THIRSTY DEITY!

Munai… half-naked, half-fed, half-built, half-nourished santal chap…black, short and quick. He lived in a small hut a little far from the village. It was the Durga Puja time; autumn had touched the sky. The flowers were shining, the sun was smiling and the air is heralding the arrival of Maa. Munai was looking at the line of people going to the Jamindar's house, the dhakis, accompanied by their sons, the elites, accompanied by their slaves, the men, accompanied by their women.

"This time it will be great; isn’t it Kuttu?" asked Munai, and Kuttu gave a damn to it. Kuttu never spoke. How could he? He was just a baby goat, always walking by Munaiin silence. Like Munai, he also was motherless. Perhaps losing mother at early age brought them closer to each other. Father? None cared! Kuttu never knew his father was (goats don’t care); and Munai never liked his father… His father was just a man for food…always eating… even from Munai’s thali. And he snored a lot too… whenever he was sleeping which was for the most of the part of the day.

Munai was looking at the dhakis and was wondering how great life would be in those puja days.

“You know Kuttu, I’ve never seen Maa, but I think my Maa looks exactly like Durga Maa. See, Durga Maa is also a woman. What do you think? Kuttu, you aren’t thinking enough! May be, Maa Durga likes you also. What do you think?” Kuttu gave a dull look at him and came out with his coded speech “Baa Baa”.. (may be as a sign of approval).

It was Panchami of Durga Puja, Munai couldn’t believe it. Just one more day! After that, there would be so many colours, so many sounds, so many people, so much of FOOD at the Jamindar’s house!!! In the morning he had seen boys and girls with new dresses. He had heard that they usually had more than one dress!!!

“Is that true Kuttu that their parents give them more than one dress in Puja?”

Kuttu silent.

“You know these are stupid people, what is the need? This is only one body, so one dress will do right!! See, I have only a half pant; no even a shirt.... ”

Kuttu silent.

“What do you think?”

Kuttu silent.

“Accha, should I ask Baba for a shirt this time? This pant is so old and the pockets are not there even. How will I bring the laddus for you? Tell me na, should I ask Baba?”

“Baa Baa”

“Ha… I know you are a greedy fellow. When I ask about laddu, only yes yes…….”

Munai came back home and saw his father was sleeping by the shed of the big banyan tree in front of the house. He sleeps a lot with a special sound effect again!!!!.

Munai sat by his hut and closed his eyes, and started thinking of so many beautiful things. Durga Maa, so many beautiful people, so many sounds…. Durga Maa was smiling!!! Ha!!! She had opened her hands for Munai!!! “I will come you Maa… are you my Maa??”

“Hey Munai…” thunder with an earthquake at once. His father woke him up.

Munai cleaned his face.

“Go and fetch some woods, will we eat today or not?”

“WE?? Say I.” Said Munai to himself and went to fetch woods from the field.

While eating, his father, as usual, was eating as fast as possible and as much as possible. Munai always wondered about the width of his father's mouth.... so much at once!!!! Seeing this, Munai also increased his speed. He knew that if he was slow, then father would finish his staff, and will say, “Aha!!! Always wasting foods, give me. I knew you can’t eat that much!!!” He knew that Munai can eat that much, even more than that much.

“Baba!”

“Hmm”

“Tomorrow is Puja.”

“Hmm”

“I’ve seen the kids there at the Jamindar’s house.”

“Hmm”

“Everyone has new dress”

“What?”

“New dress…….give me one baba”

“Who will bring the money? Your Baba?”

“Baa Baa” predictable Kuttu!

Munai went silent.

On Sasthi he was very happy… standing outside the pandal watching Maa Durga. Such a big lion!!! And the sword in the hand of the demon was so shining. He didn’t enter into the pandal. He didn’t have any dress. Everybody had. (Nature gives uncommon matches.... strong ego with empty belly!!!)

While coming back, he saw his father was talking to the Munshi Ji.

“What were they talking about Kuttu?”

“Baa Baa” (Bull Shit!)

“Ha….. ”

Sampami passed away, so did Ashthami……. Munai didn’t enter into the pandal. Anyone could say a thing or two…what if someone laughed at him! What if anyone understood that he was not one of them? He was planning, if anyone asked him about his dress, he would say, “I will wear it at night. You stupids, who wears new things in day light?”… But none asked, none cared….. who cares even if he wants them to care??

On his way back, he was swearing to himself that he would not talk to Baba today. He reached his hut and sat there…. looking at his feet…….

“Today is Nabami……. Ha!!! It will be over by tomorrow… where is Baba?”

He saw his father coming across the paddy field ,… “Huh!!! There he is” … But there was something in the right hand of his fathe… something green… “What is that?” Munai asked himself!!!!

He ran to the person whom he swore to never talk to…and realised, it was exactly what he was thinking about!!!

“My God!!! It’s a new shirt!!!!”

“Yes!!!” says the father with pride (for the 1^st time in his life)

Munai snatched that away and ran … he ran and ran… He was looking at the green half shirt as he was running! It was so beautiful… a new shirt… a new shirt…. his new shirt…… He fell down… got up, the knees were paining…perhaps even bleeding…but who cares! It was a damn new shirt…..he held it up in the air as if it was the sail of his boat.........

But suddenly, it occurred to him and he stopped!

“Where did the money come from?” the question came as did the pain with it!

Munai tried to think of something… but he turned black and heavy. So he turned and ran again….. ‘Oh god!!’ He had come too far from his house… so he ran faster….

Munai reached his hut …..

“What? Wear it….” sounded the crack voice of his father.

“Kuttu, Kuttu………” Munai was crying…..

“Kuttu, Kuttu”……. No reply… (stupid Kuttu always remained silent… stupid Kuttu)

Munai ran faster… faster this time….. he was running and running….. the sounds were louder there in the air, the drums were playing, people were shouting……. So many sounds … but Munai could hear his own air inside ……

He reached the Puja pandal…. People were shouting, clapping, drums had gone crazy! … He pushed everyone away and that time, for the first time, he entered into the pandal……. Reached the centre and there he saw it all...... he saw, just beside the laddus, coconuts, sweets, flowers… a head was lying… the blood was still flowing…. the eyes were wide open... looking at him...!

There was no sound anywhere, it was absolute silence inside Munai… he looked closer… yes, he was sure…. It was no ordinary head…it was his Kuttus’s head!... The head that he used to sleep with, the head he used to kiss hundred times a day, the head he used to love…… they had already removed the body, perhaps someone was happily cutting that into pieces…. Durga Maa couldn’t eat that big pieces, her mouth was small… so small, small… tiny pieces of Kuttu……

Munai’s ears were buring, he looked up and looked straight in the eyes of Durga… she was angry too…. She was angry at the Demon.. Munai was angry too….. he was angry at what??? What??? Munai saw that he was still holding the green shirt in his hand … He squeezed it and threwed it straight on to the face of Durga Maa…and shouted at the top of his voice….

“Have it!!! Have this shirt also……. Have it, you thirsty… have it…!!!”

But none saw Munai… none could hear his voice! There was loud sound everywhere. Everybody was celebrating, celebrating the Annual Celebration… Everybody was busy to make Durga HAPPY!