By Savitri Narayanan
Muskan and Mukund sat near the window, looking outside. There was nothing to do! Usually, they would have been in school by now. The school was on with winter timings but it happened to be a Sunday! It was still cold so they couldn’t play outdoors too. Muskan and Mukund just sat near the window waiting for the sunlight to brighten the morning.
Cheelapur, their village close to Shimla was like every small mountain village where everyone knew everybody, found own ways of helping each other quietly, in the needy times.
Once the sun rose higher in the eastern sky, the front yard would turn bright and warm. Then it was fun, there were things to do! Sitting on the charpai they could complete their homework, read a library book or even help mummyji with tasks like shelling the peas or grating the carrots, or chat with next-door neighbours Kishan and Ganesh across the fence.
If only the sun would come up faster and warmer!
Mummyji was in the kitchen, finishing off her routine tasks after which she would carry her work basket to get on with her work. A few others from the neighbourhood too would join her, sit out in the sunshine with their workbaskets. They were gearing up for the tourist season. Knitting, crochet, embroidery, etc., their skills were multiple. As they worked away, they would chat, gossip, tease each other and find small things to laugh about.
Along with work they also found time for a cup of tea. Their bonding was so strong that any one of them would walk into the kitchen and come out with cups of tea for all. Often some would bring along milk or a snack. The idea was to pool their resources to make the best out of the tourist season. The tourists came from not only near and far but also from foreign countries. It was as if they could sense how the locals banked upon them to change these woollen items to cash!
The men of the families usually left them alone with the knitting baskets while in their own way they got ready for the tourist season. They found ways to make some money! Like many others, mummyji and papa ji too would set up a small shop on the road side knowing that the tourists were always eager to hang around the shops! Papaji’s objective was to sell all those sweaters, mufflers and shawls that mummyji made while mummyji and other auntijis helped around with their children. Mummyji also made pakodas and samosas, as Muskan and Mukund hung around helping in small ways.
If only the tourists would arrive!
That afternoon, when papaji came home, he had bad news.
“Guess what? There has been a terrorist attack in Mewar Duar, all the roads from Shimla are blocked! The tourists just can’t come!”
“What’s a terrorist attack, papaji?” Muskan couldn’t hold the question.
“They come secretly, put bombs, many people die and the shops get destroyed! So, the government says ‘nobody goes to the market blocks, the routes from there and tourists can’t come here!”
“Oh my God, then how will we earn our living?”
“What will happen to all the sweaters that mummyji made?”
“We have already bought the packets of tea and sugar to make the chai, isn’t it papaji?”
“‘Terrorists’, means what? Who are they? What do they do?”
“People like us, we don’t harm anybody, then why do they put bombs here?”
“Well, children, you may not understand why some people hurt others! But irrespective of what people do, always remember to follow our own rules like ‘tell the truth, be honest, think well for and help others’, etc., because God keeps an eye on every one of us!”
In the evening, Mukund and Muskan went with papaji to the grocery shop. There many people stood around talking about terrorists, the bomb attacks, etc.
‘What will happen this season if the tourists don’t come?’ was the question on every mind.
Next day was Monday, they went to school and there also, they overheard the teachers talk about the terrorists and the bomb attacks.
Over dinner, Muskan asked, “Are the Pakistanis bad people?”
“What do you mean, beti? I don’t like that question!”
“In the school some said the terrorists are Pakistanis!”
“My dear daughter, the terrorists are bad people, they do wrong things! All the Pakistanis are not bad people!”
“I also heard them say the terrorists are Muslims and they are bad people!”
“Muskan, stop it!” Papaji got annoyed, “Don’t you know our Akbarali uncle and Mohambad uncle? Are they bad people? Our shopkeeper Khan kaka, is he a bad man? Use your intelligence and common sense, watch your thoughts and your words!”
“Sorry papaji, I understand! They’re all our own people, always helpful, but I want to know who are the terrorists? Why do they use bombs?”
Usman uncle and Dwivedi uncle walked in with some of their friends and with so many people around, the front yard came alive! Many participated sharing their experiences.
It was Chaturvedi uncle who summarised, “Children our India is a large country, right from our Himalayas spreading all the way down to the Indian Ocean, can you believe it? The whole country is our India! Our people live under different weather conditions, speak different languages, wear different kinds of dresses, eat different kinds of food and follow different religions. To pray we go to temples, churches, masjids or gurudwaras but we all pray to the same God! This is our India! In the school you may have learned that Indian Constitution says ‘unity in diversity’, which means we follow many different customs and habits but we are Indians! This unity and heritage are our strength! Some countries cannot tolerate this so try to divide us and to create trouble. We must not fall into the trap! We must remember that terrorists are not bad people but they are misguided!”
“So, uncle, do you think the tourists will come this season?” Mukund could not stop the question.
“Of course, they will come! After a few days the routes will open, the shops will open up too and the tourists will be here, life will go on. This is our India!”
(Savitri Narayanan is a retired educationist at present in Goa. A mother and grandmother, loves readig, writing and travelling.)
