SEARCH OF THE URN

I got this word ‘URN’ in my mind while I was watching Ashes Series, after Australia won the Ashes, on the screen, it was written ‘THE URN RETURNED’, and I was actually not knowing the exact meaning of the word, I searched and I found that, it means a large vase with a pedestal (the ashes cup), and I started imagining about how small the trophy is but the major thing is the history behind it which makes it so big in real. I went to sleep.

Next day was Sunday so it was already planned to get up late in the morning. The morning was pleasant with bright sunshine outside and cool breeze was blowing outside. The wind was still there in the morning also, just getting in the room through my window and fluttering the curtains having a print of Jim Morrison, spreading his arms wide open to accept the reality. Suddenly my phone rang with the ringtone set of a guitar solo by Pink Floyd. I looked at it and the name it was displaying was of Kaka, a personal and very old servant of my grandpa. Since childhood I used to call him Kaka. We were having a family business, so my father and grandfather used to remain very busy due to work, so I got very close to Kaka. We used to spend a plenty of quality time all evening playing in our garden and used to enjoy and cherish each other’s presence. I received the call, and Kaka said, ‘come to Mumbai immediately as Bade Saaheb (my grandfather) wants to meet you in personal.’ I said, ‘I am just leaving for Mumbai’, and I left. I was looking after our business in Pune, 130 km from Mumbai. I took bath, and dressed in formals, as earlier whenever he called me like that it was about business meets with clients, headed to the garage, and took out my matte finish BMW 3 series, and started the journey to Mumbai. It took hardly 1.5 hrs to reach Mumbai to our house.

I was actually worried about his health as he was in his early 70s and still smokes Marlboro Hard cigarette, though the frequency got low, but still enough to get a cardiac arrest. As soon as I reached home, Kaka was there at the door to welcome me as always. I touched his feet and asked for grandpa. He told that he is at the terrace. I rushed to the terrace like an athlete and after opening the door I saw his white marble finish round table supporting an ash tray with cigarette butts and a glass filled with 30 ml Jack Daniel’s whisky on the rocks (his Sunday morning tea). He was relaxing on a recliner with an umbrella on top in a simpson printed boxer, wearing a Ray Ban on his face, without looking at me he asked me to come on and sit beside him. He asked Kaka to bring another glass and to make a 30 ml Jack Daniels with coke as he knows what I like. We finished our drinks over a conversation about my place and my high time there and we both lighted our own cigarettes. Then he got up and asked me to follow him to his study room. He gave me his personal diary, on that it was written the year 1969, when he was of my age. He told me to go through that and I found some early calculations which helped him to get on with the business. He told me to get to the summer months of that year, and a partition was done in the diary. After the partition there was a quote on the first page, ‘DON’T THINK TWICE, IT’s ALRIGHT – BOB DYLAN’. The diary was full of such inspirational quotes by many musicians’ ad life and nature lovers. Then he told to turn couple of pages, and I found some names of the places and pictures taken by him of those places displaying the reason of his interest of that places and occasions. Then I crossed over some blank pages with names of places written on it but with no pictures under it, showing that he missed those places because of work or other reasons. I asked him about those, but I got a silence in reply. Then he asked me to complete his diary by getting to those places and doing what he had planned. I asked him whether I shall book tickets for both of us but he refused as he got to the earlier places alone so he wanted me to go all alone and he asked me to pack my bag.

I stuffed all the necessary things, Ipod, cash, clothes and mobile, but he refused me to take the mobile so that I would not get unnecessary calls during the journey. Then he gave me his Polaroid instant photo camera so that I don’t miss any precious moment on my trip. Then he took me to his garage, and besides his white Mercedes, there was a covered machine, he unfolded that machine and it was matte finish military green Royal Enfield. He threw the keys towards me, and said ‘that’s my favorite beauty and told me to be gentle with her.’ I hung my bag at the rear side of the bike and started it on the first kick. And I hit the roads.

