Let it be a Mirage

The water in the kettle for making green tea was boiling and now whistling . With the sound of the steam, her thought of the oasis in this desert faded away.

That thought which she was unable to name. Because there was no such word in their Khatdi language, the mother tongue of Thar residents. Ponds were the most thought and talked about bodies of water.

 'Charo Badal' went to take down the kettle with bare feet, on the way she scattered the fresh goats' poop pellets given by the goat like almonds. A few pellets were broken and crushed by her feet, and their smell danced around her feet. In the Thar desert, the sand dunes laid like so many camels lying on their backs. There were camels, buffaloes, deer and loads of peacocks there. She was very fond of peacocks, who often lured snakes into their burrows with delicious food. Especially the peahen, being less charming, kept the beautiful peacock to chase her . She also wanted  her lover to whirl around her while she is sitting by the water in the oasis of her imagination. But where was the oasis, here there was no water as much as a drop of tear in the eye, where would the water like a pond come from? Perhaps from the sky, she looked up. Or from the core of the Earth. She looked down. Where the land was barren,dry and sandy. These gods and goddesses of the Sky and Earth know when and where to irrigate the deserted, deprived soil. She would think.

It was the year when there was a severe drought and famine in Umarkot and Mithi in Thar. Charu's family of four lived in Umarkot. Charu's father Badal Phalphoto, her mother Ganga, and brother Sagar; all resided in this small courtyard surrounded by two landhis(straw and mud made igloos) and one chik (Straw made sitting varanda). Their world was settled in this yard. This ethnic and original Hindu family was very hardworking. Badal used to work in Mithi coal or ruby mines in the mountains of Karvinjhar. What coal, what ruby, but fate is like this.

It does not shine like a diamond till you work hard. For this, one has to burn in the furnace of labor to become a pure gold piece. Charu was seventeen years old, the age of seventeen is the age of dreams and charms. At that age, Charu was grinding hard all day in the mill of hard work and dedication, then in the evening, with the appearance of the first star, she used to lie down on a rough bamboo bed with a colorful cloth in the clear sky and dream of a distant place. Where the water would be in plenty and running. She was afraid of running water, afraid of it ending and being gone forever. Charu's world was simple but colorful. Her mother worked in her small scale business of block printing and embroidery on clothes. Charu used to help her in all this work. To embroider on a cloth, to make engravings on a dish, she used to do it all. As soon as Diwali came, making Rangoli was also Charu's responsibility.

Umarkot was mostly inhabited by Hindu families but there was also a Muslim population. A beautiful combination of religious harmony was seen here. The mosque and the temple were located at the same place. The Gita, Vedas and Quran were kept in the same room. All had equal reverence for the holy books in their hearts. Peacock and cow in the Hindu community were considered sacred hence, given special protection.

The people of Umarkot were figures of loyalty and sincerity. The Hindu and Muslim population here were equally connected to their ancient traditions. It protected everything from language, customs, traditions and religious beliefs. The biggest problem here was scarcity of water and food.

Most of the people depended on the rain water, but in this desert it was depending on the cloud, whether it rained or not. In the folk songs of the Thar residents, water was mentioned along with the mention of the beloved, as if the beloved and the water were equally precious. Charu was counting the days of drought, now it was the fourth day and tea could be enjoyed. So,she kept the tea in the kettle. As soon as Baba Sain(Reverend father) came, she wanted to serve tea to him. Baba Sain who was invited to the panchayat( A council of the village heads to solve any dispute or affair)called to deal with the drought.

They could not see peacocks, animals and children dying in front of her eyes, as in previous years. So foreclosure was necessary.

Charu started pouring tea into traditional bowls as soon as he heard the patter of Baba Sain's footsteps. Sweet breads were placed in a local made bread basket that was as hard as the branches of the acacia tree that spread in their courtyard.

While sipping tea, she was listening to what Baba Sain was narrating to her.The news of the drought had dried up her lips, throat and blood together, on which sips of tea could not have any effect.

