On an Evening in Roma

I wish you a Merry Christmas

20th December 1940.

"Can you turn your head a little to your left please?" Batuk asked the old lady he was making a sketch of..."Yes perfect." With a smile he went back to his drawing. Behind the old lady her husband was standing and he was looking at his wife adoringly.

Batuk had asked him to sit with her and he will draw both of them...at which the old lady replied that her husband is camera conscious...he makes really weird faces.

"It can't be that bad."

"Oh trust me it's bad...in fact it's so bad that he has hidden all our wedding pictures just as soon as they arrived...our children and grandchildren didn't even get to see them."

Batuk had laughed along her husband and said, "But I don't even have a camera."

"And you are only saying this because you haven't seen my family portrait." Said the old man jokingly.

Batuk laughed again, not the type that hurts Durga's ear but a softer one that kinda resembles his Big D's...when he used to laugh that is. Then he had started sketching. They are not the first unusually interesting customer he had gotten. In the last two months he has started sitting here at Piazza della Rotonda beside the Roman Pantheon with his sketching equipments he has been meeting different types of people everyday.

And how did all this started?

During the renovation of his house he has spend almost all the money he had received for upstairs rent in buying the wall colors. As he never compromises with quality he had bought the best brand so of course it was expensice. So without any money he was facing a very uncertain future...

"There's no need to worry Batuk Roy Choudhary...me Sr. Zamindar Babu se mang leta hu. He would never say no to me." He told himself...but unfortunately Durga has heard everything as she was there in his apartment... arranging the food ingredients that his Big D had send over three weeks ago from Tulsipur.

Bondita knew if Batuk asked for money from Kaka he will send double the amount Batuk will ask for...but then he will learn nothing.

Batuk has already reached the phone and picked up the receiver when Bondita rushed over to him and took the receiver from his hands.

When Batuk had looked at her confusedly she said, "Yeh tu kya ker raha he?Tu janta he na ager tu kaka se paise manga toh yeh proof ho jayega ke tu abhi bhi baccha he...tu Mr Roy Choudhary ko kuch prove nahi ker payega...sab kahenge ek problem aya nahi ke apne kaka ke pass rote hue chala gaya Batuk...aur ager yeh baat Mr. Roy Choudhary ko pata chalega toh kya woh khush honge? Tujhpe proud feel karenge woh? Bol?" She kept prodding him.

"Nahi!!" He declined vehemently.

"Kya tu nahi chahta ke unhe bhi tujhpe garv ho? Huh?"

"Of course chahta hu!!"

"Toh tu kisi se paise nahi mange ga...balke khud kamane ki kosish karega."

"Lekin kase?"

"Sochte he."

And after of hour of thinking they came up with the idea that Batuk should use his talent, the only thing he was good at to earn money. But Batuk had started throwing tantrums at the prospect of sitting on the street...this will hurt his family pride.

"Arre Italy he yeh...chitrakaaro ke tirth bhumi...kala ka puja hota he yaha aur apne kala duniya se batne se daar raha he? Woh bhi kis liye? Apne jhuthe gurur ke liye ...tere Zamindaro wala ghamand ke liye? Gurur khud pe hona chahiye...khud ke karm pe hona chahiye, apni baap dada ke sampatti pe nahi. Dekh Batuk koi bhi kaam chota ya bada nahi hota...baas yeh dhyan rakhna hota he ke hum jo kam ker rahe he usse humhe khushi mile...tujhe painting kerke khushi milti he naa?" She had asked looking at him with those beseeching eyes ...the ones that look like they can look into your soul.