CLICK 1   (Mumbai to Varanasi)

As I touched the highway after getting through the Mumbai traffic I started to feel excited, not because I was on trip but I was on journey for someone else, to fulfill someone’s dream. I was not sure about the fact that whether I would like or not that place or occasion there, but back in the mind I was thinking that something must be special about those things and that’s why they are on one guy’s wish list at that age when he was just in his mid 20s, he could had done anything else but he chose to do these things. According to me, the purpose of a journey is not just to start from the origin and reaching the destination, rather it is about the special time spent during the journey. This time span might be of seconds to ages. I was driving on the highways, and the day light was slowly getting dimmer and the night sky was about to take charge, the wind became cooler as I was driving through the hilly areas, and suddenly the surrounding changed from hilly to vast planes with yellow colored shrubs all over the planes up to the horizon. Beyond that I could see the sun setting down slowly and it was blood red in color, leaving its stances all over the scattered clouds. I reached near the Madhya Pradesh border till that night and I rested at a hotel to revitalize myself for next day. I was up at 6 am next day and started my journey. I was planning in my head to reach Varanasi by evening but the roads in M.P were full of mysterious, amazing and very time wrenching places. I came across many villages and old cities which didn’t change over the time and they follow their own tradition till now in their lifestyle. I reached U.P pretty late that night and was tired to drive along so took another halt. Next day I started late, something by 8 in the morning and reached Varanasi by 4 in the evening and I directly drove through the city to reach the Ganges bank. The sun started to sink in the holy river and big torches got lightened up and took its place. The temple was appearing to be made of gold due to the fire. There were priests holding the torches and dancing on the beats played by other priests on large drums like instrument. To have the perfect view of everything I took a boat and went in front of the temple. I saw some priests, bare body smoking weed in chillam on the bank of river and after that they dived into the river, though it was summer but the water was cold enough to shiver the whole body. The crowd was enormous and it was consisting of everyone, rich, poor, and there was no discrimination against caste and creed as they were having the same belief in their heart for Almighty. After the aarti ceremony finished, everyone headed towards the river and they just floated their own flames in the river on a boat like structure made of leaves, and it was looking like golden drops all over the river and the holy river was taking care of everyone’s belief and worship by becoming calm as a rock so that no flames gets extinguished. I took out my Polaroid, and ‘CLICKED’. Then I thought to return to my room. White returning I met a saint, he asked me for water and he told me that he was coming from somewhere in Himalayas. Then he started talking about Varanasi, that, Varanasi is just not for one religion it is for a faith in nature’s strongest power. He told, ‘religious wars are basically people killing each other over who has the better imaginary friend’. After listening to that, I found myself complete from within, as he just told what I wanted to hear, and then I asked for his permission to go to my room, and slept like a little baby.

CLICK 2     (Varanasi to Sunderbans)

I started next morning, and throughout the journey I was thinking of ‘how can people have such intense belief in something which they hadn’t seen yet’, that was equal for my also, I was amazed to imagine that my grandpa chose this place to visit when he was of my age, because seeing him worshiping was a very rare moment for me. Then I started my I pod and was listening to John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, and after I heard the complete song, I thought that he might not wanted to be here for worshiping, rather he might wanted to see the equality among the million people of different class, caste and even religion just because of the same belief they have in their heart. I drove through the U.P highways to enter Bihar and then I entered West Bengal, it was late around 10 pm, and then I booked a hotel on the highway and checked in there. There were some people around a bon fire, firing pork and beef steaks, and the aroma of that took me out of my room and went there to join them. With chilled beer there was beef and pork for the dinner, just heaven. Some of them were performing some local songs on guitar, made the environment heavenly pure and live. Then I went back to my room and slept as I wanted to spend as much time as possible in sunderbans, as the species were already in endangered category, so more time in jungle increases the probability of seeing them. I woke up early, and last night beer has made me fresh in the morning and I was ready to go. I checked out from the hotel and rode on my bike for Sundarbans. The route full of green surrounding as it is a delta made by river. It is the only hub of Royal Bengal Tigers. I was thinking whether I would see a tiger, as people say that, to see a tiger must be in your destiny, so try my destiny I booked a personal safari without a driver so that I could be alone in that forest and I would not miss a single thing because of any conversation going on between me and the driver. I entered the forest and it was quiet at that moment like an empty house, and I was driving very slow as I was entering someone’s home who doesn't know me. I was driving through the narrow road and for my companion there was naturally made green canopy, with lots of trees I hadn’t seen in my life, the air was pure and a pin drop silence was there all around me. Suddenly my jeep got bumped by a stone and the chassis touched the ground with so much impact that produced a blasting noise, and that sound just spread everywhere and made the birds got shock, and they started chirruping with all strength they had. I stopped the jeep and got down to see whether everything was okay or not. The jeep was good, just a dent on the lower side of the bumper, for which I could pay money at the time of returning the vehicle. Then I drove to the nearest lake there where I was told that I could find maximum animals to see as it was summer going on, so water becomes the basic need. I saw many animals and I clicked some of their pictures while they were in action. Time passed by, it got afternoon and like animals I was also in search of shade though I had enough food and water to keep me hydrated. As more time passed by, the sun started getting low on altitude, the heat got simmer and the silence was regenerated. It was about 6 and it was getting darker, I heard the birds chirruping with highest amplitude of sound, and that made me conscious. Then I heard a manly roar, he strived from beyond the wall of long grass, the walk was having immense confidence and courage, just like a king roaming in his own territory, as the other animals were telling the track to lake to the king by letting their heads down. I was so stunned by his look, he looked at me and roared again, even more intensely, made me sit in my jeep like stone, as he was reminding me that I was an invader there, and he knows what to do with an mischievous invader. Then he slowly walked towards the lake, and drank water with having an eye all around. The silence was so deep, that even the sound of tongue licking the water was audible from around 25 feet distance. He finished with his thirst, and slowly got back into the long grasses and just disappeared. Meanwhile, I was clicking snaps of him, in a complete silence. That just made my day worth, and I came back with my jeep and paid the extra 1000 bucks for the damaged bumper. I took my bike and returned to the hotel. Got some meat for dinner and went to sleep.

