Friday Morning

                                

-          Val Gielgud

Friday Morning is a radio play. So, mostly the sound effect has been prominently used in the play.

It is late night. There are many people in an expensive restaurant. They are dancing in music. Suddenly, the music stops and the dancing people are interrupted. It is midnight, so a new tune is played. Basil, a young man, and Shirley, a young girl, are making a plan to elope. They are going to France on Friday morning by plane.

Mc Laurin is also going to France on Friday morning. He tells Sandy that he is going to France for business.

Hannah and her aunt Janet are also planning to fly to France on the same plane. But Janet doesn’t want Hannah’s mother to know about that. They are going to meet Janet’s husband in Paris.

Sir Edmund Harwood is also flying to France on the same plane. He is an important businessman. He talks to his friend on the phone.

Meanwhile, the announcer announces that stormy weather is approaching the Southern and Western coasts from the Atlantic. Mr. and Mrs. Chapman, who are also flying to France on the same plane, are worried to hear the announcement. They are going to celebrate their holiday in France. This is the first time they’ve ever been so far. Mrs. Chapman is not so much willing to fly but Mr. Chapman insists on. They have also not got tickets for the plane, but Mrs. Galleway, their friend, is ready to help them.

On the Friday morning, the passengers are excited very much. They ask one another whether they are nervous or not. The plane takes off at half past eight. The steward requests them to take their seats. The seats are beautiful. Mr. Chapman is asked to get a paper bag from under his seat if his wife feels sick. Mr. Harwood returns the newspaper to Basil, but Basil asks him to keep it with himself. Mr. Harwood invites Basil and Shirley to have dinner with him in Paris. Basil accepts the invitation.

The passengers feel that flying in an aeroplane is the same as sitting in an armchair. They see everything on the ground small. During the bumping, they feel as if they have left their stomach behind. They keep talking about their experience.

Meanwhile, the steward informs them that they are going back to London. The pilot is making a force landing because of bad weather. As the plane is going lower, just two hundred feet above, Basil thinks of how to get saved. Mr. Harwood supposes that a bird might have hit the propeller, and that luckily they were not flying higher. Mr. Chapman finds it very dangerous. He feels pity on his helplessness. He does not like to see his wife getting afraid. Mrs. Chapman, on the other hand, wants to hide her fear and thinks that her husband is brave. Mc Laurin wants to drink more but he does not have any. Hannah doesn’t mind, if she is killed, but she doesn’t like to live with one leg. Janet is worried about her sister because of Hannah. Shirley feels sorry because she has not spent even a week together with Basil.

The plane knocks on the ground. Luckily, no one is hurt because of the pilot’s carefulness. The passengers are sent to Folkstone in the car. They cross the English Channel and sit in a train to Paris. In the evening, Shirley and Basil read the newspaper report about the crash. They laugh as the train moves slowly out of the station.

            

Childcare in China

                                                                                               Bruce Dollar

Today’s Chinese children are extraordinarily active. They are more confident than their grandparents. The writer’s team conversed with many people in child-related institutions: families, nurseries, kindergartens, and schools. The Chinese children are taught to give preference to social needs rather than personal needs, to respect productive labour, to help others and to do physical as well as intellectual labour. Certain techniques are applied to teach them.

     In China, over 90 percent of working age women work. Mostly, they leave their children in the care of their grandparents. If they don’t have elderly member in the family they leave their children with a friend or neighbour.

     The childcare system in China is decentralized. The childcare centres of different localities often arrange the facilities themselves. But all the centres t each the same values using the same methods.

     The Chinese children are taught group activities. Each child is taught to rely on another. Mostly, the childcare centres are poorly supplied with the toys and playthings to teach this value. It is believed to foster mutual help among the children. The teachers encourage such group behaviour as cooperation, sharing, and altruism. If a child shares his things with other children, the teachers praise him. Even in a competitive situation, helping others is more important than winning. If a child does something wrong, he is criticized. But he is not punished. He is persuaded to tell the truth.

     The teachers in childcare centres are selected on the basis of their interest. Their academic qualifications are secondary. Priority is given to their “sensitivity and love for children”. Only the women are chosen as the teachers in these childcare centres. They hardly leave their job.

     In China, an average child undergoes multiple mothering. This practice provides a kind of security to the child. It is not possible in America. A child who gets multiple or shared mothering can grow physically and emotionally if the mother surrogates are constant, warm and giving. Such children do not show any intellectual, emotional or physical problem.

     In Chinese families, elderly members get due respect. Besides, job for women and daycare for children have made home life easier. Chinese people get satisfaction in serving the nation.

An Insolvable Problem of Genetics

                                                                                                           Josef Skvorecky (1924- )

This story is based upon a real event that happened to the writer’s friend Jan Bich. This story presents the racism and hypocrisy of a family that ostensibly champions egalitarian ideals.

There were some African students in the narrator’s town. They were learning Czech language. The narrator’s elder brother, Adolf, loved a movie star Jana Brejchova secretly. But when he did not get reply from her, he started to love another girl Freddie Mourek. She was a beautiful girl with white skinny figure and dark and large eyes.

Freddie was an illegitimate daughter of the Secretary of the Party cell at the Lentex linen factory in K.

