Trick or Treat!

The big orange pumpkins sat on the ground while the medium ones rested on top of them. The smaller ones acquired the highest pedestal. The stacking of the pumpkins looked very attractive. Not all were orange though. Some were dark green in color and most of them were green with streaks of orange on them. Pumpkins were in season and the whole vegetable market was flooded with them. 

Govind was busy examining the whole lot. He had a keen eye to search the ripe and the juiciest of them all. He leaned over to check the pumpkins at the bottom, with a hand on his back. The back pain was severe recently. A cloth bag was neatly rolled and clutched under his arms. He tapped each of the pumpkin lightly and heard the sound with eyes closed. He nodded his head in approval at some of the sounds and rejected others instantly. To an onlooker it would seem that the pumpkins were whispering to him!

He instructed the vegetable vendor to keep the selected ones separate and bent down in spite of the pain to continue his supervision.

Govind’s reverie was broken by the sudden appearance of Kucho, his teenage nephew.

“Uncle, are you trying to find a mouse inside the pumpkin?” Kucho bent and whispered near Govind’s ears and laughed, flashing his uneven teeth and an unusually broad grin.

Govind got startled. He looked at Kucho and his friend hovering above his head with distaste. First, they disturbed him in his work and second, he didn’t quite like the guy. 

In Govind’s eyes, Kucho was a good for nothing type of guy. He was neither interested in studies nor in any type of hard work. He worked in a drama company and roamed around the nearby villages doing shows. Acting was not something that our old man Govind appreciated. Moreover, he hated the carefree and reckless attitude of these teenage boys. Lazing around all day with no responsibility whatsoever. They took everything for granted. Hard-work was unknown to them.

“Don’t you have any other work?”, Govind replied with irritation ignoring his question.

” I completed my work, uncle. Just now returning from a show! It was such a hit. People applauded like crazy!”

Kucho waved his hands in the air and jumped twice in excitement releasing a thin layer of dust which flew and went straight to Govind’s nose.

” Hacchoo!”

Govind let out a thundering sneeze.

His face grew red and his temper rose.

“Such childish behavior! When will you grow up? At your age I had managed almost the entire household!”

“But uncle you also got married early right? ” Kucho said blatantly. 

” Shameless “, Govind gritted his teeth and gave a menacing look to Kucho.

But Kucho was the kind of boy who never felt offended or bad. He continued his grin and his friend smiled sheepishly standing behind his back all the while. He seemed to be the quiet kind who liked to enjoy a drama from the background and never participate in it.

“Useless guys…Let me put them to some work…Enough of empty talks and time waste”

Govind muttered under his breath.

” Kucho, can you do one thing for me?”, Govind said aloud while the shopkeeper kept slicing the pumpkins to medium sized pieces to make it easier to carry.

” Sure uncle. Command me!”, Kucho spoke with excitement as if ready to conquer the world”

“Overacting…”, Govind thought.

But he had a plan so he spoke.

“Today I am offering pooja to the holy deity of our village temple in the name of my ancestors.”

“Always remember Kucho…never forget your ancestors even if they are no more…you belong to the family created and preserved by them over the decades”, Govind advised pointing his index finger at them.

Both the boys nodded in agreement.

“I will be preparing ‘bhog’ with my own hands as an offering. It’s an honor for me”, Govind said, closing his eyes and joining his hands.

” But my back pain is killing me these days. I will prepare the ‘bhog’ of course but Kucho you have to promise to deliver the cooked food to the temple on time before the evening aarti. I get tired easily and it’s tough for me to carry all of it to the temple”

” Can you help me with that? I know you own a cycle”

“Your wish is my command uncle!” Kucho replied without thinking twice.

Govind owned a lot of land and was quite well off but he was known to be a renowned cook. In his young days, he was the first choice as a cook for every other occasion in the village. Although he didn’t oblige everyone but whenever he cooked, people couldn’t stop eating and praising. Whatever he cooked turned out delectable. There was magic in his hands.

But when his wife died and old age kicked in, he lost interest in cooking. He lived the life of a recluse in his huge house. So, this sudden interest in cooking ‘bhog’ was rare and Kucho knew it.

“May I know what all you will cook uncle?”, Kucho was curious.

“I will make khichdi with the best quality rice and yellow moong daal. It will have a tempering of desi ghee and aromatic whole spices. I can assure you that the aroma will be mind boggling and it will travel to the next five villages! “, he smiled proudly.

” Along with it I will make ‘labra’, a side dish cooked with a plethora of vegetables like potatoes, long beans, brinjals, radish and whatever other vegetables I get my hands on today in the market. The more the tastier. But pumpkin will be the dominant one among them. Everyone in my family loved pumpkin”, Govind reminisced thoughtfully.

“And finally, ‘kheer’ as a dessert. I already bought some fragrant rice and got pure cow’s milk from the farm. It will be flavored with cardamoms and garnished with cashews and raisins.”

As Govind described his cooking plan for the evening with delight, he noticed that the boys had their mouths slightly open and they were literally drooling. The ‘bhog’ description affected them so much that they were unable to speak for a moment. 

“What? Will you help me?”, Govind asked again.

” Yes, yes uncle. Who can say no to this?”, Kucho looked overwhelmed.

