Mamta Kalia

“You will repent.” — The other man
sitting on the cot had said. The old man
who was enjoying hukka had laughed.
There was sarcasm in his laugh. All other
Goojars had also laughed. He just could
not understand what was wrong; the old
man said — “Can you take responsibility
of your own self?”
Pankaj kept mum. He had started
looking around. There were a few women
at a distance. They were in colourful
dresses. They had half covered faces.
They had heavy breasts. They used to
collect dry firewood and then cook food
in the “earthen chulha.” When one looked
at their scattered small mobile residential
locations, it appeared as if no government
existed in the down hills, there was no
rule of law.
These are houses of mud which will
re merge into soil after sometime. The
residents will go back to the hill top.
The “Basties” will dissolve into cold
breeze.
“Baba will you sell this plot to me?”
— He gathered all his confidence and
asked him.
“We live on this and, we don’t sell
it.” — he was clear in his reply.
“Why?”
“Because this is a sin.”
“I don’t get it.”
“You who belong to cities, you can
sell even that land which is not yours,
so you will not understand.” — He said
and then laughed. Once again every body
102 :: April-June 2010
present there followed him. Pankaj had
felt sad and lonely. He could not see
the half-covered faces of women around
but he could observe their tilting bodies.
The upper portion of their breasts had
an exposure but there faces were covered.
“I want to purchase land here and
construct a permanent colony which
should never be deserted.” He cried back.
“Such colonies are destined to rust.”
— the old man replied.
“I will take care that it is not rusted.”
“It is not in your hands.”
The man sitting on the cot and
enjoying hukka was talking like a
philosopher. Pankaj did not answer.
He had returned.
When he turned back he had looked
at the big size “Kansathal” and daal in
the tattood hands of a woman who had
to cook. She also had aatta of bajra
which was of green colour like her
ghaghra. There was an appeal in her
eyes. He thought that she wanted to
tell him, he may not be in a position
to purchase a piece of land but certainly
he deserves a meal, cooked by her. She
was living in a hut which did not belong
to her. She just wanted to offer him
food but she could not offer in presence
of so many men around. He could read
it in her eyes but could not afford to
tell. What kind of protocol is this in
which a woman who has collected the
firewood herself and cooked the food
with her own hands has no right to