FS: Book 1 – Chapter 5
Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Bengalis. This Durga Puja Kalo would be going to her father’s house, the home where she had spent her unmarried childhood. From the morning preparations were on for arranging Kalo’s travel to her father’s house. In a few hours time Kalo set off for in a large palanquin. It would be pretty late and dark by the time she would reach her destination. Her husband Jogen had joined her in the palanquin. The palanquin bearers walk fast and briskly, simultaneously making that grim rhythmic sound ‘Hun Hun’. Kalo’s mother-in-law had packed packets of puffed rice, home-made sweets, chickpeas, and biscuits to last the journey.
The last time Kalo had been in a palanquin was when she got married years back, and she came to her in-laws for the first time. She was very young and very tired that day, and mostly slept all way. But this time she was wide awake. She pulled aside the curtain slightly and peeked through out throughout. Never-ending empty paddy fields stretched on both sides of the mud path. Far away at the edge of the horizon one or two farmers could be seen sometimes sweating out at work. Other than that the whole place was deserted over miles. They had left behind their village long back. Occasional short shrubs, clear ponds and long stretches of agricultural fields – that’s all Kalo could see.
The sun had moved right above their head, the scorching heat left the palanquin bearers panting and perspiring heavily. They moved to the shade of a large pipal tree and put down the palanquin for a short break. The bearers pulled open their cotton towels from round their waists and wiped their dark muscular torso, now dripping sweat. They had their own packets of puffed rice and flattened rice on which they gorged. Kalo herself had started feeling hungry by then and got her own stock of food out.
Kalo never realized when she had dozed off in the soft swing of the palanquin, suddenly she was jolted awake amidst a lot of screaming. The afternoon sun had significantly reduced the light outside. Jogen and his fellow companions were chasing a bunch of wild boars. Kalo couldn’t take her eyes off that sight, she never seen anything like that and was utterly bewildered. Of course there was nothing to be scared. The bearers were trained fighters and strong enough to secure the palanquin. They were spinning their long sticks and were doing a pretty good job of scaring the beasts. And yet little Kalo turned pale and stiff, and finally decided to close her eyes tight till it was over. The bearers had increased their speed and were almost running down the path.
The sun had set and the bearers were now carrying little lanterns hanging from the towels wrapped round their waists. Inside the palanquin was Kalo squeezed in a fetal position, and her husband Jogen, being protective as always. She had heard stories of these roads in the dark. Stories of wild foxes, wolves, and hyenas attacking travelers. The bearers had spread out and surrounded the palanquin from all sides, more alert than ever. Faint calls of wolves could be heard, coming from somewhere far. The sounds started getting louder and clearer as they rang across the fields. Kalo curled up even more out of fear. It was pitch black outside and Kalo couldn’t see a thing when she tried peeping outside. In an attempt to distract Kalo, Jogen started telling stories of their village and other historic incidents he had witnessed over the years. Kalo kept murmuring prayers, even while listening to the stories.
Suddenly shrill cries of foxes could be heard very near, coming from all sides. From the forest they were now crossing, a dozen pair of eyes could be seen shining in the dark. The bearers roared above the beasts and started using their sticks to drive them off. The cries of the foxes grew deadlier by the minute. Inside the palanquin Kalo was shivering and covered her ears with her hands tight. The bearers walked even faster. After five minutes the cries of the foxes dimmed and then died. Half an hour later Kalo and Jogen had reached Kalo’s father’s house.
Kalo’s father arranged for all of them to stay the night. Kalo’s mother wept tears of joy on seeing her daughter and son-in-law after so many years. Kalo hugged her mother tight and dug her face in her saree, breathing in the beautiful maternal smell she loved so much. After her fearful encounters on her way, she was desperate for comfort and security in her mother’s arms.
Next early morning the palanquin bearers paid their respect to Kalo’s father and headed out with the palanquin, back to their village. Kalo was excited about being back at her childhood paradise after a long time. She played with her brothers and sisters, ran to the pond to take a dip, hopped around in the gardens picking up flowers, and climbed trees to collect fruits. Jogen enjoyed seeing the kids having fun together. He was rather fond of Kalo’s siblings even though they hadn’t met much earlier. Kalo, being a little grown up now and slightly more responsible, helped her mother arrange food for all. She had tons of stories to narrate to her siblings, and she did it with a lot of enthusiasm – swaying her arms, bulging her eyes and even acting out incidents she experienced in the last few years.
Durga Puja was just a few days away. Everyone at Kalo’s father’s house was busy with preparations for the upcoming festival. Kalo’s father was used to being very busy at this time of the year. All their relatives would come to their place over the Pujas. Jogen helped his father-in-law a lot to make all preparations. The grand idols of the Goddess Durga would be made at the potter’s for a month. Stages would be put up with bamboo stems. Huge carpets would be hung to cover the top of the stage. Before anyone could realize the festivals were knocking at their door.
Kalo and her siblings loved spending the Puja together. The whole house was once again noisy with the kids running around, and the elder ones talking, singing, and laughing their hearts out. Kalo joined her mother and aunties in sewing flower garlands, arranging fruits for the worship, and wearing new clothes these four days. The evenings witnessed grand concerts in the balcony in front of the idol of the Goddess. The whole village participated. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the whole village was arranged at Kalo’s father’s house these four days. The rest of the village didn’t cook during this time. It was rather short-lived but the best time Kalo had spent in a while.
Pujas being over, Kalo was to return to her in-laws’. As Kalo and Jogen boarded the palanquin, Kalo’s mother hugged her goodbye. Kalo cried more this time, she felt leaving her childhood home one more time and in ways this was harder than before. She waved to her siblings, promising them again and again to return very soon. She hung her head behind the curtains inside the palanquin, her tears uncontrollably flooding her cheeks.
