It was the second time I heard something similar within a week. Something, that instantly felt important and something, that stayed with me. Was Mother signalling?
Ram Chandra worked with wood. He could create anything from it. He was born in the village i was born, may be two decades earlier. When he spoke, and he spoke freely about all things and loud. His face had taken such a shape that it felt looking at him he could never lie, but strangely loud suited him. Even his left eye which was unlike the other, kept his innocence intact. Once i brought some water for him to drink. He kept looking at it like saying something to it and started telling me a story personal to him or was it a guilt sailing for long.
My work takes me to a lot of places, and I am good at what I work. Once someone called me at his residence and there was something sudden that I didn’t like about the household. The women of the family came with water. I took it, kept it on the table, but I did not drink it. I kept speaking to the man about the work, when she brought tea. I hesitated. I denied. They both insisted when I said I cannot, I have sugar. Of course I never had no disease at that point. I just lied to get that situation out of my way. Like life is, it all vanished from my mind after I left their home, but something started changing in my body or so i felt. I started getting up many a times a night to pee. Anxiety and other things arrived. And when I checked with the doctor, 12 days from the day I had lied, I was told i have diabetes. But to me, i think it was that moment when i lied to them, I got this disease in me for life.
Also read : About the Food and the world on a new Yogi’s mind
The night I met bheem singh, he kept walking in the room we were sharing, even after we both had gone to our respective beds at the same time. I heard him mumbling something to himself. It gave me a feeling that happening of strange things that took a lot of his time must be a norm. In the dark of our room, from time to time he kept getting up switching the lights on, walking thrice the length of our room, switching the lights off and lying again while mumbling back to bed. From the lazy side of my eye he seemed out of sync with nature. I wouldn’t have minded even this but his walk, his slippers never left the ground under while walking and made a sound you can’t pass through peacefully. I got up and asked him if everything is fine? I kept my bag here in the room’s cupboard, and shut it. And ever since i did, the cupboard isn’t opening. It has disturbed my peace. In one long breath he released his loop of thought. And continued, the day before i couldn’t sleep as the train kept wobbling like i was sitting on a snake all throughout my journey from Udaipur; and well it is true trains throughout South Asia move like the straightest snake could crawl, i thought. And today, he pointed towards the cupboard, it is because this almira ate my bag. I have everything in it. May be sharing it must have calmed him down. He soon slept somehow.
In the morning, his wife arrived in a beautiful traditional Rajasthani attire, and asked him to hurry up, come down and eat. It angered him first thing in the morning, shrewdly he replied, don’t you know it is my fast today. His wife didn’t retort and left him quietly. He brought a few men and the manager of the place, they tried everything but couldn’t open it or found its key. Finally one man broke the cupboard’s lock. Bheem Singh sighed, satisfied at last now, he left for the city tour.
In the night when he came back, he asked me to come eat with him, I told him I am fine, he insisted, I said all what I can eat by the sun down is enough for me to survive the night. It surprised him in a way that standing there he could not come up with anything else and left. But he came back again, said, I have fast too, gajar ka halwa bana hai, jeem lo thoda(they have made carrot’s pudding, have it a little). I smiled, and accepted. While sitting downstairs, even though he was talking to me, his posture wasn’t. Finding his casualness irksome I asked him since when has he been fasting? He left the spoon in the steel bowl, looked towards the sky and while calculating with the same fingers said since 1992. And it happened because I didn’t want to eat at my in-law’s place. I told them I am fasting. Since that day, this kept poking me for many months, it kept making me uncomfortable and to correct it I decided to fast. It happened on a Tuesday and I have been fasting ever since on Tuesdays.
He went quiet finishing his portion of the sweet. I left his company smiling, to get some more gajar ka halwa. It was delicious.
Lie at your own risk.
