The Pani-puri Boy

Pranati had been a highly talented student right from the beginning. At the high school, she never failed to outshine the most diligent boys and girls who grudged her sharp intelligence and wonderful memory. She was tall and handsome and commanded everybody's respect everywhere. The boy she inwardly hated the most was Aditya Behera who everybody thought was going to be the next Einstein. The boy had a very strange, strong, and profound interest in mathematics. When he was in class 7, he was doing mathematical problems meant for class ten students. 

When Pranati's father district magistrate Jagannath Mohanty was transferred from Kendrapara to Cuttack, Pranati was feeling deep sorrow inside. She thought about leaving her the then school along with the chance to be one of the best ten stars out of the pass out boys and girls who were to take the tenth class exam after three years. 

Now many years had passed, and Pranati had for the most part forgotten her schoolmates. She was staying with her parents at Sahid Nagar in Bhubaneswar. She lived in her father's huge house opposite Hotel Meghdoot. Now she was busy preparing for competitive exams. She now had highly fashionable girls for friends. She and her friends gathered mostly in the evening to eat pani-puris. An old man usually appeared under a roadside mango tree. The old man was fair-skinned and bad-tempered bearing a resemblance to some Chinese old man because of his thin mustache and a wisp of a sparse long white beard. He would talk to the girls cheerfully and direct their attention to another panipuri boy who would take his position at a safe distance from his old rival. The old man had nothing but pure venom to spew upon the boy who seemed to do very less business because of the malicious scheming old man. Pranati's two friends namely Arti and Sobha didn't like his harping on the bad quality of the boy's pani-puris. Arti was fun-loving and often liked to play pranks, but she had a large heart. 

Once Arti insisted on going to the boy whose business was in a pathetic state and to try his pani-puris. Much to the chagrin of the old man, the girls visited the boy one evening. The boy was wearing a mask it being the time of Covid19. He served the girls with pani-puris with the utmost respect and friendly manners. Sobha said to him, "Bhaiya, what's your name, your pani-puris are much better than that old uncle's. " The boy only gave a modest smile. 

      

The girls visited them most often much to the chagrin of his old rival. Pranati could not help thinking of the pani-puri boy, for she had managed to see his bare face and that had stimulated her curiosity a lot. She thought to herself time and again: "If the boy is my former classmate Aditya, how come he doesn't recognize me. . . ?" Yet she hesitated to ask him directly if he was Aditya Behera who belonged to village Kundubedha. She was still not clearly convinced of the boy's identity. She was desperate to locate the truth. She refused to believe that the boy was someone else as she had seen his distinctive smile thrice or so. 

Ultimately, Pranati decided to make inquiries about him to the nearby boutique owner Nazia Khatoon whose regular valued customer she was. That too she balked to do fearing what the boutique owner might think about her. For some strange reason, she didn't broach the topic with any of her friends either. Now the pani-puri boy seemed to avoid her curious inquisitive looks. 

To their utter astonishment, the girls once discovered that the boy had disappeared entirely. The place he used to occupy was now a deep excavation. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation was engaged in doing some very necessary drainage work and it was not something new for a resident of the city. Now Pranati was desperate. 

       

It was evening. Pranati was riding home on her scooter in the heavy rain. She stopped by the roadside and parking her two-wheeler, entered Nazia's boutique. Nazia told her, "Come in. I'll clean the floor. Don't mind the water. "

Nazia had no customers in her shop. Pranati started a conversation with her. They discussed many burning topics her sole concern being to extract information about the pani-puri boy. When she said, "Where did the boy go. . ?His pani-puris were excellent. . ?"

Nazia said, "During this Covid19 period, you shouldn't eat anything outside. . That boy. . . ?Go to the old woman over there in the tea-stall. . I think she might know. . "

Pranati went to the tea-stall. The old woman said smilingly, "Tea or coffee, child. . . ?"This unexpected question elicited an equally unexpected "Yes." Next she consciously said, "Coffee. . " When she was making Pranati a coffee, she talked: "Yes the boy is my grandson. His father used to drink hard day and night. First, he died from a damaged liver. . . . Before the completion of a month of his death, my daughter also died. At night she ate rice and fish and went to bed. In the morning, she was found dead and gone. . . . ! How strange. . . Isn't it. . ?Adi was left to my care. . He was in +2 and had to give up his studies. . "

"He was very good at mathematics. . . !Nobody was there to help. . ?she said. 

"Who will help. . ?" said the old woman. "You don't know how people can't see eye to eye with each other. . . Rather some were glad inside. . Now he is selling pani-puri near the cinema. . . "

Pranati instantly decided to meet the boy. But she wanted to do so alone. Losing no time she drove to the cinema and spotted him out. Instead of ordering pani-puris, she walked up to him and said, "What is your good name. . ?You are Aditya. . I am sure. . Why aren't you able to know me. . . ?I am Pranati. . You were extremely good at mathematics. . !"

"Yes. . . . Yes . . . I can recognize you now. . You went to Cuttack when we were in Class--7. . ?"This is how Aditya handled the situation. He had concealed the bare truth that he had recognized her quite long back. He had often seen her riding a scooter or her father's Hyundai Creta. He had deliberately avoided her gaze unwilling to cause himself any embarrassment. He knew he couldn't tell all the unhappy terrible things in life that had rattled him beyond anyone's imagination. Why should he divulge his excruciatingly painful past to this near stranger. . . ?He didn't want anyone's commiseration. He was strong and resolute in his stand. He often wondered why the girl was so much interested in him.He often found it disgusting.

One day Pranati dared to say to him, "Aditya, I'm so sorry to think that you couldn't continue with your studies. "

He answered in English, "Man proposes but God disposes of. " They also discussed matters relating to the scraping of Article 370 in Kashmir. She found him to be knowledgeable and refined. His behavior didn't betray any signs of crudity so common in an illiterate street vendor. She couldn't contain her curiosity and said, 'How come. . . you know so much about politics. . ?"

With a shy smile, he said, "I graduated this year with an honours degree in political science. . "

This information struck her as very strange since she herself had graduated five years back. ! Seeing her wondering, he said, "I did it through distance learning. "

"From which university. . . . ?"

"From Utkal University. . . "

"Are you trying to get some job?"

"Yes, I am preparing for the OAS examination. . . "

"I am so happy to know that. "

"Are you trying to get any job?" asked the boy. 

"I have decided to complete my Ph.D. first. . "she said. 

She helped him in every way possible. They became very close to each other. He started daydreaming. Pranati was pretty and charming. He thought he would get the cherished job and then life would take an unexpected turn. However, fate had decided otherwise. He worked the hardest and took the exam most confidently. 

Now whenever they met, they discussed the possibility of his clearing the examination. Both were sure he would make it to a thumping victory. 

The results were declared postponed sine die. Both were profoundly disappointed about how their rosy dreams were shattered forever. This was because the girl's father was leaving no stone unturned to get her married to someone of his choice. 

Pranati would cry profusely at night when none could watch her. She didn't have any special interest in God and religion. Her friend Sobha's mother was a devotee of Sai and she would narrate many miraculous occurrences that she thought were mere fairy tales. She didn't like the fact that whenever she called on Sobha, her mother would certainly come and tell her those fairy tales. But now she desperately prayed to Sai. 

Nothing happened. The New Year came and passed by, leaving her wretched and miserable. The boy had gone out of her life. He didn't receive her calls henceforth. 

The boy's maternal uncle Vikram was my classmate at Ramachandra High School. He was a moneyed person and ran a bicycle store at Jaydev Vihar. Though he pretended to be my friend, I could hardly think of him as such. I didn't like his Scrooge-like lifestyle. He would start a discussion on something if he came across me anywhere and I disliked his garrulity but today Vikram's discussion was full of interest to me. He proudly talked about his nephew Aditya getting through a bank examination. The boy had joined the State Bank of India as a probationary officer. He boasted, "My nephew, Aditya is tremendously hardworking. He could spend an entire night studying and engage in his business as actively as any man the next morning. Chitta, I always cite your example to my sons. When you dropped your studies in Class- 8 and three years passed, did anyone ever imagine you will be educated and even write books in English. . ? Look at me. . !I used to be the class topper. I wanted to be an engineer. . But I failed in +2 Science. . "

I said to him, "My dear Scrooge, stop praising me. I don't think I have done anything spectacular. After years of back-breaking toil, what have I got. . ? Nothing. . !"

He said many more things and eventually lectured me on industry and perseverance. I was waiting for the coffee he had ordered. The coffee arrived late, and while sipping it I said, "You never helped the boy sufficiently. . "

"Orrreee. . . . !Bro you know little about him. I told him to work as a salesperson in my store. I was ready to give him five thousand rupees a month. . But he refused it. . Went away. . Even spreading scurrilous tales about me and my wife. . But I don't mind anything. . "

I knew Aditya well. My daughter would frequently eat his pani-puris. Marveling at his cunning, I said,"Okay. . . I'm going. . . Will meet next week. . "

"Hey Chitta stop. . ! Please take this. . . "

I took the modest invitation card from him. I read it patiently and was surprised to find out that Aditya and his girlfriend Pranati were getting married.

 I said, "A wedding during Covid19 times is not at all expensive. Rest assured about that. . "

He was looking at me beaming his usual syrupy stupid smile. 

                                      -------O-----