Original Konkani Story: Marann Yena Mhun
Author: Damodar Mauzo
Translator: Akshata Bhatt
It was afternoon. Like a bitter enemy, the searing afternoon heat was tearing the body to pieces. The land below and seashore above. Akin to embers in the hearth, all creatures were getting charred. Scorching heat indeed!
May has ended; June too is about to end. And yet, there is no sign of monsoon. The earth is parched; troubled with thirst, it desperately seeks water. Every body looks hopefully at the sky. But not a single cloud is seen! Tearful, they return. But such is their plight that even if they wish to cry, there isn’t a sole wet drop to shed!
Mango, jackfruit, banyan, coconut- all the poor pitiable trees have drooped. Leaves have fallen; those still adhering to the tree have dried away. And trees! They survive…but only since death is denied to them. If this is the plight of huger trees, then what do you reckon will happen to grass and plants? Grass has abandoned the earth long ago. Only gravel can be seen in its place. And plants? Mere sticks stand as substitutes.
There seems to be no visible difference between fields and plainlands. Wells have dried up one after another and lakes too. Even the sand there has hardened into rocks. The villagers have abandoned the village, birds have migrated to better skies, the cattle have died. Those who survive, are waiting…waiting for death.
And in all this, in the scorching afternoon heat, a water-snake is seen slithering ahead somewhere with her little one. She is slithering swiftly! How does she have the strength to move about at this time of the day? Moreover, she is a snake! Her whole body touches the searing ground as she slithers. Her body must be burning, isn’t it? But it doesn’t seem as though the snake is conscious of that at all! She moves ahead taking care of her little one. If anyone was to see her thus, she would have, definitely, been mocked at. But…is any living creature there to see her, after all?
Through the embankments of fields and farms she slithers. On finding a coconut tree midway, she rests awhile and then moves ahead with the little one. Whereto is she headed, she herself doesn’t know.
On the way, she comes across a field. Oh my God! What a big field! But neither is there any time to think nor any strength to stand in the sun. She slithers down the embankment onto the edges and moves ahead. Oh my dear Lord! Had anyone been there to see her, he would have definitely told her pitifully- “O snake, why are you moving about in this sweltering afternoon heat? Will you even make it to the other side? You might die on the way! Step behind and come onto this embankment. Stand by this tree till evening!…” But the water-snake would not have listened anyway. She wouldn’t even heed such an advice. She would have perhaps replied sans stopping even for a while- “Arey baba, who has the leisure to relax? And even if I die on the way, who is there to bother? Now since death doesn’t come…”
Even the edges of this embankment have collapsed. One can feel only sand on the body. Blistering sand! The snake remembers- once she had been to gram-seller José’s house to catch a baby-rat. There, she had stood aside and watched. José had kept a large earthen pot on the hearth. He had put sand in it. Once it got heated, he put grams in it and then…she shuddered as she slithered. In this blistering sand, what if I too…like the grams…
Phew! The water-snake heaved a sigh of relief! Look there…the embankment. And on its edge, a cashew-tree! At least, I’ll get some shade. The snake quickened her slither and reached the embankment; she climbed atop steadfastly and went under the tree. Arey, where is the little one? Arechya! She was here itself only a while ago! Terror gripped her. She ran over the embankment and on looking below, found the little one right there. It had jumped down unable to climb atop. Aabaa! Why is it lying so still? On touching its body with her face she found…
The water-snake slithered atop with a heavy heart. She didn’t even have the strength to carry the little one along. She sat under the tree. As she thought, she started recollecting memories of the past. She was in want of nothing when the father of the little one was alive. He would bring whatever she wished for. And oh how he loved the kids! But… Fate had something else in store. One day he had gone out in search of food. He was thirsty and so began to look for water. A cauldron of water was kept in the bathroom near a house. Poor thirsty creature! He thought he’ll drink to his heart’s fill and put his head in the cauldron. Just then an evil man hit him on the back with a stick. His back broke. In that condition itself he came home escaping everyone’s view. A lot of medication was tried…but…
The water-snake had then wished for her death too…what was the purpose of survival, after all? But no! While dying her husband had told her to raise their children well. “Yes! I have to live for the sake of these kids” she had thought then. “But cursed is my fate!”
Summer had ended but it wasn’t raining at all. Wells had dried up and so had the lakes. There wasn’t a drop of water even for namesake! In times like these too, she had somehow managed to look after her kids. At times she herself starved but never let them go hungry. But from where would she bring water when the land itself was deprived of it? One of her two little ones passed away craving for water. Only two of them were left then- the mother-snake and another little one. The whole village was abandoned. Land-snakes, pond-snakes, all of them went away. Only the water-snake stayed back in the hope that in a day or two it would definitely rain. But when she couldn’t endure anymore, she got up and left along with her little one. ..And now, even this little one had left her and gone away.
She shed some tears.
“Why are you crying, O snake?” Suddenly a voice was heard- a rather affectionate voice. The water-snake remembered her husband and shed some more tears.
