BAYEN Mahasweta Devi Translated by Maha Bhattacharya aye, a with, and thrown ot of he ilage, ‘hay ton dn witch, Sh ca eile eon ediney oe, oct il ayen mean doth frou cide, ‘So, Chan was tured into a pariah and pr in aha bythe alway tacks, Bhagrath was raked, without much cae, by 2 stpmother, He dd not ow what real mother coal be ike, Now and then he ed get limp of the abe below the tree acros the fk! where Chante lived ale (Cand, wh could never be anybody's den of mother, Bhagth had ko eon the red fg tering om her root fi, and sometins, he Ra {ng noon of Apri, he had caught ight of er red-clad gure dog on her teall—clnking a piece of tn acoe the pay Bld, moving tomar a dead pond ‘gen bao warn pple of bar appa sort She ot 1 ot eon oun ton by and he ck the Mado ef im. So- by a re lane in se wally exone—young aod omove oof her ihe ‘One day, an one dy alone, Bhagat aw hie athe, Mandy tlk to the lee Lack away my smh athe ad onered hi, ‘Tae bayen tod on pte by the pond. Hhaiath caught the reflection of the re clad igre in the pond sin-bronz face Framed by wld mated tale And eye ht silently devoured in. No, the yen id not lok at him Airc either She Tooke at hit inge as he sw ers, inthe dark waters, Poder violent ‘Bhageth closed hic eyes and clung toi iter, "What has made you come here?" hed his ther at her, Bu vas very young when Chan, his mother, was declared athence mya Gt, oe hae. lt velton” Bo egg th en ws yg he erento : Pp tiny sen your ck ton Saturday? ae ene Damen of hele eo te wee witha eck’ provision alfa lllogran of ca anil of pes, ol Sietnteae od rte ben, peace ot we mh Rasta sem he would ete dt thread un Eoueueeu Bi gal? “Deena none Nile ing : “Oe iy na ee he yh Now om 1 of the pond her epee Tea can We alone “hit a ont bag, he? Go aa! o a” epic pa andl fmt one ro the se oe pond Ganapati oy ‘Waa ooh in ie th and tons at The yen an a Nance fc ih hn ade ity. ‘Movil dr tle ones thr? sed ea ay as bute How cn he ch east? Tro alamg dine before he cul ly dows, He it ims dete “Yayo ed tor, Bb” . Nala sailed ys. "So wt, my so? Mages wos tere let fo mat rt So “hethought fates ing ared th gh ut fim, een be swore tat is tp woald ow hi ot lina, vole roving extrordaary somber, “he maybe 4 now bts wed oe your mother one fags ometing ici hon A yen fora ater! yen «manent Hat he edt x yen aes ea che en ‘pecs aac that whole es dy up he insta» gen Icke urn? And Hg), Une hy, cn bagels womb? He could tsk no more “Sie wed ex woman, yor other hl your wi ‘Yes, that to, Malar sighed. was bad ck, ers, yours ad mine ‘Once a bayen he's no longer human, Which is why ell you tht you don't havea mother hagirath stared in wonder a is athe they walked back slong the mad calvert He ad never herd hi father speak in hat tone before, They were not ordinary Doms- They worked in the cremation got bd ‘he municipality allowed only ane Dom fly to work thee, Mali’ am Aly sed to make brew rac out of ane ad bamloo, aie postr on the go ‘tnment farms and make compost out af gauge, Out ofthe etre Dom ‘community only Malinda knew how to sign is naman acomplahent that had recently eared him job nthe subdisonal morg; a gorrnment job tat ented him to forty rupees a month afer signing on a Malin ‘he Gangapats, Bese, 2 Bhagat koe, Mandar al leached helene ‘ut of unchimed bes, wig line and eaching powder A whole keleton, tor even the skal or the ib eage, meant Jot of money. The morgue oii sold tenes to would-be doctors at andeome prot. The mite ten oe teen rupees that i fiter got ou oft war enough for hin. He had meted. the sm in usury and ought some pigs withthe intent His ihr was 2 ‘espected man in the community. He went to hie subdivisions fice in shirt ad shoe Redeye, Malinda stared atthe re fag eich burned above the