Bheda by Akhila Naik

Author:Akhila Naik [Naik, Akhila]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: N/A
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2018-02-12T00:00:00+00:00

Four

Semi Seth

Another truck drove up to Danteswaree Rice Mill. Semi Seth was boiling with anger and he rose suddenly from the wooden bed on the verandah of the mill. He leapt to his feet, his head started reeling, and everything went dark. He was about to fall but somehow managed to stay erect by holding the wall. ‘Saale, they are shitting on the very leaf plates they eat off,’ he muttered. Holding the wall, he shouted, ‘Lakhan … hey Lakhan … are you alive or dead? Where are you? Missing for so long? Saala, you need ten hours to prepare a cup of tea?’

‘Bringing now … Master….’ Lakhan’s voice came from inside.

Lakhan, Semi Seth’s halia, had been with him for nearly twenty years. When he was a child of eight or nine, both his parents had passed away on the same night. Semi Seth had brought the orphaned child with him and given him a home. He initially guarded Seth’s cattle. But when he grew older he moved to farming. For the last three or four years he was always by Seth to do his bidding. It was Seth who had arranged his wedding five years ago. He had no children. His wife did all the household work in Seth’s house. All in all, Seth was Lakhan’s father, mother, lord … everything.

Lakhan came in carrying a cup of tea.

Standing against the cement pillar of the verandah with his face down, Semi Seth was thinking of something when he heard Lakhan’s voice, ‘Take this, Master….’ Startled, Semi Seth raised his face and looked at Lakhan with drooping eyelids.

Lakhan saw that Seth’s eyes had sunk deep into their sockets. Perhaps he had not slept for some days. His face had lost its usual glow. He looked like the withered flowers in bundled hair. Lakhan felt as if Semi Seth had not recognized him. His sight was dull and sickly like the moon under hazy clouds.

Handing over the cup Lakhan said reassuringly, ‘Why do you worry so much, Master? Let a few days pass. You will see that every saala will come and fall at your feet saying, “O Sir”, “Oh God”. If they do not come to your door I swear that the rat snake will settle in their bellies.’

It was evident from Semi Seth’s face that Lakhan’s words did not reach him. Or even if they did he was unable to understand what Lakhan was saying. Touching his lips to the teacup indifferently he asked, ‘Laba has not returned yet?’

Lakhan did not reply. He knew that however much Laba might try he would not be able to persuade the people this time. He was thinking about how to offer Seth some consolation. Poor Seth! Till the previous day if he asked someone to do some work, the person ran instantly to complete it. Look at him today!

In the morning Lakhan had met Mukun from Phalsapada by the river bank. Having turned a leader just a few days ago he said that

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