( Note – In this series with sub-heading “Sketch of,” each contribution of written contents with a separate main heading, is supposed to be complete in itself. Though if read one after another or randomly, then it would give an impression of a long story strung into into a thread. This effort is given to make reader enjoy every part by itself.)
No body in village knew with certainty, how this nomenclature as “Mahane” came into existence to this character of the story. In fact, it was the corruption of the Hindi term “Mahaan” that meant Great, and used to ridicule him. But, as it was ostensible from his perpetual indulgence in committing crime of theft, it could not be supposed that he was magnanimously given this name. An another story floated that when he was born, he was so slender and weak and was given in vernacular the name “maheen”, which later on distorted as ” Mahane.” For the first time, when I occasioned to threw a glance at him, he was an ordinary looking man of about forty-five years. His marital status was of a widower at that time.
Thieving as habit
Although, it’s not appropriate to suffix the term “Thief” with someone. But when you are supposed to describe the “person” related too some span of time, it become essential to pin point the main character of the story. Often it is said, “literature is the mirror of the society of its time.” Though I am fully aware, my writing endeavor is not at par of that and it can not be categorized as a literary work. But, when I am supposed to depict a character, it should be, as it was. To me, the narration of Mahane too is significant, for he was my neighbor and his indulgence in the crime of theft was either habit or hobby. It was like habit of “itching in hand,” that infested him. It was so deep in his matrix, despite being our nearest neighbor, he didn’t spare our family from this itching of hand.
Our migration history in village
My parents had shifted to this village from the city, at that time I was stepping into my nine years of tender age. It all was accidental. In fact, my mother, after a long litigation with her consanguineous kinsmen won the case and inherited the agricultural landed property. This property basically belonged to her late father and the land holding was enough to suffice our family needs. Secondly, to continue the persistent possession over the land, her physical presence was direly needed there also. This situation forced my parents to abandon our rental abode in city and migrate to the village.
At that period of time, the land holding of every farmer was scattered at different points, meant no one had his lands consolidated at one place. Our a big piece of land of about two acre, had its location near Mahane house. My parents preferred to construct a house on that piece of land. In fact, the main road of the village, that traversed through touching our land, was main attraction to inhabit the place. On left flank our house situated and across the road on the right side was Mahane’s house. As per the prevalent fashion, we had a medium sized house build of stones and mortar, roofed with corrugated tin-sheets. The house of Mahane was a mud house thatched with conventional prototype of sheaves of dry grass. In total we both family had our houses there only.
A deserted location of our houses
In a way, this location was a deserted one. Main population of the village inhabited at some distance away in shape of cluster of houses. Mahane, in the name of holding held a small piece of land only, in which his younger brother too claimed his equal share. This young brother too was a widower like that of Mahane himself. This younger brother of his worked as a domestic help in the house of a retired Deputy – Ranjer from the forest department, in the village.
Apart from the widower status, his family consisted of a son and an old age deaf mother; who used to toil hard in the fields of other people as a laborer and fed the family. His son was my class mate and friend in the village’s Basic Primary School. This friend of mine was brought up by his grand mother. Truly say, this son of his was five years elder than me. Meant, when I was running into my nine years of age, he was in his fourteen years of age. A strong build boy he was but short tempered also. In those days a maxim was followed, ‘ In your distress you find a support in your neighbor first.” People too followed the principle and this wise saying helped encourage me an intimacy with his son.
Mahane’s characteristics
Mahane had had some characteristics, basically he was a shirker. As told before, his old mother worked as a laborer in the fields of other people and provided meal to him. Being class mate of his son, I knew on various occasions, family slept empty stomach. But this doesn’t stir an atom to Mahane. The another noteworthy characteristic of Mahane was, he was fond of tea to the extremity. Never in life, I found another man akin to him. Generally people take tea to overcome the slumber, but he was given to the tendency to fall asleep deep after consuming the tea. Though, it seemed “caffeine” in tea leaves might have some deep impact upon his metabolism.
But, it was beyond the limit, when there was want of tea leave and sugar in his kitchen. In that case, he would take out some fresh ginger roots from his so-called kitchen – garden, grind them roughly and boil that in water and consume this prepared hot water and fall asleep again. It seemed he had synchronized his body constitution as such. With a swag, he was in the habit to boast about his limit of consuming the tea. He claimed, he easily could consume fifty glasses full of tea in a day. Those were the days, when the concept of plate and cup had not been introduced in rural side. It was a fashionable luxury item of a few well-off people in the village and only on important occasions when distinguished guest visited the house, he was served tea in the cup-plate. (Cont’d in part 2). Penned by — Vinay Pharasi