byes It ike 2 sermon dt agsn the slr eoored horizon "Sc a everything when she wae your mother, hy wil, Lge her strped saris to wea ander joel. Ife herbie into he hal he Bey She used oes ala of the da" ke mattered “Did ate hae to make = witch out of her? She'd be eter ff dead Did you kor that one ean take her lie excep she heel ny son?” "Who makes a bayen of «person, fer? “God? Mandar glanced around weary to sce ny other shadow hovered ear haath inthe mid sn A ayn i ri ve ot ke ny lrg a the mak. fhe hen om ar ng ome il als cy he fn ha nt of te ees al ace ile come hes the sha fr elon he dow the boy eae ccs wth goed anne Howat 18k? I jt ro mabe ie shader i th et Bt te he got an al my ke ter! Tf” [No there was no shadow ofa foul-meling, filthy red yell anywhere nr hisson. "What isthe oer ay snd" sid "She'd never do you any stm” ‘Aca wont by, Bagicaths ind gun to stray owas the te ton the Ply ie, be on he pastre with the cows his mi would ruth to thea, EE EEEEEEEeEeee allway wats, only tose how terror-stvicken the bye as of er lve ‘pes, ose ovr she put ihe aia ied iin the April wind THe ws to fra ogo to he. elapse wo never come Bak he dd Pethaps se wo him into wee ova stone Freer, He only gaze out fr days om end. Tho sky [etveen the Chat re an the age ut seme ikea woman’ foes ‘where the ed fg-now Limp new yng in the breene— arsed ike ver- pion do, He mad wah torah o the hut, Then, al of is own wish, Ie ail races way back home, wondering why noone mtreated im forcing bay's son {ons he's so, orci il de. ‘apath teper d's hin ithe. a a he never showed any emotion for him whtioeer, he ci reapon being tht de dd ot have ‘rom, Bother eilen, Sinai and Gael, wece daughters, Se hao in nce overer hushand first, beet hha’ t borne kim a son a second, Tress she had sch protein tes and guns that her lips ould eover them. She woul sy,"My lps won't close all It makes tne lok a i'm sinking all the tne, See tot Gangaputa, be sre to coer my face when tic orcs they ny.Thee goes the buktoothed wie ofthe Dow.” uh did nothing but work all day—cleaing the house, coking rice, col Jecting wood making eng ces or uc, teading to the pgs and picking Tier ofher dug’ She led Bhgiath boy" Come ext, y! Have ‘your bth, boy! aei dts wae ery formal rebtionsip. he dd no take rope eve of him he bayen ight kl or daughters by blak magic Alb, the knew she would have to depend Bhagat for support in her old age Senet she woud sit, chin nba er paring er prominent guns, terre that the bayen was working » magi pl on her agers that very ‘moment or making hes lige tof ea. AC thre times Js looked ugler than Malinda od deliberately arsed the lst gl inthe community becase when he had marie the lvellest ne, she had turned out tobe a witch, Freryone new thot Malinda had loved fist wife dep, eras wos ‘hat ove which had prompted him to tel Bhai everything about Chadi- agen, hi mother ‘One day they wer walking long the ralay tacks, Malinda bid parel of ‘meat uve his arms twas one of is strange weakness that he could not Jal the pigs he raed ime He raed them and sod chem to eters and ‘shen he aceded nme meat, he had to gt portion of te mea from his tomer.‘ e sit while under tise, chi" he ase thirteen year-old +n, almost apologetic Then he at down, his back aginst the tunk ofthe tampa re, ‘fer a while Bhagrth ake, “This the pce the oberg by, Father?” Malndar lied olsen tobi and often elt his unworthy of iso “howe ds, the evening sis passing Sonsdangy, Pals, Disb snedoter ples wer fe ed, They came al shapes and ics, these ober posing gentlemen, poor tants, refuges, setler or houseowner, to get {nf into the compartineis, The, ata predetermined place and time they would pall the emergency chan and mae the tran stop in the dark “Their