: ँ :
If you have any stories to share and feel like saying a hello, please write to me at narayankaudinya@gmail.com
: ँ :
To follow other ethnographical, strange and short rural stories on the road, find me at
narxtara and Road to Nara
ROAD TO NARA 
Beautiful stories and a very engaging narration of them
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Ananda, happy to have you, your comforting words. As you may know your own stories from your deep experience and understanding of life are as much motivating and sought after for many of us.
My wishes for the auspicious days ahead.
Nara x
LikeLiked by 2 people
Dear Narayan,
To me it does not seems like tale…it seems like a leaf from lives of so many of us. My faith( also fear) has trickled down to this level that come whatever I don’t lie about Lognojita. Your travels and the beautiful intricate web of words, stories and the beauty of souls makes every memoir special. Fast and Gazar ka Halwa 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Dearest Richa, whenever in a story comes any mention of food, my mind goes to your sweet jaw 🙂 thinking how would you vision it! Also this particular post because i was working with a Rajasthani character person.
I probably understand Richa when you mention about faith and fear, and about Logno.. it is true and i strongly believe our each action, decision acts as something much more deep inside than mere physical act and its consequences come in many forms in months and years to come. Important to be sajag with our vani.
Your presence is as beautiful and precious to me too Richa.
Nara x
LikeLiked by 2 people
Also, a very happy and auspicious navratri to you and family. Accept my wishes.
Nara x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nav Samvat ki Shubhkamnayein🙏🙏, Poila Baishakh also following so every cultures New Year Wishes🙏❤️ Narayan
LikeLike
Lie at your own risk..👌 beautiful narration
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kamala, how have you been? Thank you for your words.
Nara x
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m fine Sir.. blessed day ahead Sir..🙏
LikeLike
Thank you Kamala. Blessed days becomes when some one blesses, like you 🙂 Thank you again, Kamala.
Nara x
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙏
LikeLike
Strange! But sometimes it happens. Mind governs the body. And some things are beyond explanation. Beautifully penned.
LikeLiked by 2 people
KK thank you so much. But is it strange, really!? Even though mind does govern the body but it is inside the body, and if body gets defected mind has nowhere to go but where the defect becomes a concern.
But lovely to have your presence here dear KK.
Nara x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a job you have!
Well,a wonderful blog. 🙃
LikeLiked by 1 person
Resha, thank you for coming over and for the words. Thank you.
Nara x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Two contrasting stories on the same them Narayan, and your way of narrating makes it so much more interesting. Ram Chandra bears the consequence of the lie very early, a bit too early perhaps, and not for a very severe lie. Did this minds guilt lead his body to the result, or was he already diabetic without knowing, but his body knew and gave signals to his mind? I keep thinking…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Deb, thank you for writing, i couldn’t keep up with writing back and more so how you reviewed it, because i didn’t anticipate the urgency of the results when i was hearing it, but to come and think of it i cannot deny that signals do come/flash by before a big change happens. In his case it could be his tongue that signed it for him 🙂
LikeLike
Such a lovely read 💟
LikeLike
Thank you for coming over and for the words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you again
Nara x
LikeLiked by 1 person
I keep your posts to savour at leisure, when I have the time to enjoy each word as one would savour a delicious sweet, rolling it on the tongue and sighing with pleasure as the tastes seeped into the buds. Hmmm…
LikeLike
Probably that is why you are Zephyr. Thank you. It could be the biggest compliment even before i have achieved anything 🙂
Thank you, always
Nara x
LikeLike
Beautiful story
LikeLike
Thanks again Lebo. Appreciated!
Regards
Nara x
LikeLike
Beautiful Narayan
LikeLike
Thank you
RegardS. Nara x
LikeLike
You are so right, Narayan! I lied to my work once about having a flat tire, and when I went outside, I really did have a flat tire! That taught me a big lesson.
LikeLike
haha.. Dawn how strange you found something you might be living with deep inside. I suppose it came out as a reflection of the subconscious. Lovely to hear that in all honesty. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike