Aatma

Ashes Part 2

He sees the big Jamun tree he runs towards it his mother follows him tears in her eyes she says she recognised the tree she remembers it being next to the cottage but how is it possible he stayed with granny for 11 days and now there is no cottage.  Anil sits under the tree  and cries out to his granny not understanding he gets up to go and meet the temple priest when he holds his mothers hand and runs towards his car a wind blows and a cloth comes flying and falls on his face he tries to removes it as the wind is strong and dust is all around when he removes the cloth from his face he sees it is the same saree which he had gifted his granny.  

He had made her wear and done a video shoot and clicked many photos he kisses the saree and turns to look behind calls out to his granny but she is no where she folds the saree keeps it in the car and drives towards the temple the mother know the the priest so they are hopeful granny may be with him in the temple they run towards the temple both mother and son tears in their eye hoping against hope to get answers when they reach the temple prayer is going on people have come there is crowd so the mother and son sit down and participate in the prayer when it is over all the devotees leave only these two are still standing not knowing what is happening.

 Anil is exhausted the priest beckons to them both go towards him with folded hands .the priest gives them the holy water and blesses them .Anil asks him is he the priest from many years in the temple he says he took over the temple just few years back it was his father who was looking after the temple from the time he was small and now after few years his son will overtake the duties he wanted to know why he was exquiring Anil introduces his mother to the priest telling him that she belonged to this village she left it when she was 8 years old and her mother’s name was Ramma.

Listening to the name Ramma the priest asked them to follow him. He took them to his house, gave them water and asked the purpose of their visit. Anil told him the whole story how he had come few days back and stayed with his granny and now when he went there with in five days  there was nothing so he wants to know the answer whether his granny has come to stay with them.The priest looks at him with disbelief and then with pity and concern he tells them to wait and then takes them to another room . There they see a  94 years old man lying on a wooden swing. His son tells him Baba , someone has come to see you. Will you get up and talk to them? They have come from very far from the city. They want to know something which only you can tell.

He gets up with help and wears his specs he drinks water and then looks at his son he gestures him towards Anil and his mother then old man when he sees the mother stands up infright as if he has seen a ghost all are shocked .the priest makes  his father sit down and calms him down then the old man shouts and tells Rammma how did you come back dear  Ramma are you ok .after some time the priest tells his father she is not Ramma she is he daughter and he is her grandson Anil after gaining his strength and mind he seeps hot tea with eyes stuck on Anil’s mother he still cannot believe his eyes. After all drank the tea the old man gestures to Anil to speak up now Anil is hesitant to tell his story after seeing the old man reaction to his mother ,but he wants to know about his granny where is she  how is she he is desperate to hug her .Anil tells the old man that he is a writer and  he wanted to know about his maternal grandmother as he had never seen or met her he was excited to see and know her and take her back home to leave with him .

The old man laugh at him and looks at his mother and tells him is your mother ready to take her back she had disowned her long back may be some 35 years back to long right now you the grandson have come to take her are you sure you can handle her do you know about her did not your dear mother tell you the reason she was ashamed to call Ramma her mother and dumped her .she did not even turn back once in so many years to know about her still you have come to take her with you how can a grandson love her when her own daughter abandoned her .Anil goes towards the old man falls on his feet and asks for forgiveness he tells the old man my granny has forgiven my mother already.

 The old man looks at Anil quizzically forgiven your mother ? and when did this happen Anil tell that just five days back he came o the village in search of his granny and when he saw her he was shocked as she had become very weak though her garden was full of vegetables and fruits she looked starved her body was smelling of burnt skin and she had lots of bruises after the initial anger she very happily took him in when she came to know that she was her grandson she said she was waiting for him and always knew he will come .he stayed with her for 11 days and took care of her they laughed and cooked together and spoke so much it was she who told him about the priest in the temple and also wanted him to give her cottage and land to his grandson and then granny had told that his mother should come once and see the house and then only granny will go with them to the city.

