Bumping into Ramu

Yesterday morning as I boarded my usual 8:10 local, I saw Ramu. I saw him standing under a bright smiling sun with a cricket bat in his hand posing like a star, wearing his vanilla white dhoti matching the milky cotton shirt. His eyes were as big and as curious as ever and those crooked teeth still flashing through his contagious smile. I felt an irresistible urge to call out to him but before I knew, the train jerked forward and that carefree creature was nowhere in sight.

All through my journey, I kept smiling to myself reminiscing about him. I recalled the words they used to describe him 'naughty', 'ill-mannered', 'unruly', 'uncouth' and what not. I recalled all those childhood companions I had met by the time I met him, there was Meena, Geeta, Chintu, Bablu, natkhat Nakul, shararati Shalu, etc. But Ramu's vivid nature surpassed them all. His mischiefs, his strong will, and the eternal inclination to cause a raucous everywhere he goes made him so much more special and definitely my favorite.

Ramu would wake up early and go to the fields. He'd run barefoot among the lush green grass as if it were the most natural thing to do. Ramu used to steal fruits and carry them home tied in this shirt. While I stole little white flowers and carried them in my Dada's handkerchief. I'd have a breakfast of jam bread and a glass of chocolate milk, while Ramu would tiptoe into his mum's kitchen and sneak out a bowl of sweet curd with hot crispy puries. My mum would tie my hair in a pony after a foam filled shower while Ramu would run to the river with his elder brother Shyamu's dhoti for a dip.

I went to school, Ramu went to the village Pathshala. He’d sit under a big banyan tree with his slate and chalk and show off his calligraphy skills, pull Sita's pony, aim his chalk at masterji's bum and sing 'Jan Gan Mann' at the top of his voice. While I detested any kind of sports, every pebble that he could kick was a football for him, and all those hours he wasn't sleeping was his games period. He would inspire the very core of the hearts of all the toddlers in his village and be the leader of those little rebels who would leave their homes and follow him through the streets fearlessly, leaving their mothers yelling and threatening them of harshest of punishments.

It was only after school and homework that I met Ramu. My favorite hour of the day. He'd then narrate to me the vibrant, animated stories of his day. He'd recount his tryst with the fish he caught he caught in the village stream, spell out every detail of the fight he got into with Guddu. He'd recite the tale of how he got a broken nose, and boast of the thrashing he got from both his master and at home. We'd break into loud chortles as he recreated his new prank on Motu lala. He would still be blabbering when I’d drift into dreams of the adventure of Ramu.

Ramu often brought his elder brother Shyamu with him. Shyamu was the most sincere, obedient, well-mannered guy I knew. He always topped his class, respected his elders, and was the ideal kid every parent wanted. (He was also many times the reason Ramu got a thrashing). One fine day, Ramu's mother got so angry with him, she lashed out at him and asked him to leave the house immediately. This time, Ramu had crossed limits, he had stolen money from the house to buy 'Boomer'. Filled with guilt, crying his eyes out, having no place to go Ramu raced to the station. It was raining heavily that night. Ramu sat by the pillar, sobbing hard, clutching his body as if defending himself from some attack. Unable to breathe, Ramu struggled with the grave sadness that has engulfed his broken heart. His mother’s affection for Shyamu and the stark anger he saw in her eyes, had left him desolate. On hearing the hustle and whistle of an approaching train, he decided to leave the village altogether. Dejected as he was, he struggled to gather every little ounce of courage and finally reached for the iron door as the train jerked to move. But as it did, he saw his mother and brother and even his ever so strict father calling out his name and desperately searching for him all over. Fresh tears began rolling down his cheeks and he called out to them and jumped off the speeding train and broke his elbow. But this pain was nothing compared to the euphoria he felt seeing his family. I too broke into tears as I saw the family uniting. And fell asleep.

It was my birthday the next day, there were cake and music and gifts and balloons and watercolors and sweet treats and more storybooks! It was now that I met Julian, Dick, Anne, Georgina(She likes to be called George though) and their dog Timmy. I began spending my evenings solving mysteries on the Kirrin Islands with them. I went on hiking and I went on picnics. Soon I also met Darrell Rivers at the Mallory Towers and cried several nights begging my parents to send me to the same boarding school. Ramu too sneaked in sometimes, but his brash behavior and his filthy old pranks did not interest me anymore. Slowly, the bustling Red buses of London, the ever so scurry streets of Cardiff, wide open fields of Wales left little place for Ramu’s adventure at the village fair, his treasure hunt from the riverbed, his local brawls and his sweet tooth.

And now years later, I am sitting here with this giddy feeling in my stomach. Marveling at the simplicity of it. I’ve traveled in time with Jane and Pip and Liesel and Pino and I’ve solved murder mysteries with Sherlock and Hercule and Nancy and I’ve slain dragons and killed Nazis and sacrificed for love and build an empire and died in battles and ruled my kingdom and yet it is Ramu, his far off village, his dripping roof, his sweet treats, his Paathshala, his gully danda, his perpetually broken toe, mud-laden feet, his banana leaf umbrella and his paper boats that makes me want to sit on the bare ground, look up to the stars and believe. Believe in happy endings and brand new starts, believe in meeting old friends that drift apart and believe in wandering without getting lost.

:)

References: Julian, Dick, Anne, Georgina, Timmy: Famous Five
Darelle Rivers: Malory Towers
Jane: Jane Eyre
Pip: Great Expectations
Liesel: The Book Thief
Pino: Beneath the Scarlett Sky
Hercule: Hercule Poirot