Nose Ring in the vortex

Nose-ring in a Vortex

by Satyam Sankaramanchi

(Translated by Kesava Mallela)

Just a little downstream from the temple in Amaravathi, River Krishna's fierce currents turn into a vortex. The flattop stepped boulders make the waters jump up speed a few notches. The adjacent sharp cornered canyon walls between boulders throw the waters up for a spin. The resulting vortex can be fun for skilled swimmers. Once you dive into the river from the big temple tree, on the banks - you are up a fun ride. You need neither freestyle strokes nor kick your legs. You are going to end up in the vortex in a blink of an eye. You push yourself hard enough for two laps, and you are back at the river bank from the vortex, ready to jump in again. It was an exhilarating swim course for the people of Amaravathi.

By February though, the upstream river sources dry up and the vortex is no longer to be found. The walls of the vortex boulders get used for sun drying cow dung cakes. River Krishna flows far away from the vortex boulders, for the rest of the dry season. But the stagnant pools of water between the boulders remain. Rat-eaters, Bachigadu and Singi made it their home along with the small fish and frogs in these pools.

Must be working in hot sun all day, Baachigadu and Singi look like dark tanned whipping canes. Their heads looked down all day. Their backs stay curved dawn to dusk. They stay devotedly busy sieving the still water pools from day break to twilight in the evening. They then sift the pebbles and the river bed sands and the cycle continues, day in and day out. The hot sun doesn't seem to be capable of deterring them. Nor intense thirst. Starving hunger has little effect on taking a break from the sieve cycle. Nor did Bachigadu's six-month old infant wailing for milk, from the banks of the river, slowed the sieving.

As the scorching sun peaked up in the sky, Singi made a little fire next to the flat-topped boulder and cooked a trifling meal of starch called Conjee. If possible, she grilled a small fish or two, caught in those still water pools.

Singi beckoned Baachigadu for a quick meal - "You had a long morning dear, come have some conjee".

Baachigadu reluctantly put the sieve away. He stretched his skinny body like bamboo poles. He took one more look at the heaps of sifted pebbles and the pool next to the heap. He saw fortunes waiting to be found in those stinky stagnant pools.

He didn't even take a minute to finish his conjee, and rushed back to the pools. Singi quickly followed him.

Far away on the banks, Sooryakantham, a rich landlord's wife stepped outside into her backyard facing the river, to wash her lunch plate. Her conniving mind precipitated a scheme at the sight of Baachigaadu and Singi diligently sieving the pools. She hustled back into the house and went to her husband Bhoomayya. Bhoomayya was lighting his cigar in the reclining chair in the verandah, after finishing his sumptuous meal. He instantly summoned the sieving rat-eaters.

They stepped into the far end of the verandah, shivering with fear. They threw themselves on the floor, prostrated before the feet of Bhoomayya, from a distance. They wouldn't dare touch his feet. "Saludos Saahib , saludos", they barely whispered on the floor. But the infant clinging to his mother's chest started wailing as he was sandwiched between the mom and floor.

Bhoomayya glowered at them. The glower sent deep shivers down, the rat-eaters' spines. The rat-eaters felt like the landlord was a cobra, and contemplating where to strike them rats.

"You thieving sons of bitches!", he started cursing. "I hear you found memsahib's nose ring in those sieving pools".

They felt getting viciously smacked in their heads. They stared at each other without the faintest idea of what wad going on. They threw themselves on the floor again, at the mercy of the landlord.

"No, Sahib! We cant even imagine to dare, Sahib! let us go, Saahib", they were pleading with the landlord.

Bhoomayya hedged his bets. He started scowling — "You sons of bitches! Enough of your sob stories. Memsaahib got the nose-ring from her ancestral home. She lost it in one of those pools when Krishna receded earlier this year. Without that nose-ring, she lost her smile. She pines for it all day. If I dont see it, by the day break tomorrow….."

They needed no more words. Baachigaadu and Singi were petrified at the prospect of not able to find the nose-ring. They fully knew what annihilation Bhoomayya was capable of.

"Get going. Right now!", he scowled one last time.

Their curved backs from all-day sieving straightened up like thatched straw. However, the next instant, their lives felt purposeless and the curve returned. They could barely speak another word or walk away. They fully knew refusal to the landlord's order only meant severe broken bones. They knew he was not capable of any less cruelty.

Singi was sobbing uncontrollably. She couldn't even feed her baby nor pay attention to his wailing.

Baachigadu gathered up new hope and tried to console Singi. "Stop sobbing Singi! Hand me the sieve, I'll find it."

With those determined words, he went back to the pools. It was dusk time. He didnt stop sieving. In the light of dim oil lamp, he continued looking thru the stinky pools. It was midnight now, and he continued thru the search in the company of hooting owls. Baachigadu kept looking furiously in the midst of ribbiting frogs, and chirping cicadas. He looked like Kaala Bhairava, the lord of dark nights.

The pools started emptying up. The river beds looked thoroughly ravaged and yet, Baachigadu didnt find the nose-ring. The fear of day break was eating him away. His arms started going numb after incessant sieving all night. And then, in the wee hours of day break, he found a sparkling nose-ring in the mire.

"Oh. dear lord!", he shrieked like he won a lottery.

Singi nodding off next to the flat boulder, heard the shriek and lunged towards her husband. She was laughing deliriously, as she caught the glimmering sparkle and witnessed streaming tears down her husband's hollowed cheeks.

It was almost late in the morning. Seeing her husband comeback from handing over the nose-ring, Singi excitedly approached Baachigadu.

"So? did they give us a reward for the find?"

"Who cares about their rewards?", he replied nonchalantly.

"Did they at least give us left overs?". She refused to give up hope.

"Let me find a good stone, Singi! We will be the ones throwing feasts.", he replied confidently like a king.

And with that new regal confidence, as he walked back to the pools.

Baachigadu's forefathers had seived these pools. Baachigadu won't be the last generation stuck in this vortex.