WHO IS THERE IN YOUR HOUSE?DO YOU POSSESS ANY LAND?DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD?;LOOK AT THESE CLOTHES FOR THE BABY, THESE FROCKS, THESE CAPS. THE BABY WAS BORN AFTER A LONG TIME, NATURALLY, WE MUST MAKE THIS OCCASION SPECIAL.HAVE SOME LADDU. MOTHER HAS ESPECIALLY MADE THEM FOR HER DAUGHTERINLAW.;WAIT A MOMENT. LET ME SHOW YOU A NOVEL ITEM, WORTH SEEING! HE TOOK OUT A BIG MERRY GO ROUND. IT HAD PLASTIC ELEPHANTS, HORSES. WHILE ROTATING IT BROUGHT IMMENSE AFFECTION IN THE EYES OF THE OWNER. SEEING THIS, THE FELLOW TRAVELLER`S EYES ALSO BECAME WET. HE TOOK OUT HIS HANKY FROM HIS POCKET, WIPED HIS EYES AND SAID, YOU ARE SO ENTHUSIASTIC! THROUGHOUT THE JOURNEY FOR 23 HOURS, THE FELLOW TRAVELLER WATCHED THIS ASTONISHINGLY. BUT NOW TRAVELLER STOPPED TALKING, HE LOST ALL HIS STRENGTH, HE WAS NOT ABLE TO UTTER A SINGLE WORD, AS IF HIS TONGUE WAS TIED UP. HIS LUGGAGE BECAME UNBEARABLY HEAVY FOR HIM NOW. WHO DIED? HOW WAS HE RELATED? WHOM WAS HE RELATED TO? HE FELT THE PAIN. HE WAS CHOKED WITH EMOTIONS. HE STARTED SOBBING UNCONTROLLABLY. HE STOOD THERE FOR SOME TIME. HE THOUGHT THROUGH HIS SOBS AND THEN WITH A HEAVY MIND STARTED WALKING FORWARD. HAD A WEIR BURST?
‘‘मग कोन कोन हैत घरात?’’ ‘‘घरात शेतीबिती असंल?’’ ‘‘तुमचा देवाधर्मावर इस्वास हाय का न्हाई?’’ ‘‘बगा ही अंगडी टोपडी. अहो, नवसासायासानं झालाय मग हौस नको करायला?’’ ‘‘घ्या, डिंकाचा लाडू घ्या. आईनं मुद्दाम सुनंसाठी दिल्यात.’’ ‘‘थांबा हं, तुमाला एक वस्तू अशी दावतो कशी, अगदी बगण्यालायक!’’ एक मोठं गोल फिरणारं प्लॅस्टिकचे हत्ती, घोडे असलेलं खेळणं काढलं. खेळणं फिरत होतं, आणि ते फिरवून दाखवनारयाच्या डोळ्यांत वात्सल्याचा आनंद उसळत होता. तो पाहून त्या सहप्रवाशाचे डोळे तरारले. आपल्या खिशातला रुमाल काढून तो आपले डोळे टिपत म्हणाला, ‘‘किती हौशी आहात हो?’’..... अडीच तीन तासांचा त्याचा सोबती हे सारं थक्क होऊन बघत होता. इतका वेळ बाड बाड करणारी त्याची जीभ लुळी झाली. हातातलं ओझं पेलवेना झालं. गेलं माणूस कुणाचं कोण, पण त्याचा गळा दाटून आला. हुंदके अनावर होऊन आवर कसा घालावा हे कळेना झालं. तो तिथंच थोडा वेळ उभा राहिला. कढ जाऊ दिला आणि जड पावलं उचलत पुढे निघाला. बंधारा फुटावा तसं घडलं.