acomplces would rush nom the ids outsde, They would lot all they could, beat up and even ll prscgers, feces, before diapering, "Thi banyan te, in particular, was the foie haunt alter dark, Tis ic whnt made ogra sk bout the ober ‘hagiath went to the government pinay school, Once, hi teacher had made them pant the wal mage, He had ketch out the eters ise tl fad made the boys ear then twa fom the magasne tht Bhagat tal come to know tht after the Untouchabily Act of 1955, there were 90 longer any untouchables in Ind, He also leaned tha there wa something salle the Conittion of, hich say athe very beginning that alae ‘ual The magaine sll hung on the wal bt hagirah and hi Kid knew that tee co-aet,atwell tthe teachers, liked them to it it par though none but the very poor tl needy from theTower” cate amet the school There are school, and ten there ar choos, In pte of thi, the ct vo ht hagith now spoke it ler hs accent al change at Malinda mind was elewere. Hiv ees secured the bare ls and beyond, arin search of something "My sn,"hesad, "used tobe ard and kind nan, but your mater was sf, very sot She cre oe What ony! Tron indeed! twas a if Ge cane and turned he tbe, single da, ‘on the Dom community. Chand beesne a byen, a earls childhuner, Malinda grew gentle. He had to. ane of aly earns inhuman ad dsp pear beyond the maple portals ofthe supertis, the other has ¢o ay teh and make 2 mano ie Mandar grate is son's ad, “Why should you not know what etry ‘me now about your meter he tld hin, "Yur mother's name wae Cha ‘dda Ganga, she we to bury dea len, She wat a descendant of Kae Dom, She belonged oa race of cremution attendants the Gangaputras, “They were known a Gangaptrs and Ganga, men std women who cre mated te dead anes onthe banks of the Gangs. Any tver we the Ganga to them, in reverence to the gret iver?Perera ee eee eee eee eee eae eee eee eee ee eee eee eee ee ce Malindar would carry brnboo trunks and slice wood inthe eremation ground while Candi worked in the graveyard ant fr dhe burial of ei ron legacy of hee rexpectne pats The graveyard sy to the north of the villge, overlooked hy 3 banyan re beside ake, In those dae child de lefore twas ive years of ag, body ad to be ured nea of beng ere mate Chan's father wie to dig dhe raves and ead thorn bute over them to sve the dead from the marauding fckal, “Hoi! Hl, thy” his Sunken voice woud thunder ominously in the dak, Chand ae survived almost entirely on liquor and basis. On Sstarday he would go round the vi lage arrying thalin is and, "Tar your rane woul allt" am a Gangapats May have ty rations please?” The villagers were ghee fh. They would keep yong cldren out this way, sent fl thal and go aay. One dy afar il with ight eyes anu eed air ue stead hi "am Chand" aheamnounoed, lead, Give te is tons ten” "Wil you do your fiers work then” "Yo, wil bry the dd and guar the graves” "heen yo aa” Slam not!" The word “fea” was fregn to Chan, Se could understand why pants ried when ther children ded, but the dead had tobe bared, they ed's be kept at home Tat was west er jb wa, spe a ht, Wha was fae rome or heartless about te mst arly hive been onan by Gs? At Test the Gangapua had no and in, Why should people detest or ear ‘he so mach? This was the Chap hat Malinda was to marry yeni thse car dys, Malinda ain the bone nese with dhe mong ofc. The bones fom the carne hose were sed 8 fertliner atid were ‘expensive a wel: Malinda ba mony well courage. Ang he rie to return home shouting acon the ld, “Tam not sare of bo! Lam 2 inghter ofthe Cngyptt. My fuer Breathe no ea of ange!” ‘One night he came upon Chand, roaming alone, ule the banyan re, tern in hand ey there!" sald. "Aren't you afl ofthe dark?