An extract from Punjabi novel (Bhobal) Written by: Farzand Ali Translated by: Mujahid Intizar By title: (Ashes) (Episode 1) Page (7) Then Tayi would have been trying to sooth me by telling a tale of black ant and red ant. The black and red ants were two sisters. The black ant that was younger than red ant always complaints black ant to their parents so as to the red may be reprimanded and punished. One day when black ant breaks a precious thing of house the red ant did not tell her parents and favor her to avert punishment. She did not complaint against the black ant although the black ant was sure that the red ant would take her revenge by telling about the loss to the parents. By seeing this act of kindness, the black ant feels regretted and apologizes for her misbehavior. She could tell a nice tale but to listen the tale of black devil from Taya, gives a peculiar pleasure. There is a princess loving and beautiful. A devil one eyed and cruel and of sinister countenance …And a rustic hero, poor gallant and handsome. A combat took place, the hero wins and king ties them in wedlock. The celebrations in the city, everywhere laughter, people singing dancing and drinking wines …And food of variety, fruits of all sort. There was happiness, happiness all around. In the daytime the children were to retell the stories that they have had listened before going to bed by their elders. But for me the unrequited questions would have been the matter of deep concern, these question would indulge me in deep ponder and anxiety. But, I never could get answers of these questions. I had also been seeing the drama of genie that embraced to young girls, but I could never understand that why they embrace a young girl. And why they are not seen? But the questions that my mind ask, there was no answer or there was nobody to solve these riddles of my childhood. The other children would talk about fairy tale of devils and genie but I was least interested. The children play with clay and sand and make sand houses but these games were to me of no interest. The children would play hide and seek but I didn’t participate. I would only like to participate in Khidu Khoondi, a rustic game, in which a ball is prepared of cloth strips and then a little hole is dug on the ground and afterwards a circle is drawn in a radius of three to four feet, four to five players play this game, in which the Khidu the strip ball has to be thrown into the hole called Khoondi, the other players defend Khoondi with hockey like sticks, or I would like to play another rustic game called Kirl Kanga, in which a circle has been drawn on the ground and five to six players play this game, in a moonlight night, the game is that all the players put their shoes or slippers in the circle and except one player all the other players clime up the nearby threes, the player standing on the circle has a small stick that he throws with is full strength and as hit hits the ground he rush to get it back, as he gets away from the circle the other players who have been climbed up on the threes jump down and try to get back their shoes before the arrival of the player who has thrown the stick, and I was also fond of a game called Goli Danda, in which a small round thin-ended piece of wood is hit with a firm round stick, and I always wins. The children would try to cheat me and we quarrel and manhandle each other. I was stronger and fear not to put them on the ground. Resultantly, parents of the children would complaint about me to my parent and I was punished and mother’s admonishes would also have to be listened. Afterwards I was not supposed to join children in their games and was used to sit alone beside a Persian Wheel seeing the wheel-moving round and round, and bucket of water pouring water into the conduit.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 16:24:26 +0000