My Wanderings - 30. Jagti Township

                                 It was really a great endeavour on behalf of Kamini Kaul ji,  my friend and  a colleague , who came all the way from Mumbai to pay a visit to Jagti Township to  meet and enquire about the  condition of unfortunate brothers and sisters of our community, who are living there  in much  agony and desperate conditions . My another friend and colleague  Mr. P. K. Mam and myself also joined  her in this generous  mission . It was actually returning to our roots. I am living in Jammu for the last twenty six years, after  the migration of our community from Kashmir. But I remained so busy in improving my lot  exclusively that I never thought about visiting the less privileged members of my community living in camps in Jammu and Nagrota. Though after  my retirement from public service I wrote many articles on the fate of Kashmiri pandits which were  also published in many community magazines. But I could  never  feel the pulse of my community health  so distinctly audable till I visited the Jagti Township and that too on the insistence  of Kamini ji. It was really disappointing and heart wrenching  experience.  There are many tales of agony  and distress to narrate. Many families at Jagti Township are living from  hand to mouth on the monthly doles of Government only. Some people are suffering from killer diseases  and require a lot of money for treatment. Others  are suffering from psychological disorders, who require proper attention and look after. we  can actually  assess the problems of our community at the grass root  level only. Earlier I was having  a notion that  although our generation has borne the brunt of  migration from our native land but our children have managed to get themselves well settled through out the length and breadth of our country and even to foreign lands .  I was shocked to learn  that most of our young generation has been left to  lurch at Jagti Township. They are well educated but with out jobs. The job frustration had led them even to drug addiction. But it is because of the opening of Sonu Orzu Gym that most of the young people have adopted this healthy approach of life and left drugs for good. We were advised that they are even planning to open a library and career council cell  besides Gym to help the young generation to find jobs etc. These reforms require financial help from Govt bodies, NGO's and voluntary agencies. Kamini ji also contributed towards some required articles for Gym. Sonu ji In charge of Gym is also providing his services for  uplifting the quality of youth living there at   relentlessly and with dedication.    Many imminent personalities of our community like Sh. Anupam Kher, Sh. Ashok Pandita  Dr. Vivek Kaul and Sh. Moti Lal Kaul have already visited the place and are  trying to improve the quality of life thereat by whatever resources they possess. But it requires a wholesome effort  on the part of Govt. to provide free hospitalisation for sick and jobs for the eligible candidates on priority basis . our community leaders should also assess the problems faced by our community at Jagti township and try to honestly redress their grievances.
Moreover, all the members of our community should come forward  voluntarily and make all over efforts  to help our brothers and sisters in distress.

My Wanderings - 29. Short story -12 How the seasons change

She was my friend, a neighbour and a class mate  in my  early childhood. She was very pretty and innocent  like most of the girls in our society during those days. She was almost of my age but very mature than me. Once I  slipped and fell down on the street and spoiled my clothes alongwith my arms and legs  with splashes of mud.  She helped me out by taking me to the nearest municipal tap and washed  my mud laden hands and arms. We both grew up together in the same street.  We used to play together in surrounding lanes and by lanes and exchanged toys with each other. With the passage of time  shyness took toll of our acquaintance  which stopped the  meetings  and we could  only exchange stealing  glances at each other. This was the reward bestowed on us by the adolescent age . She grew up into a young damsel and myself into a lanky youth. Years passed by with the change of seasons which were most  conspicuous  by their characteristic features  in valley. Blossoms on almond  trees with fragrant  and cool breeze of spring season, shedding of leaves by chinars and heaps of dry and  crimson coloured leaves spread all over the floor making crunchy noise when trampled under feet in autumn season  and earth evenly clad with  white and velvety sheet of snow in winter.
In the meantime I could notice that she had fallen in love with a Boy who was senior to her by few years. While taking interest in the incident it transpired that the particular boy had followed and coaxed her for many months and was successful in winning her heart. Within a short period of time  she got married to him, against the wishes  of her parents and  that was the beginning of  misfortune in her life.
After few years of her marriage she was divorced by her husband as she was not able to conceive. He latter on married another woman to create  his progeny which he could never materialise.  Now she was left with no other alternative but to shift to her parents house. Once she met me on the street . she looked very gloomy and melancholic. After enquiring about my welfare she told me that these men are a queer lot.  They first  wag their tails behind a woman and when some foolish of a woman takes pity  on them, they trample her under their feet like dry withered leaves of chinar in the autumn season of Kashmir. I could well understand the misery she might have undergone at her in-laws and now with her parents after her broken marriage and  unfortunate return.
After elapse of some time she was married again to a widower, already  having two grown up children. The marriage was arranged by her parents this time. The man to whom she married was much senior to her in age. As he did not require any more children, he agreed to marry her despite knowing fully about her inability to bear children.  Exactly after a year of her second marriage, to much of my astonishment,  I saw her again with a child in her lap which she had recently delivered. It was a male child. This time she appeared very elated and fresh like the early blossom of almonds in spring season of Kashmir.
Then we left the Kashmir for good due to the uprising and terrorism and we lost the touch completely with our neighbours. Moreover,  we never visited the place again.
It was quite recently  I  heard that her son had turned into a terrorist and  killed his father when the later  tried to dissuade him from his mission.  Then he was also killed  in encounter with army . Now she was visiting and  praying at the grave of her son   daily even in the coldest season of winter when the graves were laden with white sheets of snow covering even the grave stones as if the person lying  beneath  it, who never reconciled in his life was disgusted and embarrassed with his deeds and never wanted to let  anybody to know his whereabouts.
Unknown unlamented let me die
And no stone to tell where I lie.

