Silver Nights, Golden Days

(Silver Nights, Golden Days (A Mordant Satire of Hilarity, Hoopla and Humour )

{ Friends, this is a long novel based on real life situations in which the pranksters of my village including myself indulged,with ardent curiosity and the aim was to have fun and endless laughter.. You are going to read the 1st chapter of the novel.}


Netra Nana's son had become mentally deranged after making every possible effort to win the heart of the glamour-laden girl Katta.Now the boy kept chanting:" Katta...! Katta....! Katta....!" day and night non-stop.His parents found it very distressing and embarrassing...! All night he kept chanting the girl's name.In the daytime, small boys and girls came to peep into Dheda's locked room through the window.As Netra Nana kept the window always closed, some of my friends had broken the window.
The topic of Rajat's(Dheda's )growing fascination for the beautiful Katta, and heartlessness of the girl, circulated in my village Bhanjapur Sasan. Then this interesting story spread everywhere like a wildfire in the surrounding villages.Strange faces appeared to the people of our village.
Some deliberately enquired of Netra Nana to describe the story of his son and suggested remedies,like consulting witch -doctors and tantriks.But the poor man had no money to indulge in such a luxury.He sometimes became indignant and uttered deadly curses on those who took delight in his misfortune.



 There was an old Bengali woman living in our village. We called her Bankuli Bou, because her younger son’s name was Bankim Chandra Tripathy.Bankuli came from the word Bankim.Bankuli Bou meant Bankuli's mom.

 Bankuli Bou had two granddaughters — Katta and Saluri. Both were extraordinarily charming, as if moulded from the same grain of rice.Bankuli's mom boasted that the Almighty Himself had created her granddaughters with special focus on them.In fact,no other girls in the village of Bhanjapur Sasan were as temptingly attractive as they were.Both were glamorous-looking beauties par excellence. Saluri, the elder of the two,was stunningly pretty, but she had failed twice in +2 Science examination.They had spent a lot of money on her studies.They goaded her to carry on her studies.She was not at all interested to continue working hard because she was convinced that she couldn't pass.Bankuli Bou had even used brute force pressuring her to make one final attempt and pass her + 2 science examination.She was adamant in her resolve not to study.They gave up all hope.She borrowed cheap Odia novels from her friends and housewives,and read them with incredible curiosity and interest.The love stories she went through tickled her heart.Her grandmother Bankuli Bou screamed abuse at her for reading those "dirty books."

 Katta, on the other hand, was now studying +2 Arts in Derabish College. She too was endowed with youthful radiance and unequalled physical charm, not less than her elder sister.But now she was the good girl of the family.She was exerting herself day and night to outshine her classmates.No one knew the meaning of the word "Katta." My friend Geda told me that the name might owe its origin to an old-fashioned game girls played in the village using cowries.Saluri was the name of a water-bird which people hunted for meat.When they saw Saluri,they would discuss how they loved to hunt saluris and holding banquets. A time came when this name of the girl became a serious issue and the elders warned us not to moot the topic when Saluri was in sight. Netra Nana’s son, namely Rajat, nicknamed Dheda, was madly in love with Katta.('Nana' means a Brahmin priest, often shortened to Na)It was a completely one-sided affair.He would offer chocolates and sweets to Katta.She would laugh at him bitterly and throw those gifts to the stray dogs who ate them with great relish.

Dheda was a dark-skinned boy.Maybe,Katta disliked his poverty and lack of education.Dheda had dropped out of school after class 5.A lean and thin boy or man was usually called "dheda." But the boy Dheda was strong and muscular.He represented a powerful black bull. No matter how hard he tried, all his efforts to win her heart failed miserably.We village boys even tried to help Dheda in his love mission, but Katta wouldn’t so much as give him a smile!

In the end, that poor fellow lost his mind! He was totally mad.He stopped talking.When he talked,he only chanted "Katta...!Katta....! Katta ....!" uninterruptedly day and night.His father beat him up with a sturdy stick and abused him harshly.Finally,he locked him in a room.