™ ‘Cha burst ito peal of ugter which prised hi, ‘That very April he married ker The nex April high was born (One day Chandi cane back erying, carrying hogan her ema "They ‘ave stoned me, Gagsputs they a meant ex.” "iow dare they?” Mandar stopped fencing the yan and almost danced with age. "Who dares stone the wile of Malindar Gangaptta?he roared. Nom, wil yu stop rang a Yow one and sit ere fra wile?” 208, oy oh? "Where isthe it for Bhagat” Malinda ba orgoten, "Tomorro I promise*he ad. "A red shir for my som, aed sana el low ble forthe son's rotherl* “No, no, nt forme. Kony makes people envious andl est an ei ye "Don’t nw that? Atte primary sae mere ays ping aes, Talon leane howto sga myname, They were envious, lad = goverament Job, more envy. arte golden dol «wif, « descendant the rest. Kalu Dom, sil more ey. [bail «new ht, and ad we bigs of ln or share cropping, how coud they help beng envious? Ustad! Geta xis 4 ou like! an take it all, 1, Malinda Ganga, send mys to shoal over there hyon the rally tracks” spoke, Chl wnt and Joked Exedy at hi, ghew sent ave no the heart to do itany mor, she sid tt" hve not he heart ‘opick up the spade. Bat itis Gods wil: What canto?" a weer she shook ‘hor bead a look! daw a er ibs lf there had been a male member of her father’ fail he woud have done ‘he jo Bt there wat none, She was a Ganga, kee of the cremation _grounds, She belonged tothe fil of the ancient Kali Dor, ke who gave shelter othe great king Haridchande when he ls his Klngdom, When he ing became a servant achandl in he burning hat, it was Kalu Dom who Jud employed him. When the king regained his Kingdom andthe ocean ile earth was his he began to doe tlre terior. "What have you got for ust" aed voice booming large aso the royal court. was he ancent Gangaputa. Hie ype could never paki a low woe bor hear one, because thereof the pyres roared eternally fs ther ears. “What do you mean?” “Youve odie cattle or the Brin, ily als forthe monks. What ave you for wt” “All te burning gts ofthe worl are yours!" Repeat? "All he burning git ofthe worl are yours” “Swear it” wea by Go” ‘The ancent Gangapura raise his had and canoe a wi joy,Oe abe sted. “The baring ghats for us “The words graveyards fr sa” icing a member ofthis particular vce, oul se, Chand reject thi ta sonal occupation? Dae she, an et Go res wrath on her? Her fear iiew grester every day She woud tun ber Fae away after digging » ge. Hc ear al unease remained even ater te gave was well covered with pricy shes, Atay time the legendary fire-meoted aca might steal nd starting vay with age pats to get at the bain, ‘Gol. Gol- God Ca would weep soll and ros back home, She wo ight lamp an st paying for Bharath. At those times de aso praye foreach and every chin the lge tha each shoudl forever. This frat were tat se bal developed of te, Because of he own cl he tow fle a dep pin for every dea id, Her Brest ached with milk she ‘aye woo long Inthe groeyed She lent Blame ee fathers she dg the roves He had no right to bring ert this work “Get hold of somebdy ele for this work, expected ones” she sal one ASL am not Bit or hay more <=." Noone inthe villge seemed to stn, Not ever Malinda, whose dealings In corpus, ain and bone objets of abhorrence to ees ad hardened Fim. Sear of alge Snows!” ha coffe at he. se eves oo hard he woul ay, Wel, o one's Jef your Fay to do hs jo for you.” Tevearaound hs ine thatthe teri thing bappened. One of Malinka’ sisters hd cone fora vist, She had itl daughter elle Tuk who Beene Gpite devoted to Chand, The wilge was sflering From a severe attack of Salona the tne, Neither Chand nor her people ever wen or x vac ton. Taste they relied on appesing the goldevsShectal, the deity on trolling epidemics. When Ta got the pox, Chan, accompanied by her ster i waa carrying