My wanderings -28 short story No. 11. A Storm in a cup of tea

It was month of July 2012 when I was holding the charge of International Banking Division at Jammu branch. We were also maintaining large number of NRI deposits which amounted to one third of total branch deposits. While dealing with deposits I had also some rich experience of observing the life very closely through various encounters with a fair mix of customers of diverse nature. Once a  NRI customer  living somewhere in Canada came along with his father, who was residing  at Jammu. He gave me standing instructions that an amount of Rs 15000 should be credited to his fathers account by debit to his NRE account every month. The instructions were fed in the system and automatically system started paying Rs 15000 to his father's account every month. The father of our customer used to visit the branch in the first week of every month to withdraw his money. His visits were so regular and conspicuous  that I missed him if sometimes, he was late by a day or two. Moreover, his authoritative disposition and intellectual style of talking impressed me so much. I would usually offer him a cup of tea and snacks whenever he visited the branch. He relished my small gesture of good will with an affirmative tone...yes I would like to have a cup of tea with you, whenever I requested  for the same after exchanging pleasantries with him. He appeared to me very knowledgeable and experienced man by his views on life and other subjects. 
The system worked well for six months or so when I received an email from his son annexed with a  scanned and signed application revoking his earlier instructions of paying Rs15000 to his father every month. As a banker I had no other alternative but to meticulously comply with the instructions of my customer. Most reluctantly I withdrew the standing instructions from the account. On the material day when  father of customer arrived at the branch I felt a little embarrassed to face him. As he came to know about the stoppage of standing instructions his face exhibited a gesture of disbelief. He began to blame us for the mistake on our part. But when I showed him the letter signed by his son, he was taken aback and sat on the chair desperately. After sometime he gained  control over  his distraught  nerves and sought for my apologies. Then he requested me to lend him Rupees five hundred so as he can purchase some essential medicines as he was thinking of withdrawing the money from his account. Most readily I handed  over him a note of Rupees Five hundred  from my own pocket with out any  hope of getting it back. He immediately left the bank with a promise to return me the money within a shortest possible time. Only after he left the bank I could notice a full cup of tea lying untouched and getting cold in front of his chair.
While I was brooding over the fate of old man, one of my colleague's who was working as Bank Guard and now retired from  services  had come to get credited to his account an amount of Indian rupees one lakh equal ant which his son living in Dubai used to send him monthly through Western union software. His son had no NRI account with us. Once he had confided to me that his son requests  him to spend the money on himself as he has observed much of economy through out his life. But he told me that he does not  spend anything from it and  keeps it all for his son . The pension which he gets from Bank was enough for  his survival. This good gesture of a son towards his father  was a streak of silver lining to bring me out from the melancholic darkness of my thought process.
After few days the gentleman in question visited the branch again and returned me a sum of Rs Five hundred which he had borrowed from me. He also told me that he has actually retired from  some public sector company, where he was working on a senior position. But he was not getting any pension from his company. However, he has got enough money as superannuation benefits from his company to 
take care of himself and his ailing wife. He however, was reluctant to take a cup of tea this time which I offered him as a courtesy gesture.
Then he naturally stopped his monthly visits to the branch. After a lapse of five or six months he again visited  the branch and sat in front of me. He was in very bad condition. He had dishevelled hair, sunken eyes and  shabby clothes loosely fitted on his frail body. This time he addressed me very harshly to the much of my astonishment. He told me that his son was sending him money every month and bank people are usurping   the same. This time he could not reconcile to any logic which I tried to put forth in my defence. He went on blaming the bank people particularly me and created a scene to the much amazement of other customers present thereat. It was very difficult  for me to control the situation. Then he left the bank hurling abuses on the bank staff. Later on I came to know from his acquaintances that lately  he had been suffering from some lunatic fits, which possess him sometimes and becomes normal afterwards.
After sometime  I again noticed him in the bank premises. I felt very scared and tried to escape myself from his attention. But he directly came to my place and began to seek my apologies for his earlier rude behaviour . I could not afford to hold any grudge against him as  Bankers are already trained with the philosophy that Customer is always right. Moreover, there were enough reasons to support his misadventure. I stood up from my chair and greeted him as usual with a smile. This time he himself asked for a cup of tea which was served to him promptly.

