PARIJAT-6

DRY WINTER MORNING IS ALWAYS IRRITATING. IT GIVES A FEELING OF LETHARGY WITH POOR BLOOD CIRCULATION. AS THE AGE INCREASES THE FEELING OF LETHARGY BECOMES MORE APPARENT WITH LESS TOLERANCE TO COLD. IT WAS COLD OF HILLY TERRAIN, ALL NEW TO JOHN. HE DID NOT WANT TO GET UP FROM THE BED, THOUGH HE FEELS NO MORE SLEEPY. SOMEBODY IS KNOCKING AT THE DOOR. JOHN RELUCTANTLY GOT UP AND DRAGGED HIS FEET TOWARDS THE DOOR. AS HE OPENED THE DOOR, HE SAW A LITTLE HAND OFFERING SOME BLACK LIQUID IN A GLASS TUMBLER. FRESH LEMON TEA WITH BLACK PEEPER, SIR. HAVE A SIP THE COLD WILL RUN AWAY, HE CONVEYED WITH STYLE OF AN EXPERIENCED SALE PERSON. JOHN WAS TOTALLY AMUSED BY SIGHT OF THE YOUNG KID IN HIS AGGRESSIVE SALE CAMPAIGN. JOHN KNEW THE EASTERN PART OF HIS COUNTRY IS FAMOUS FOR LEMON TEA. IT IS REFRESHING WITH PEPPER AND DASH OF LEMON.

THE KID CONTINUED TO DISPLAY HIS SELLING SKILL. SIR, NO SUGAR, SIR. IT IS WITH HONEY, FRESH HONEY FROM VALLEY. JOHN HAD SEEN THE KID IN THE NEARBY TEA SHOP. BUT HE HAD NEVER EXPECTED HIM SO EARLY IN THE MORNING. SIR, I AM TOLD, YOU ARE GOING TO STOP THE WATER FROM FLOWING DOWN THE RIVER, THE BOY CONTINUED. LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE COMING TO WORK HERE. MY PAPA WAS TELLING ME YESTERDAY TO GO TO VALLEY AND PURCHASE BOTTLES OF HONEY. HE HAS PROMISED ME TO PURCHASE A NICE WOOLEN SWEATER AS OUR BUSINESS IMPROVES. HE SAYS I MAY NOT HAVE TO CUT THE RED STONE IN FUTURE. THE BOY CONTINUED TO SPEAK WITHOUT BREAK AND WITHOUT WAITING JOHN TO ANSWER. JOHN SMILED AS HE STARTED SIPPING THE TEA, IT WAS SWEET AND TANGY.

THE BOY CONTINUED, WHEN ALL YOUR PEOPLE WILL COME, SIR? WHEN THE WORK WILL START? JOHN ENJOYED THE INQUISITIVENESS OF THE BOY. HE DID NOT SAY ANYTHING. HE WANTED TO THAT EAGERNESS STAY ALIVE. HE JUST PUT HIS AROUND THE SHOULDER IN CONVEY OF AN ASSURANCE AND COMFORT. SOMETIMES THIS ASSURANCE WORKS WONDER IN OUR LIFE. ASSURANCE MAY NOT TURN INTO THE TRUTH, BUT IT CONSOLES YOU, IT CAJOLES YOU AND COMFORTS YOU AND DISTRACTS YOU FROM MISERY OF THE MOMENT. WE ALL LONG AND LOVE TO CONVERT THAT ASSURANCE INTO TRUTH. BUT IT DOES NOT HAPPEN ALWAYS. SOMETIMES WHEN IT HAPPENS ALSO WE DO NOT KNOW. IT COMES AND GOES LIKE THE FIRST MOON AFTER THE NEW MOON DAY. WE ALL LIVE WITH THAT ASSURANCE WITH A HOPE THAT IT WILL TURN INTO REALITY. THERE IS A CHARM IN THAT WAITING; THERE IS A PLEASURE IN THAT WAITING. ONLY THE EXPERIENCED UNDERSTANDS THAT. IT IS LIKE THE LIFE OF THE SWALLOW BIRD WHICH STANDING IN KNEE DEEP WATER WAITS FOR THOSE CLOUDS IN THE SKY TO CRY FOR IT. NO REGRET, IF IT DOES NOT COME AND DOES NOT DROP, BUT IT WAITS FOR THAT ASSURANCE TURNING INTO REALITY.

THE BOY HAS LEFT WITH EMPTY TUMBLER. JOHN IS STILL WONDERING ABOUT THE CORNS IN THE HAND OF YOUNG BOY. IT MUST HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE OF CONTINUOUS HOLDING OF SOMETHING HARD WHICH HAS LEFT ITS MARK IN THE TENDER HAND. WHAT IT COULD BE? IS THE BOY ALSO INVOLVED IN SOME STRENUOUS LABOURS OTHER THAN SELLING TEA?

