Bluffing Bholu
“Amma, you said you wanted the tamarind and mangoes picked?” asked Jai, tucking his shirt into his half-pants.
“Hmm… Savita Kaki must have spoken to Sarpanch Kaka,” Lata replied, plaiting Sneha’s hair.
“This sounds interesting. I’ve never seen how this is done,” Jai said, and combed his hair carefully.
“Interesting?” Lata laughed, tying Sneha’s plait with a red ribbon.
“Will you also climb the trees with Deenu Kaka and Jeetu Kaka, Bhaiyya?” Sneha queried, excitedly.
“It sounds exciting, doesn’t it, Sneha?” Jai exclaimed, picking up a ball and bouncing it.
“Yes… it does, Bhaiyya. I want the juiciest mango. Will you get me one?”
“Of course, I will. I have a few plans in mind of getting down those mangoes and the tamarind,” Jai said thoughtfully.
“You and your plans!” laughed Lata. “Discuss them later. Now hurry up! Savita Kaki must be waiting for us. We have a lot of work to do in the two rooms inside today. Plus, we have to arrange all the utensils in the kitchen. Both of you will need to keep yourselves busy till lunch time, and no getting into any trouble. Yes?”
Lata drew her sari’s pallu over her head as she gently warned the children and walked down the stairs of Ram Prasad’s house.
“Yes Amma,” replied the children meekly.
~ ~ ~ ~
“Deenu Kaka, let’s try making a castle out of mud. Here… under this mango tree,” Jai said, walking to the spot.
“Beta Ji, I have to get all the mangoes down by noon at least and then begin with the tamarind tree.
Jeetu is busy helping inside the house and I’m all alone. No… No… I can’t play with you,” Deenu said, preparing to climb the tree. He rolled up the ends of his pyjamas carefully.
“Ohh… Then you’ll need some help. You can’t do so much work alone,” Jai said, looking up.
“Yes. This year there seems to be a bumper harvest. There are many mangoes,” Deenu said, heaving himself up on the boundary wall, in preparation to climb up the tree.
“I wish Bholu didn’t break those mangoes that day. We would have had six more mangoes,” Jai spoke aloud. “Bholu shouldn’t touch something that doesn’t belong to him.”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Down came three mangoes.
Jai hid a smile and then looked up in anger.
“Oh no… Is that Bholu, Deenu Kaka? He’s started acting up again.”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Deenu sitting on his haunches on the wall peered up into the branches of the mango tree.
“It looks like Bholu is here,” Deenu said excitedly. “He’s a real badmash.”
“Deenu Kaka…I wish he would stop this tomfoolery and stop throwing down the mangoes,” called Jai loudly.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
More mangoes rained down.
“Stop it! Stop it!” yelled Sneha.
“Ha… Ha… Ha…” laughed someone, and threw down more mangoes.
“It is Bholu,” Deenu shouted from his perch, deeply affected. “Didn’t I tell you he’s a badmash. Look at the ruckus he’s creating.”
“Is it a respectful thing for such an ancient ghost to do?” Jai shouted angrily. “Stop it at once!”
It rained mangoes for a good ten minutes to the accompaniment of giggles and crazy laughter.
Cackle… Cackle… Giggle… Giggle… Cackle…
“I hope he doesn’t go to the tamarind tree after that…” began Jai looking up at the mango tree now empty of its fruits.
“Ha… Ha… Ha…” began the crazy giggles again and the leaves of the tamarind tree rustled.
A shower of dried tamarind followed. One branch shook and then another and then another…
In no time the kuccha floor of the courtyard was covered with mangoes and tamarind.
“See… See… What did I tell you both? Bholu is real… I mean… he exists…” Deenu jumped down from the wall. “Hey Bhagwan Ji… look at the fruits, all brought down in less than an hour.”
“Ha… ha… ha…” laughed on a voice in the crown of the tamarind tree.
“You were right, Deenu Kaka, Bholu is a badmash. He’s brought down all the fruits!” agreed Jai in an annoyed voice looking around with a gleam in his eyes.
“Why is Bholu like this?” Sneha wailed. “Now what will we do?”
The giggling started once again and then gradually began to fade away…
~ ~ ~ ~
“Arrreyy… What’s all this?” Savita Kaki asked walking out of the old house. “You finished the work? Already?”
“Malkin Hukum, it wasn’t me. It was Bholu,” Deenu said, eyes bulging with excitement.
“Bholu?” Savita Kaki looked at the animated expressions of the man in confusion. “Who?”
“Bholu… the bhoot!” supplied Deenu eagerly.
Savita Kaki rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Deenu… you’ve already finished?” asked Jeetu in surprise. He wiped his hands and face to his gamcha.
“I didn’t do anything except sit on that wall… there…” He pointed to the spot.
“Then?” queried Jeetu in amazement.
“Bholu… Bholu did this. He broke all the mangoes…” Deenu began.
“… and all the tamarind also,” Jeetu exclaimed in disbelief.
“Yes… Yes… Every single fruit,” Deenu said, his voice trembling with excitement.
“I can’t believe this,” said Savita Kaki.
