(Recap – On A whimsical stroll from the “Ferede village ‘Home stay’s Lawn I ventured to meander down a path way, that path I found by chance. Down there I found an Arcadian view and happened to meet with an English man Mr. Frederick Viole. He behaved friendly with me and offered some drinks. In that sitting of drinks English man produced an interesting story related to some project. In between the drinks, some interesting occurrences of minor incidences took place. Finally when drink sitting was over, English man asked his servant to see me off to the point from where I had started on my journey)
The grudge of English man
The mentioning about the granting pf entire territory of upper side village and down side terrain, to his father’s name and further subleasing of two third territory as donation to new settlers was soothing. But When Mr Frederick Viole claimed about the entitlement of the landed area of “Ferede Village Home Stay’, I was a little bit confused. But I kept mum. I was eager to listen the entire story and waited for that. He again took the thread of the story in hand and connected it with it last part, “Yes! an important point I would like to mention. The name given to the Home Stay as Ferede Village is not acceptable. They should correct it.” there was a nettled note in his voice now.
” In this way they have distorted my name. Basically it was “Frederick Village.” Now they have made it Ferede. It’s a derogatory gesture, at least on the part of the man who is running the Home Stay.” There now sounded a hidden challenge and grudged authority in his voice. I was unable to realize, why this challenge he was referring to me. This was the moment, I thought of my heavily tipsiness and planned to make retreat to Home Stay. I thanked him in stammering voice for offering drinks and related my intention to bid good bye. This time, he called out his servant in rasping voice, Roop Lal !!! See off the gentle man to ” precipice” safely.
Bidding good bye to English man
Today, when I recall the words of Englishman, the term “precipice” strikes me to a shivering chillness. This I came to comprehend later on, why he used the term “precipice.” At that time, I was under the spell of heavily drunkenness. Truly say, my mental condition was so tattered. I was unable to fix my thought on any specific point. I placed my both the palms on this side of edge of the oval shaped central table, and tried to stable my standing position. Swaying, I spoke in words saturated with high gratitude,” Sir! Whenever I chance to visit this side, in all probabilities I will ascertain to visit your place once again and see you .” In response to my this sentimental valediction, English man gave a faint smile. And at once his half drowsed xanthic eyes flashed like a ferocious wolf and he answered laconically, “Might be.”
Servant led me back
Both we, Roop lal and I stepped out from the bungalow. Till this time, the sun had set down behind the West side hill. At that side the faint evening glow was noticeable. But on this side, quite a dark shadow had begun to spread. On reaching down on the point, from where Roop Lal at the beginning had ushered me inside the bungalow, he mutely gestured me to follow him. Suddenly in my tipsiness, many confusing thoughts began to assail my mind. First thing I noticed was, the darkness of the evening had begun to swallow the area so fast and magically. Now I could not notice the stretch of paddy fields. Though I was hearing the gurgling sound of the streaming aqua duct originating from some where.
Then came into my mind the thought of the grazing horses. Where they had eloped, since upon being lost in the story of English man, I again didn’t hear their neighing or snort or even the looks of them. The more confusing thing was, in this darkness, no electricity post got lighted. Whilst, just above at a distance of about hardly one km there stood a Home Stay, fully equipped with electric supply. All these thoughts muddled in my mind. Roop Lal preceded me and I followed him. In the fast growing dark of the evening, I recalled of mountain leopard and gun shot. Feared of the mountain leopard, I asked him, “In this falling dark of evening, the leopard can pounce upon us?” Roop Lal assured me, “by this time leopard would have gone far and afar away, being afraid of gun shot sound.” All this he did through his gestures.
The enigma
At that time, I could not understand one thing. In all certitude, I was fully drunk. As on today, when I recall his gestures, never he spoke even a single word in my presence. Neither he spoke in my presence to his master, when we took drinks or everything in shape of minor incidences kept on occurring. Even when I asked him about the fear of leopard, he answered my query through gestures, and all that when he was ahead to me in stepping uphill. When he responded to my apprehension through his gestures, I was following his back only. How come, I understood everything? Whilst, never he turned up his face towards me nor uttered a single word. This kind of phenomenon, man experiences only, when dreaming a dream. In your dream you never hear a sound but you feel your self engaged in a conversation. ( End of the Part 8th of the story) – Penned by– Vinay Pharasi …..
