துன்ப நினைவுகளும் சோர்வும் பயமுமெல்லாம்,
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-பாரதி

1.7.21

'முகமூடி’-The Masked Man

                                           '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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