 Tia, who owned a small grocery shop, had written on the backside wall of his shop: "DON'T URINATE HERE.." We were a bunch of perfect devils.We had gathered at the hospital square for playing cricket.There was a large field where we played cricket every afternoon.A group member,the mischievous Khiria, kept erasing the  word "DON'T". He burst into mad laughter, saying:"Finished!"

 Now the wall read: "URINATE HERE.."

 It had happened for the fourth or the fifth time.He wrote the words using different kinds of liquid colour, but we were firm in our resolve to remove those words.He knew that we were the culprits, but he feared to point his finger at any of us. Nata Nana, who was one of our victims, once said to him,"Why don't you lodge an FIR with the police?" Tia had replied in low cautious tones:"Nana,they will destroy my shop!" Nata Nana had agreed and said,"Yes, that's true!" Helpless, the poor fellow Tia pasted pictures of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Kali, and Lord Jagannath on the backside wall.My closest friend Shada removed them and plunged them in the famous pond in that area people called Tikka Pokhari.

In spite of this,Tia never stopped his futile efforts to paste the photos of gods and goddesses on the wall.Every time,we took away those photos and immersed them in that pond. After some days Tia gave up all hope and kept quiet! People again began to urinate in the same place as usual. Tia was a terrible mischief-maker — a devilish fellow and our archenemy! He was full of cunning and deceit.He excelled in selling things underweight. Our leader Baguli had slapped him many times after catching him red -handed.He had his chosen people with whom he dealt fairly.He was dishonest with strangers and small kids.

 Now it was known to all the villagers that Netra Na’s son Dheda was desperately in love with Bankuli Bou’s granddaughter,the beautiful Katta. Katta was now chasing him away angrily, as though he were a mad street dog, shouting and screaming at him wildly.

Eventually, his mind had broken down,his mental equilibrium lost.He kept muttering “Katta… !Katta…! Katta…!” all the time. "What kind of strange illness is this?" the innocent elderly people and women asked each other.We hadn't heard of words like psychiatrist or psychiatry.

 One day, word spread that Netra Na’s son was causing havoc in the Thursday weekly market. We suddenly became alert! Khiria begged us to stay put — he had already sent Chora Ganesha to fetch some bidis ( cheap local cigarettes). Ganesha was a washerman by caste, but he had taken to petty thievery and pilferage to sustain himself and his family.He was always on our side and supplied us important information.


 We hurried to the marketplace. There he was ! Dheda, robust and stocky,and with a fierce face burning with wild rage! Shouting “Katta! Katta! Katta!”, he suddenly leapt onto Jaiya Bhai’s(Bhai --- Bro)potato and onion stall.He landed on huge heaps of provisions in the shop! Onions, garlic, ginger, and potatoes went flying in all directions! He dealt a fatal blow to the big tummy of the shop-owner...! The tent collapsed.Jaiya Bhai howled with pain and was soon speechless with puzzlement.
 Then Dheda stormed into Ganga Gudia’s snack shop and smashed up everything — vadais, pakodis, piyajis, laddus, and gulugulas — all scattered everywhere and ruined! He kicked the huge blue drum and water flooded in the shop.Then he pulled Ganga's blue silk lungi hard and snatched it from his grasp.He threw it into the nearby dug well.The old man in his dirty creased white underwear cried out:" Help...! Help...!...Help...!" After that, Dheda pushed Shuka Pandit down to the ground and grabbed his strong walking staff..! Farid Khan,who sold kerosene,was laughing.With all his breath and being, the angry boy struck Farid Khan hard on the knee...!" The old Mussalman ran limping and wailing," Ya..Allah..! Me dying...! Me killed...Ya..Allah..!" He hid himself out of Dheda's sight behind a huge jackfruit tree, and stayed vigilant.

