Captain Saa’b … (Sketch of)

( 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 pf a long story strung into a thread. This effort is given to make reader enjoy every part by itself.)

                                                  Prologue

My village being a part and parcel of a Himalayan hill city had cultivated an old tradition. Youth here, happened to get enrolled in the Indian army. This tradition been a long lasted custom of this part of the territory. In the army, rank and position counts to get entertained as a respectful position, even after the retirement. In general, majority of  such recruits were destined to retired as “Sepoy” or some promoted as “Lance- Nayek.” Some lucky one to get promoted to the rank of Junior Commissioned officer (JCO) as Nayeb- subedar” or Subedar.

At the utmost, some one succeeded to achieve the rank of Subedar-Major.  In my hinterland village, at that time, it rarely heard of a youth, who succeeded to get the direct commission of Army Service Board  as a  senior commissioned officer. But in rarest of rare cases it was reported, some Junior Commissioned Officer after obtaining the highest rank of “Subedaar Major” were to be promoted as honorary Captain. This kind of officer in rural areas were called with reverence as “keptan Saap” pr “Laptan saab (Sahib)” in common parlance.

                    Actual description of the lead character

Not in my village proper, but in another village adjacent to the boundary line, there happened to stay an Honorary Captain Saheb. His being familiar to this side of my village had some reasons. Though, his village was an another entity, but his residence being closer to the boundary line of my village. This helped facilitate his majority of extra-curriculum diurnal activities to be performed on our village territory. It was a fact that he had initiated his carrier as a Sepoy and gradually promoted to the highest rank of Junior commissioned Officer. It was presumed, on performing the excellent services, some one is to be granted Honorarium, like was he got honored.

Originally he had his lineage from Nepal. Long ago, when the Nepal invaded this side’s local regional king of India in the early seventeen century, his forefathers came here as a soldiers of Nepal’s army. But after the treaty of Sagauli, that held between East India Company and Nepal and Nepal were forced to retreat, some soldiers opted to stay in India. In fact, he was descendant of one of those personnel of Nepal.

Once got settled here, every kind of social relations were destined to get developed. With the passing of time, such Nepali’s families got properly mixed with and became the integral part of the society. The major reason of this assimilation, both Nepali as well as Hindus had the same religion and culture. By going through inter-cultural cum cast marriage, the features of next generations, too were but to get transformed into a sharpness. Though, these Nepali’s or Gurkhas’ families ever kept there Nepali culture intact mostly.

                                    A puzzling question

Oftentimes, when I recall about this Captain Saheb, it always goes beyond my comprehension, how and on what scale of excellent services he got elevated to the Honorarium. As far as, if my memory does not betray me, from the first day of his retirement to his utmost last days on death bed, we always found him heavily drunk. The intensity of his consuming alcohol was like a fish drank the water. His this addiction severity naturally generated an impression that he was an old, all time addict. Then, how such a hard drinker enabled himself to perform with excellence to obtain the highest rank in his cadre.

Being a retired army officer, he was provided with a good Military canteen facility about liquor purchase. From there, he was lucky enough to buy the stuff on heavy concessional rates. In general, the stuff bought as such sufficed his first three weeks of the month’s consumption. For the rest of one week, he availed the facility of local “Licensed country liquor shop.”

                                      Man with gun

By virtue of his being an army officer, he was in possession of two guns. One licensed double barrel gun, and another simple “air shot gun.” In appearance, he was a tall, slim bodied fair complexioned man with straight posture. A good looking sharp features tinted with the heavy eyes bags as an after effect of long consuming of alcohol. Besides, he had sharp pointed mustache which he often kept on twisting with haughtiness, as if, challenging every one before him.

Often costumed in old military tunic and ocean green hued trouser.  His air shot gun always he carried either in hand or slung across his shoulder. Apart from this, he ever carried an old small, military khaki colored canvas bag which dangled on his free shoulder. At that period of time, the scene of a retired Captain roaming with gun in hand, loaded with heavily inebriated stomach was enough to send a wave of terror in the mind and heart of common folks of hinterland.

                                        A bad habit

He was infested with a bad habit of aiming at poor doves rested on scions of any tree. When shot properly, he would collect the poor dead birds into his Khaki bag. Being a Nepali, his staple diet consisted mainly of non-veg menu. He was blessed with the ability to deliver the accurate shot with gun on the aim. There were no want of doves in the locality. Abundantly they were present there. It was his habit, whenever he felt a surge for non-veg meal, he was given to pick the gun and shooting the doves and fetching them back home, asking his wife to cook them.

                             Women folks’ curse

Natives in the area were not habitual to witness such kind of merciless killing of poor birds, but were helpless to resist him. Mostly docile, subdued women folk were badly hurt on looking his this merciless drive. With a heavy heart, they would relate their agony to their children in shape of curse, ” look children,  the day has to come when this atrocity to poor, innocent birds by this sinner will result into his painful death on bed by kicking his heels. In a certitude he is doomed to die woefully with sufferings of intolerable pang.”

After some years, some “freeloader” type men too happened to become his followers. By becoming follower, they opportuned to get free drinks and non- veg meal. Now Captain Saheb began to arrange his court inside his parlor. He too subtly trained his followers to aim with shot gun. Now, it was a common scene, Captain flatly lied fully drunk on couch in his parlor and his followers fetching poor dead birds after game.

The day came when poor doves too began to recognize the deadly sight of men with gun. Forewarned by the sight of gun man, they began to take escaping flight. But how come these poor birds could save their life from the scheming of these rogues? Captain too found a solution. His gang, now would appear in the dark of the night under the tree where poor birds roosted; in the light of torch they shoot down the sleeping birds. We were kids at that time and when heard this sorry plight of killing of birds and related this unimaginative kind of hunting of birds to our mothers. They were so hurt and lamented for poor birds. They again repeated their curse for Captain and his band.

                                The curse realized

Now I recall, how the “curse” of docile woman folks of village was to get realized regard the killing of poor, helpless birds. The irregular, heavy consumption of liquor and heavy non-veg diet had but to effect adversely on the health issues. At that period of time, there was no practice of monitoring of high blood pressure and other complexities in rural areas. A man, who looked perfectly fit physically in the morning, might fall on the bed in the evening, severely hit by the stroke of ailment.

The same occurred with Captain Saheb. He at once was attacked by paralytic stroke. I am talking of the era of the last century round about in 1970. Though, as the military personnel he was taken to the nearest Military hospital for immediate cure, but till that time medical science had no effective treatment for that ailment. The curse of woman folks appeared to get realized. For months to come, he remained bed ridden as a patient and died kicking hid heels. Penned by – Vinay Pharasi …..