“Come on, don’t cry now!”
The snake looked around surprised. There was no one on the embankment! Not even a tree! Except a cashew tree…is it the cashew tree then?
“Yes, it is me, the cashew-tree speaking! Why are you crying?”
The water-snake looked at the tree with eyes full of tears. She suddenly felt that her grief had lessened. Heaving a deep melancholic sigh, she narrated the sad story of her life. The cashew was saddened on hearing it. But what could he do, after all? He too heaved a deep sigh and remained silent. The snake asked him, “O cashew, are you alone here? Aren’t you bored?”
“What can I do? Earlier, there were creepers and plants to keep me company; there was a palm sapling too. But…but today, I stand here all alone. Counting my last days in distress. The memory of that palm sapling grieves me. Poor sapling…it hadn’t even borne buds yet. Passed away!
“Don’t mind my question, but, why are you still living?” the water-snake asked.
After standing quiet for sometime, the tree replied, “There is no meaning to my existence now really! I know very well, one of these I am going to die too. I am living, that’s true, I am living only because, death too is denied to me-”
The cashew-tree is living only because even death is denied to him. I too am living because of that very reason. Till now, I was alive only for the sake of my children- but now I have no one. Why should I live then?
“I understand…O snake, I understand your feelings. Listen to me. There are many creatures in this world. Many of them have become despondent. Many of them have performed their duties and commitments and liberated themselves. But they don’t think of death. They continue to live on quietly…waiting for death. You don’t have the leisure of waiting. Listen to me. Towards the east, seven to eight miles from here, there is a lake. A small one. You go and live there. No one has reached there as yet and it doesn’t seem as though anyone ever will. You stay there. Go then, now you have to live…if not for anything, then at least because, death is denied.
The water-snake got up and looked at the tree with eyes full of tears.
“O snake, will do you something for me?”
“Yes, tell me dear tree, I’ll do as you say. Tell me, should I stay here itself?”
“No dear, if you stay here, you’ll not survive. You must go. But before leaving, please do me a favor…” His voice was trembling. “Many months have passed by…no creature has climbed onto me, but you came by today. Please do me a favor and roam about my body freely, once.”
The water-snake slithered up swiftly. She reached atop, climbed onto the branches, roamed about his hands. She played gleefully forgetting all sorrows. She danced and then slithered down. The tree was overjoyed. Then, for a moment she looked at her little one to her heart’s content, thanked the tree wholeheartedly and bidding him farewell, began moving eastwards.
The same scorching heat. It is almost evening and yet the land is heated. Sun is nearly setting. Evening arrives, heat subsides, totally disappears. Crimson rays spread over the earth. But the earth that had always looked like a beautiful bride at this time of the day, was now looking like a bed-ridden patient. The snake moves ahead watching this decadence that had come over the environment. It is twilight then… the night too passes and morn dawns. The water-snake is sleepy but doesn’t have the leisure of sleeping even for a while. What if she falls asleep soundly there itself? Let me reach the lake first. Hope! Whom has that blessed Lady spared, after all?
Afternoon has arrived and so has the scorching heat! The snake slithers ahead sans resting awhile. Afternoon passes by followed by twilight. And suddenly…arechya! How have these trees survived? Other trees around have been rendered dried sticks and in their midst, how do these trees survive with lush-green leaves? She slithers ahead surprised.
…So this is the lake! These trees stand on the shore of the lake, hence have they grown so well! Good! I reached finally! Aabaa! And water too is so clear. For a while, she stands there mesmerized. Then suddenly she comes ahead, goes near the water. As she is about to lick the water with her tongue, she remembers her husband. He had died while drinking water! And her children- they too had passed away writhing with thirst. And the cashew-tree- he dies without water- or rather waits for death. Lives on only because he is deprived of death as well.
Darkness spreads around and night arrives stealthily with soft steps. The water-snake slithers ahead, goes into the lake. After so many days has she been blessed by the sight of water! She drinks to her heart’s content. Dances, plays around, swims. Then she dozes and falls asleep.
Gush Gush! Gush Gush! What is this gushing sound at day-break? When the snake lifts her head up to find out she sees some men. Frightened, she ducks and goes into the water. When she lifts her head again she sees that a torrent of water is gushing and falling into a tanker placed on a truck. Her heart skips a beat. They are letting the water from the lake flow through a pump into the field I had seen earlier! May this entire humankind be doomed! God alone knows from where they came to know of this! Now they will take this water too. Little by little, this water too will decrease! And…And…Then-
The water-level decreases. It halves. Only a little remains. And- “Arey, look there, a water-snake”. Someone screams.
“Get that stick!…You come this side…”
The water-snake shuts her eyes. She remembers- for a moment she is happy that her death will be akin to her husband’s. And that cashew-tree! He might be still standing there waiting for death. Because death is denied…
Aa…
“Bravo! You killed it in one stroke only, didn’t you!”