Ganga Gudia (sweet-seller) and his two sons were standing in knee deep water in a ditch by the roadside.Jaiya Bhai was trembling with rage.He went after Dheda raising a bamboo stick.We told him to have patience , and he abused us fiercely.He somehow soothed him and he was looking at us incredulously. Still thundering “Katta, Katta, Katta…”, and raising Shuka Pandit's staff, he went on rampaging like a ferocious mad bull.Nobody had the courage to approach or confront him.We were holding sticks and clumsy tree branches to counter him and save ourselves. That day, all the shopkeepers were petrified with extreme panic and terror. No one could understand why he kept shouting "Katta...! Katta ..!Katta..!" over and over non-stop.

They debated whether some evil spirit had entered his body. He charged wildly, brandishing the staff,and he brought it down powerfully on anyone he found in his path.Screaming and shirking people dashed into places they thought safe, no matter whether they were paddy fields or irrigation canals to save themselves. He furiously beat cows, goats, and sheep.They hurried in panic, bleating and crying in all directions. A Muslim hawker was coming on his bicycle carrying an enormous load of aluminium utensils and household appliances.In an attempt to dodge the powerful staff blow,he went rolling into a dry ditch full of thorny bushes with his cycle and the bundle of goods! Ratha Kandi was standing by the roadside, discussing something serious with his wife.He was wearing only a lungi, his upper body bare.Dheda struck him mercilessly on the back with the staff.He screamed, “Oh Mother ! I'm gone..I'm killed ...Oh I'm no more!”


 People produced terrible screams and frightening shouts everywhere! We kept roaring to warn people to hurry to safety.There were chaos and a frightening uproar.Some people were unable to understand what had gone wrong. “Run away ! Run away ! Boy gone mad! He’ll kill you! He is charging ! Charging at you all!" We could do nothing, except giving desperate warning calls. Natia Na, who was riding his bicycle, put it on the stand and ran for his life! Dheda chased him for quite a distance. Natia Na tripped on an earthen ridge of a plot of land and fell.Dheda hit him with all his strength, but Natia Na got up and escaped. Dheda chased him into a muddy paddy field,where he again crashed like a log,got up and fled like lightning. Then the infuriated boy struck his bicycle tremendously three or four times and the rim of the front wheel bent and became half-coiled. We were stunned — speechless! It was a terrible situation.What if he struck someone dead! The entire village of Bhanjapur Sasan would be discredited.We were giving distressful warning calls to alert people to disappear as soon as possible.But, to our utter frustration, nobody was able to realise the gravity of the situation and danger awaiting them.We were clueless and only started running after him raising cries to scare away people.None of us knew what he meant and where he was going. We were vigilant, running and watching him keenly.To our astonishment,Dheda ran towards the large marshy stretch of land called Patta in the local language.We grew paddy in those wetlands.Babaji's Mom, the old fisher woman, was on her way to sell singhi and magura fish(small and big catfish respectively) in a big bamboo basket. Suddenly, Dheda landed an enormous kick on her stomach.She staggered and fell backwards flat on the ground! Her live fishes scattered all over the ground! She was puzzled and exclaimed: “Oh God! What wickedness is this! What’s wrong with that devil of a boy ! Isn't he the priest’s son? Netra’s boy! Motherfucker ! Bastard! Son of a bitch! Dog! Devil take him! I will pluck out his eyes! Strike him! Strike him! Oh Lord all my fish gone! "

 Crying aloud,she engaged in collecting her fish which were crawling everywhere. She wiped her tears, and curiously asked someone watching her: "Why is he shouting "Katta..! Katta ..! Katta..!" at people like a madman?” A labourer standing by and looking on explained how the boy had gone mad after falling in love with Katta,Bankuli Bou's charming granddaughter.

 Soon, Netra Na's wife came running, out of breath and crying bitterly.With sobs, she began to narrate to Babaji's Mom her tale of endless sorrow.According to her,Dheda was a victim of black-magic and witchcraft practiced by Benupani,Bankuli Bou's husband who lived separately and alone ,and carried out his nefarious activities. In the marsh, the water ran deep through a wide canal. Over it stood a long, large bridge.Before we could prevent him,Dheda climbed up the bridge.Standing on one of the parapets of the bridge and tearing the air with"Katta...! Katta...! Katta...!" indignantly,he launched himself into the treacherous waters below at the speed of lightning! Someone yelled:" Hey ..! Hey...! ..Hey..! Dheda doesn't know how to swim..! He will drown! Help..! Help....!...Help...!"