Charu got up and called out to Ishvara (Hindus' God) Who was somewhere in the starry sky in the courtyard and spread her hands like a peacock ready to dance. But this dance was an element of restlessness.

She made a vow that she would go to the Holy mountain temple and offer prayers if it rained this year. There were many holy places in the vicinity where Hindus used to go for worship and prayers. That were also mentioned in folk tales such as Maha Bharata.

Suddenly Charu felt someone playing a flute across the distant sand dunes. She wanted to become a serpent and go to the sound of that flute, but it was all an illusion, she thought for a few moments and reassured herself. Even after sleeping late at night, Charu had to get up early. She used to milk camels, which her brother Sagar would take to the city and sell. Cleaning had to be done, food had to be cooked with little else, often guar beans or dried pumpkin. Hard breads made from a mixture of corn and barley flour or dry balls made from lassi which were dissolved in water and consumed orally or eaten by dipping bread in it.

Sometimes the dry mushrooms that came out with the rains were collected and stored. It was not possible to live a very luxurious life with Baba Sain's earnings. But still she had one silver and one gold necklace which she used to wear on weddings. Weddings in Thar were very colorful. Dandya dances, folk music, and regional melodious songs all cast a spell over the atmosphere. Weddings also served with Aloe vera syrup, which served as an elixir for the thirsty desert dwellers.

Today was the fifth day of the drought and the air was full of sadness. The water supply to feed the peacocks was running out, cattle and humans were drinking muddy water. Mothers would try to breastfeed the babies, but the drops of milk would disappear like a raining cloud. When the children started crying, they started making worship, prayers and taking practical measures to arrange water from somewhere, but the problem was not being resolved. Charu's mind was also filled with fear and thirst. Now she wanted a barrage or a pond to be satisfied, she wanted to swim , bathe in it. She wanted to feel the richness of the water, so longing for a drop was out of her reach.On that day, with the struggles of the villagers, the matter was settled with the tanker owner who brought water from somewhere and a boy named Sajawal was sent to fetch water from the nearby town. Sajawal would bring the tanker and all the villagers would take their empty vessels.

They would gather around the tanker like eagles around the prey. Sajawal used to distribute water, put money in his pocket, sit on a sand dune and smoke a cigarette. Charu would also be walking back with a full pot and half of her face would be visible through the cover of her chunri (head cover ) dupatta where the moon and star were on the chin ,snake ,peacock on the forehead and three dots were tattooed in the corners of her eyes.

Sajawal found this decorated simple, serious face attractive. Sajawal was a Muslim while Charu a Hindu. Sajawal would think to stop her for a chat. Then one day he dared to say, 'Will you run away with me?' 

 'Where'

 'To Karachi'

 'What for?'

 'There is an ocean there.'

 'The ocean? What is it like? I can't think of it. Does it have another name?'

 'Yes! Sagar'

'The ocean means Sagar? My brother!'

Charu would laugh and run away.

Her mind is also as dry as this land. Sajawal thought and threw away his cigarette which kept burning in the hot sand. One day peacocks were found dead of thirst in Charu's courtyard, so they did not even have tears to shed for them.

Charu had walked a few steps and buried them at a place and then kept the Thar rose i.e. Aak flower at that place as a token of memory. There were cactuses and other bitter, thorny herbs that she wanted to dry and sell to someone and ask for a pitcher of water in return. She used to pray daily but Ishvara was not willing to listen to her pleas. She kept thinking.

Ishvara, Bhagwan, God, she used different names to call and get help in some way. Sajawal had now stopped bringing the tanker as the villagers had run out of money to give. She would miss Sajawal. He was linked to water. The water bringer could have become her lover but Sajawal turned out to be unfaithful. Now she was getting an idea of what happened to the Hindu girls who disappeared from Thar. Did they run for water and then happily converted their religion or were they forced? None of them had returned, but their families had migrated to India, so they could not find out the answer.