One day, Freddie sang a black American song at Adolf’s house. Adolf’s father and mother became angry. When Adolf’s father asked her about her English name, Freddie said that her father’s name was Frederick Positive Wasserman Brown. He was a Black American migrant worker. Adolf’s father became very sad hearing this.

After the event, Adolf’s father borrowed books by Lysenko from the People’s Municipal Library and also started reading books by Friar Mendel. When Freddie sang Negro songs at his house the second time, Adolf’s father asked her about her father’s colour. she replied that he was completely black.

In the evening, the father told Adolf to break off his relationship with Freddie. According to Mendel, he said, Freddie would bear him a black child which would invite a scandal. People would think that the child was not of Adolf but of an African student. But Adolf said that

 it was too late. Adolf and Freddie had already had physical relationship and she was pregnant.

            The narrator overheard Adolf’s mother persuading Freddie’s mother for Freddie’s abortion. But she denied. Then, when it was sure that Freddie would be the mother of Adolf’s child, Adolf’s father, mother, sister and Adolf himself started telling the people about the law of heredity. According to the law, as they explained, a completely white mother can give birth to a black child.

            Freddie and her mother were angry at Adolf’s family for defaming them. Finally, Freddie ended her relationship with Adolf. She said that her father’s mother was a Japanese lady and her father’s grandfather was a Pygmy, a black African slave. So, according to Mendel’s law of heredity, she had a possibility of giving birth to a green dwarf. But after sometime, she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, who had a perfect pink complexion.

A Very Special Pet

                                                                                         - Nicholasa Mohr

The Fernandez family was very large. Graciela and Eugenio Fernandez had eight children: Pablito, Nellie, Carmen, William, Olgita, Freddie, Linda and Baby Nancy. They were very poor. They had also two pets: Marialu, a large female cat, and Joncrofo, a small, skinny white hen with red crest and a yellow beak.

          The Fernandez couple had bought the hen two years before to feed eggs to their children. The hen lived in the kitchen. Despite a good care for her comfort, she didn’t lay eggs.

          Graciela and Eugenio had moved to Bronx from their village six years before. They had sold their land and livestock to provide the fare. They had been living in a small apartment in the town. They were hopeful to their progress in future. Eugenio was working as a porter in Manhattan. He had to do other extra works for his family. He hoped to get promoted to the post of freight-elevator operator. He used to talk to his wife and children about his dream. They would also become happy to hear that. The children had a hope that one day they would become rich and have TV and telephone. But Mr. Fernandez had a hope to be able to buy a big farm in Puerto Rico.

          One morning, Mrs. Fernandez sat in her kitchen and gave a thought for her family condition. They had been facing many economic problems. She looked around the kitchen and saw Joncrofo catching a cockroach. The hen was bad-tempered but the children loved her very much. They were proud of her because their neighbours did not have such a pet. Mrs. Fernandez remembered that she had done everything she could to make the hen produce eggs, but all in vain. She had lost her hope that the hen would ever lay eggs. So, she decided to kill it and cook for her family.  It had been six years since she killed the last chicken.

          Mrs. Fernandez sharpened the cleaver. She would lie to the children that someone had untied the twine on her foot and when she opened the window she flew away. She told her three children, Olgita, Freddie and Baby Nancy, not to come in the kitchen. Then, she put a chair across the threshold to block the entrance.

          When she got ready, Mrs Fernandez went near to the hen. When she tried  to catch the hen, it nipped her finger sharply. Pulling the twine, she tried  to catch the hen but the hen kept jumping. Snapping Mrs. Fernandez the second time, it ran away and cackled loudly.

          Mrs. Fernandez grabbed a broom and hit the hen with its handle. After some blows, the hen dropped to the  floor. When Mrs. Fernandez caught the hen, the three small children started crying. They had been watching their mother trying to kill the hen.

          Mrs. Fernandez felt helpless. The children had already  known. So, they would not eat the meat. She wondered what she would do to the hen. Meanwhile, she found that the hen was alive. Then she placed her inside the box and dropped water and rum into her beak. Slowly the hen gained her consciousness. She lied to her younger children that she was trying to give the medicine to the sick hen. The children went back to their play. She put the cleaver and the chopping board away.

         

A Small Place

                                                                                     - Jamaica Kincaid (b. 1949- )

In this essay, the writer has severely criticized the rampant corruption in Antigua.

A tourist who goes to enjoy the natural beauty of Antigua may wonder about the name of its international airport. It is named as V. C. Bird International Airport after the country’s Prime Minister.

          A tourist is not obstructed at the Antiguan customs because he doesn’t have large bags full of clothes and food. But an Antiguan can not move through the airport customs easily because of the heavy bags, full of different items for his relatives, he carries back home from other countries.

          When the tourist comes out of the airport, a taxi driver may try to cheat him. While going to a hotel, the tourist may wonder that many brand new Japanese vehicles are running along the very bad roads.

          The driver is a careless person. He drives at a very high speed in a careless way along the dangerous hilly road. Though the cars are new and made in Japan, they produce awful sound like an old car. It is because the car owner uses impure gasoline in the engine. An Antiguan driver has never heard about or seen non-leaded gasoline. Though the drivers drive very expensive cars, their houses are far beneath the status of the cars. They get loans for buying  the car easily, but they do not get loan for a house. It is because two main car dealerships in Antigua are owned by two of the ministers of the government.