 Bhagu, Nilia, and Baguli courageously jumped into the overpowering running waters to rescue him. The boy was now floating face down like a huge log after being exhausted. Luckily,the children of the nearby village of fisher folks hastily pushed a banana-tree raft into the treacherous canal. By then, Dheda had swallowed a lot of water. The three friends managed to lift him up and bring him ashore.The banana -tree raft proved to be of immense use during that emergency. Uncle Fakira observed that Dheda’s stomach was swollen. He said, “The pulse is still running! Baguli, press his belly! Let the water come out! He’ll come back to his senses soon!"

 Baguli pressed Dheda's belly,first slowly and then hard.A terrible gush of water came out from Dheda’s stomach through his mouth and nostrils.Netra Na stood speechless, upset and staring helplessly. His wife began wailing louder and louder:“Will I get my treasure back? Will I get my diamond back? What’s become of my sweet darling? O Mother Maṅgala! Save my innocent child!” Netra Na hissed out in anger:“What a fine son you have given me! Shameless woman...! My treasure? My diamond...? Your pampering has spoiled him....I don't want him..! Let him go to hell! I can't even walk the streets for disgrace! He chants the girl's name day and night! All my teaching, all those sacred rituals I taught him are wasted! In a few days,I would have made him a capable priest and he would have started earning independently...!


Children are coming and hiding behind my house to listen to his stupid chanting of Katta! Katta...! What can be a matter of worse distress! What can be more disgraceful?" All of us were praying to Lord Shiva for the boy's quick recovery.We were waiting with bated breath to see Dheda get back to his senses.After a few moments of wait,Dheda opened his eyes! He sat up by himself...! A wave of immense relief swept through all of us,who had gathered there to see some miracle.We had saved a life. Looking around sharply,Dheda fixed his angry wild gaze on Uncle Fakira and, pointed his finger at him, and began to roar with fury:“Katta..! Katta...! Katta!” Uncle Fakira smiled stealthily and turned away from him slowly. Bhagu exclaimed:"My God..! He still has some strength left in him?" "The boy's love for Katta is pure and sacred like the holy Ganga.Few can understand what true love is...!" It was Chatka (Geda). Netra Na glared at Geda like a wild beast of prey. Netra Na's anger rose like fire.He went up to his son and gave him a sharp solid slap on the cheek. “You wretch! You dog! No need for a son like you! You may even die! Ugly monster! Fie..! Fie...! I'm ashamed of you...!"


 Uncle Fakira blasted back in rage:“Are you a father or butcher?” Tears were streaming down Netra Na's face. Dheda, wild with indignation, pointed his finger at his father and resolutely chanted again:“Katta...! Katta....! Katta...!” We all were pretty scared that Dheda might break into a wild run, again causing utter chaos,panic and devastation.We sent for the fisherman Pahali to bring his trolley. We tied Dheda’s hands and legs tightly and placed him on the trolley, binding him securely to it. Baguli said angrily:"Nincompoop! Devil! Now chant that stupid girl's name as much as you like! We’ve fixed you up !” Bankuli Bou — whose real name was Binodini — had spent half her life in Calcutta. She had fallen in love with her household cook, Benupani Tripathi, and had eloped with him to Odisha.She had left behind her three children with her old mother-in-law.Now, the same Benupani was her estranged husband.