When the water problem became severe, some NGOs came to help. But all this was like a pebble on a camel's back.

These few tankers were not enough for the entire population. Beautiful peacocks were dying in dozens every day. The population of snakes was increasing. The cranes had migrated. Children were suffering from malnutrition and great thirst. No grain could be cultivated, no fruits, cereals or vegetables were available. One day a religious preaching group visited Umarkot and asked the villagers ;to become Muslims ,repent of their sins and perform the rain prayer in congregation. God's mercy can make rain pour down. Hearing these words, a wave of anxiety spread throughout the population. Here one had to choose between life and dharma (religious belief). So they kept silence. When the people of the preaching group started leaving, Charu somehow sneaked to meet them and expressed her desire to meet their head.

Amir Sahib (the head) turned his face to the other side and said. 'Please speak ma'am'

'I am a Dalit (untouchable), that's why you are addressing me with your face turned to the other side?' Charu asked.

Amir Sahib cleared his throat and said, "There is nothing like that, ma'am. This contagion happens among you Hindu people, we Muslims do not see caste, race and class, we believe in equality.'

Seeing Amir Sahib's pride, Charu came in front of him, 'Then look into my eyes, Amir! Isn't the woman included in this equation? Don't you think that a woman is even capable of looking into her eyes and talk?'

Amir said immediately, 'Talking to a non-mahram woman in such a close and private manner in Islamic  Shariah law is forbidden for us. You should send a man for a conversation and explain your claim,or  instead of a flexible approach, adopt a harsh style of conversation.'

Charu was not convinced of this equality, she could not let Amir say more strange things. 'Ameer Sain, Menda Haku Sapno Ahi (I have a dream Amir Sain). I want water for my land. I am ready to change my dharma if you pray and it rains then I will change mine and adopt yours. Say yes?'

Amir Sahib ordered his congregation to perform Istisqa prayer. They all performed tayammum (ablution sans water) and stood there to pray. Prayers were offered, but there was no remote possibility of rain. Charu said to Amir Sahib that 'Amir Sain here you go, your God is not listening to your prayers either. Let us be like this.'

'Don't make blasphemy, sister! You people become Muslims and pray to God yourself.' Amir Sahib roared.

Charu said as he left. 'Amir Sain your beliefs could not make it rain, now please let us what we want to be. Do not try to put us in a jar. We are not the inhabitants of the soil that we could be moulded into warthern vessels and get any shape as somebody would desire. We are the people of sand. The sand can not be bound to anyone. Sand is wandering in its nature, free and independent.'

Charu left Amir Mithal Soomro and left there.

After a few weeks of severe thirst someone had reported in the news that the people and animals of Thar are dying of thirst and hunger is swallowing them. Then many welfare institutions and international NGOs came into action. And as aid began to reach them, as much water as they brought would run out in a day. More water was needed here. Better and more abundant food was required. Finally, the United Nations Human Rights Organization took notice and brought artificial rainfall technology imported from China to Thar after the mass deaths had occurred. After the rain, the thirst was satisfied everywhere, the peacocks danced, and the people were making merry. Amir Mithal Soomro was calling it a God's mercy and was adamant that the rain came by the wonder of his prayer. And science is nothing but myths, polytheism and interference in divine works. And this technology was known to Muslims fourteen years ago, but now the Chinese have adopted it. 

While Charu was stunned to see the wonders of science, she wanted to believe in science. And now she didn't need any lover or dream that would take her to the sea. She didn't even need to think of the oasis present in her dreams. She was now learning about irrigation technology when a member of the writing team called her.

He asked what her name was.

'Charu.'

'What does charu mean?'

'It means 'beautiful'!' She replied.

Now it was the second round of the rain. Charu had tears in her eyes, her head cover was wet and her brother Sagar was dancing like a peacock on the sand. And the hair on his head stood like a peacock's crown.