DEER

CAME
TO
BOSS

Bhisham

enter senar Ta r
dimner

his boss to
invited z tns
had n
Shamnath
Mr. Et
perspirationfrom
their faces JEnciad
Cven to wipe the at e
makeup all s t g e i
in a knot, her nCKng i t TeL n im ia
tangledhair tied roe
r .

ran from
after cigarette. Sme
smoking cigarette scceried
pumimg
five o' clock, they had He va al t
By Tapks w
tables, side tables.
arrangements. Chairs,
n e davnE T A m Saw
was improviset
A bar
verandah, neatly arranged. eer T n g tem
ini te a
bric-a-brace in
the room

their attention to the

g ie
anma v
Sudóeniy a procie t
the bedsteads.
shoving them under a t C g T It
I Sannzi unei
neither he nor his w
about mother? Till
now

"And whar o u r moier

heels and asked his
wife in English:
art nkng ¥El z
work did scme
The wife, interrupting her S E
the nigit Wel bring tack umu
neighbours. She can stay there for
iis apes mi uuki I e

cigarette dangling
between his lips, screwed p
Fute
wide berth o hat e t - i r
"No, that won't do. I want to give a
start coming or c e I =l wau v i a Ve vl
night with her, she will again
vat
finish her meal early and retire to her rocm ThegE
mother to

before eight."
sounded tighr. B suiiniy he we smi u r i
The proposition
where inmer vil e re
asleep and starts snoring! Then? Her room is zeu
ask her to close the door and I'1l lock it from oursude Or. bemer scil. TI si n e
fall asleep. She must keep awake and sitting" -Bur supose she vs l se t
never know how long dinner will last in any case. you cant lerve the: ur e i a ee
Shamnath threw up his hands in iritaticn She was going w wst I r m

you stuck yournose in. Wanted to keep up appearances bedore your u m s Nw

we do?
 mother and
b e t w e e n mother and son?
son'? I
wash
carn a bad name by coming
I
"Ah! Why should
Do as you please."
my hands ofthis affair. time for bandying words, but for co.
cool
This was no
his peace.
Mr. Shamnath held opened onto
mother's room. Her room
the
and looked at
thinking. He turned round

verandah.
his mind. "Tve pot
over the verandah thought flashed through
a got
As his gaze swept
back against the wall.
towards mother's room. With her
it!" he said.Promptly he strode
almost covered with the dupatta.
mother was sitting low wooden chowki, her face
on a

been nervous at the goings-on in the

She was telling her beads. Since morning she had
their house, and she was
house. The big boss from her son's office was coming to
anxious that everything should go well.

"Mother, finish your meal early this evening. The guests will be here at seven-

thirty."
Mother slowly uncovered her face and looked at her son. "Son, I won't take my meal
today. You
know very well I don't eat when flesh is cooked in the house."

"Anyway, anyway, retire to your room early."

"All right, son."
"And mother, I will receive the guests in the drawing room; till then you stay in
the verandah. When into the
we move
verandah, you will quietly slip into the drawing
room through the bathroom. For an instant mother looked at her son; then she said
faintly: "All right, son."
One thing more, mother. Do not go to sleep early, as you do. Your snores carTy
far."
"I can't help it son," she said, ashamed. "T have
illness."
difficultyin breathing since my last

Mr. Shamnath had fixed

everything.
But he still felt anxious.
The
seem
fool-proof. What if the boss took it into arrangement did not
his head to
would be about step into the verandah? There
ten

guests, mostly his Indian

colleagues and their wives.
Any one of them
the might like to use
 placing it by the door said.
a chair and
nuisance! He brought up
bathroom. Oh, what a

Mother
chair."
let's seehow you look in this over her head, and sat
her dupatta
fingered her beads, adjusted
Mother nervously

down in the chair. | | It's not a cot.

Not with your feet up.
no. Not like this.
He Bhagvan! No, mother,

chair.Mother dangled her feet.

