Fakkad Kaka … (Sketch of Part-2 ) ….

(Recap – In last episode, I mentioned about the meaning of  the term “Fakkad Kaka” in reference to the main lead character of the story. As a character of the story, he had some unique features. The main characteristic was, long back in his early youth he swore to become a celibate for rest of the life. Second, he abandoned any kind of edible grains, salt and milk products, he survived only on vegetables, black tea and hemp.) 

                                        Staple food

His staple food as a meal were mainly boiled potatoes and pumpkin. He ever had these victuals in his store, for changes he took raw seasonal vegetables and fruits in natural form. His digestion never failed him in this regard. He was fond of black tea and hemp smoking. Whenever he was inside his hut, the pan always placed on the hearth with boiling water. Kaka sitting near the hearth adding dry wood as fuel, not let put out the fire. His Chilam always in the grip of hand, intermittently taking deep inhale of smoke.

Some wanderer, ‘do nothing’ type youth from the village were in the habit to visit his hut permanently. They used to have a long sitting there. In fact, Kaka had induced them to take hemp smoking. The intemperance generated by the intoxication, if once take you into brace, it enslaves you. The same was happening with these youth. The abundant availability of hemp plants, ameliorated there this drive. And this too was soothing for Kaka as well. Now, he had these pupils type youth, who used to collect “substance” for him, and in lieu of that a protected place to smoke they enjoyed.

                                           Speculation game

An amusing hobby he had. That basically was in contrast to his nonchalant disposition. Though, he had no attachment with any one in real sense. By the grace of the god, he too held enough landed property to sustain his needs. Truly say, his needs were so trivial and he saved a good deal money, after selling off his agriculture products. It’s the human psychology, he has been endowed with some virtue and vices.  the same happened with  him.

In real aspect, he had no extra need of money, but as a habit, he invested cash money on local “Speculation lottery.” That was called “Sattaa” in vernacular. It was a secrete trade of gamble and from the ancient time been in vogue in India, and still it’s flourishing at large scale. In this game, player is given an offer to bet upon a single number, from zero to ninety-nine. In every area, secret “agent” were appointed by the ‘boss’ to collect the “money and list of people,” investing in the game.

If his number gets declared as winner number, he was paid by the “agent” ninety folds amount. Meant on one Rupee bet, you earn ninety Rupee. The main attraction of this speculative game was, you could bet with a nominal amount or huge amount or whatever amount you wish to bet upon. This game was played by some people openly, like Fakkad Kaka, but some respected people too played this game clandestinely. The element of “greed” is always present in every man and the same element too pushed Kaka as well as other respected people to bet upon.

                                         Off the track

The exceeding consumption of ” hemp smoking” some how had, some not so good impact on his mind. In his deportment, he was slightly “off the track.” When alone, he always remained engrossed in imagination to select a number to bet upon. There was a superstition and still on today it lasts in people who play this “Satta.” This superstition is based upon the dreams, a person dreamed in previous night. He by extricating the riddle of the dream tries to find a number.

For example, if he saw a “Snake” in the dream, then it’s the indication for number “seven.” Reason is simple, S for snake and S for seven. It’s the riddle of speculators, they apply. Another example, If some one dreamed of a cot, he at once jumps to number four. For a cot having four legs. There are so many superstitions of this kind, in finding the suitable number to bet upon. All they apply the device separately, but I found all these gamblers in penury, despite their spending  a good deal of money in the game.

                                       Element of greed

Kaka on the one hand was nonchalant about worldly affairs, but the element of greed to win a good deal of money through speculation always possessed his mind. Already, by selling the agricultural products he had a heavy pocket, but god knows what induced him to bet upon the game of speculation. And it happened surprisingly. Once he won the “jack pot.” His one bet earned him about rupees forty thousand in the game of speculation in the summer season. It was a sensational news of the time, since it equaled of millions of rupees of today, this news spread with air everywhere.

But as I mentioned earlier, his mind by consuming  excess of charas had slightly gone off the track. The huge amount of money for a person, who had lived a life with minimum needs, was sufficient to confuse him. He too was an obstinate about taking decisions about his personal matters. Never he allowed someone to offer him any suggestion. He decided to invest this amount in business. It sounded amusing to think of a person like him to do some business. He in his whole life never had been introduced with the “B” of business, but decided to enter in that field.

                                    His new business

And what kind of business he could afford to entertain, it too was in accordance with his “off the track” mind set. He was a simpleton, who, whole through in his life been a denizen of a village. How could he dare to think beyond the ambiance of a villager.  At that period of time, the wheat chaff for cattle’s fodder in our city side was supplied from the province of the Punjab via Trucks. He decided to invest the money in the same business at the local level.

For the purpose, he recce the surrounding villages. At that time, the wheat chaff was incurred by thrashing the dried sheaves with the help of cattle by crushing them with oxen hoofs. This process was done majorly at different places in the fields of wheat, where farmers had their holdings. There, after winnowing grains from the crushed chaff, every farmer transported the grains and accumulated pool of chaff, as per his requirement of tamed cattle as fodder, to his storage. The extra pool of chaff, every farmer happened to sell to other needy people, who tended cattle for milking purpose but having no sufficient holding to produce chaff.

                               Investment of total money

Fakkad Kaka had an eye on this extra stock of chaff for business purpose. He at once bought all extra stock of chaff from farmers of various villages. Here, to show his earnestness, he on the spot made the full and final payment of every stock on the first instance. It all was the miracle of money which he had. He had the superficial plan in his mind only. Though he was an experienced farmer, but never he gave a thought about storing this stuff in the first hand.

He simply envisaged to collect all the chaff in trucks directly from the fields and make a supply in the city. Whilst, as a farmer he should have known that in the summer season, when climate raised too high, it always brought storm in shape of whirlwind every year. It was a routine every year, and it prompted every farmer to collect chaff in hurry to the storage in the village. But his mental set up, that was “off the track” suggested him naught about this aspect of  calamity.

                                        The calamity

Might be his laziness in managing to load and transport the chaff. The same storm occurred continuously days after he struck the mega deals . Every atom of chaff in the hellish storm dispersedly got scattered like a thin layer every where around the vast field. His every pool of chaff, purchased as such got spoiled. The entire amount he won in the game came to a ruin and flew with wind.

There was an old wise saying in vernacular, “satte ka paisa batte mein” ( the perk won as bet in speculation is destined to get lost some how.”) And the same happened with Fakkad Kaka. For long years to come, wise men of the village kept on citing this example to younger generation whom they found inclined for the game of speculation. ( The end of the story.)   Penned by – Vinay pharasi …..