          The school buildings are so dilapidated that a tourist may think, at first, that they are public toilets. The hospital is also in a very bad condition and is staffed with incompetent doctors. Nobody trusts in them. The Minister for Health himself goes to New York for his health check up.

          There is no library in Antigua. The one which was damaged long ago by earthquake has not been repaired. The sign for it has been hanging for more than a decade. In Antigua, there is no sense of time. The people think that twelve years, twelve minutes and twelve days are all the same. Britain became rich because its people always valued time.

          The American Embassy is taller than any government office in Antigua. Some new capitalists are richer than the government itself. A merchant family has earned a huge fortune within the last twenty years. When they first came to Antigua, they were very poor. Now they lend money to the government. The government rents their buildings for huge sums of money. A member of the family is the Antiguan Ambassador to Syria. There is also a mansion of a notorious drug smuggler. He has many cars and buildings. Evita, a very notorious woman who has a very high power in the government, has a very big house and a lot of shops and property.  She has misused her youth and beauty for money and power.

          When the tourist reaches the hotel, he may want some refreshment. He can take bath and look out through the window of the room. The water looks navy-blue far out. Nearer it is sky blue. On the shore, the water is pale, silvery and clear. There is no proper system of sewage management. All the water from the bathrooms flows into the sea. So, it is polluted.

          Antiguans think that a tourist is an ugly human being. They do not like tourists because they are jealous of their ability to roam around freely. The Antiguans are poor, so they can’t go anywhere. They can’t escape from their everyday reality.

साक्षी

एउटा यामाहा इन्टाइसर मोटरसाइकल आयो र घ्याच्च रोकियो पसल अघिल्तिर । रातो रङ्गको त्यस मोटरसाइकलको पछिल्तिर सवार युवक फुर्तीसाथ उत्रियो र पसलतिर बढ्यो । मोटरसाइकल चालक त्यस्तै पैंतालीस या पचास वर्षको अधबैंसे ब्यक्तिपनि हेल्मेट मोटरसाइकलको हेण्डिलमा उनेर उसको पछिपछि पसलमा पस्यो । दुबै खानलाउन राम्ररी नै पुग्ने परिवारका जस्ता देखिन्थे । 

उनीहरु आएको देखेपछि साहुनीको फूर्ती बढ्यो । उनको अनुहारमा खुशीफुलेको थियो या हतास, त्यो भने मैले ठम्याउन सकिनँ । तर झण्डै बीस मिनेट देखि साँधेको भटमास—चिउराको निम्ति पर्खेर बसेको मलाई तुरुन्तै उनको सेवा मिल्यो । मैले अर्डर गरेको खानेकुरा तयार पार्न समय लागेको थियो या अरु कुनै कारणले, मलाई थाहा भएन । 

आमाचाहिंले आफ्नी छोरीलाई आँखाले इशारा गरेको मैले देखें । तुरुन्तै छोरी चाहिंले एउटा कोकको बोतलमेरो अघिल्तिर ढ्याक्क राखिदिई र भित्रतिर दौडिई । 

म भटमास चिउरा चपाउँदै कोकले भिजाएर निल्दै गर्न लागें । मलाई हतार थियो । बेलुकीको पाँच बजिसकेको थियो । भित्री पृष्ठका समाचार तथा लेखहरु संयोजन गरिसकेर प्रेसमा छाप्न पठाएपछि म त्यहाँ आएको थिएँ । बाहिरी पृष्ठहरुका निम्ति जिल्लाबाट समाचारहरु आउनेक्रम सुरु भइसकेको थियो । त्यसैले जतिसक्दो चाँडो खाइसकेर हिंड्नु थियो । 

कार्यकारी सम्पादक बिरामी भएर बिदामा बसेकाले पत्रिकाको सबै काम म एक्लैले गर्नुपरेको थियो । त्यसैले म दिनभरि ब्यस्त रहन्थें । बेलुकी झन् बढी जिल्लाबाट आएका समाचारहरु सम्पादन गर्नुपर्ने भएकोले खानाको लागि कोठा पुग्न ढिलो हुन्थ्यो । त्यसैले म अलिकति फुर्सद निकालेर खाजाखान त्यस होटलमा पुग्थें । मेरो पत्रिकाको कार्यालय नजिकै हुनाले पनि त्यो होटल मेरो छनौटमा परेको थियो । 

मेरो टेबुल नजीकै होटलकी साहुनीको किचेन थियो । ग्याँस स्टोभमा उनी केहि पकाउँदै थिइन् । भर्खरै होटलभित्र छिरेको उनको अधबैंश ेग्राहक आफैंले एउटा मुडा बोकेर आयो र उनको छेउमै बिस्तारै बस्यो । उसित आएको केटो साहुनीको छोरी पछ्याउँदै सरासर भित्र पसिसकेको थियो । भित्रउनीहरु चलेको, जिस्किएको र साहुनीको छोरी खितखिताएर हाँसेको आवाजले मेरो कान फुट्लाजस्तो हुँदै थियो । यता साहुनीले एक प्लेट कुखुराको मासु र एउटा बियर आपm्नो अधबैंशे ग्राहकको अघिल्तिर राखिदिइन् र उ तिर हेरेर मुसुक्क हाँसिन् । 

लगाइरहेको क्यापखोलेर घुँडामा राख्दै ग्राहकले मौनतातोड्यो । 

“उफ्, कति सारो गर्मी हौ, आज । ”

उसले आफ्नो आधा खुइलिएको तालु साहुनीलाई देखाउन चाहेको हो कि? तर साहुनीले उसको तालुतिर खासै ध्यान नदिएको जस्तो लाग्यो । 

“त्यहित,” साहुनीले उत्तर फर्काइन्, “चिसो बियर अगाडि राखिदिएको देख्नु भएन?”