It's a chair, a
barefooted.
walk about
And please, please mother, don't
throw them away."
And don't wear
sandals
those wooden yours. One day I'll
of
Mother was silent.
"And what will you wear, mother?"

what you ask me to."

Tll wear what I have. Ill wear

Mr. Shamnath inspected his mother with

The cigarette still hanging from his lips,
half
his mother should be made to wear for the occasion.
closed eyes, trying to decide what

He was a
sticklerfor discipline in the house; he had the final say in everything. Where the pegs

should be
fixed in the walls, in what corner the bedsteads should be placed, what should be the

colour of the curtains, which sari his wife should put on, what should be the design of the
tables

Mr. Shamnath was meticulous about the smallest detail. He looked at mothgr
from head to foot,and said, "Better wear white kameez and salwar. Just go and dress H
Let's see how you look in them."Mother got up sBowly and went into her room.
Shamnath turned to his wife and said in English, "Mother is problem! Thery'
a

no end to her oddities. If something goes wrong and the boss is offended, you know wlja
will happen."
Mother came out in white kameez and white salwar. Short, shriveled, lack-lustu
eyes, only half of her sparse hair coveredwith the dupatta- she looked only slightly
improved. Shamnath looked at her dubiously, "That will do. If you have any bangles, put
 for
j e w e l l e r y

all my
sell
to
them on
too," "I have no bangles, son, you know that. I ha
"Why
your education," he said,
m o t h e r ? "

it,
song about
"All o f my
right, all right! Why do you make a question
in the
carry about it? Just say that you don't have any. Why bring
on
loafer,
am
1? I'l1
not a

education? The jewellery was sold to good purpose, wasn tt

pay you back double what you spenton me." o Pe
ask a son
mother ever
"May my tongue be reduced toashes, son! Does a

mean it, Don't misunderstand me. Had I

the banglesI woud

them all the time. But I don't have them." his

and get int
had to take hisbath
Was past five-thirty. Mr. Shamnath
anner suit. His wife was getting ready in her room. Before leaving, Shauld

instructed his mother.

and asks y u
Mother, don't sit silent as you always do. If the Sahib comes your way

anything,
neither read nor
I illiterate, son. I can
repiy to him properly. I'll tell you what to say, am

write.
You can tell them that your mother is igaorant, if that helps."
the boss came to her
As time passed mother's heart started pounding heavily. If
Sahibs even
and asked her some question, whatwould she say? She was scared of English
from a distance; and this one, they said, was an American. God only knew what sort of

questions American Sahibs asked. She felt like going away to her widow-friend, but she
lacked the courage to defy her son's orders. She kept sitting there, dangling her legs from
the chair.
Mr. Shamnath's dinner had reached the crescendo of success. The
topics changed
with every change of drinks. Everything was going superbly. The Sahib liked the Indian
dishes and the Memsahib the curtains, the sofa covers, the décor.
What could the hosts ask for? The Sahib had shed his
more
reserve and was
regaling the audience with
anecdotes. He was as jovial now as he was strict in the office.
His wife, in a
black gown, a rope of pearls round her neck, wearing a loud perfume, was a
the cynosure of
 with
and
Shamnath

Mrs.
free with
women-guests. She laughed, she nodded; she wE:S so

the men;

as if they were old friends.

Nobody realised how time flew; it was now ten-thirty, and the
bOss

leading
the way
They came out ofthe drawing room, Mr. Shamnath

and the other guests following,

stopped short. What hesaw made
Keaching the verandah Mr. Shamnath had
exacuy
sitting
1n the legs. His smile vanished. Outside her room mother was She
from sidc
et her, but both her feet were on the seat and her head swayed
sh
and
side her became louder, wnc
Snored, heavily. When her head fell to one snores
la

The end of her dupatta

awoke with a jolt she again started swaying from side to side.
nead.

