It is the story when I was about 4 years old ,about 45 years ago . The impressions of the time are still imprinted on my mind. At that time we were living at Kanpur City, The Industrial center of Uttar Pardesh. Kanpur is one of the leading cities in India) in terms of population also . Incidentally, Kanpur is my birth place. I remember that we used to live in Lal Emily Colony, probably it was a housing colony of a big industrial unit .
At that time kids usually were not sent to nursery schools or to any creche of that sort. The kids used to play and learn basic education at homes under the care of Mothers. So there was plenty of time with me to play and enjoy through the social bond of the urban society. This social bond included a vast players of social network which included Father , Mother , brother, sisters, uncles aunts, neighbor, street boys, vendors ,hawkers, and all real characters , not virtual depicted in videos now a days . Then we had no other alternative source of education or activity. At the most the elder siblings were asked to take care of educational matters. I was like some other very enthusiastic child eager to learn things by simply observing them. I remember, I used to sit beside my elder brother and would memorize the things which he used to learn. I was more interested in looking at the pictures in the books , they fascinated me very much . My parents were very happy at my progress and achievements, that when I was merely three years old I had learned the stories and poems of my brother's class, that too without any effort or guidance. I just listened and concentrated on the picture. These were nursery rhymes and stories. Which I even today recall them.
I was very much interested in creative activities. I use to play with simple thing and never made any fuss. In fact, I was bit innovative and use to imitate others . I learn't the thing or actions what I saw other kids do. I used to make things with my imagination ,I made own toys out of waste or clay . This skill still is inside my heart, though in a refined way. Still now children of neighborhood come and ask for help in making science models or some project works. I have been doing this activity since my child hood. It still gives me immense pleasure it again takes me to the world of kids.
One fine day, I was playing in the park adjacent to my home with my friend. It was about noon, even some ladies of the locality were also sitting in the park near the place where we were playing . The ladies were enjoying the warmth of the sun and side by side doing their little chores and chatting. We were busy building castle with mud and decorating the home with the things we could lay our hands, may be some matchboxes ,waste boxes, bottles or may be some small toys and flowers , in the ‘ home’ we had built with sand, that some building contractor had dumped there. Playing in mud and sand was my passion. I however never ate mud even at the age of 1 yrs , as usually most of the kids used to do at that age , so that way my mother was confident and I was allowed to play with sand without any restriction . She had only problem that I used to spoil the clothes often , off course that’s our birth right. Kids should not be singled out even clothes of elderly person get soiled after wearing for a day.
After it was quite a while we were playing there ,suddenly a lady came out shouting breathlessly at the top of her voice ,from her house “ Help! Help” this really created panic in all of those who were there . Everyone there were stunned . We wondered , what could have happened all of sudden . Her face was pale with fear. She fumbled and was unable to explain the horrified sight she has witnessed.She was making some sort of signs . We all were frightened ,as nobody knew what had happened . No one had any clue rather . Some of the ladies rushed to wards the house where the lady was crying in order to know the reason and possibly help her out. They were crowding in front of a house which was some 50mts away form where we were constructing our ‘mansion’ ,off course of mud. We also thought we should inquire about the matter or we could at least contribute in increasing in the number of spectators.
Usually people crowding at the place have lot of time spare to have fun and discuss the matter like the present media ,even if somebody is lying in pool of blood. But unfortunately they do not have time to extend help in the hour of need. There are only few brave hearts who are helpful, others are just free consultants or advisors. Just ask them to help and they will vanish like dinosaurs have.
The kids are prohibited to go to the site of any incident. I was wondering why we the kids are asked to stay behind, when we are only to be spectators like the most of the big people standing there .I wondered why ,in such situations kids are banned to visit such places, may be the adults feel the kids may unknowingly do some voluntary act of helping the victim against their wishes ? There we were just kids and our duty was only to keep safe distance or secretly sneak there without the detection of adults to peep from any possible angle or place we get behind the crowd ,either under the legs of the people standing in the crowd or any place which is comparatively higher and from where the view is clear. So I decided to defy the Child Safety Act, I made up a brave front and sneaked from a small space I could find.Luckily, all the ladies were so busy discussing the problem in hand that my presence was not noticed or probably it did not matter to them. Off course, the matter was more serious than my unauthorized trespassing of the prohibited area.I was expecting something special to see, because the crowd consisting of ladies of the locality making a beeline and gathering in front of the house where the lady was seeking help .Just then I heard the lady wailing , something was terribly wrong I wondered, she looked very terrified and desperate I heard the ladies in the crowd talking about the presence of the snake in the house. I innocently looked at the faces of the lady spectators, in an effort to find any clue or bit of information about the matter as why was the lady was crying. But it was not clear what had happened there. As the ladies were not moving ahead from the place where they were standing. Possibly like the army of soldiers waiting for the final orders of the General to attack. I was cursing for why the army of ladies is not proceeding ahead.
Then all panicked , I saw two ladies rushing to one direction and calling some men who were working in the building for help. In moments a group of laborers who were working in nearby under construction building rushed to the spot where we were standing. Then a group of women ran to some other side to fetch some more help. Possible to send message to the ladies husband who was crying or may be some other persons.
After some grueling time, there crowd started to swell. Then some one said ,"A snake has entered the house and has engulfed the sleeping child in its loop." To which I could not figure out the situation I had never heard of this kind of situation . There was total commotion and chaos at the site . The men who came there from the construction were not able to do any thing , few then entered the house very cautiously to access the situation ,someone suggested to bring bamboo sticks, after few minutes the men returned with long bamboo sticks. They tied two sticks to gather to make the length suitable . This method was very risky ,as it could cause hurt to child or snake ,which would worsen the situation . But they were not able to do the desired action. as the snake was probably sitting in a advantageous situation. The effort with bamboo was abandoned. We were not able to know what was happening. The men were inside the house. The actual situation was not clear to anybody. Till the men who had tried to trap the snake came out and explained that the situation was not so simple as we were thinking.