“आऊ न हौ कान्छी । एकछिन छेउमा बस ।”

साहुनीलाई बोलायो उसले । मात्तिएको बूढा । छेवैमा बसेर भटमास चिउरा चपाइरहेको मेरो अस्तित्व स्वीकार्न चाहेन उसले । कम थिइनन् साहुनीपनि । बिर्को खोलेको एउटा बियरको बोतल हातमा लिएर ठाडो घाँटी लगाइन् । घुटुक्क बियर निलेर मलाई पुलुक्क हेरिन् । अनि उसको छेवैमा टाँसिएर बसिन् र भनिन् — “यो तपाईंको तर्फबाट ल ।”

साहुनी लाडे पल्टिँदै आफूसित टाँस्सिन आइपुगेपछि त्यस अधबैंसे अझमख्ख परेको हुनुपर्छ । “खाऊ न खाऊ,”उसले भन्यो, “तिम्रै होटलमा म तिमीलाई नै किनीदिन्छु ।”

नभन्दै एकैछिन पछि नै आफ्नो प्लेटको कुखुराको मासु केलाउँदै फलमासु साहुनीलाई खुवाइदिन पो थाल्यो । म जिल्ल परें । आफ्नो प्लेटको भटमास चिउरा चपाउन बिर्सिएर उनीहरुलाई नै हेरिबसेछु निकैबेर ।

एकैछिन अघिसम्मको मेरो मनको हतारो कतिबेला निस्किएर टाप कसेछ । उनीहरुको गतिविधिमा चाख लागेर होला शायद । बिस्तारै भटमास चिउरा चपाउँदै म उनीहरुलाई नै घरिघरि पुलुक्क हेर्थें र उनीहरु बिचको कुराकानी सुन्ने प्रयत्नमा थिएँ । कस्ता कुरा गर्दा हुन् यिनीहरु ? मेरो मनमा खुल्दुली थियो ।तर उनीहरुको कुरा प्रष्ट सुन्न सकिने स्थिति त्यहाँ थिएन किनभने सडकमा गाडीहरुको आवतजावत र हर्नको तीखो आवाज ब्याप्त थियो । 

मेरो प्लेटको भटमास चिउरा सकेसम्म ढिलो सकिए पनि हुन्थ्यो, तर थोरै, थोरै मात्र चपाउँदा पनि चाँडै सकियो । अलिकति कोक बोतलको पींधमा बाँकी रहेछ । त्यो पनि अन्तिम घुट्कोमा सकिदिएँ । त्यसबिचमा साहुनीले त्यस अधबैंसेको प्लेटमा दुईपटक मासु थप्न भ्याइसकेकी थिइन् । बियरका तीनवटा खाली बोतल भूईंमा ठडिएका थिए । अधबैंशे मस्त थियो फलमासु केलाउँदै साहुनीलाई खुवाउनमा । हड्डी चुस्दै प्लेटमा राखेर बियर घुट्क्याउँदा उसलाई अपार आनन्द प्राप्त भइरहेको हुनुपर्छ त्यो बखतमा, नत्र बिचबिचमा किन साहुनीका तिघ्रा चिमोट्दै, आफ्नो कुमले उसको कुमलाई धकेल्दै उन्मत्तहाँसो हाँस्थ्यो ?

त्यो केटो को थियो ? उसको साथी? किउसको छोरो या भतिजो ? मैले ठम्याउन सकिनँ, सक्ने कुरो पनि थिएन शायद । तर उ दुबै हातले आफ्नो कपाल मिलाउँदै बाहिर आइसकेको थियो । साहुनीकी छोरी भित्रै थिई र चूप लागेकी थिई । अघिसम्म कोठै थर्काएर हाँस्ने ऊ अहिले किन चूप लागी?

“भयो ?” युवकलाई देख्नासाथ अधबैंशेले सोध्यो । 

“अँ, भयो,”युवकले जवाफ फर्कायो, “जाम् अब, ढिलो हुनलाग्यो ।”

अधबैंशे उभियो र पाइन्टको पछाडिको गोजीबाट पर्स झिक्यो । 

“तीन हजार ।” साहुनीले भनिन् । 

अधबैंशेले नबोली तीनओटा हजार रुपैंयाको नोट थमाइदियो उनको हातमा र एकपटक चुम्बन गर्यो साहुनीको गालामा । त्यसपछि दुबै मोटरसाइकलमा चढेर त्यहाँबाट अलप भए । 

त्यो साँझ मेरो मन स्थिर रहेन । राम्ररी कामगर्नै सकिनँ । कस्तो कस्तो लागिरह्यो मनमा । साहुनी, उसकी छोरी, त्यो अधबैंशे र त्यो युवक नाचिरहे आँखावरिपरि । उनीहरुको निम्तिशायद यो स्वभाविक दैनिकी थियो, तर मेरो निम्ति नितान्त नौलो दृश्य थियो । अन्जानमा म उनीहरुको साक्षी बन्न पुगेको थिएँ । त्यसैले मनमा अपराधबोध भइरह्यो निकै बेर । 