CLICK #   (Sunderbans to Darjeeling)

I started next morning at 8 am towards north, towards Himalayas. The safari last day made me think, that many things in ours day to day life were derived from the animals or rather from the wild life. Every day we are struggling to get hold of our territory, for food and shelter, just with a little difference that they struggle in real natural arena and we are bound by some rules, as our arena is man-made with no limits. They were also having limitless arena at one time, before one species from them only, and betrayed them, and made themselves socialize and acquired most of their arena to accommodate their species’ animals. Then I thought about my grandpa’s this dream of watching the wild, being in there, to a place, where grass were more greener than on this side, to see that we had travelled way to long on bridge whose passed half broke as we moved on to socialize. A pothole on the road made me come out of my imagination, and to see the reality, I negotiated the pothole and I was back in my body. The roads were only two way and they were full of potholes. I thought of completing my journey to Darjeeling by that night only, but that road made me to take halt early that evening. I was tired; I changed and slept like a baby. Though it was around only 50 kilometers from Darjeeling, but the road was uphill and full of blind turns. I was going to Darjeeling for the sunrise view from tiger hill, for that I would have to wake up at 4, and that was a pretty hard task for me. As usual I woke up at 6.30 and saw that it was already bright there outside. With my head down, I said, sorry grandpa. But then I decided to go Darjeeling for some memories of this trip. I was there in their main market; there I met one of my grandpa’s friends, and he owned a bakery there, he served me a cup of Darjeeling tea and fresh loafs of bread for the breakfast. It was heavenly. The best tea I ever had. I thanked, my grandpa’s friend and got on my bike, for Shillong. I missed the click that day.

CLICK 4 (Darjeeling to Shillong)