My Wanderings - 27. Token of Love and Faith

It was  much  cloudy   afternoon of august 2003 with arrival  of   fresh monsoon after long scorching heat of the summer season at jammu. The atmosphere was humid and air laden with water particles of early  morning showers of the day. I along with my wife decided to pay our obeisance at the much revered shrine of  kashmiri pandits Mata Raginya Devi, popularly known as Mata Khir Bhawani shrine at Janipura Jammu. As we sat in front of Mata to perform puja under the guidance of Guru ji, another family of Kashmiri pandits comprising of a Gentleman  and perhaps  his two kids of adolescent age son and daughter also sat besides us for the same purpose. As Guru ji started puja the Gentleman brought out from  his front shirt pocket  a small and  beautiful box containing some  ornaments and kept them along with other puja articles. It was a complete pair  of Dejhoor  with  chains known as Ath in kashmiri,  wearing of which represent the married status of a Kashmiri pandit  woman. It is just like Mangal Sutra in other Hindu communities.  He applied some vermilion on the ornament and sprinkled water and flowers on it. He was a middle aged man of short but stout stature with a little bald head. He had a clean shaven face with a tuft of grey moustaches profusely spread over his upper lip. His personality gave an  air of responsibility and concern for his kids, who also appeared very obedient and well groomed. They all bowed in front of Mata and paid their obeisance to her as well as  to the ornament lying in front of them. By their gestures I felt  that they all were holding the ornament with great respect. I could  understand that ornament  perhaps belonged to the mother of kids who had already  left this mortal world. Otherwise she would have been accompanying them this time. I had some feeling of  sympathy with the family alongwith  a sense of curiosity.
Latter on after completion of our prayers the gentleman  happened to sit next to me on the verandah surrounding the pond of temple. While exchanging some pleasantries with the man, I enquired about the ornament he was carrying with him only after apologising for my curiosity. He confirmed my belief that ornament belonged to his late  wife, who died in cross firing at Srinagar in early nineties. He also told me that his kids were very young at that time and he had to face many difficulties in bringing them up particularly due to migration of our community from Jammu to Srinagar. Now they both are doing engineering at Pune and are able to look after themselves. He also felt relieved to a great extent as he had promised to his dieing wife that he will look after them properly. Further he told me that he was taking his wife for granted as far as she lived with her. But with her death he could realise the importance of his wife who was a God given boon in his life. She was very pious and generous lady. I was always carefree and devoid of any responsibility in her presence. But in her absence I can  feel the drudgery of life which I was destined to face. Now regarding  the ornament, he pointed towards his pocket,  this helped me a lot to face the uncertainty of life. Whenever I felt discouraged or depressed while bringing up my children, a mere look at it made me feel  like full of bliss and hope which encouraged me to face this world with renewed  energy. Whenever I picked it up with my hands  and dangled it in front of my eyes,  it gave me a feeling of hypnotic effect which lead me from darkness of depression and dismay to the threshold of enlightenment and bliss. Though I am not a superstitious person but I had to compromise some rationality with belief and faith to compensate my state of mind with tranquility and peace. I could well understand his position and had no option but to believe on the charismatic effect of the token of love  and faith of his wife which he cherished so much.