“But Maklin Hukum, it was Bholu who brought down all the fruit, that too in less than an hour. It’s not possible for an ordinary human being to do so,” insisted Deenu looking at the older lady’s face in earnest.
“Savita Kaki… do you think this bedsheet will be good to spread on the diwan? asked Lata, walking out just then only to stop short. “What’s all this?”
“Amma… Amma…” called both the children excitedly, as they ran to their mother.
“Amma, all the fruits from both the trees are harvested,” Jai said happily. “You were worried how the work would be completed.
“So fast? But… how?” Lata looked around in surprise.
“Ask Deenu…” Savita Kaki said, adjusting the odhni on her head and scrunching her nose.
“Bholu… Bholu… did all this,” Deenu said, enjoying himself.
“Bholu did all this. Meaning?” Lata queried.
“Arrey… Bhojai, Bholu… the bhoot has done this,” Deenu shouted animatedly, waving his arms. “He shook the branches, just like a storm does, from side-to-side, and all the fruits fell to the ground… thapak! thapak! See… all the branches are empty. Not a fruit in sight.”
“I told your Kaka… but he didn’t listen to me…” Savita Kaki said irritably. “Now we have to listen to these tall tales.”
“But I tell you… Malkin Hukum… Bholu…” Deenu began again.
“Alright… alright… Now what shall we do with all these fruits? They have to be gathered, we can’t leave them out here,” Savita Kaki interrupted him. “I’m sure your precious Bholu won’t come to help. Or will he?”
“Well… I…” murmured Deenu.
“Malkin Hukum… those huge drums are there in the store room, that were used to store the grains…shall I get two of those?” Jeetu asked, quite enjoying himself.
“Yes, that would be best, I guess. Go, Jeetu. Get those drums and take Deenu with you,” Savita Kaki said, wiping her face with her green striped odhni. “Already its so hot and to add to that…”
Jeetu hurried off back inside, while Deenu followed him, dawdling, lost in thought.
“Kaki, shall I get you some water to drink?” Lata asked.
“Yes, dear. This Deenu comes up with the most unbelievable stories at the oddest of times,” Savita Kaki said as she sat down on the chabutra under the neem tree. “Just imagine! Bholu brought down the mangoes! Bholu has ever helped anyone till day? If I’ve ever heard of him, its about him causing mayhem. Ohh… It’s so hot today!”
“I’ll get you some water,” Lata hastened away, her anklets making a pleasant sound.
“You’ve heard about Bholu, Dadi?” asked Jai, picking up a green mango and raising it to his nose. He inhaled appreciatively.
“Yes, here and there… But in all my life that I’ve lived here I’ve never met Bholu nor witnessed his so called pranks,” Savita Kaki. “I’m sure Bholu is just a story made up by overly imaginative people like Deenu.”
“But Dadi… What if Bholu does exist?” queried Sneha, looking around for big juicy mangoes, gathering them in her frock.
“Eh? I don’t think that’s possible. Deenu says ‘Bholu is like a child… Bholu is over a hundred years old’.
Who has ever heard of that? Moreover, he doesn’t haunt a single place but keeps flying around from place to place in the entire village, according to Deenu,” Savita Kaki said crushing a dark brown pea shaped tamarind pod with a stone. “We’ll take some of these home today and make chutney.”
“Kaki, here…” Lata handed her a copper lota.
“Thank you, dear. Hmm…. The water from the well in your courtyard is very sweet, I always say that. And, it becomes even more cool and refreshing when stored in the matka,” Savita Kaki said drinking the water. “Bhojraj’s earthen vessels are very well made.”
“Once just before Deepawali Bholu broke all of Bhojraj’s diyas,” Deenu said, carrying out a drum.
Savita Kaki rolled her eyes.
“Lata, would you like to sell a part of the mangoes like you did earlier?” Savita Kaki queried.
“Yes, Kaki. We’ll keep some to make launji and pickle. I was thinking I’ll sell some pickle this year. What do you think?” Lata voiced her thoughts.
“You can but I don’t think anyone will buy in the village here. I’ll ask your Kaka to speak to Lala. He deals with the big shops in the city. Women from here make mangori and other things to sell,” Savita Kaki offered.
“That will be great, Kaki. I’ll be able to earn some money,” Lata smiled gratefully. “I think we’ll sell the larger part of the tamarind too. That will add to the income. What do you think?”
“Not a bad idea. I’ll speak to your Kaka today only and ask him to arrange everything. Now come on let’s go in and have the afternoon meal. The children must be hungry,” Savita Kaki stood up. “Jeetu and Deenu, you also have your meal and rest for a while before filling the drums. Bhagwan Ji… my knees.”
“Alright, Malkin Hukum. We’ll get this done before we leave today evening,” Jeet said, wiping his face with his gamcha.
Lata walked into the house with Savita, discussing the best recipe for the mango pickle to be sold in the market.
“I wonder where Bholu is,” Deenu said, looking up into the branches of the trees.
Jai peered into the dense leaves and smiled. It wasn’t difficult to get an ancient ghost to help. Now, was it?