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In the days to come, I began to like Thatha. He was a man of simple needs but a disciplinarian. His schedule never changed not even by ten minutes. He got up sharp at five o clock, put on his ‘Monkey cap’ and held a walking stick (to scare away the dogs) and went for a walk to ‘catch some fresh air’ he used to say and then followed a lecture on pollution. He was my teacher, he taught me how to read and write. I was slow in the beginning but picked up fast. I cooked for him and sat beside him while he ate slowly and silently. Never does Thatha drink water with his meals; he says it’s a bad thing. And I have embraced this habit. Though the television was there, he referred to it as the ‘idiot box’ and watched only news on it. Every time I saw those colorful advertisements my eyes grew big. And he would notice it and sigh. Every evening we would have coffee at the same Janata hotel at sharp four thirty after his afternoon nap. Dinner was always light followed by ten o clock news. Thatha was a sound sleeper, never had nightmares but snored heavily. He was my master and companion and I loved the way he calls me ‘Magu’ affectionately. Thatha was talkative but a good person, I had decided.




That day sitting near his feet at the easy chair I began to worry why Thatha fell silent. Why isn’t he telling me how bad the city boys are or about the harmful effects of pollution or the corrupt government! He lay there on the easy chair staring at the ceiling. I waited till he began to speak. ‘it’s only a passing cloud’ I told myself. And after the nine o clock news he did begin to speak, and what a speech it was!

‘Keshava, I want to tell you about that song. And why it has disturbed me and brought me to this situation’ he said with a firm voice while I walked into his bedroom to keep glass of water at his bed side. ‘Yes sir, I want to know about it. If you don’t mind telling that is…’ I said shyly. I was determined this time to give my master un-divided attention while he spoke......