My Wanderings - 26. Namrita

        In the year  1998 I was transferred to my native land Kashmir again after a period of eight years,  when we left the  Kashmir for good. I was posted  as Manager operations at one of the branches of my Bank in the city of  Srinagar. I was very much nostalgic about the city as I had spent my childhood and most of the part of my youth in this charismatic city. While taking over the charge of Branch my attention was attracted towards a small sealed packet, perhaps containing gold ornaments, with the word 'Namrita' inscribed on it.     
            It   was  a safe custody article  kept by some ex- staff member who had probably died and no body was claiming it now. The Lockers were not available at the branch earlier and people used to keep their valuables in safe custodies and staff was given this facility free of charge provided there was enough space in the branch Strong Room for such purposes.
The word Namrita, perhaps the name of the depositor haunted me for some days. I had to rack my nerves to reminisce the origin of  it from my youthful days in Srinagar, when I had recently  joined  the bank. It was  some twenty  years back.
It was a sunny day in Srinagar after a long winter. Banks were on strike and almost all the Bank employees  in the city  gathered in the compound  of city main branch for protest .  I was young and unmarried  in my early twenties with a carefree temperament. One of the ladies sitting in the gathering attracted my attention. She was extraordinarily beautiful. As I enquired about her whereabouts, one of my colleagues  told me  that she also works in the same bank and is senior to me by few years. She was very attractive with a fair and pretty face and a long and black tuft of hair profusely over flanking her round shoulders. Her looks  emitted an air of serenity and soberness which enhanced the charm of her personality to the extent that no person could venture to overlook her. While the procession of Bank employees passed through the main roads of city, I could not resist the temptation of managing myself to be in close proximity with her to have a better look at her. But perhaps  she remained unawares of all the turbulence she aroused in  all my heart and mind.
With the passage of time I could control my emotions and I  totally forgot about the incident. Then after sometime I came to know about her arranged  marriage with some engineer working in State Department. I  also got married and I never had chance to  see or talk to her ever.
After three or four years of her marriage , I overheard some female colleagues in my office talking about her.
They were saying that Namrita has very stranded relationship with her husband and In-laws. Her husband is  a worthless fellow and is treating her adversely. I  was little grieved over the situation as ordinarily a person with human heart could be.
Then after sometime I heard about her death in some mysterious   circumstances after her worsened relations with her in-laws and husband.
It was now after fifteen years of her death that I was taking charge of some of her belongings to revive the memories of my emotional but  unexpressed encounter with her.

My wanderings -25. Resurrection of a Relation

It was  a sunny day  after a long smoggy winter with streaks of clouds still hovering over the sky of Srinagar city. I was newly married and posted at the  zonal office of our Bank on Residency Road. I was still under the hangover  of newly created relation  with my wife, which was really a pleasant experience for me. But I was also skeptical about the other relations created by virtue of marriage like my in-laws etc. which was a normal trait of son in-laws during  those days. However, life was treating me smoothly and with out any  malice.
While sitting in the office,  some of my friends decided to visit the residence of our colleague  for mourning ,in the afternoon, whose father had expired recently.
It took us half an hour by bus to  reach Rainawari, where our colleague was residing. We were advised to sit in a room scarcely furnished but with a clean look. Two persons in casuals  who appeared to be close relatives of our colleague were sitting near the front corner of room. When most of the mourners  left  the room, they started talking to each other casually with out taking much notice of our presence. They started their conversation by referring to  a person who might have perhaps   recently visited and  left the room but I had not taken any notice of him.
"You see the particular person has visited our place after elapse of thirty years", said one.
Oh! yes after thirty two years to be more specific, retorted the other.
"Now what is the purpose of his visit after ruining every thing, "said the first one.
"He did not visit even when his wife died. A great woman. I can not forget her. May God bestow peace to her soul."
"But she was not lucky. She was very simple. She did not even let us to file a case against him for her maintenance." She said, "what is the fun of suing him for material things when I could not make place in his heart".
The conversation of the two persons, whom I latter came to know were  the uncles of my colleague, created much  curiosity in my mind. As the occasion was not proper to make enquiries, we had to leave the place with out satisfying our curiosity.
It was only after our colleague joined the duties we were able to satisfy our inquisitiveness created during our visit to his residence. He confided to us that two persons in the room on that day were his uncles and the man about whom they were talking was their brother in-law, who had left their eldest sister only after few months of marriage. The man was very egoistic and their aunt was very simple and dedicated. He realised only after few months of marriage that she was not a perfect match for her and abandoned her for some other woman. Our aunt spent her full life with us. She was a very good woman. After her husband left her she felt very dejected and forlorn but with the passage of time she became spiritual and lived a satisfied life under the feet of Lord and by helping others. When the second wife of her husband died, he sent her message to live with her once again. But she rejected his proposal by saying that it is very late now.
Then after sometime she died very peacefully but he did not visit them at that time also.
Now some good sense has prevailed upon him and he visited his in-laws to condole the death of his brother in-law, perhaps to resurrect his relationship.
This incident laid a deep impact on my marital relationships and released me from all skeptical behaviour. 

