Crestfallen …

In fact, his name was Pandit Ramdarash mishra. This name, was properly endorsed and maintained in his school records, from the very beginning. Firstly, in the primary educational school, then in High School (matriculation) records. After that, in I T I ( Industrial training Institute), from where he had earned a diploma in electrical mechanical trade after his high schooling. His name, as such was maintained in every such records properly and gracefully. But, as it often is a custom or fashion prevails in rural areas, (even this is observant in urban region as well up to some extent.)  It is customary, to make some addendum and distortions in one’s name, and give it another name as “nick name.”

                                              Distortion of name

 So, passing through this customary law, a nick name was given to him. And, in the pastoral country  acquaintances, he was widely acknowledged by this nick name as “Darsu misir.” Never he had any objection to this name. Since,  all his friends of childhood too bear a nickname, in the pattern that some what sounded correlated to the original name. His  native village was alike all other backwards villages of the District with agrarian based economy. Paltry one or two  denizens from the  village, were in the government job.  Such denizens’,  too were, in class fourth service as a peon or utmost in class three as clerk. The job of teacher which earned a respect in the rural territory, no one had in the entire village.

It was a medium size village with the clusters of joint families. As often,  villages have got the features of a village in the North India. Despite, the arrival of the new Millennium, no any worth notice change village had witnessed.  Merely, with the exception that potable water supply, and, new asphalt roads got laid on. That road too, in want of proper repairs and maintenance, reached back to tread worn original condition. A little more change with the spread of education, villagers witnessed in the sense that youth of village after getting some education began to commute daily to city.   That too obviously,  in pursuance to their job in private enterprises.

                                           Venture for big city

Some youths, having risk taking capacity ventured to make long distance journey to big cities in search of better opportunities. But, all they, never forget to make visits back to the native village, on the occasional of major festivals, and on other important ceremonies like marriage etc. So, for years to come, village maintained its basic features intact. Although, youth who happened to visit back the village from big cities used to live life in an attitude with coquetting for few days. Though, after some days, would become the same old boys of past in their day to day life.

This anecdote, is related to the Covid-19 first phase in India. Our lead character, Pd Ram Darash mishra alias Darsu misir as told earlier was an electrical mechanic diploma holder from the Industrial Training Institute. It was not easier to find some government job,  and the native village had no scope at local level.  The dire situation, forced him to move to city in search of job. There, in his own city, he sought after the private job in some electrical repairing shops. He kept on switching on to in this process, from this electric shop to another one. Having no satisfying result on the financial front, he decided to venture for some distant  big city and set on for that.

On reaching there, for few days he ran from this post to that pillar to survive. As the luck would have it, he got inclined to learn the job of vehicles’ battery repairing. With the passing of time, he became skilled in that vocation. As the luck already seemed to favor him, he too somehow managed to find  a small place at a nook for repair shop in the market. This market, had a reputation to run the cluster of shops, specifically dealing in various mechanical trades. All such trades, related to vehicles repairing jobs, i.e. dent removing-painting, engine over hauling, rubber retreading of tyres and seat cover maker etc etc.

Though, his job was not a white collar job, it required to get mingled with black soot type activities. Not only he by himself was, in the untidy business alone, all others too kept themselves engaged in such business. But, job generated enough money to sustain the livelihood. Otherwise also, Pd Mishra had come to this city, not to become a hero in film line. His sole motive was to earn the money. As it often happens in such kind of market, all shopkeepers of different trades become acquainted with one on-other,  a sense of friendly cordiality make them to live in a bond.

                                           Learning of hair cut

By chance, adjacent to the battery repair shop of Pd misir, a barber ran his shop. In due course of time, gradually, an intimacy developed between both the neighbors. Whenever having spare time, Pd misir used to pass his time, by sitting in the barber shop. No doubt, a technical mind set he had had.  This made him in funny mood, seldom, to apply his hands with hair cutting tools under the guidance of the barber.  His this habit of toying with scissors, razors and comb etc, too, generated a good result. And, what he had started as a prank, also made him perfect in hair cut and hair doing.

On various occasions, barber having crowd of customers, and,  Pd misir sitting idly. In that situation, he would partake as a helping hand to the barber, and skillfully do the hair cutting. Not only this, it was the market of technical hands. Whether, it be given a name of recreation or vice, almost all occupants there, developed a hobby to take alcohol as a collateral activity of the profession.  In this ambiance, Pd misir too became a perfect drinker and smoker. But never in the native village back he made any disclosure of his being skilled in barber trade.

