He left behind a trail of dust as he zoomed off on his scooter, again. He had a peculiar style of sitting on the scooter, kind of crooked, as though he’s getting off the scooter. Seeing him perched like that always makes my heart skip a beat. ‘What if’ and I stop the thought at that. After all, he’s been doing that for years, from long before I was born.
He had just returned from the market, which he had gone to earlier in
the morning for no particular reason. And he left now, once again for no
particular reason. Whatever he did on those two trips to the market, could very
well have been combined with his trip in the evening. But no, it had to be done
now. It’s as though he would be punished if he stayed in one place for too
long. An additional evening visit was made solely to get us fresh, piping hot samosas
from that market. Ignoring our protests, lest we stopped him, he briskly walked
away saying “Yeta, yeta, rokhdo yeta”. And vroom! He was gone.
We were there to spend the day with him. But of course, all that we got
were fleeting meetings between his visits to the village market and over lunch
and tea. Assolna has a very laid back and relaxed feel about it. But somehow that
had never rubbed off on Nanu maam. Narayan Navelkar, or Nanu as he is fondly
called by all and sundry is my mama by marriage (my husband’s mama).
My first close meeting with this personality was seven years ago, when
he visited us soon after I was married. For days I heard, “Nanu maam yevpacho
asa”. I assumed he would be over for lunch or at least tea. Before I knew it,
he had come and gone as well, leaving us with enough seafood to last at least a
week if not more. He had come all the way from Assolna only to visit us, which
did not last more than ten minutes and I am not exaggerating. I was quite
perplexed. Why would someone drive all the way and then not even spend some
time with his sister? Everyone was amused at my surprise and I was told,
“tasoch toh”. Over time I have learnt ‘tasoch toh’ but every time I hope this
visit will be different. Sometimes he reaches our place at lunchtime and no
amount of cajoling, admonishing or protest can make him stay. He always has
some urgent work (which in most likelihood is an errand for someone) to take
care of and hence the fleeting visit.
Short, quiet (except when in the throes of work!), a little hunched over
with age, sparkling eyes, a thin silver moustache framing his warm, endearing
smile, Nanu maam is much loved, respected and a favourite of all age groups and
people from all walks of life. Dressed in his signature short-sleeved bush
shirt and trousers (be it at work or a formal function), this diminutive figure
belongs to the entire village, or rather, the entire village authoritatively
and affectionately owns him. There are enough people who have in casual
conversation mentioned that Nanu maam looks after their ancestral house in
Assolna, as they are settled elsewhere. He is the go-to person for any of their
needs. Running errands, harvesting coconuts (paadap) or attending court cases
on their behalf, he does it all. His deeply tanned skin and worn out chappals
are testimony to that.
Be it the annual Shigmo festival or the village temple’s (Vetala devul) activities,
or anything else that happens in the village, public or private, Nanu maam is
at the forefront of things. Not just leading, but by doing. He neither waits
for something to be done nor instructs, he just goes and does it. With age
creeping up, everyone would prefer him to sit back and give directions for them
to follow. But that’s just not in his nature. He is a doer. To him these events
are extremely important and revered, hence no chances are to be taken for any
tardiness. That’s probably the only times that he is brusque and closed to any
kind of arguments.
You would think at least at this age (he’s only 74) his activities would
be limited within the village. No, not at all. He is a regular at the temple of
the family deity at Khandola (Khanolya), volunteering and serving in every way
possible. No matter whose event it is – a wedding, an engagement, a thread
ceremony… – he takes charge and works wholeheartedly to organise and execute
things. Recently at a family function, we watched haplessly as he carried heavy
boxes of bottled drinking water, snatched huge trays of food items from the
waiter and himself served, directed the caterer in setting up the buffet table…
He wasn’t in one place for over a minute. He had to be forced to sit down and
have lunch as he resisted saying, “Magir, magir; itle begin kityak”. Mind you,
he was neither obligated nor responsible for doing anything. You see, he plays
the host even at functions that he’s invited to!
At another function, he stood watching with folded arms, alert and ready
to act at the slightest need. Everything was taken care of and he had nothing
to do, yet he spent his entire time on his feet, observing minutely. Now and
then as a thought struck him about an upcoming requirement, he would ask my
husband about it, which of course was already taken care of. Yet, no amount of
cajoling made him sit and enjoy with his relatives.
For Nanu maam, money and wealth are meant for giving away and providing
to all and sundry. Coconuts, fresh fish (Assolna is famous for its river fish),
dried fish, coconut oil, mangoes… his parcels are always on the move. Not just
for his brother, sisters and cousins, but distant relatives, friends and
acquaintances. The ‘who’ does not matter to him. Though born to a business
family and in business most of his life, he is not a ‘business’ man at all. Whether
he was able to run his business profitably will always remain a mystery. There
is no calculation or even the slightest expectation of returns. If at any time,
it is pointed out that someone has not behaved right with him, he’ll brush it
off without even listening fully, “Sod, sod, te asuni. Amchoch nhai toh.” For
Nanu maam, life is only about caring, nurturing, giving… unconditionally.
The other day I was reading Baakibab Borkar’s poem ‘जीवन त्यांना कळले हो’ (Jeevan tyana kalale ho) and the only person I
could relate it to was Nanu maam. There isn’t another person I know who comes
even close to the attributes described in the poem.
Indeed, I can truly say, नानू माम, जीवन तुम्हाला कळले हो (Nanu maam, jeevan tumhala kalale ho).
जीवन त्यांना कळले हो
-
बा. भ. बोरकर
जीवन त्यांना कळले हो
मीपण ज्यांचे पक्व
फळापरी
सहजपणाने गळले हो
जीवन त्यांना कळले हो
जळापरी मन निर्मळ ज्यांचे,
गेले तेथे मिळले हो
चराचरांचे होउनि जीवन
स्नेहासम पाजळले हो
जीवन त्यांना कळले हो
सिंधूसम हृदयांत जयांच्या
रस सगळे आकळले हो
आपत्काली अन् दीनांवर
घन होउनि जे वळले हो
जीवन त्यांना कळले हो
दूरित जयांच्या दर्शनमात्रे
मोहित होऊन जळले हो
पुण्य जयांच्या उजवाडाने
फुलले अन् परिमळले हो
जीवन त्यांना कळले हो
आत्मदळाने नक्षत्रांचे वैभव
ज्यांनी तुळिले हो
सायासाविण ब्रह्म सनातन
उरींच ज्यां आढळले हो
जीवन त्यांना कळले हो.
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