The time was running out ,the mother of the child , who was crying was losing her patience ,she was feeling more nervous and was on the verge of fainting. The women in the crowd were consoling her. Then some ladies narrated the fact ,to an elderly person of the vicinity ,that actually the child of the lady was sleeping in the house on the bed, there a snake came from outside and quietly wrapped his body around the child in a very critical position that in case the child is disturbed the snake could cause fatal damage to the child.The old lady suggested some trick or something the crowd got restless and rejected the plan.
The crowd standing in anticipation of good news was confused ,and disheartened on learning that the situation inside was more complex. The ‘advisors’ in the crowd started murmur and some in crowd suggested to call the Municipality Personnel or Fire Fighting Deptt. Then some persons were deputed to bring the experts as soon as possible. After about some half an hour or so some of the municipality workers came with some sort of hooks and instruments. The tried their tricks, for a while, but of no anvil . After a long struggle they too failed in their operation. Then after a lot of activity the operation rescue could not be accomplished by the MC staff, as any wrong step , certainly could put the child’s life in danger .
Thank God, the child did not move and was in deep sleep and was safe . The people who were handling the situation were more concerned about the well being of the child. In case the child is moved the snake could turn violent and attack any one. The situation was very critical, The child was asleep for a long period and it was possible it could get up and the situation could turn from bad to worse.
When all the efforts failed, the people sitting outside the house occupied by snake started to pray and sing holy songs in order to gain some spiritual strength to face the typical situation, as there was no way out to rescue the child safely from the clutches of the snake. In this type of situation we people depend on god so we try to garner some strength and solace. The God is our savior in the tragic moments. The group of women were trying to muster courage to keep the mother in high spirits whose child was trapped in the grip of snake. The place soon turned into a religious congregation.
Probably the snake was himself terrified by the situation, might have felt lot of human activity. That’s why it did not made any movements. May be it was hiding here as a safe place? What more safe place could it find than the sleeping child on the bed. In fact the snake was getting a soft and cozy place to relax. It might have come from a forest area in the neighborhood of the colony.
As the news spread about this strange incident people started to flock the place. It appeared that a mini circus or a fair is going on. Many advisors and consultants arrived and gave their opinions and bit of advises which could not be implemented as most of them were ill conceived. Then an old man suggested that why not try to requisition a snake charmer. This advise clicked with every one. Every one nodded in its favor. The real problem stood in way of this plan, Where we could find them? Then every one started to make a quick search for some Snake Charmer here and there . Then a person standing there raised a ray of hope among the depressed crowd. He said he knows a Snake Charmer . He offered to go and request him to come and rescue the child.
After about half an hour there was a wave of cheer in the crowd , there came a Snake charmer, He was holding a “Been” ( a special Flute ) a instrument which is blown by mouth and gives a sound which causes a intense sound vibration to which the snakes get attracted. He was also having two big bags tied to a wooden stick at its two ends carried on his shoulder . The Charmer was wearing a long gown of orange coloured cloth ,he had tied a cloth over his hip ,He was wearing big necklace of big black beads . He wore a loose and irregularly shaped turban. For some moments he looked like a magician of classical stories of Alladin in Arabian knights . He waved at the crowd as if he was a great leader and greeted all with folded hands . He soon started to blow the 'Been' and all the people standing were spell bound as they were thinking what could happen next. It became a matter of discussion and curiosity.It was a Million Dollar question. I too wondered what could happen by this act of the Snake charmer. All were optimistic that he will be able to rescue the child from the clutches of the snake.
As the Snake Charmer started piping the 'been' the atmosphere was filled by the musical sound of the instrument. The musical melody created by the been is a deep relation with Indian Folk traditions. This sight made a very pleasant feeling a strange sensation ran down the spine . The prayers were being said by the onlookers. Seeking the blessings of God to save the innocent life. The Snake Charmer then entered the house. He sprinkled some magical water in the room, He then had a close look at place where the snake had engulfed the child in his grip. He continued to play the been. The onlookers had a tense moments as every one were keeping their fingers crossed with prayers on their lips. It took some time when the snake got up from its slumber, probably by the sound of the been. It is however told the snakes are usually deaf ,but they are very sensitive to the vibrations or the human activity. The trick of the snake Charmer worked miracle , the snake decided to release the kid and moved away slowly . The snake was slowly moving out of the room where it had taken the refuge. The snake when came out towards the Snake Charmer ,as if he was waiting for him to take it to some safe place away from this madding crowd.
As the snake came out of the house People started to rejoice ,and thanking God for sparing the life of the child. Their prayers were answered by God. The Snake when came out of the house , the Snake charmer swiftly grabbed the tail of the snake, and he strongly made an attempt to catch the snake firmly. He immediately put the snake in a cloth bag and tied its mouth with a rope, He than placed this snake in his basket. This was a big snake probably 6 to 7 feet long, black coloured, The charmer told the people that it was a female snake . People standing there then asked him about the snake he was having. He then opened another basket kept in the other big bag. He showed how the snake dance to the tune of the Been. We all enjoyed the show very much. People then thanked the Snake charmer for helping the child. The child luckily then got up and was confused at the gathering. The mother rushed to him and she embraced the child and cried uncontrollably , She was happy as her child was saved.
People collected some money and handed over to the Snake Charmer for his services. The emotional scene at the colony is still afresh in my memory till date as the archieves of my life's events I have been a witness to.
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