बैशाखको मध्य एकदिन पुनः भेट भयो त्यो अधबैंशेसित अप्रत्यासित र अवाञ्छितरुपमा । म समाचार रिपोर्टिङ्गका लागि कतै जाँदै थिएँ । ब्यागमा डायरी, कलम र क्यामेरा थिए ।चोकको घुमाउरो टर्निङ्गमा एउटी दुब्लीपातली महिला एउटा भलाद्मीको सर्टको कलर समातेर झुण्डिदै तान्दै थिई उसलाई । 

“बजिया, रण्डा,” उ आक्रोशित थिई, “मोज गर्ने बेलामा गरिस् अनि पैसा नतिरी भाग्न खोज्छस् ?” मैले पालैपालो ती महिला र भलाद्मीको अनुहारमा नियालें । ती महिलाले शरीरको माथिल्लो भागमा कालो मैलो चोली लगाएकी थिइन् । कम्मरमुनि रातो पेटीकोट मात्र थियो । खुट्टा खाली थियो, चप्पलबिनाको ।कपाल भर्खरै कसैले भुत्ल्याएर छोडेको जस्तो असरल्ल थियो । अरु थुप्रै मानिसहरु उनीहरुलाई नै हेरिरहेका थिए ।

ऊ त्यहि अधबैंशे थियो जसले केहिदिन अघि एक साँझ मेरो अस्तित्वलाई नकार्दै मेरै अघिल्तिर होटलकी साहुनीको तिघ्रा चिमोटेको थियो । तर यतिबेला ऊ त्यतिबेलाको जस्तो हँसिलो र रहुसे देखिएन । उसको पहिरनले ऊ ठाँटिएर कतै हिंडेको भलाद्मी जस्तो लाग्थ्यो । उसको मुखबाट बियरको अमिलो गन्ध आइरहेको थियो । लाजले हुनुपर्छ उसको अनुहार निकै रातो भएको थियो । कसाहीले खसीबोका घिच्याएजस्तो त्यो आइमाइले उसको सर्टको कलरमा समातेर घिच्याउँदै थिई । ऊ रुन्चेस्वरमा “त्यसरी नतानन” भन्दै लुरुलुरु पछि लागिरहेको थियो । 

मेरो झोलामा राखेको क्यामेराको याद आयो मलाई । झिकेर यिनीहरुको फोटो खिचूँ? अहँ, मनले मानेन । कसरी खिच्नु ? के भनेर छाप्नु ? मेरो समाजको अतिगोप्य कटुसत्य छताछुल्ल भएर सडकमा पोखिएको त्यो क्षण सडकको वारि र पारि उभिएर हेरिरहेका धेरैका निम्ति रमाइलो दृश्य भयो होला । तर मेरो मन खिन्न भइरह्यो ।

केहिबेर त्यो महिलाले तान्दै अधबैंशेलाई एउटा रेष्टुरेण्टभित्र हुलेको दृश्य हेरिरहें । लाग्यो, कमलकोटीले आफ्नो चारो लार्भालाई तान्दै माटोको गुँडमा छिराउँदैछ । आँखाबाट उनीहरु अलप भएपछि म आफ्नो बाटो लागें, मेरो शहरमा मौलाउँदै गएको नयाँ सँस्कृतिको साक्षीबनेर ।

                                               १६ चैत २०६९ मा नागरिक दैनिक पुर्बेली संस्करणमा प्रकाशित

चोरी (Theft)

प्रदीप एक्लै बसेर पढिरहेको थियो । कोठामा अरु कोही थिएन । त्यसैले शान्त वातावरण थियो । तर उसको मन अशान्त थियो । उसलाई छटपटी भइरहेको थियो । के गरौं, कसो गरौं भइरहेको थियो । 

भोलि शनिबार थियो, स्कूल छुट्टी हुने दिन । दिउँसो साथीहरुले हलमा नयाँ फिल्म लागेको बताएका थिए । उनीहरु सबैले भोलि दिउँसो फिल्म हेर्न जाने सल्लाह पनि गरेका थिए । उनीहरुले प्रदीपलाई पनि सोधेका थिए । तर उसित पैसा थिएन । तत्काल कतैबाट जुटाइहाल्ने उपाय पनि थिएन । त्यसैले उ साथीहरुले सोध्दा जवाफ दिन नसकेर चूप लागेको थियो । पछि तिर्ने शर्तमा रमेशले टिकटको पैसा आफंैले लगाइदिने प्रस्ताव पनि राखेको थियो । तर तिर्ने कसरी? त्यसैले उसले साथीहरुलाई कुनै टुंगो दिन सकेको थिएन । भालि नै थाहा दिउँलानी भनेर उ घरतिर हिँडेको थियो । 