the ile gl in her ars, ent to pay homage to the podem. The temple of the ga war a eguar alla sct up bythe ‘onli ror Bar who had once wore on the ala racks. Thee war bo a repulse pest. 7s ft would fave tthe te gil de a ew days ner, though oti Chants house, Everyove, nealing the gi’ parents, Band the dest on Chan. What, me “Ob, ys, you? "Not ne, fr Go's” she pled with the Doms, "Wh ie “Never! she thundered ut,“ swear upon the head of my owned dae ‘re never wise any ill of To fay her eld You know my lineage.” the burning ght for us Suit those people, those craven, superstitions people, lowered their yes. Someone whispered, “What about the milk tht spied og of your Irena as you were pling earth cn Tuk’ grave?" "Oh the fol that you ar?” She sae a hem in wonder and hatred Allright shes afer pause, n't cae the age of my Foreihers lsends pon me it hej rom this ery dy" Quit your job!” “Yee you cowards ard dhe grve. have wanted oleae For lng tne The Gangeptta wil gt government job soon, I need not coetaue ‘wth thivtten work any more” ‘Slencng every vie, the returned home, She asked Malindar if he would seta room ahs ne pace of wor, "Lets go there, Do you now what they call me?” Te was usta cal her down, justo ply her witha joke, that he i with ‘loud laugh, "And what do they all you? ben?” ‘Chan started trembling vel, Se clutched a the wooden lla hat supported the roo Excitement, rage and srvow ade er sees at Bi “How could you ater that word, you, with son of your own? Me, agen? Oh shut up Malinda sosted Teas dead noon and the time frei can it pl om Bazan ings It ‘vasa time when terrible rage and eau could easy take old ofan empty Stonnch and uncooled heal Malinda new well the way of his people "an no a bayen! Oh, Lary no bayeal!™ Chan's anguished ery traveler td wide on raven's wings rough the tue winde that reached every nook and corner ofthe ville, ‘She stopped crying oe wonky a ake had oyun Let us runaway some hare when it's dak she plead wih him. “Where?” ‘Jus somenere?” ue where?” "1 do not kom She tok Bhageth in her rms and crept nar Mandar “Come loser hes "Let me ly may hea on your chest. am so afi. ams ala to have thrown aay my Frater’. Why am Io ightened oy? tht I'l oversee you or Bharath any more. Gol Tam fix.” Te washer that Malinda topped speaking and wiped i eye. *Now that ‘ook back, my sn, seems a8 was God who put those words in es out that day "What happened nest” Fora few dips Chan art sta if daz. She putter abou he house x ‘nt and ten sit with hogiath in ber arms, singing She barnes 2 lo oficeman i lamp about the house and had an air of iteing cloey sennething othe oer. “Two moths pase by unevenly, No ane care cll Chan to wrk "There Ia hardly een any wrk iter. They ved very peal, the th cofthem. Chan came whole aga. "There ought to be some other a ‘ment forthe da eden,” she sald. "The present ones horble”™ “There wil be, by ad by” Mandar si. "Things ate changing” Howat know 1 dd the ight thing? , some night sem to Son, Lam ote! The 220 f my My bet ae ery ah oh am ot gen Why, Cangas, why en yom oto bat” rare if extract thinly gr tthe bv tht pit errr sae ct Hii sere within, meng thin in, "Do's go nea, Mandar Go ear key ll re a wt now nto her, gh ou may hve ln ht Dag, Pinger wil lppen” tear ny father ase Me call” T Nolndr stpped forward an looked a Chal with Blossbet eyes. He ‘Yo bea hi™ gall ies beast, "0- ooo! Abayen you ae! Who was tin the grave “scr teat his Hol, there, just ani be were chasing the jackal of ou were ring et ik? O-ho- 000 ge SGangaputal Ob Goll” “Sup, Cha." Fern Main Did’ esti ar at perp Cana we toni dann nto ath Some mgt se woke mph + ‘rome to ites oda en yng ae ree eg ae ‘thurpupe mer ying Peapod bebe to go oem era “he Dom commun dh i gether