FOR A MOMENT JOHN DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION TO THE ONE DAY OLD LOCAL DAILY. IT REACHES ONE DAY LATE. HE WENT THROUGH THE HEAD LINES. NOTHING COULD ATTRACT HIS ATTENTION. HE COULD NOT CONCENTRATE EITHER. IT IS SLOWLY AND SURELY TURNING OUT TO BE BRIGHT SUNNY DAY. HE HAS TO MAKE A SURVEY OF THE LOCALITY AND CHECK THE BILL OF QUANTITY AVAILABLE IN THE TENDER. HE HAS ALSO TO MAKE A MATERIAL SURVEY. HE HAS ALREADY COLLECTED A FAIR IDEA OF THE LOCALITY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER. HE PLANNED TO HAVE A LATE BATH SOMETIMES IN AFTERNOON AFTER FINISHING SOME PORTION OF SURVEY.

HE STARTED MOVING IN THE ROAD LEADING TOWARDS HILL. IT IS A ROAD FULL OF DITCHES AND RED DUSTS. MOVEMENTS OF LATERITE STONE LOADED TRUCKS HAVE MADE THE MATTER FURTHER WORSE. THE LATERITE QUARRY IS NEARBY. STONES ARE BEING CUT FOR CONSTRUCTION PURPOSE. IT IS EASY TO CUT LATERITE STONE, ONLY THE DRESSING REQUIRES SOME SKILL, IT REQUIRES PATIENCE ALSO.

IT IS DUST OF LATERITE STONES, REDDISH WITH ITS PUNGENT ORDURE .JOHN STARTED SNEEZING HEAVILY. IT WAS CONTINUOUS SNEEZING WHICH MAKES EYES SEMI CLOSED AND WITH THAT EVERYTHING LOOKS LITTLE HAZY. SOMEBODY IS MOVING TOWARDS HIM, A SMALL LITTLE FIGURE, BODY COVERED WITH RED DUSTS .NOSE AND MOUTH COVERED WITH A PIECE OF CLOTH. HELLO SIR, HE GREETED JOHN. DO YOU REQUIRE LATERITE STONE FOR YOUR CONSTRUCTION WORK? GOOD STONES AVAILABLE HERE . COME SIR, I WILL TAKE YOU TO MANAGER. THE TEA BOY OF THE MORNING IN HIS NEW ROLE. SAME ENTHUSIASM. SAME INQUISITIVENESS, THE ACUMEN OF EXPERIENCED ALL APPARENT. THE GLAZE OF AN UNCUT DIAMOND, REQUIRES LITTLE POLISHING. IT IS JUST LIKE THAT JASMINE OF JUNGLE, EMITTING ITS FLAVOUR IN UNKNOWN, UNSUNG AND UNNOTICED. NOBODY WILL NOTICE THAT. NOBODY WILL DISCOVER THAT UNKNOWN DIAMOND. NOBODY WILL GIVE A POLISH TO THAT. IT HAS COME UNKNOWN AND UNNOTICED AND GO AWAY UNNOTICED AND UNKNOWN. TALENT WILL GET BURIED IN THAT UNKNOWN CORNER OF THE WORLD. WHO WILL NOTICE THAT? WHO HAS KEPT A COUNT OF THOSE UNKNOWN TALENTS?

IT IS MANIFESTATION OF INEQUALITY. WHO HAS CREATED THAT? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT? TALENT IS EVERYWHERE. SEARCH FOR IT YOU WILL GET THAT. JOHN AGAIN PUT THAT HAND OF ASSURANCE ON THE BOY BACK. HE WANTED TO TELL SOMETHING, BUT HE WANTED THAT INQUISITIVENESS TO GROW BIGGER AND BETTER. IS THERE A WAY OUT? JOHN MOVED AWAY FROM THE LATERITE QUARRY.

RED DUSTS BEHIND HIM. RED DUST OF LATERITE STONE. JOHN STARTED SNEEZING AGAIN. HE SEES HANDS WITH CHISEL DRESSING THAT LATERITE. TINY AND UNCONTROLLED HANDS WITH HAMMER IN THE LEFT ONE. THE HAND IS YET TO MASTER THAT STROKE OF HAMMER WHICH FALLS ON HEAD OF CHISEL. SOMETIMES IT HITS PARTIALLY THOSE TINY MUSCLES GRIPPING AROUND THE CHISEL. THE FACE GRIMACES IN PAINS. BUT THE HANDS NEVER STOP. IT MOVES MECHANICALLY TILL IT FEELS THE PAIN OF FRICTION WHEN GRIP SLIPS ON THE CHISEL. HEAT COMING OUT OF THAT FRICTION CREATES CORNS WITH THICK SKIN IN THOSE TINY HANDS. BUT THE WORKS CONTINUE. THE HAND SHIVERS IN PAIN. IT CRIES IN PAIN. IN THE MISTY EYES OF REMEMBRANCE IT REMEMBERS THE HANDS OF THAT LOVE PRAYING SOMEWHERE FOR HIS WELFARE WITH FOLDED PALMS FULL OF PARIJATS.