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Posted
on 10-Sep-03 01:59 AM
I had not seen Bagmati flowing at such strength in my lifetime. The turbid water obstructed by bridge piers and the checker dam in the downstream of bridge formed vortex and made a wild roaring sound. Leaning towards the river, I started observing the river, much serene and beautiful than it appeared a couple of days back. The vortexes appearing at irregular intervals, of different sizes, and at different places were immediately swept away by the river current. Except for the places in the vicinity of the bridge, the river was swift but smooth. All of a sudden, the river appeared standstill, and instead, the bridge deck, I was standing in, started moving upstream. The speed started increasing continuously, and at a time I was about to shout, I heard someone addressing me.
"Dai, Ekohoro nahernus hai kholama, RINGTA lagla."
"Wow, wow." I turned back and looked at the Fuche carrying a slanted Jhola and a bag on his back. With a worn and torn Dhaka topi, a black Jwari coat and ragged daura-suruwal, the boy all looked a street children asking for money, but for his smile and his bags.
"Aaja kasto badheko hai dai Khola." He said throwing a casual look towards Bagmati.
"Hijo samma u tyo pakho purai kalai thiyo." He pointed towards downstream banks of Bagmati.
"Kasto Ganhaune Chhya" He threw a long stream of saliva into Bagmati from the gap of his never-seen-toothbrush-before teeth by placing his tongue just behind the closed teeth with a CHIRIKK sound.
I tried to imitate him, but it hardly crossed my chin.
"Timi ka bata aako?"
"Jumla bata&&&.E dai Padamchal line ho? Panch Rupe ma euta.." he looked at me with hopeful eyes with his face still sparkling from that no-salesma--style innocent smile.
"Ke ho Padamchal?"
"Yo ghotera Ghauma laune ho bhane dai junsukai ghau pani Chat" He said chat with a CHAT sound by rubbing middle finger and thumb of his right hand. He showed me a thumb size wooden piece with slightly grayish color.
"Ho ra?" I was not ready to spend half-plate MOMO in that Kath ko Tukro, and as I was about to move away leaving the boy with his Padamchal, the chilling pain reminded me of PILO, just above the knee in my right leg. Without further argument I took one Padamchal and handed him 5 Rupees note.
I had walked hardly five steps, the boy shouted from behind.
"Ke bha chha dailai?" He had already noticed that I was limping.
"Mula, Pilo Aako chha" He approached to me.
"Kahi heram?" I was not ready to display my leg to a Fuche in the center of Thapathali, in a busy week day, with so many lovely girls taking a walk, leaving their cars at home, to enjoy the serenity of Kathmandu just after a week long continuous rain. But in some corner of my heart, I had hope that these Pahade people have magical treatment of some classical cases like PILO. I reluctantly pulled my pants up, and showed him the red area.
"Thik hunchha Padamchal le?" I had all my hoped pinned at that Fuche.
"E dai ko Andho PILO raichha. Nikai thulo bhai sakechha" He took a close look at it.
"Yaslai nichorera PEEP nikalnu parchha pahile, ani mukh khole pachhi Padamchal launu parchha. Balla kam garchha Padamchal le. Nicharena bhane ta yasle Bacha Kadhchha. Dailai pachhi samma satauchha." He gave a lecture about PILO.
"Yo andho PILO ta pahile Til jatro aauchha, badhera suka jatro, ani Mohor jatro, ani Dollar jatro hunchha." He was correct. The PILO was approaching size of MOHOR.
He took away his slanted JHOLA from his shoulder and disentangled the bag from his back.
"Khai ta ma nichordinchhu" He came with his two thumbs placed so near to each other that only a SUKA could pass through it.
"Chhod Mora" I pushed him away and dropped my pants. Two girls passed from us, giggling. I nearly threw his bag towards them. Fuche rushed towards them with his bags. I could hear him talking to them about DANDIFOR and Padamchal. I took antibiotics.
***
After so many years, I went to see a doctor yesterday. I told him that I have a PILO without eyes, a blind pustule that could give birth to more PILOS if the pus was not taken out. He smiled. With my GUNDRUK-SAG accent (thanks to JIRA for this wonderful tip), the Japanese Doctor could hardly understand what I was talking about. He prescribed antibiotics.
No, not again!
In pain !
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