The Dos were epg nbs tohercnpltelgwrne Covert o ers seo ma tans gf rins There ngs oly ot da “Tatham sory night en Mars erin duke en bis cour filed with pope, One of them, Kets de ar Can cle in on" ad or yore wheter yoo ben” Supe, Malinda typ an sare them with spade Come ot and, yo son of Yar henge or wore tes ar aste™ ’ Malm eme out He col ee th br round der the yan bunmig ith np rca pep whe lng enn Satya “Thr ssn name rings ep thorns aed on on se “Tsing tect bles wh he” “iy ly di you eome cut The lchd suey oped ici. Sohn in me he they ar! ig tel, pov re des? 2a bye The igre et noe. “Thorn oe to wach ie he de® Sree sha” “ith pe ny rer Wha do hee pepe ow ht eae yea “The tril cy that tore out of ber seemed wo frighten the dead under rr father’ cet spirit and even that of the anent Dom, Katy ry wold red dhe sky and the earth whon a human being was ba from the human word to the condemned! wort ofthe supernatural Molina hed wo get the drum that al belonged ois athe n-n ard ck othe graveyard He shouted a he bat dhe drum," Malina Gan pti, here declare at my wif bay, a bayen!™ Phat pene nex ashe Bhagat "Next, my son Se was forced t lve lone at Beta Asari as sbe once to live alone, she all alone now: Huh, listen bow the bayen sings” ‘string strain of mas Boat up to them fom afar, accompanied bythe tf ain can. The sng cere to hae no word at fst but gradually the became distinc, Came sep come to my bd of ag, My dil ged seeps in yp, “The leans and horses atthe place gates, “The dog Jes nthe sh ep. | Bhageth knew the song I asthe song that is stepmother sang to make Agere erp. “The song entre hie sou mingled nh loo ae reverbrated in iscars “The some crab pan Ee Lets go home, on 7 Mandar leds diel Bhagat bck home, | ow days later Bhagat raed tthe dead pond at non, He had heard the vend ofthe ‘The shadow othe bye trembled inthe water The byen was not looking “at bi, Her cys lowered, she was fillng the pcr, 10: Mabaonta Det swan“Don't you have anoter sri? Would you ke ase hat snot torn ike this ome? Want my di The byen wae sent She had her Face tene aie Would yo ike to wear nie lth” “The son of Gangspata had beter go home” got school now Tam good boy” “Don't alto me am a bayen, Even ny show se. Doesn't the son of Gangapata cw that?” “tam not fai” "Avs high noon, ro: Young eidren should’ ea age hi Bet. Let the bey go home ren you ari oie alone?” ‘Arai? No, Tam not ala of anything Why shoud a Bayon be ara to syne en hat abs you “ne ar yo" “Vc sean ne? Cy? Her ern halo bled inthe water Her ye wee il re ace th ae he on of Gang go Nome nd ear nvo never ar hay, OF --or w Songer hop anweranack nd ce vay lng he mul ees, i tring wt er ces teri ne a Teta dane fragt bye pon he ats eme ti ap, Hewat ral hee ert beens slo nkr nt things ett Along we ae aed her al dew ous ken pee ro “Tammi aco of mpl heared nse She ed bec hr spe ted Wy ch ek abut ee He os too you he meme Wha ht nate eb gt do oso? She rowel ann oct er ngs It hed ens lag tone ance eh wg su sping Noting ast a Geren thle, he tng of oc eating lsd a tt tw al es ages Somehow leh ont ghey te child atin or sme rede Seely se ry wy ng ote ough of Mar Wwe day wa tuk a hd-Who ido set Tim fom be moe? Stern Ir mrad ok th ral She hed slog the ay bln en, Malo ay rac, There asthe level eon, esas bck fom work, would tare here ad take the mad culvert. As she walked toward, she saw them. There were people doing somthing with the tack, [No they were pling up boo sticks onthe rack, The ive-p Lalgola Pa senger tain ws de at evening with he Wsdnerday mal bg, Temean lot tf mane. They had been wating fr the loot for longtime Wi ae you?” She ried the tern and swung it nea her face, The men loked up, sured, with Feardiated eye nd aden fas Se Jad never seen the