अचानक् प्रदीपको मनमा एउटा उपाय सुझ्यो । मनबाट ठूलो बोझ हटेजस्तो भयो । ऊपूmर्तीसाथ जुरुक्क उठ्यो र बाबामामु सुत्ने कोठामा बिस्तारै बिरालोको चालमा पस्यो । त्यसपछि चलाखीसाथ पलङ्को सिरानी पल्टायो । उसले त्यहाँ एउटा डायरी भेट्यो । बाबाको डायरी रहेछ । डायरी उठाएर सबै पाना छिटो छिटो पल्टायो । केहि भेटेन । डायरीका पानाहरु फेरि त्यसैगरी पल्टायो, तर यसपटक अलि बिस्तारै । पुनःउसले त्यहाँ केहि भेटेन, डायरीका पानाहरु बाहेक । तेस्रोपल्ट डायरी पल्टाउँदा पनि उसले आशा गरे अनुरुप रुपैयाँ भेटेन । त्यसपछि डायरीलाई सिरानीमुनि नै राखेर उ अरुतिर खोज्न थाल्यो । डायरीका पानाहरुमा लेखिएका सुन्दर अक्षरहरुसित उसलाई कुनै चासो थिएन । 

उसले पलङ्को डसना उचाल्यो र त्यहाँ पनि हेर्यो । त्यहाँ केहिकागजका टुक्राहरुमात्र भेट्यो । आल्नामा मिलाएर राखिएका कपडाहरु देख्यो । त्यहाँ बाबाका पाइन्टहरु आइरन गरेर मिलाएर राखिएका थिए । हलुकासँग सबै पाइन्टका गोजीहरु छाम्यो पालैसित । तर केहि भेटिएन । शायद रुपैयाँ राखेको पाइन्ट लगाएर बाबा गाउँ घुम्न निस्किनु भयो होला । 

मनमा खल्लो लाग्यो । तर उसले अझै आशा त्यागिसकेको थिएन । उसका हातहरु बिस्तारै डेसिङ् टेबुलका खोपाहरुमा सल्बलाए । त्यहाँ पनि आशा गरे अनुरुप केहि भेटिएन । 

उ लगभग निराश भयो । अब कसो गर्ने होला? साथीहरु सबै भोलि फिल्म हेरेर छुट्टी मनाउलान् । आफूभने के गरी बिदाको दिन बिताउने होला?प्रदीपको मनमा कुरा खेल्न थाल्यो । 

अचानक् उसले बाबाको नयाँकोट सम्झियो । कोट ढोका छेउको भित्ताको काँटीमा झुण्डिरहेको थियो । मामाको बिहेको लागि केटी हेर्न जाँदा उसको बाबाले यहिकोट लगाउनु भएको थियो । मामाको बिहे पक्का भएपछि हुनेवाला ससुरालीमा टिका लगाएर आएको उहाँले बताउनु भएको थियो । टिका लगाएपछि दक्षिणा पनि त पाउनु भयो होला । 

हत्तपत्त प्रदीपले बाबाको कोटको गोजीमा हातहाल्यो । तर गोजी रित्तो थियो । 

“धत् यहाँ पनि रै’नछ ।” कोटको दुईटै बाहिरी गोजी छामिसकेपछि उसले सोंच्यो । तत्कालै उसले सम्भm्यो —”कोटमा त भित्रीगोजी पनि हुन्छ ।” त्यहाँपनि छामी हेर्ने विचारले हात घुसार्यो ।

”आहा...!”

नभन्दै उसले गोजीमा एउटा चिठ्ठी हाल्न प्रयोग हुने खाम भेट्यो । हत्तपत्त खाम खोलेर हेर्यो । उसको खुशीको सीमा रहेन । खामभित्र दुईटा नोट थिए । एउटा पाँचसयको र अर्को पचासको ।

कुनचाहिँ झिकूँ? उसलाई अप्ठेरो पर्यो । पचासको झिकूँ? अहँ, फिलिमको टिकट किन्नै पुग्दैन । पाँचसयको झिकूँ? तर बाबाले थाहापाउनु भयो भने ? दोमन र अलमलमा करिब पाँचमिनेट बितेछ । बाहिरबाट कसैले खाकेको आवाजआयो । हजुरआमा भित्र आउन लाग्नु भए जस्तो छ । 

”नखाऊँ भने दिनभरिको शिकार, खाऊँभने कान्छा बाऊको अनुहार”भनेझैं भयो प्रदीपलाई । कोटको गोजीमा फेला परेको पैसा त्यसै छोड्न पनि मन लागेन । चोर्दा पनित्यति ठूलो रकमबाबाले थाहापाउनु भयो भने आफ्नो के गतिहुने हो ? उताकोटको गोजीमा हातहालेर बसिरहने समय पनि छैन । हजुरआमा आइपुग्नु भयो भने के होला? आखिर केहि न केहि त गर्नै पर्ने भयो । 

पाँचसय रुपैयाँको नोट झिकेर हत्तपत्त आफ्नो पाइन्टको खल्तीमा हाल्यो प्रदीपले । खाममा भएको रकम पक्कै बाबाले हेर्नुभएको छैन होला । मामाको हुनेवाला ससुराले खामभित्र हालेर दिए होलान् । त्यसैले दुईवटा नोट थियो कि एउटामात्र, उहाँलाई थाहाहुने कुरो भएन । उसको मन केहि ढुक्क भयो । 

बेलुकी खाना खाइवरी चाँडै नै सुत्यो । उ सुत्दा ममी, बाबा र हजुरआमा गफ गरिरहनु भएको थियो । 

भोलिपल्ट बिहान निन्द्राले छोडेपछि प्रदीप झसङ्ग भयो । उज्यालो भइसकेछ । ओछ्यानमै पाइन्टको गोजी छाम्यो । ऊ खङ्रङ्गभयो । लौ बित्यास पर्यो । पैसा छैन त ?