There, in the family and in the closed Hindu society, he belonged to  uppermost caste. Being the Brahmin, back in the village, it was considered a demean occupation. The occupation, which through custom, was already had been prescribed for some other backward castes . Though,  the news of his running of shop as a battery repair mechanic was known to entire village. And, that had earned a respect to him. But, as an addendum to his previous nick name of “Darsu misir,” he also had been given another nick name as “Darsu batterva”

As we all know, with the spread of pandemic Covid-19 first phase, a very hard and tough lock down was imposed whole through the India. For months to come, all sorts of activities came to a halt. This situation forced emigrants to return to their home place.  The same adverse situation, too forced  “Darsu misir” alias “Darsu batterva” to retreat. The rest of the situation was propitious, the village had a calm and no any bout of pandemic reported in the village. But, the entire village had no barber. In the normal situation, people had to approach the another village’s local barber  to have the hair cut.

                                      Moved by pity

The hard restrictions imposed by the lock down, forced people to stay inside the home. If, some one ventured to approach the nearby village’s barber, an apprehension of police custody ever hovered over at large. As told earlier, the family was a joint one, the hair of children of the family were but natural to grow on  rapidly. With in two months, in want of hair cut,  their heads were badly thatched with hair. Children began to looked like, as if, they  were carrying a beehive on their top. Apparently children were giving a look of miniature of some demonic creature. Pd Ramdaras misir tolerated the situation for some days to come.

On one day, what feelings moved him, in an impulse he became so emotional looking at the pitiable condition of children.  Generally, in a house scissor and comb are the items easily available, rather are the essential part of home appliances. At a given day, he commanded all children to sit down in a file, and with a skilled hand, did the hair cut of all of them. Children, when visited other houses in the vicinity , people but naturally inquired, from where they got such a nice hair cut? children innocently responded, “Uncle knew well, how to give the hair cut! He did it all ceremoniously!”

Rest the situation is understandable. Not only the children of the vicinity, even the entire village came down on knees in a flattering mode, supplicating to give them a proper hair cut. Pd Ramdaras misir alias Darsu misir alias Darsu batterva, saturated with the feelings of pity and huge charity offered the hair cutting facility to one and all. And, that too free of cost, ( in fact, it was not his profession, though he was skilled in that.  Though, the fact was not oblivious from his mind, being as a top most upper caste Brahmin, if he asked for hair cut charges, he was to be condemned even with in his own family. The one and only benefit he gained in return,  people  began to oblige him by providing the home brew ale, free of cost at the evening.  that was the most demanded item, during that period of time but was scarcely available.

                                                            Destiny

 But, it is the time that takes its own course of journey, in a predestined way. Situation of Pandemic phase one got normalized. Pd Mishra ji during his sojourn in village, lived with an imaginary sense of proud that by rendering the hair cut service, and, that too free of cost he had earned a respect. This he felt, in the name of charity. It,s natural that this kind of feeling infests all people, under the alike situation. He too was in a narcissist mode by assessing his charitable deeds. With the relaxation in  lock down, pandemic seemed to get subsided. Emigrants, too, began to move back to their old job in cities.

On one day, Pd Ram daras mishra,too, collected his bag and baggage and set on his journey back to his big city. The isolated, deserted village path, he had to tread on to reach onto the main road. From where, he could board on to motor bus to initiate the journey. When he was passingthrough the deserted path fenced with wild hedges on both the sides of the road. The conversations of two denizens of village, he chanced to overhear. He distinctly overheard the dialogues that went as such,

First man- “Look! Where to this Darsu barber is heading to?” 

Second man- “Where he has to go? The same place in the big city, where he runs his barber shop!“

Pd Ram daras mishra alias Darsu misir alias Darsu batterva mind was blown out,  badly crest fallen he was. The feelings of narcissism, intermingled with charity of giving free hair cut, got at once evaporated.

Note- On being declared, the second phase of covid-19  as a killer wave. The people, who even had not visited the village for last fifty years, they too had come to the village in hope for finding a shelter to preserve themselves. But, Pd Ram daras mishra alias darsu misir alias Darsu batterva has taken an oath, not to visit back to the village, may what come. May what so ever, the unlimited growth  of hair of children or entire village turn their look like a devil or most horrendous one. Penned by– Vinay Pharasi…..