 Saluri and Katta were both extraordinarily beautiful. Saluri was about nineteen; Katta, around seventeen. Both had finished matriculation.Saluri was at home all the time, secretly reading romantic Odia novels by sub-standard writers. Netra Na's son Dheda had managed to study only up to fifth standard, after much difficulty. Afterwards, he joined his father in his priest's work and began earning a little money. Now he had become a full-grown young man. He was glued to Katta in his blind one-sided love.But Katta didn’t even care to glance his way. No matter how many chances Dheda tried to conjure up to speak with her, every attempt proved disastrous. Poor Dheda grew more and more restless. In front of Katta, he had prayed and begged for love, but she rejected him cruelly, contemptuously again and again. Netra Na, vexed at his son’s ugly obsession with the name Katta, beat him up severely. Dheda’s mind had given way. A strange illness came upon him.Day and night he uttered only the same word repeatedly:“Katta...!Katta..! Katta ... Katta...!" To every type of question anyone asked him, the unquestionable invariable answer was,"Katta..!" Netra Na and his wife could no longer have any sleep at night.Dheda's thunderous chanting of "Katta...!Katta...!Katta..! without pause never allowed them a moment's sleep. Finally, they were compelled to lock him up in a room. In rank madness, he began banging and kicking the walls and doors with his fists and legs— thud...!thud...! thud...! bang...!bang..! bang..!" No one in the house could sleep at night. At last, they tied his hands and feet and kept him confined. Still, his "Katta..!Katta....!Katta...!" chanting never came to an end.



 The village women would often gather and talk among themselves.They would exclaim,“What kind of strange ‘Katta disease’ is this..? O Mother! Never heard of such a thing in life!” After things calmed down a little, Geda (Chatka) began to sing: Main tere pyar mein pagal, Aise ghoomta hoon, Jaise main koi pyasa badal, Barkha ko dhoondhta hoon, Main tere pyar mein pagal… (“I’m mad in your love, I wander like a thirsty cloud searching for the rain…”) Netra Na,frienzied and incensed, said bitingly:“You’re drunk with pleasure all the time, aren’t you! My boat is going under bottomless water, and you sing love songs and make merry!” Bhagu, whom we called Gulunja,said bitterly,"Geda, you seem to think that you are the next Kishore Kumar of the country! Have some sense of situation and time...! You stupid clot!"


 In those days, the first I.A.S. officer from our village — Bunu Na, son of Uncle Paria — happened to be home. Every evening, we had our small “bidi-smoking session” by Kanchi Nani’s shop.There was a cement platform around the huge baniyan tree on the side of Nani's shop.We had taken it for granted that the circular platform around the tree trunk belonged to us.It was built at our urging a long time ago. As it was time for the smoking session,Bunu Na arrived.Seeing everyone holding a bidi, he too asked for one.The obese boy Nitia handed him a big bidi.There were bidis and big bidis.Very poor people smoked bidis, and the better off ones smoked big bidis which were longer and costlier.Bunu Na said: “In Bihar and U.P., you get very fine quality bidis. Cigarettes aren't that strong!" He used to smoke two or three bidis a day. His father was very strict, so he had to sneak out of his house to smoke with us.


 Bunu Na had heard about Dheda’s Katta disease. He said:“This is a psychiatric patient. You must take him to Cuttack and show him to a doctor. Somehow, take him there — I’ll give you two thousand rupees and will also write a letter to a good psychiatrist.”


 After that, we talked about when Bunu Na was going to get married,but he didn’t seem interested and dodged the question. Then he began asking about the latest escapades of Chora Ganesha, the village thief, who was close to us and carried out our commands most obediently.But he also sometimes showered us with numerous pieces of good advice and lectures on his bravery and fearlessness.He was illiterate and couldn't read anything.But he could count money.We called him Bro Ganesha and loved to tease him.He would get annoyed and threaten to leave us.Not a single day passed when we hadn't met him.

 According to Bunu Na's advice,we hired an auto-rickshaw to take Dheda to the well-known SCB hospital at Cuttack.Bunu Nana had already paid the fare.Six hundred rupees in those days! Baguli said, “Hey, how can you take him in an auto?” It was Nasir Bhai, elder brother of Zakir Mian, the local butcher who came forward to help us.He was a very resourceful man.He said,"Don't worry! Pray to Allah! He sets things right!" He turned to us and said,“Tie the fellow to the auto. Two of you sit beside him. Stay vigilant and hold him tight.” We had already told Netra Na everything about the journey to Cuttack.


