Chandragiri & Udayagiri ~ we climb up the stone steps to one of the oldest cave relics of Orissa, and it is late afternoon. Hoardes of monkeys roam all around, up and down the vines that lend the place the feral feel, and though piping hot, the sun rays find it difficult to seep in through the verdant foliage. They tell me the Jain temple at the top, is one of the oldest of its kind. My feet look baked, as the stones at the summit resemble a hot tawa.
The temple visit over, it’s a slow descent down. On the steps, she sits crouched with her palms outstretched. She should be about eighty five, perhaps more. She looks up at me expectantly, and beams as I plop down beside her, exhausted. I tell her I am too tired, in Hindi. She then breaks into a verbal deluge, and I don’t have a clue as to what she is talking about. All I gather from her Bengali tirade is that she is from Calcutta – ‘bahut, bahut door!’ One of my colleagues find our odd pair, worth a camera click. I sense that life has been harsh on her, and that ‘Baba’ is her only beacon of hope. A few coins meanwhile are dropped before us. My murmurs and sighs lead her on further, and she indulges in a fervent chatter, throwing her hands up every now and then, exasperatedly. She then moves a bit closer, puts a hand on my shoulder and draws me close. And whispers something into my ear that sounds as strange as the rest. She waits for my response, and I nod in agreement.
As I get up to leave, I decide to toy with the one word that I think would make sense to her. I call her ‘Daadi’, and a bright smile lights up her face. She holds my hand in hers for a second, and I walk down, wondering who she was…
Croon Cuckoo Croon.
" Croon Cuckoo Croon
Saturday, February 04, 2006 ||
7:01 PM ||
Just to add that odd bit of color...
Here is my first ever song upload...
Priye..Priye...Vasanthamaay Kaanmu Nin Hrudayam..
(Addeham Enna Iddeham- 1993)
For those of u, who cud afford to download...
Dare, anyone?
;)