people of he emit look 0 eghtned Before, cite agen *So yo ate pling bamtoos You would eo the tran, What, run sing sy from fea of me? Hal Throw avy then tickers, or you are done fox “They could not undo what hal been dane-clear the tacks, preven the Asser-They could not Thi how society i thi i ow works 1 es ke ‘when they bil made her «witch with mush fanfare and beating of des, “Thera shed her ap she picked up the aster, She wa 0 hp, Wht could she do? If she were a witch with supernatural powers, would not bo serrant, the demons ofthe dark, obey he bidding ad stop the train? What ould she do no elles a abe was? ‘She tart ring along the racks, toward the ein, wang ait willy sn awn bi oop “Don't come any further, don't! There’ heap of bamboo piled hex” She continued to scream il the ear of he rain drew er vice nd he tel’ ight eae er op ‘Chaniismme spread far pi wie for er heroics serie hath pe ‘vented a major tan dimer, Even the gnernment people came to ear it ‘When hor body let the morgue, the Ofice in Charge, accompanied by the lock Development Office, cme to Mainlr’s hose, “the Railway Departnent will armounce a medal for Chand Ganga, Malinda. How all about you, you ee. She usd ive fone, bt there most bresomeone to rece ton her eal 1 waa brve eed eal brave decd Everyone fil of pra, She wae your wife?” Everyone wes slent ope looked tone athe, seratched their neck in ‘embarrassment and looked dawn. Someboay whispered, Yo, she wis one ofa This announcement stoned Bhagath wo much tha he loked rom one Face to another So they were racing era st? "Well, the government eannot giveth cs avard toll of you atthe ame “Give eto me, se Bhagat ame forward“And who are your She wa my mother? Mother?” "Ye isd Bgirath, and the lier srt taking it all down, “My ‘ame Bharath Gangputa. My father, the revered Mandar Gangsput eidence, Domtl ilsge Dab. my mater he pase sn then, very tty My mother, the te Chandi Ganga (hg "ath broke nto loud sobs). my mothe, the ate Chandi Ganges, Not agen She wat never aban, my mother” : The ole stopped writing and stared rst st lgrath, then atthe ero ‘The Doms tee dommes as eopl colemned The alee, ‘suffocating and unbearable, : a eects A Day wiTH CHARULATA Anupama Niranjana “onslted by Tose Nirejona ne momen aight rm the bs, my eye went othe ge of re cath, Everything seemed fli—the banyan re on the righ its Teas moving gato te lng Branches the sunlight aking i ‘ser paterson the sone le bel luminating the intertvined images of Caras the people siting or seeping on the ledge, or ust walking by; those ‘hewing betelnut and spiting out steams of red uc. All of thea Iwas equi with, Throagh Charla, ver er name was beat She had writen ony two novels he Mind gc al FoF, and they hl een aesimed as great works ofthe period. Fora longtime Id wanted to write about tis novelist and here Row here Iva, searching for trase of Charlit n Ssmpigelall, where she ad ive iy years easier tured lef and sath Lakshinarasimba temple-The spre depleted he got Narasimha with his wife Lats on hie ap, terounded by other gos, Fein of Sampigehal erable al over the imagen, making fces a the poet, ‘Asif ude spell, nemoved my slippers and entered the temple, more to sce what Charulta bd ren that out of let. side waa simple courtyard, ‘vith net veranda of Blk stone, beyond which was henner sanctum. The our pills ofthe veranda portrayed Lak, Sarat, Parvat and Kal — [ans auteur, Sarva’ adc, Parva merle and Kal eree caught bythe chisel in al her splendor "You set toe a vitor May do an ara in your mame?” “The pies, thin young man na dot and sacred hres, plunged at he sanctum without wating for me to reply, performed the aat and brovght the plate out to me. Te face behind the burning camphor seemed agoey fami