It was bright, full of sun light, a perfect summer morning, and I was high on altitude, so it was just pleasant there. Jacket was on, shades were on their places, and a custom made chopper that you are riding on Himalayan roads, what to expect more. The road was smooth, and full of adventurous turns and twists and plenty of blind turns. So, at the truck bay, I stopped and was lighting a cigarette. Then, I heard the same roar which I heard in sunderbans, just like the tiger, but in many numbers, I looked around and just negotiating the next blind turn, the Royal Enfield rally passed by me. The long beard, long haired, wearing half leather jacket, arms full of tattoos, were riding the same bike as mine, and that made me feel myself royal. I was in silence for some time, just to hear that sound after also they got very far from me. Then I was feeling more confident, and I rode my bike even more comfortably to Shillong. I reached Shillong, booked a hotel, and just after keeping the luggage, I was out in the town. Roaming here and there, shopped for Pink Floyd merchandise, went to a bar, and then there I saw a poster stating ‘CELEBRATION OF BOB DYLAN’s BIRTHDAY’,’TOMORROW’, then I noticed the date, and decided to take the VIP pass for the show. It was by a local performer, but very old, doesn’t matter anyways, because I was going there for the music. I went to the hotel late at 3 am, and slept. Next day I woke up late because I was not here in Shillong for any sunrise, I was here to watch the rock culture there, so I was taking easy, walking down the streets there, and was heading to the show’s venue. The time written there was 8 pm and I was there at the club at 6.30, so I was having 1.5 hours to spend, so I got to the bar and asked where I could get Manipuri stuff. He told me a place nearby, and I rushed to that place. Got there, collected the stuff and was searching of a place to light the roll. I found a park having a lake in between, there I saw some youngsters were smoking already, so I got a place near them, and flamed that torch. The first drag I took, it was smooth, and the green color was sneaking out of the white colored rolling paper. I finished the whole thing, and was completely stoned. I was sitting under a large tree, and I looked up to see its branches, they were full of green leaves. The green color is a symbol of life; it depicts a message of nature, it gives a feel that the tree is still young, full of nutrition, just like the Manipuri stuff. I was looking at the lake there, and it was having a reflection of the trees in front, and as it was stand still I kept on looking it. When I got back into my 10% sense, it was 7.30 by my watch, and I got up, and rode my bike. The lights there in the market, was giving me a different trip, the cool breeze there was taking me to another level, I reached the club in just 15 minutes and was feeling blessed to have that marijuana in my blood stream, my movement became slow, the time had seemed to slow down. It was show time now; I took the couch in the front and ordered beer. The show started and the performer got on the stage with a black guitar and greeted everyone and started with a Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowing in the Wind’ and I was on 9^th cloud, the music was pure psychedelic and I was high. The night was fantastic as he sang some more Bob Dylan’s hits and I clicked the picture. I came back home late and I started smoking a cigarette. After two I extinguished, and went to bed. Next morning I was planned to leave for home again.

CLICK # 3 (To Home)

It was 8 and I woke up instantly, I took a quick bath and started my journey back to home. I checked out from the hotel, rode the bike and I was again on roads. While driving I thought of that cub and ceremony and was in thought of love for the rock music in them and in my grandpa. Then I was humming the song of Pink Floyd on my journey back and I was trying to rethink their words at what circumstances those songs were written. ‘Where were you??? When I was hurt and I was helpless’, I was feeling relaxed, full of life after thinking of that I completed my grandpa’s wish list and I was just 6 to 7 days journey to home and I was excited to show all the pictures to my grandpa. So the was familiar, I was driving more confidently. Stopped at a petrol pump, re fueled my bike, and continued. I was feeling more confident on curves than earlier and was able to negotiate every single problems coming in front. I saw a milestone written Darjeeling 40 kilometers, and it was about 5 pm in the evening, I rose up my bike and reached Darjeeling at 11 pm, became late because of an accident on the highway. I was prepared to see the sunrise and I was giving my luck another chance. Then I was in doubt whether to sleep or not because if I would have slept that night then I would have missed that view again, so I decided to remain awake. I ordered bread and a full thermos of Darjeeling tea to help me remain awake. Around 3 am I started to do the dangerous but irresistible pastime. I decided to leave for the sunrise point. It was cold outside, cool air breezing through your hair, and you are riding a bike on the mountainous terrain in a pitch black surrounding, you can see uncountable stars and constellation in the sky as there is no pollution. After riding for 1 hour I reached that point and as it was working day I was just the person there at that time. Later many came, but they didn’t roam near me. I was listening songs on my ipod, and had eyed on the sky with the camera in my hand, excited to click the moment. The sky got clear and the crimson red colored rays started to take the charge on the hill by replacing the dark, starting a new day for everyone, giving the feel of starting everything again from 0, giving another day to rectify our past mistakes, to build our future and to cherish the present. The sun was shining bright and good, just moderating the temperature. The birds got out of their nests, and making noise and flying here and there. With a cup of tea and a cigarette I clicked the best one and completed the diary.

Then I called my grandpa to tell him that I am done with the diary, and coming back home. I was eager to tell him everything on phone but because of the line outside I ended the conversation in few minutes. The last word my grandpa said on phone, ‘I FOUND MY URN, NOW I CAN, REST IN PEACE’.

Definitely this trip was just like an urn with a history behind it.

“So, you want another beer??? We are closing.” The bartender, asked me.

I said, “Yes”. Make one for both of us.