ऊ जुरुक्क उठेर ओछ्यानमा खोज्न थाल्यो । कतै सिरकले छोपिएको पो छ कि? राति सुतेको बेलामा गोजीबाट झरेको हुनुपर्छ । तर अहँ, पैसा भेटिएन । अब के गर्नेहोला त ?

”के खोजेको हँ तैले ?” एक्कासी कानमा ठोक्किन आइपुग्यो ममीको तीखो आवाज । प्रदीप तर्सियो । राम्ररी नियालेर आवाज आएतिर हेर्यो ।उसले देख्यो — ममी र हजुरआमा उसैलाई हेरिरहनु भएको छ । अनौठो भाव थियो उहाँहरुको हेराइमा । मैले पैसा चोरेको थाहा त पाएनन्? प्रदीपको मनमा चिसो पस्यो । के भन्ने, कसो भन्ने भयो उसलाई । ”पैसा खाजेको होस् भने यहाँ म सित छ ।” फेरि ममीले भन्नुभयो । लौ पर्यो फसाद । अब मरिने भो ।थाहा पाइसकेछन् । कसरी अबमुख देखाउनु ? प्रदीपआत्तियो । केहिबोल्न सकेन । घोसे मुन्टो लगायो र बसिरह्यो । 

त्यसबखत बाबा घरमा हुनुहुन्थेन । बिहान सबेरै उठेर मर्निङ्वाकमा निस्किसक्नु भएको थियो । यो उहाँको प्रत्येक बिहानको नियमितचर्या थियो । ”धन्य !” प्रदीपले सोंच्यो, ”अबबाबालाई कसरी मुख देखाउनु ।” उसको मनमा चिन्ता थपियो ।

केहिबेर पछि ममी उसको छेउमा आउनुभयो । ”मेरो छोरो असल छ भन्ने सोंच्थें, ” उहाँले व्यङ्ग गर्दै भन्नुभयो, ”पकेटमार हुन लागेछ ।” प्रदीपलाई डरमात्रलागिरहेको थियो । ममीको बचनबाणले नरमाइलो पनिलाग्यो । उसलाई पछुतो लाग्नथाल्यो । 

”किनत्यस्तो फटाईं गरिस् ?भन् त ।” ममीले उसलाई फेरि एकपटक केर्नु भयो । तर ऊ बोलेन । ढुङ्गाको मूर्तिझैं भूईतिर हेरेर बसिरह्यो ओछ्यानमै । 

”पैसा चोर्ने तँ, तेरो बाबुको गालीखाने चैं म ।” रुन्चे स्वरमा ममीको गुनासो मिश्रित गाली उसले सुनिमात्र रह्यो । 

”भइहाल्यो, धेरै गाली नगर् । बालख हो । एकपटक सबैको बुद्धि बिग्रिन्छ । अब चोर्दैन । कि चोर्छस् ?” हजुरआमाले उसको बचाउ गर्दै भन्नुभयो । प्रदीपले अब देखि चोर्दिन भन्ने भाव जनाउन टाउको मात्र हल्लायो, तर बोलेन । ”अब बाबा आएपछि के गर्नु हुने हो,”मनमनै उ पिरोलिइरहेको थियो । 

केहिबेरपछि बाबापनि घर आइपुग्नु भयो । प्रदीपको डरको सीमा रहेन । सम्भावित सजायँ सम्झेर उसको मुटु काम्यो । बिहानै ओछ्यानबाट उठेर पढ्न बसिसकेको थियो । अरुबेला शनिबार ऊ कहिल्यै पढ्दैनथ्यो । 

प्रदीप पढिरहेको खाटमा बाबापनि आएर बस्नुभयो । साथमा दाह्री काट्ने मेसिन, क्रीम, ऐना र एउटा टावेल थियो । दाह्री काट्दै गर्दा अचानक् बाबाको प्रश्नले प्रदीपको मनमा ठूलो कम्पन पैदा गर्यो— ”ओइ केटा, तैंले राति किन मेरो कोटको गोजीबाट पैसा झिकिस्, हँ?” उसलाई एक्कासी रिंगटा लाग्ला जस्तो भयो । आँखा अघिल्तिर कुनै कालो आकृति उभिएजस्तो भयो । छायाँमात्र देख्यो उसले । मनमा उत्पन्न भएको डरले गर्दा आफ्नै छेउमा दाह्री काटिरहनु भएका बाबालाई समेत केहिबेर देखेन प्रदीपले । 

”अबदेखि त्यसरी पैसा चोर्ने होइन नी, बुझिस् केटा ?पुनः एकपटक सम्झाउने भाकामा बाबाले भन्नुभयो, ”बरु तँलाई चाहिए मलाई माग्नू ।” बाबाले त्यसो भन्नुहोला र त्यति सजिलै माफ गर्नुहोला भन्ने उसलाई लागेको थिएन । मनमनै खुशी भएपनि ऊ बोल्न सकेन । ”हुन्छ” भन्ने जनाउन टाउकोमात्र हल्लायो ।  

