Whisky, Women and World

Chapter 16

The dawn slowly awakened, and under the vast branches of a banyan tree, Apu sat. An old song, with a rusted sound, played from a nearby tea shop, creating a backdrop to the scene. Townspeople strolled past him under the dark clouds that were on the verge of brightening in a few minutes. Before him stretched a vast ground with a stage, where his family once performed. He remembered his father positioned behind the stage, directing the flow of events. Gesturing to the artists to quicken their performances, he simultaneously savored the unfolding art and the audience's reactions. Apu's return to his hometown resurrected a flood of memories, vivid visions from his past where everything was clear in front of him, yet out of his control.

At five in the morning, the Muslim residents of the town filed into a small mosque situated behind Apu for their morning prayer. At the mosque's entrance, an elderly man, in a state of disarray, lay nonchalantly on the road, his back resting against the rear wheel of a motorcycle. Clad in dingy brown clothes that were torn and ripped in multiple places, some of the holes were crudely stitched with different-colored fabrics, while others remained void. His shining bald head contrasted with the long, gray, and dried remnants of hair on his face. Despite the motorcycle owner's attempts to shoo him away, the old man persisted in ranting, or it appeared to Apu as if he were engaged in a conversation with himself. Suddenly, the old man stood up and, out of nowhere, began singing an old song to the man who had tried to wake him. Frustrated, the man pushed the old man away and chased him off the scene.

"Religion. God. It is all madness. Would you still be faithful to your god if you were born for a different parent who worships a different god? Then how can you speak about faith over god? It is madness just to make humans behave. If not, we crazy humans will become nothing but dogs." Said the old man, his words seeming somewhat disconnected from the immediate situation.

The old man's gaze then fixed on Apu, and without a word, he sat beside him. Initially wary, Apu and the old man remained silent, their eyes fixed on the empty ground and stage ahead. The old man, who had been ranting, suddenly stopped. He then entered the tea stall and engaged in gibberish with the shop owner, who seemed perplexed. However, he pointed at the tea and then at Apu, sitting outside the shop. From this, both the shop owner and Apu deduced that the old man was requesting tea for Apu. The old man carefully carried the tea and offered it to Apu, who initially declined with a smile. The second attempt, however, felt more like a warning, and not wanting to refuse, Apu accepted it, though his smile betrayed a hint of nervousness. Seated on the floor near Apu's feet, the old man stared at the sky, immersing himself in the morning and the stage ahead. His attention then turned to some boys playfully running on the stage, prompting him to abruptly rise and sprint towards them. Anxious, Apu observed as the old man, in an attempt to halt his sprint, lost control and slipped to the ground. Undeterred, the old man resumed the same pace and sprinted towards Apu, stopping in front of him. Apu's breath caught for a few seconds as the old man, attempting to regain composure, declared, "You are the best artist I have ever seen on this stage."

Apu recoiled when the old man uttered these words and instinctively touched his feet as a gesture of blessing. He then resumed sprinting towards the stage, successfully chasing away the boys. Apu was deeply moved by the old man's words. The realization that someone still remembered his performances on that stage from years ago left him astounded. As an actor, Apu had received acclaim for his work in various places, but the sincerity in the old man's words felt authentic, and the rest sounded unreal. Breaking Apu from his trance, the tea shop owner emerged and reminded him to pay for the tea he had consumed. Apu called the old man, who approached in an unusual manner. Limping his feet, he suddenly sprinted and then paused to search for something around him, all the while scratching across his body.

"I'm about to visit a few places here. Will you accompany me?" Apu inquired, his smile unwavering. However, the old man looked down, shrugged impassively, and provided no clear response.