For You.... Suran!

It was the first day of May 1984 when I last talked with Suran.

I knew him hardly for four years...but the impact was so strong that even 24 years after , I can vividly remember him, his face, his voice and most of all our intense friendship.

Lets start from few years before. 1980 winter, we, a family of five, moved to this town called Kharsiya in eastern MP. I was in 5th grade then. Baba literally fought for this transfer for our education as well as this being in Main Line (Howrah-Bombay) it was better for his career too. Before that we were in a coal mine town called Kotma which was not helping us education wise, helping tremendously "bad company" wise and it being a Branch line (only 4 passenger trains daily and Infinite number of GoodsTrain laden with black diamond) there was not much thrill or challenge in his job or growth prospect.

Kharsiya (which would later become famous for Arjun Singh's constituency) was a township of around 15k, 80% of them with title holders of Agrawals, serving the local population as well as nearby Orissa's. It took us 3 years to realize that education wise probably it was not a good choice. Anyways...The first impression of this new place for all of us was very good. We three brothers were fascinated to see the Electric Train Engines as our quarter was facing directly the Railway station and we would spend hours discussing them, the models, the factory they were built, when they need servicing and so on. So far we were exposed to Steam and Diesel engines only. Maa had her own reason to feel happy. She used to make sure every day around 4PM she would be standing at verandah to see the Howrah Express which would stop for just 2 mins and the fact that after 12 hrs this very train will be standing at the Majestic Howrah Platform, facing the city where she grew up and all of her family still lives. It was 15 years since she left Calcutta..but still she was very much Home..er..Calcutta Sick I guess. Baba soon became very occupied with the busy Main Line always wanting attention.

Kharsiya had nothing much to offer other than its shops(big/small/wholesale/retails) and cash rich population and their cash rich kids...and also a unique historical Red Bungalow built by Sahibs late 19th century. This was also the so called "Quarter" of ours. PWI-Bungalow as known to kharsiyaites. It was indeed like a palace. Everything about it was HUGE. Big 6 rooms, a palatial Drawing room, all built with classic brit architecture. Had 5 servant quarters. and too big a compound, boundary wall and just after where coumpound ends it also had a cluster of some small quarters mainly for the Gangmen and Trolleymen. And then there was this one "illegal" structure made of earth and woods....Suran's home.

There was a group of 7 or 8 kids similar to our age group then, and we all became friends very soon. But even in that friendship and even in that little age it was not hard for us to see that we 3 brothers always were getting that extra attention and a special treatment be it from them or their parents. I guess we used to enjoy that importance which came with the fact we were sons of PWI Saahib. Out of this group of 7 or 8 kids, I had one special friend, Suran. One year younger to me. But he was the gem among the rest of the group. Suran's dad died years back in a railway accident and since then his Mother with 4 of her kids (2nd son being Suran) was staying in that single room hut with no elecricity. No Railway officer even from Headquarters ever thought of asking them to move away.

Suran was extra talented..be it study, sports, or just his honesty, simplicty, ever smiling, humble yet so sharp and smart. Soon he became favourite of my parents too. He was most welcome always at our house..the rest of the kid gang felt jealous of him. He was the one who used to get all my books/notebooks/uniforms etc as he was just following me by a year in the school. Me and him would sit with Baba in the evening for long listening the current events, or hear the famous english stories. On sundays we would spend time outside on Badminton (baba did make us a court) or inside playing Chess or Monopoy. At the same time when with the gang we also enjoyed equally the marbles, hideNseek or just running on the street with cycle tires. There was a special bonding with him I shared..he knew that too. Even in that age,11/12 yrs old we would often go for a long walk besides the train tracks talking about school happenings/future / sports/ movies/girls..whatever comes to mind at that age. We would behave as if we two are discussing very mature topics sitting in Platform benchs. But we also lived our childhood fantasies when we both used to go out for a hunting session...laced with specially made clay stones (as after hitting ground it would give an effect of explosion with a small cloud of dirt), bow-arrows, sharp edged sticks etc...huntings for the lizards and sometimes imaginary animals. He was the most learned in that community. On many summer nights he would read the comics (Amar Chitra Kathas) to the people there. Puran, his elder brother was already working in a Detergent factory and his mom was there in the tobacco farm nearby (Another thing Kharsiya was famous for). He had an younger brother as well as a sister and he took care of them while his mother and brother were away. All of the community as well as we had very high hopes on Suran. For them he was a miracle boy.

Early 1984 Baba was very much determined for another transfer then...and this time it was for the sole purpose of education. Target city would be Raipur this time. Suran came to know about it, he was sad for a while but soon it was decided that he too probably move within a year to Raipur. He was already getting stipend and if hostel is not available he could easily stay with us. We promised to exchange post-cards on a weekly basis.

By mid April, 1984 Baba got his transfer order and first he left alone to arrange things for us in advance. Rest of us were planning to leave by End of May. It was indeed a hot summer that year. Our exams were done long time. Suran as always topped in Class7, while Me and just one more student passed class 8th out of 70 or so students. It was the worst board result of our school but it was also the best as I figured in Merit list..another first for the School and Kharsiya in recent years. Principal, Nayak sir,called me in his room and told me how happy is for me that I am leaving that school and town....and wished me all the best. That was also the first time I heard and came across Lions Club, Rotary Club , "Buffet", "Nutrela"(those soyabean nuggets replacing the meat in Pilaf) and then yes...the word Congratulation. I was sad that Baba was not with us when I was suddenly getting so much publicity! But Suran was there in all the occasions with me...and I was so sure that next year he would be getting all these things...maybe much more.

On the late night of May 1st a small fire broke out in one of the nearby tobacco godown. It was more of a spectacle for us kids as were seeing the frantic try of "adults" to bring it down. I was there with the kid gang, but did not see Suran. When asked his mother where he is, I was told he was down with fever. I dont know whether she asked him to come out, or he came out on his own, I saw him...covered in a blanket, quite shivering in that summer night. He did not speak much but we just exchanged normal talks what might have caused the fire and so. Then we bid good night and we decided that first thing next morning we will go and exmaine the fiery place as if two detectives to find the root cause which all others might have missed. Yes..that was that last time I talked with him.

Around 11.30 next day there was a large commotion outside. And I witnessed the scene which would stick with me for the rest of my life. Suran's mother was screaming literally...banging her chest, others standing still in disbelief, while Suran was lying there in the ground in his blue shirt and khaki shorts. Suran was no more. The heat stroke took him, took my friend away for ever. All our dreams about this miracle kid did not take more than a second to crash. Her mom and Puran took him to hospital earlier but it was too late. I still wonder what he might have been thinking in his last moments..did he feel the end, Did he think about the unfinished task of our detective work. I also had so many questions and what-ifs like "Why did he go out in the sun..when we three used to be shut at home from 10 AM to 7PM", "Did the hospital neglect them looking at their financial condition", "Why they never informed us when he first showed symptom of Loo...atleast he could have stayed with us in fan and cooler..Maybe Maa would have taken him to the doctor a day before". But these what-ifs and questions were to remain unanswered forever.

Something must have happened strange with me as I really dont remember anything after witnessing that heart shattering scene...and what I can remember now is sitting by our window that evening looking outside at the far away smoke rising to sky....as Suran's existence was coming to an permanent end. Though I wanted to accompany him on his last journey but Maa never agreed. Baba would have allowed me for sure and we all missed Baba so much that night.

Neverthless Baba got the news immediately, he preponed his plan, came back very next day and we left Kharsiya Two Weeks Before than scheduled. I never felt so emotionless while leaving a place where I had lived for 4 years.

Suran still lives with us very much...in our memory.