Even his friend was nodding his head in approval.

“You are talking as if I will be cooking for you!”

“No No… I will wait for the prasad uncle”, he smiled.

“Hmm…now run off and come at 7 o’clock sharp”

“Sure!”

Govind watched as both the guys ran away. Then he got busy buying the other vegetables.

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There was a knock on the door. It was 6.30 in the evening. Govind had just completed all his cooking and had kept three pots filled with food ready near the door. 

“Who is it? The door is open”, he shouted from the kitchen.

“I’m Gopu”, came a reply.

Govind was expecting Kucho. So, he came out of the kitchen scrubbing a dirty utensil and peeped in the hall. 

“Oh, so your name is Gopu”

Kucho’s friend from the morning was standing near the door. He wore the same clothes. He had a calm face with his hair neatly combed with a side parting. A small mark ran across the right side of his forehead. He had the same warm smile like in the morning.

“Where is that Kucho? The lazy guy didn’t come?” Govind asked, infuriated.

“He must be on his way uncle. I think I reached early”, Gopu said apologetically.

“That guy is good for nothing!”, Govind muttered.

“Since you are already here, take the pots of food. I don’t trust Kucho a bit. He might finally abscond.” he said scornfully.

“As you say uncle. I’m honored.”, Gopu bent slightly as a respect.

“I’m busy washing the utensils. After that I have to go to the temple. Take the pots carefully. Don’t spill!”  Govind warned him and kept scrubbing the utensil in his hand and went inside the kitchen.

“Sure. Don’t worry about it”, Gopi assured him.

Govind heard him leave and close the door behind.

It took Govind full one hour to clean the vessels, take bath and change to a crisp white dhoti and kurta. He was tired, his back was paining but his spirits were high. He admired himself in the mirror while combing his hair. His mind was peaceful that he was able to finish his work on time.

“Gopu must have reached long back. I should hurry”, he thought.

There was a knock on the door again.

“Who now?”, He felt irritated at the thought of entertaining any guest while he was about to leave.

“Come in!” The door was open.

Kucho hurried inside apologizing nonstop.

“Sorry uncle, I’m late” 

“I feel horrible. Please don’t be angry” he pleaded.

“It’s not my fault. Mid way my cycle got punctured. I had to walk all the way to the mechanic to get it fixed. After that I cycled at the speed of light to come here”

“Now give me the bhog”

Govind wanted to say many things but he decided not to spoil his mood before pooja.

“Your friend has taken care of that. So, don’t worry. He has taken the food long back. He must have reached by now. Relax” Govind assured him.

Kucho gaped at Govind for some time with crinkled eyebrows.

” I don’t understand what you’re saying uncle”

Govind’s temper was on the rise again.

” What is there not to understand you lazy lump!”

” Your friend Gopu came before you and took it”

Kucho’s eyebrows crinkled further.

“Who is Gopu? I don’t have any friend named Gopu”

This was the limit for Govind. He was furious.

” My goodness this fellow! The guy who was standing behind you in the market today morning, that Gopu”

Kucho stared blankly again.

” Nobody was there with me in the morning. I had come alone.” Kucho replied in the same tone.

Govind tried to clarify further.

” A short fellow, he wore a brown kurta and off-white dhoti.”

Kucho was surprised but a laugh escaped his mouth on hearing this.

” None of my friends wear dhoti, uncle. What century did this guy of yours come from?”

“I thought he must be wearing your drama costume!”, Govind said in defence.

“No uncle. Why would he wear a costume in the evening too? Didn’t that cross your mind?”

This was the first time Govind heard something wise from Kucho.

Govind was quiet now. His mind was racing. He had to admit that Kucho was right. He missed this point.

” Whom did you give the bhog uncle? Anything else you noticed about him? “

Govind thought for some time and then his whole body went numb when he looked at the wall in front of him.

” I did notice something which I didn’t realise was important at that time.” he admitted in a weak voice.

“What uncle?”

“He had a birthmark on his right forehead”, Govind said.

Govind looked straight to the wall and pointed with his finger.

” Just like that one”

On the wall hung an old faded black and white picture of a man wearing a dhoti and kurta. His face had a lot of similarity with Govind but it was much calmer. And the man had a birthmark on his right forehead. A garland hung from the picture.

” Who is that uncle?”, Kucho’s curiosity was piqued.

Govind’s throat felt dry and he swallowed hard. His eyes were stuck to the photo while he answered.

” That’s my great grandfather, Gopal Krishna Mishra”

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It was the highest branch of the peepal tree. Gopu sat on it and saw the temple far away. 

” This time you are not getting any!”, He pointed his thumb at the temple and laughed aloud.

The thin and light leaves of the peepal tree rustled.

Gopu was not a small teenager anymore. He was a full-grown man. His legs were dangling to and fro from the branch and in his arms, he was clutching all the three pots. He sniffed and his nostrils filled with the beautiful aroma. 

“Today this yummy food will go the the place where it was intended to”

He dug his hands into one of the pots with delight and took out a morsel of kheer and closed his eyes devouring all the sweetness with a satisfied smile on his lips.

“Trick or treat! Ha ha ha”, He said and laughed aloud.

In a faraway land on this day people were celebrating a festival called Halloween ….

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