OLD ABODE

Once they travelled far and wide, danced for nights in “Rodhi” and sang for days in “Dohari”,

now they recollect all those moments under a grass roofed structure “Old Abode”. Telling the

tale of old, yet able.

“You had nothing natural in your life, nor will you get enough chance to enjoy the gift of nature,

dance with the honey bees, and if you get stung, rub it’s buttock to get rid from pain.”

The tall broad figure in his late sixties winked his slit like eyes toward his friend and laughed

through his eye. The next figure of similar age with long moustache added “We had apples

without plucking from the tree, how good it was to taste the unadulterated fruit, now you have

painted apples, and lo your stomach can get loose with all those chemicals”.

The two men busted in laughter and my friend near me didn’t understand anything. Colloquial

terms can be redefined when you are at this place. This place where you can find a whole

reference library but without books, sweetest of songs but without words and each uttered line

has some hidden meaning like that of lava beneath the crust of the earth.

To make your wonder end, you are at Itahari now and I am on the way to “Bridda Chautari” [Old

abode]. Nearly eighty senior citizens on around Itahari gather here to share their daily greetings

and strengthen their enthusiasm. They share joy with passion and pain with unity. They even

have a elected body to raise their voice, and which is registered as an NGO too. How beautiful is

this world, and wonderful is retirement. I bet a vivid worker will opt for retirement if this

company is assured.

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Red apple, the same broad figure pointed to a couple on the other edge of public pond in front of

Itahari municipality. My friend now bursts into hysterical laughter, ha ha ha ahahahahhaha ….

(The two old friends join us )… Ha ha ha ha …..!!!! Our stomach is taut and full of pain, “I will

get eight pack abs, if I laugh like this for a month” remarks my friend, suddenly the broad

figured oldie delivers a teasing punch on my friend’s stomach. THUMP!!! My friend unaware

and off guard falls on the hard cemented pavement. “These guys are made up of wax, they seem

strong and solid but until a small flame is lighted” remarked the long moustache old buddy.

Another round of laughter followed. “How strong I am?” asked the broad figured oldie in a

coarse voice imitating an movie hero, “like a lion sir” mewed my friend, another round of

laughter followed.

We were really enjoying the company with our “young” oldie friends of ours [remember they

really hate to be called old folks]. As it was only ten and we were two hour before the meeting

time, “Briddha Chautari”; a small round concrete rise, roofed with grass and has fixed wooden

benches arranged in a circle to seat, roof is supported by metallic pipes. On the central post, three

grass mats were neatly tied as the growing attendance cannot be catered by benches. “But we

don’t fight for the seat, we heartily welcome anyone who ever is seated, when will our leader

learn this” said Surya Bikram, the long moustache fellow taking off his Nepalese cap. The oldies

were now very eager to talk to us; we asked the name of broad figured oldie, Hari Krishna he

said almost mute, my friend repeated, he interrupted and said “you won’t forget it kid, if I will

land another punch, I bet you will ever remember even if you forget your name”.

Another burst of laughter followed.

Now we were sitting on the bench of “Bridda Chautari”. The two old buddies were just on our

opposite face to face. We started to question about the life of senior citizens, problems and

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challenges, their expectations and gains. The old buddies were rushing each other to share their

views. They started with an interesting event.

“Nearly a year ago, we found out, one of our friends of Briddha Chautari was mistreated by his

children. He was denied to talk with anyone in the ground, he talks nonsense. As we found his

freedom was curtailed and he was mistreated, we all went to his home to meet him. His eyes

were full, we all hugged him. The children were speechless, they regretted for their sin and his

life was completely changed. Moral pressure and social power travels with us” they remarked.

I dig forward to “Tea Scandal”, they laugh heartily and add “we have served this country, this

city and this young generation is our product, how can they say any investment upon us

unfruitful?” The story starts like this. Itahari is mainly composed by migrated population from

nearby plains and eastern hills. On this very place a few years back, some senior citizens came to

rest. They made new friends and shared their experiences and past happenings. Gradually the

numbers raised, old friends were reunited and some were amazed and couldn’t believe they meet

after such a long time. The municipal authority in their tea time offered tea to those who were

there. Soon the number was increasing and municipality stopped the tea for them, saying “it’s an

unnecessary and expenditure without return”. The senior citizen then voiced against that in

annual budget session of municipality. “Now the budget is allocated for us” both said in one

voice, we could see the triumph of success in their face.

“They even see profit for a cup of tea, and they think we don’t know about the recently

blacktopped road bearing moon sized crater after few months” both chuckle, that’s just because

they drink cold tea, and apples are very pricy these days, they laugh quietly.

The wrist watch shows eleven o’ clock. At the municipality gate we can see few oldies basking

in the sun. Hari Krishna yawns, “Hari Saranam”, a familiar ending for a yawn. Why we say

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“Hari Saranam after yawing?” asks my friend, and why “Laxmi Narayana” after sneezing I add

one more. “Because Hari will not be pleased if we separate Laxmi from him” Surya Bikram is

very prompt. These funny gentlemen can make any of your questions humorous; they answer in

conundrum and can keep your mouth open. Mostly their answer is double edged fetching

multiple meaning. You can’t know when you fall in their pit; they can wet you up in sand, and

dry you up with water. They can make you mind whirled up with Sloke [verse] composed of

mathematical problems, brain teasers and IQ.

“Can you imagine I bought a house in three thousand rupees, and my marriage feast cost me just

three hundred rupees.” “How good the old days were, people were very naïve, they believed in

god and good deeds, now nobody seem to care about virtue and culture. People just run after

money and cheap fame. When they fall from height they directly fall into the thrones, because

that is just what they used for others when they climbed high”. They are growing more serious

and philosophic.”We studied because school was far, now our children don’t study because the

school is near. What is the value of proximal thing? Same in our case, they give no value to

senior citizen when we are available, and when we pass they don’t get tired praising us”.

They were fast enough to change the topic. They could talk about everything under the sun. They

had elements of fun and wisdom which complement each other. Being with them for that one

and half hours changed our viewpoint completely. Senior citizens are not backward, but they

love their culture. They enjoy young couple in Rodhighar for five days and night, but they can’t

promote a late night disco. They understand us, so they are quite. Empty vessel rings loud, we

talk much about them because we don’t understand them. Before parting Hari Krishna shared

with us an ancient tale of wisdom

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“Once upon a time two famous saints one Muslim and other Hindu came across each other.

Disciples were very happy, as they thought they could now hear discourse of such best minds.

Both sat under a shady tree and gazed at each other, eyes were wide and locked, lips were tight,

and a mysterious smile was seen on both faces. After hours of such bliss making interaction they

parted. Disciple asked both of them what were you doing? You killed our enthusiasm; we were

very excited about your logic on god. Both had same answer for them, even now you fools can’t

understand the god is one and same?”

Similar is with country and culture, when will each politician understand country and culture is

but one, when will they smile to each other sitting across? When will they realize and make other

realize only peace and harmony will bring progress.

We parted heavy hearted. Inside our mind the final sentence rung hard and deep “When will they

realize and make other realize peace and harmony will only bring progress.” I was just out the

municipal gate and I heard a song playing on an fm set.

“Na sakincha gari khana Nor we can die trying

Na sakincha mari jana In this old age

Budesh kalai ma Grannies and children grumble

Chora nati gangan garchan Daughter in law glare

Buhari le aankha tarchan In this old age …..”

Budes Kalai ma …..”

“Nor we can earn a living

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