lay in confusion over the bald portion of heT

slipped from her head and her thin hair
then
giving her a wild shaking and
Mr. Shamnath seethed with anger. He felt like
what
standing by
~

were
pushing her into her room. But the boss and the other guests

could he do?
"Poor dear."
The wives of the other guests tittered and the boss said,
Mother woke up, flustered. Seeing so many people around her she got so confused that

she could
not utter a word. She covered her head, and getting up awkwardly she stood before them

with
downcast eyes. Her legs shook; her fingers trembled.
"Mother, go to sleep. Why do you keep awake so late" ashamed, he lgoked at ilis

boss.
The boss was in an expansive mood. He smiled, and said, ""Namaste".
Mothcr almost shrank into herself. Hesitantly she tried to fold her hands in greeting. Bu
one hand was inside the dupatta, with which she held her beads, and her
etfort l¡oksu
clumsy. Shamnath was annoyed.
The boss extended his right hand. Mother looked at it, alarmed,
"Mother, shake hands with the Sahib"
But how could she? She was holding the beads in her right hand. In confusion, she placed
her left
 was furious.
Shamnath
giggled.
shake hande
Someone
hand. to
in the Sahib's
right
mother!
Don't you
even
know how
Your rig
"Not like that,

hand, please." "How are you? How ar.

ieft hand saying,

pumping her
the boss was
But by n o w
thank you."
"Mother say, I am quite well,
Someone giggled.
Mother mumbled something.
Shamnath's anger started ebbino
the situation.
boss had saved
But the erisis passed. The confused.
mother's hand and
she standing still, utterly
The Sahib was still holding
a village.
She has lived ina village
all her life
said, "Sir, mother's from
Shamnath my
That's why she's feeling so shy."
folk. I guess your
"Is that so?" the Sahib said cheerfully, ""Well, I like village
dances." The boss nodded his head and
mother must be knowing folk-songs and folk
looked approvingly at mother.
"Mother, the Sahib wants you to 'sing. An old song. You know so many.

I can't sing'", mother said in a weak voice. "Have you ever heard me singing?"

"Mother", he said, "does one ever refuse a guest? If you don't sing the Sahib may feel
offended.
Look, he's waiting." But I don't know any song. I know nothing of singing."
"Come mother. Just sing a couplet or two. That pomegranate song, for instance."
The Indian colleagues and their wives clapped their hands at the mention of this
song.
Mother
looked withimploring eyes, first at her son, then at her daughter-in-law.
"Mother!" The son was getting
impatient. She could detect a touch of asperity in his
tone.

There was no
way out. She sat down in the chair in a feeble cracked voice she started
singing an
old wedding The
song. ladies burst into
motherpathetically trailed into silence. laughter After singing two lines
The verandah resounded with
Shamnath's anger applause. The Sahib would not
suddenly changed into joy: stop clapping.
party.
Mother had introduced a
new note into
the
 industry
round to village
veered
suddenly
the subject the point.
stopped on
the clapping enlightened
still ringing
in
When
wanted to be was
the boss sound of clapping
of the Punjab; joy.
The
complete set
products
with collect a
bubbling "Tll
was enthusiastically.
Shamnath
Mr.
he said Shamnath thought for a

many
of them", sure,"Mr.
his ears.
"Wehave so
like it, I am
Shamnath
Sir. You'll Mr.
the oflice, make phulkari."
for you. I'il bring it to
and... And
women

cloth and
make dolls, Sir embroidered piece of
moment. "The girls a sort of
phulkari
was
have an old
that "Mother, do
a we
tried to explain mother.
nefticiently turned to his
effort up as hopeless he
then giving the
house?"
phulkari in the
in and returned
with one. its threads had
Mother went
It was an
old phulkari,
interest.
keen
examined it with Shamnath said,
The boss crumbled at the touch.
cloth almost

come off in several places, and the made for you. Mother,
I'1 have a new one
It's useless.
threadbare.
is almost
"Sir, this one
for him."
you? Make
one
won't
for the Sahib, to be. Old
you will make it used
one
as
not the same
"My sight is
Mother was quiet. Then she said,
strain." her.
eyes feel the Shamnath said, interrupting
mother will make
one for you,"
"of course

