hindi and English and I who did not want to miss the
opportunity walked along with him and told him in clear English our plea as
senior citizens waiting since the day before to be given priority for the
tickets.
“Chintamath…Behanji! Will take care…aaram se bhaitiye”
… he took long strides as he said this and was gone in to the shed.
I turned with a little trepidation to find if anyone
had seen me slipping, especially after teasing akka about doing so. But the
eyes of all including that of akka, who were seated on the chairs were riveted
on one place. The “masked man” who had removed it for a while to smoke pushed it back to its place, thrown the
butt and was walking towards akka.
***************************
This ‘masked man’ was
the one whom we saw first as soon as we came to Phata. We had arrived
there for the second time after going around all other Heli-stations in nearby
places and found him keeping the “Booking Closed” notice board with a lot of
noise outside the closed door of the ticket shed. Unlike me who knew no Hindi,
Akka who had been to various North Indian towns along with her husband on his
transfers was acquainted with many languages and places. She was enquiring him
as I stood a little away.
“Seems booking is over with two o’clock today. For
next two or three days booking may not be possible he says. Also it may be
better after a few days.”
I who started saying, “This is why…” checked myself
and said, “Akka we both decided to keep an open mind when we started on this
journey isn’t it? Be patient. Let us
enquire more at leisure. We ate something at the road side at eight in the
morning. Now it is almost three. You are a diabetic and won’t be able to
withstand. Sit in the car for a while and let me check if any food is available
here.” I made her comfortable in the car and sent driver Vijay to check about
food in the restaurants that were open.
Akka was engulfed with worry and tiredness and it was
writ large on the face. “Have we done a mistake Ammu?” she asked.
“Let us first eat akka. Let us not think about anything
else now. Ok?”
Vijay who had gone in search of a restaurant returned
with the “masked man”. I wondered if he was an all in all in the place. I did
not entertain any faith in him unlike akka. Also due to some unknown reason I
had developed an allergy for him. His covering his nose and mouth with a big
kerchief tied around in a place where there was no crowd and pollution in the
chill air (at a time prior to corona) appeared ridiculous.. He seemed to me to
somehow be a disturbing mystery.
*********************************
As akka and I were
making plans to participate in a two weeks camp on meditation in an ashram on
the banks of Ganga in Rishikesh, Kedarnath got suffixed to our travel
itinerary. After confirming
accommodation and other things at Rishikesh as I browsed the Net for air
tickets akka piped in her wish.
“Ammu, don’t scoff at me for asking you this all of a
sudden. Shall we go to Kedarnath leaving our things behind after the camp gets
over? Achi* the caretaker of the ashram is known to you isn’t it? Won’t she
give us the room for another three days? Shall we also ask he for arrangements
like Helicopter facility, vehicle etc.?”
Achi when contacted said, “No hassle in anything else.
But the helicopter tickets get booked three or four months in advance. An agent
known to me gets in black market for eight thousand and nine thousand tickets
priced at two thousand five hundred by the government. But, I know well that
you wouldn’t want to take a trip like that. Come prepared to stay on for
another three days as you say and leave it to Kedareshwar. We will try and
see.”
But only after reaching the camp we realized that it
wasn’t that easy. We tried for tickets along with the meditation each day.
“Trust my words and go in good cheer. You are both
senior citizens. Apart from pre-booked tickets there ought to be tickets for
each day and on seeing your face you certainly will get them….go with faith and
you will return only after having a good darshan,” said Achi and arranged for a
vehicle to take us upto the village from where the Helicopter flew. We were standing at the place in the
afternoon hours amidst the mountains holding on to her words alone.
Akka came near me after finishing her conversation. “Ammu,
he is also of the same opinion as Achi regarding chances being there as we are
senior citizens. But…asking us to wait patiently. Do you see Hotel Sunrise near
the helipad? We can eat there. He also
says that he will arrange for a room to stay tonight. If we try from tomorrow
morning onwards we may have a chance by afternoon he says.”
I had no faith in his words. “You are like this –
trust all and sundry too quickly akka. He and his mask…looks like a child
abductor.”
I shouted at akka in Tamil confident that Vijay and
the “masked man” did not know the language. “He is doing all this to fleece you
and also get commission from the hotel owner. You think about it yourself. When
we arrived here, he was the one who kept the Booking Closed board isn’t it?”