 That day was a Thursday. Early in the morning, we went to Netra Na’s house. He had kept the fellow tied in a room. The boy kept muttering “Katta..! Katta!Katta..!” all the time — sometimes softly, sometimes shouting at the top of his voice.When his chanting reached a high pitch,it was like starting a diesel generator, drawing the attention of everybody around there. When Netra Na tried to feed him, he had bitten his hand! We advised him to visit Dr Hati, the village doctor, who might give him some medicine for the bitten hand and told him to take it regularly.


 When we opened the door of his room,the fellow remained silent for some time.We thought his nonstop chanting might have exhausted him.We lifted him up and placed him in the auto.His hands and legs were still tied.Bhagu and I sat on either side of him, determined not to allow him to go out of our control. Nasir Bhai also tied his hands to the auto frame. We felt assured—he wasn’t making that “Katta...!Katta..!" sound anymore. But the moment the auto started, his generator started rending the peaceful air with his aggressive and violent chanting.He was a hefty fellow, full of vitality and vigour.While screaming “Katta..!Katta..!Katta...!” harshly,he was swaying the whole auto dangerously.Nasir Bhai was panicked and urged him to be quiet.

He cried out desperately,“Hey!....Hey...!..Hey ..!What are you doing? The auto will topple over! Want us killed? Stop that!" Bhagu, trembling with fury,slapped him hard from time to time,in addition to giving him a sharp scolding.Finally, he said, “Nasir Bhai, stop near Chandol! I will find green chilies, stuff them in his mouth and crush them inside it! Then alone will this demon be quiet!” Nasir Bhai told us to be patient and to pray to Allah.Despite his screams and the impending danger, we finally reached the big SCB hospital in Cuttack.Nitia, Geda, Baguli, Shada, Khiria, Nilia — all of them had already reached the hospital earlier by bus. Dheda’s rage had grown wild. Nasir Bhai and I untied him from the auto.

His “Katta...!Katta..!Katta..!” was so deafening that our heads felt like spinning.It was so irritating that I felt like slapping him across the face repeatedly. Everybody was staring at us. Nasir Bhai just kept calling on Allah while dragging him along. On the way to the hospital,he kicked a passing woman and punched the face of an old man, shattering his spectacles.He was a benevolent retired professor of physics and a gentleman.He told us not to bother because he had a spare pair in his pocket.Bhagu gave him a few solid blows, but he still kept twitching and jerking, trying to wriggle free from us.


Bhagu cried angrily, “This mad bull has made a nasty mess of us!Now just shut up! Or I will cut off your wicked tongue!”

 The professor told us to have patience. After much trouble, we reached the neurologist, Dr. Kripasindhu Mishra. The doctor said to him, “Why are you shouting like that? Sit quietly!” Dheda suddenly spat right at the doctor’s face! Dr. Mishra, shocked, went to the wash-basin and cleansed his face and said,“Lay him flat on that bench. Hold his hands and legs tight. I’ll give him an injection.” On hearing the word "injection", the boy started struggling wildly to get free and run away.He was kicking and scratching vigorously.The doctor jabbed a big syringe into his big bum. Dheda screamed in pain , “Ha… ha… I’m dying, Mama..! I’m dying! Ha… ha…! I'm dying!" Looking at the doctor,he cried angrily," Dog! Motherfucker! Ha..ha..My bum!"


 Bhagu gave him a blow."Mind your language! You demon!" Angry and disgusted, I said, “Wait, you devil! You’ll get four or five more injections jabbed into your dratted bum!” Dr. Mishra said calmly, “He’ll be fine. But the medicine must be continued.” He wrote a prescription and explained how to give the medicines properly. Dr.Mishra was a God -fearing person.He wore a vermilion mark on his forehead.He had a long pigtail hanging from the back of his head.Dheda appeared to be calming down.We relaxed our hold on him a little bit.Quite unexpectedly,he dashed at the psychiatrist, and grabbed his pigtail firmly.The doctor lost his balance and fell down.He howled with pain and we kept beating Dheda to let go of the doctor's pigtail."Hey..! Hey...! Leave that...! Leave that..."