My wanderings - 24 Most compatible couple

Once in my youth I had a chance to visit a remote village in Kashmir in connection with my official duties. I reached the village by official wagon as no  public transport was connecting the village directly. But official Wagon was not going to wait  and bring  me back because my seniors required the services of the wagon urgently. I was supposed to arrange for some public transport  on my return journey.
I finished my job in the evening and  tried to return to city as early as possible. The local people advised me to go on foot from a particular direction and after walking  three or four kilo meters I will find a crossing where from I can get  some long route bus to carry me to city. I meticulously followed their instructions  till I reached the crossing . It was pitch dark by that time. After waiting on the crossing for some time, I was encountered by few pedestrians  who told me that  last bus  has already left and I won't  be able to find any bus for city now. They also advised me  to look for some shelter for the night in the  village which was half a kilometer away from  the crossing.
I was perplexed as how to handle the situation, when I met a passerby who was conspicuous by his short stature and a  limp on his left leg. After knowing my fate he advised me to accompany him to his home which was situated in near by village. The man appeared very reasonable  and there being no other alternative available , I accompanied the stranger to his village.
On reaching the village he knocked  at the door of his small house. The door was opened by his wife who was accompanied by their little daughter. I could not see the face of his wife as there was already dark in the passage leading to  a small room  where they made me to sit. In the dim light of lantern burning in the room I was amazed to see the beauty of his wife. There was an unusual display of contrast between the husband and wife. The husband was of short stature having ordinary features and with  a limp in his left leg while as wife was a paragon of beauty. She had amazing features and wonderful gait. I had rarely seen a woman of such beauty earlier.  She was a living version of the painting of  a woman drawn by some famous painter. I was taken aback by her looks and could not tear away my constant gaze from her face to much embarrassment of the lady and amusement of her husband. I tried to divert my attention towards the articles placed in the room but could not control stealing some inadvertent looks towards her. The room was well decorated, with not so expensive furniture, but with an aesthetic sense and good taste. Nothing seemed out of place in the room.
After taking  our dinner and enquiring about my whereabouts, the couple began to satisfy my curiosity which they had noticed from my first gaze at the woman. My curiosity  was   justified  and excusable according to them while  I was feeling very apologetic of my curious behaviour. Both of them were so friendly and hospitable  that  they never  let me feel like a stranger . I was now feeling  at home in their company.
The woman began to narrate me her story. She told me that in her teen age she fell in love with a handsome boy in her village who deserted her later on for some rich girl. She was disheartened by the incident to the extent that she never wanted to marry in her life. But after lapse of some time destiny played its own part  as she had to marry this man. This was not a compulsion on her  rather she herself  volunteered to marry the man because  she could notice some good qualities  in him.  she was a bit skeptical   about her decision earlier. Latter on   she  never regretted over  her  decision.   She would not have been able to find such a  considerate, caring and loving husband. They  developed such a chemistry in their relation as if they had been made for each other. She was very happy in her life with this man. They considered each other part of their lives and their relation was not confined to mere physical appearances.
Then after sleeping in their house for few hours more I tried to catch the early morning bus. I left their house thinking about  the mode of their relation. Whether it was an abstract form of love or habit of living together or familiarity which is kind to ugliness and cruel to beauty that had balanced their life. But they appeared  real soul mates, made for each other, with out malice towards any one and the most compatible  couple that I had ever seen.