“Ammu, let us take a chance for what it is worth. We
have two full days at our disposal. Will wait and see till tomorrow afternoon.
We will return day after tomorrow to Rishikesh.”
*******************
Though I didn’t want to
accept openly, the room overlooking the helipad in that small village was
simple and neat with all facilities. Oil free chappathis, paneer dhal curry,
jeera rice etc were sent to the room along with hot water in flasks by the
owner in the ground floor through his children. While akka was displaying her
language skills to those children below ten, I stood on the verandah outside
the room and gazed at the hills in front.
“Will we be able to see Lord Gangadhar, who is hiding
behind one of those gloriously shining silvery peaks that seemed made just then
and were like perfect urns? The helicopters were weaving through them in their
onward and return journey and I mused as I watched if we would be able to fly
by one of those?”
Unfamiliarity with the place and freezing cold to a
certain extent were got over and when we were settling down to sleep someone
knocked on the doors. Akka got down from her cot and walked to the door to
speak to the person and came back to lie down.
“Who? That ‘masked man’? See akka, only we two are
here to help each other. Don’t hide anything from me. Did he ask you any money?
If we have to lose money to someone we might as well have got the tickets in
black be it eight of nine thousand isn’t it?”
“Don’t let your imagination run out of control Ammu.
This is your nature. You right away take someone in dislike and maintain it. See
here…the truth is he didn’t ask for anything. Even as I tried to open the
handbag, he checked me and made a gesture that such talks should not be there.”
“Ok, ok! He has had a good report from you isn’t it?
Leave it…That’s enough! But …why did he come at this time?”
“He came only to alert us to not to sleep off in this
weather, but be awake early enough to get ready and to occupy the chairs opposite
the ticket counter to attract attention.”
“Hmmm! For all such service he is going to take you
for a ride at the end…wait and see”. I mumbled and drew the quilt up.
*******************
I came down the slope towards Akka, ruminating over
the fact that it was after all the warning alarm of the ‘masked man’ that had
made us wake up at five itself and be ready in this chill weather to be
opposite the shed at six itself.
“Nonsense…! He is speaking to you right after throwing
that fag he was smoking. Wonder how you who can’t withstand smoke smell, put up
with it in this ‘masked man’?”
Let it be. Looks like you fell at the feet of the
manager! Any use of it?”
Akka’s eyes had not let slip anything. Without meeting
her question squarely, I said, “Asked us to be relaxed. Who knows what’s in his
mind?”
“That’s why the one whom you tease me with every
minute as ‘masked man’ came now to give an idea. Looks like there are many
senior citizens like us here. But as the younger family members are also with
them the seniors will not be sent without the others. Since we are only two of
us giving us tickets is a lot easier it seems.
But every one hour we need to show our heads inside the shed and draw
attention to our presence. As there is a small break now, he wants us to finish
breakfast and be back.”
The aloo paratha with mint and coriander leaves in it
was quite tasty with pickles and curds.
“Wonder how they consume wheat for all three meals as
aloo paratha, methi paratha, and phulka chappathis?” I said.
“We push in rice in the form of idli and dosa. For
them it is wheat”, said akka and looked around to call the ‘masked man’ who was
standing a little away to join us. Fortunately he nodded his head in refusal
and moved to the helipad on the right.
“Nice fellow Ammu. Only you don’t like him.”
‘Akka think well. When so many are waiting here, why
is he interested only in us? May be he thinks we can be cheated as we are
alone.”
“No, no. It won’t be like that. Come, let us go and
sit there.” Akka washed her hand and started moving.
Now the shed was open. Near the door and the counter
people had started swarming.
“Go and see inside the shed once before sitting down
ammu! Ticket may also be available. For
what it is worth keep five thousand separately for both of us”.
I waited for the manager’s glance amidst the
unregulated crowd. After twenty minutes he looked at me as though by chance and
said, “Will call you behanji, please wait outside.”
Akka should have assumed with what answer I would
return. Without turning in my direction she was keenly listening to the ten
members group of old and young from Delhi narrating their penance for over ten
days camping in the place for tickets? Even I could understand the narration by
catching words here and there. However when I had gone on to be haunted by the
scene of us returning with blanched faces after our efforts of one and a half
days efforts turned futile, the ‘masked man’ came towards us, “Jayiye abhi,
Jaldi.”
