A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

do not want to starve to death before
the very eyes of the Indians. You have
only to look at our bank pass book. Only
another year to go. If we cannot sell Sunny
Cradle during this period we shall never
be able to leave for England. Do you know
how much two air tickets cost? Oh, I dread
to imagine this wretched end.” Grace started
sobbing.
“Be brave, Grace,” Ruby said consoling
her sister. “We have always put a brave
face against our troubles.” She gave me
an apologetic look. “Please don’t mind,
Mr Nath,” she said. “Today Grace is feeling
very bad.”
“Has something untoward happened?”
“Yes, something very sad. Today we
have sold off our piano. The last song
of our lives. It’s gone for ten thousand
rupees. A beautiful piano. It was with
us for the last sixty years. A gift from
Papa. You know Grace was a piano teacher.
She could relate her fears, her sadness,
her tension to-the piano through her fingers.
Like a sympathetic friend the piano would
listen to her patiently. But. .. but what’s
going to happen now? Mr Nath, it was
the last of our costly possessions which
could stand by us. Mr Nath, I suppose
ten thousand is quite a handsome amount,
isn’t it? To tide over the period till we
sell our kothi and get our air tickets ...
“
Grace was sitting quiet resting her head
against the back of the chair. Looking
lost she kept staring at her fingers. A
tear trickled down through the wrinkles
under her eye.
Ruby gestured me to go with her out
of the room. “I’ve to tell you something
in secret,” she whispered, looking warily
around.
I held her hand in mine and pressed
it gently. Feeling reassured she said, “You
work in Viceroy’s house, don’t you? They
have many old pianos lying with them
for sale. If there is a cheap piano going
at the auction please buy it. In your name.
I want it for Grace.”
Courtesy : Indian Horizons
Rekha, born 1951, has been principal of a govt college and has written
several unforgettable short stories. Her collections are— chindi chindi
sukh and apne hisse ki dhup. She lives in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.
Jai Ratan born December 6, 1917 Nairobi, veteran scholar of Hindi
and English who has devoted a life time to translation. He worked
as P.R.O. in a prominent business firm in Kolkata and was founder
member of Writers’ Workshop. Hindi owes him a tribute for numerous
prestigious English translations including Premchand’s Godan way back
in 1955. He now lives in Gurgaon.
January-March 2012 :: 123