 I put a finger in Dheda's eye and he left the doctor. Dheda screamed in pain,"Ha..maa ey...s..! Ma ma...! Mee...gone blinda.aaa!" Bhagu scolded us, and ordered us to hold him properly.We were waiting for him to fall asleep.Slowly, Dheda’s eyes started closing.But he kept chanting in a low and slow voice “Katta...!Katta..!Katta..!” very tenderly and finally stopped thrashing about and fell asleep. We took him to the room allotted to us in the hospital using a stretcher. Everyone helped to lay him on the bed. Nasir Bhai left for a relative’s house. Six hours later, Dheda opened his eyes. A nurse had given us two packets of bread and a bottle of milk.We told Dheda to eat; he finished it all in no time. Then tottering, he went into the bathroom, urinated all over the place, and came back.Soon a foul smell of urine charged the room. I poured several buckets of water and splashed phenyl all around.I scolded him,“You old fool! Don’t you know where to urinate in a bathroom?” Bhagu, Geda, Baguli and others gave him his medicines.Whatever food was offered, he ate greedily—like a hungry greyhound.I said, “Keep eating! Just swallow the pills too!”

 Chatka (Geda) always wanted laughter, songs, or jokes around.He asked Dheda in a tender whisper, “Hey, Dheda, whom will you marry ?” The fellow burst into sobs,and said tearfully, “I will marry my sweet Kattana, I will marry my sweet Kattana! O...o...o..My sweet Kattana...! She has looked at me! Yes she has looked at me! I will marry my darling Kattana!”Then,he burst into weeping. Then his words became incomprehensible.Geda bent close to his mouth, trying to listen. Bhagu, irritated, said, “Chatka, you always want fun? Why are you bothering him? Let him rest quietly!”

 Chatka listened closely again and said, “Hey brothers..! This boy says he’ll marry his sweet Kattana—or else he’ll hang himself from the school peepal tree! Or he’ll drown himself in Tikka pond!” Then he added, “Do you know, Dheda?Your Kattana says if you don’t marry her, she’ll swallow poison and kill herself!”

 Baguli got angry and said, “Why are you telling him such things? You need two nasty kicks! Idiot! Rat!" Soon sleep overcame Dheda.He kept moving his lips as if whispering in his sleep.Chatka leaned very close to Dheda and declared, “I can’t hear any words now—he’s just moving his lips!”

 Baguli cried out,"Chatka!" Chatka fell silent. He stayed in Cuttack for five days and then we returned to our village. It felt like a heavy burden was taken away from our heads.The doctor had advised six months’ rest.He also said Dheda should listen to music and read storybooks.We told him the boy used to draw very nicely as a child. Netra Na was a poor man.He didn’t even have a radio.To listen to one, he had to visit other people’s houses. Buying a storybook was a dream for him.

Geda, always fond of Hindi Picture Post magazines, brought some old issues for Dheda.We collected Odia film magazines for Dheda. Gradually, Dheda became completely normal.If anyone mentioned Katta, he would blush and give a gentle smile. He said his troubles came because he was passing through Rahu antardasha (Rahu sub-period).His father had shown his horoscope to an astrologer. Slowly, he began to draw beautifully again.He produced brilliant portraits of Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Mithun Chakraborty and many other famous film stars.After some time, he went to Cuttack and started painting film posters there.That job was quite profitable back then.After two years of hard work, he managed to buy two auto-rickshaws and put them on hire.Poor Netra Na’s painful phase of life finally ended. Now, no matter what we said to tease Dheda,he never reacted.Geda would often ask him,"Dheda, will you not marry your charming sweet Kattana? If you say no,she will consume poison!" Dheda paid no attention to him.He was always busy drawing and sketching.