Akka kept up
with my long strides.
****************************
As the distant hill ranges were diminishing in size
like dots in a kolam (rangoli). We were speeding down from the heights. Ganga
swishing and frothing escorted us as Alak nanda, Bagirathi, Deva Prayag and
Rudra Prayag in green, blue and greenish blue colours.
We were tired after continuous three days’ journey. A
curious mixture of contentment of having touched the peak of exhilaration along
with a feeling of emptiness enveloped us, and we did not attempt to talk as we
were soaking in the silence. When the vehicle jolted a little in a sharp
harping bend akka who was in a sleepy wakefulness sat up.
“What akka, have you finished dreaming?”
“Everything looks like a dream Ammu. Did we really go
up, see Kedar…? How did everything work out? Which one to hold on to …which one
to let go? I simply don’t know what to say…”
For the helicopter which was to leave at two
forty-five, the tickets were issued at 12 noon. We ate something hurriedly, and
flew across valleys and mountains in seven minutes to reach Kedar… the small
temple encircled by fortress like snow clad peaks – the marvel of Himalayas
which was like a circular stage where the gods congreed to celebrate. – our
going round it in spellbound amazement, the exhilaration that followed, the awe
inspiring darshan of the light red hued swayambu lingam even as there was a
light drizzle with the help of a priest…Did all these things happen really?
************************
After the tickets were
issued the ‘masked man’ could not be seen for some reason. When we vacated the
room, left our belongings in the car with instructions to Vijay to wait for our
return and also while having our lunch when akka’s eyes were searching for him,
I made fun of her, “Don’t worry akka, your adopted son will appear before we
leave tomorrow with a big amount to claim.”
But even after we returned from Kedar and got ready
for the climb down, there was no sign of him. Akka’s refrain was, “He was
wandering around here and was constantly in our sight for the past two days.
Where has he gone now?”
“Ammu whatever
you think, I feel we need to give him something for his help and whom he did
not even know. It is a small duty of ours. That’s all.” With that final note,
Akka instructed Vijay to find out wherever the ‘masked man” was and give him
the two thousand rupees that she handed over to him. I too did not contradict
her this time.
But driver Vijay who came back with a grim look gave
the money back to akka and said that if we were to delay the departure further
it might be difficult once the darkness started falling and started the car.
Just then from somewhere the ‘masked man’ came running.
“Are you happy? Contented?” he asked repeatedly in
Hindi. Akka brought her palms together to thank him and looked at Vijay. He
gestured to her ‘later’. “Behanji, ek hi asha hey mere pas”, the ‘masked man’
gave his mobile covered with grime and dust and asked him to take a photograph
of him with us.
***********************
While nearing
Rudraprayag, Vijay received a call. “That Bhaiya is asking if we are travelling
safely….A good person madam. I could not tell you in front of him then. Now
will tell you. As he is a staff in that Heli-service, I knew that he cannot
take anything from travellers. If known, he may lose his job even. That’s why
the money you gave voluntarily, I gave to him by taking him aside. ‘Both are
like my elder sisters. It is a sin to touch the money” he said. I have known
him for the last five of six years madam. Poor man! His son who was a tourist
guide in the same Heli-service, a few years ago disappeared with the helicopter
in which he was in the floods that happened in Kedarnath. His whereabouts
couldn’t be traced at all. In order to cover up his slightly crooked mouth he
wears a mask and with it has covered up his grief. He continues with the same service
for his livelihood may be in the hope that someday his son might land in one of
the copters,” said Vijay in his broken English mixed with Hindi words and when
he finished there was an unmistakable crack in his voice.
Achi phoned as we were
nearing Rishikesh. I switched on the speaker, made akka listen and told Achi
about the darshan briefly. Achi much overwhelmed said, “What else but the
blessings of Kedarnath himself.” As she finished the call, akka showed me the
whatsapp message she had received with the photograph of us with the ‘masked
man’. The message said, “From Gangadhar.”
The memory of Gangadhar standing against the backdrop
of the helipad waving goodbye to us who were in the car haunted me for many
days.
**************************
*Achi – a respectful way of addressing older women
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