You'll be pleasedwith it."

and proceeded
towards the dining
The Sahib nodded his head, thanked mother

followed.
table. Other guests
mother quietly slipped into
her room. Ng
When they had settled down to dinner,
flooded with tears. She kept wiping her eyes with
sooner had shesat down than her eyes
as if the flood-gates ofyears of old pent-up feelings
the dupatta but the tearswouldn't stop,
before thg
Shetried to control herself, she folded her hands
had suddenly burst open.
prayed for the longlife of her son, but likemonsoon showers i
image of Krishna, she

ears kept flowing.

It was now midnight. The guests had departed one by one. But mother kept siting
with her back set against the wall. All the excitement was over and the quietness qt he

locality had also descended on the house.

One could hear only the rattling of plates in the kitchen. Someone knocked at the

door.
 anomer blunder? She was always making

why had

she dozed off on the verandah? Had her son not forgiven her for it? She openeu
with

trembling hands.Shamnath hugged her wildly, "Ammi, vou have done wonders touay
The Sahib was so
pleasedwith you, Ammi, my good Ammi."
Her frail body looked even mcre small against Shamnath's heavy frame. Ica
came to her eyes. Wiping them she said, "Son, send me to Hardwar. I've been asking ou

for a long time."

Shamnath's face darkened. He let go of her. "What did you say, mother? Again
the same thing?"He was getting angrier. "So you want to discredit me before others so
that they will say that the son cannot giye shelter even to his own mother!
"No, Son, don't misunderstand me. You live with your wife, in joy and comfort.
've come to the end of my life. What wilI I do here? The few days that are left to me, I

would like to spend in meditation. Please send me to Hardwar."

"If you go away, who'll make the
phulkari for the Boss? I promised him one in
your presence. You know that"

"Son, my eye-sight has become feeble. It can't stand any strain. You can have the
phulkari made by someone else. Or
buy a readymade one."
"Look, you can't let me down like this, mother. Do
you want to spoil the whole
thing? If the Sahibis pleased he'll give me a raise."
Mother was silent for a minute. Then suddenly she said:"Will he give you a lift in
the office? Will he? Did he
say so?"
"He did not say
anything. But didn't you see how
pleased he was with me? He
said when you
startmaking phulkari he'll personally come and
the
the boss is watch it being made.
pleased, I may get an even higher post. I If
Her may become a
big official."
complexion started changing and gradually her
"So you are wrinkled face
face was suffused
going get a lift in the office, son."
to with jov. vith joy.
 boss..
please
the
could
I
If only have
understand.

mother.
But I'll
don't
You rat-race,
a
It's all
mother.

It's n o t s o casy,
promoted.
to get
wanting she
There are othe S too, all son." Silently
manage
it,
somchow
a better chance." Ill
I'll..
make one for him,
In C a s e
T'll

prayed for her

towards the door.
turned
Son
Shamnath
said as he
mother", Mr.
go to sleep,
W Ratan and P. Lal
Translated by Jai

a lot of a t t e n t i o n
Glossary beautiful that
it attracts
that is so good o r
a person o r thing express it clearly
unwilling to
nosure:

unable or for
but to be to do something
Seethed: to feel very angry want
someone

emotional way
that you
in a very
Imploring: showing

you behave
in the way that you
speak or
of being severe
time when
Asperity: the quality or a device, at the
such as a speech
make something,
Improvised: to invent
or

it
it is needed without already
having planned
no great value
various types and of
bric-a-brac: small
decorative objects of
business
Proposition: an offer or suggestion, usually in
stool
Chowki: a low wooden seat or
behavior is very important and
thinks that a particular type of
stickler: a person who

follows it or tries to make other people follow it

always
detail
Meticulous: very careful and
with great attention to every

Lackluster: without energy and effort

true or not able to be trusted

Dubiously: though not to be completely
décor: the colour, style and arrangement of the objects in a room

Veered: to change direction