 And when he went back home and tried to see her videos and photos which he clicked she was not there even the cottage is not seen and when he came back today he was shocked to see there was no garden no cottage and granny is missing only the Jamun tree is the witness and the saree which he had gifted to heer was there.Listening to the story  the old man chants a prayer and looks at Anil lovingly and runs his fingers on his head .and tells him with a smile Ramma is truly blessed to have you as her grandson.;He tells them Ramma after her daughter dumped her lost her desire to live she would not venture out in the village she would some time come to meet him  and get some food but it was rumored that in the middle of the night she would roam the streets and sing lullaby and if she would know there are children in some house she would go outside their house and sing song no one had seen her but all feared her in the village it had become a practise of closing the house and windows nobody would dare to go out her voice her singing would put shivers back the spin .people lived in fear this went on for many years The people did not know where she lived from where she came. 

One day the villagers decided enough is enough we have to put an end to her and can not go on living life in fear so it was  on a full moon day all the males of the village will come out of their house and keep a watch and all the children of the village will be kept in one big house with few women so when the lady comes to know all the children are in one place she might go there to sing lullaby.so it was decided and arrangement was made .On the full moon night all the men in the village had taken position though all were very scared as they did not know who is the enemy and how to deal with her. The children were made to assemble in one house and they were put to sleep the ladies were scared and did not know how they will face it.and as expected Ramma  came out of her house unaware of the trap laid for her he came out around 2 pm and went towards the house she was happy that there will be so many children who will listen to her ;lullaby

The men were alert the moment she started singing the men took position and came towards the sound from all directions she was surrounded she was not aware of the trap she was just very happy to sing for the children suddenly he was covered by huge net used to trap the animals and she was helpless she was dragged to the village heads house the whole village came out of their house with fire torches in their hand all were shouting as if they have caught a big dangerous animal they dragged her she was calling out for help but her voice which till now was putting a fear in people mind now they were laugh at her some had started throwing stones at her they dragged her she was bleeding and screaming in pain she was taken to the village heads house the village head came out and asked them to keep quite the net was removed they told the head she should be killed as she eats the children all had their version of what she did and what punishment should be meted out to her. But all wanted to burn her, this the Temple priest came to know that Ramma has been caught and she will be burnt to death He comes to the village  heads house and falls on his feet and begs him to spare her life as he know her from her young days she has never harmed anybody and  always kept to herself she had no relatives or friend she lived a lonely life she lost her husband when she was very young and her only daughter left her and never saw her again so she likes to sing song to all the children in the night as she fears to come out in the day she only visits the temple for food that only when she can not bear hunger please spare her life she is innocent.

 Ramma looks at the priest with a lot of expectation; she is crying in pain and now fears death by burning. The crowd wants to burn her the priest talks to the crowd and tells them he is swearing on his young grandson that Ramma is innocent spare her life .But before the head could take a decision the mad crowd who had come with torch  came forward and burnt Ramma alive she was shouting and wailing the priest went and threw sand  on her. The village head threw blankets and somehow she was taken away by the priest and his young grandson to the temple there once she was brought in to the temple the crowd could not harm her but the fire had burnt her completely she  before dying looked at him with gratitude and pointed towards his grandson and told him he will look after her cottage and land. And one day she will go home with her grandson and she breathed her last. 

After that a proper cremation was given to her charred body. But till now her ashes have not been immersed in the holy Ganga ( a holy river famous in India). It has been ten long years she is waiting for her grandson to come and give her salvation and today you have come . The priest tells him to take him to that place  where she lived Anil takes the priest his mother and the priest son to the place where once the cottage stood but now only the tree remained .there when they reached the old priest chanted few shlokas ( holy scriptures) and sprayed holy water and then told his son to dig up near the tree when he dug there was a small copper urn  a pot covered with red cloth and tied with lot of care in sack so that rain water does not enter it he removed it and handed it over to Anil and told loudly looking up to the sky and said Ramma your  grandson has come to take you as you wishes go with him dear your daughter has also come  live this place my dear child this does not belong to you any more go to where you belong the holy ganges your grandson will take you to your ultimate home.

Anil take it in his hand looks up to the sky and say love you granny come with me i will send you to you home they go back  and drop the priest  and his son at their place and without getting out of the car they go straight to varanasi the place where ganga the holy river flow there they immerse the pot with Ramma’s ashes and pray for her salvation .they return to the village and stay in the priest house for few days and get the documentation of their granny piece of land in the priest Grandson’s name then they go one last time to see the place of Ramma and bid goodbye .