(२०६९ फागुन १३ गते कोपिलामा प्रकाशित)  

An Interview with Narayan Wagle taken in 2008

Appendix-I

          I had informed Narayan Wagle, the author of Palpasa Café, that I was going to write MA Thesis on his novel. At that time, my thesis proposal had just been accepted by the Department of English of Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan. We had a talk for about seven minutes. He appreciated my attempt, and wished me all the best. He also suggested me the way for getting the copies of reviews on Palpasa Café published in various magazines and newspapers. Meanwhile, I asked him some questions about the novel. Providing answers to my questions he said that he had really been interested in writing even since he was a boy. Like Drishya, the protagonist of the novel, I found him very interested in arts and paintings. He said that he had spent a lot of time in some libraries and galleries of the capital. He revealed that he had been particularly interested in arts even for reporting.   

          With this scant information about the background of the conception of the novel, I started my study of the novel on the model of aestheticism. But the more I read the novel the more questions came into my mind. Perhaps my superviser Ramji Timalsina also realized this. He suggested me to send a questionnaire to Wagle. He also helped me to prepare some of the questions.

          I contacted Wagle again. He said he was too busy at the moment. Despite that, he showed his readiness to help me sending answers of my questionnaire. So I sent him a questionnaire through e-mail.

          It would have been better if I had been able to place all his answers in his own handwriting. But I couldn’t do so because of the inadequacy of time and technology. Anyway, I am very much thankful to Mr. Wagle for his interest and help to me. The following are his answers to my questions:

1.     Would you provide some information about your childhood?

म तनहुंको क्यामिन छापथोकमा जन्मेर दुई कक्षासम्म त्यही पहाडी पाखाको प्राथमिक विद्यालयमा पढेको हुं । आमाबुवाले घरजग्गा बेची दुई भाइ छोराको पढाइका लागि अलि पायकको दमौली बजारछेऊ बसाई सारेपछि पहिला दमौलीस्थित निर्मल माध्यमिक विद्यालय र त्यसपछि पनि बसाईं सर्दै त्यही जिल्लाको फराकचौर पुगेर प्रस्तावित बाराही माध्यमिक विद्यालयबाट एसएसली पास गरेको हुं । 

2.     How did you start your education? What do you say about your school life?

म बाल्यकालबाटै लेखक बन्नेबारे सोच्थें । कापीमा जानीनजानी बुझिने नबुझिने गन्थन लेख्ने गर्थें, चित्र बनाउने गर्थें । विस्तारै साहित्यिक पुस्तकहरुतिर लहसिन थालेपछि लेखक बन्ने अमूर्त सपनालाई आकार दिनेबारे सोच्न थालें । काठमाडौं आएपछि ब्रिटिश काउन्सिल र अमेरिकी लाइब्रेरीको वातावरणले मलाई साहित्यिक रचनातर्फ लहस्याउन थाल्यो । पत्रकारिता थालेपछि विषयवस्तु पाउंदै गएं । 

3.     What is your profession? What are you doing at present?

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4.     How did you start writing? How did you get inspiration to write? By whom?

पत्रकारिताका क्रममा देशका धेरै जिल्ला घुमें, धेरै घटनाको समाचार बनाएं, धेरै व्यक्तिसंग भेट र विषयसंग साक्षात्कार गरें । संयोगले देशमा सशस्त्र द्धन्द्धका कारण भएका धेरै घटना चित्रित गर्ने अवसर पाएं र घटनाहरुमा परेका व्यक्तिहरुबारे कल्पना गर्दै जांदा यही विषयवस्तु जन्मिन पुग्यो । लेखक बन्नु थियो, विषय देशको परिस्थितिले दियो ।

5.     What is your first original work? When did you get it published?

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6.     Since you are a journalist, you have to write articles, news items and features. I think you’re always busy in writing and editing news items. How do you manage your time for literature?

Answer- There is a saying that busy people have more time.

7.     Which is your favourite writing: news and features, articles or literature? Why?

Answer- I like everything. Depends upon the topic and style.

8.     I have read somewhere that you studied science in college. How did you develop your interest and skill in literature?

Answer- n]vs aGg] d]/f] afNosfnb]lvs} ;kgf lyof] / ToxL kl5;Ddsf] d]/f] pmhf{ eof] . h]df ?lr 5, ToxL kl9G5, ;'lgG5, u'lgG5 / ug{ yflnG5 eGg] d]/f xs\df klg nfu" eof] .

9.     Why do you think people love and write literature?

Answer- because literature is close to mind and heart.

10.                         Is literature self-sufficient?

Answer- I think so.

11.                        What in your view is the relationship between life and literature?

A- Pp6} l;Ssfsf b'O{ kf6f .

12.                        What do you think about the theory of ‘art for art’s sake’? Is it the guiding principle in the creation of Palpasa Café?

A- snf hLjgsf nflu x'g'k5{ eGg] d 7fG5' .

13.                        How do people get pleasure, in your view, from literature?

A- It ignites human emotions, feelings.

14.                        Can literary creators get pleasure from nature and society? If so, how?

A- k|s[lt / ;dfh ;flxTosf 3lgi7 ePsfn] To;af6 cfgGb lng' :jfefljs 5 .

15.                        Is it possible that a man can be indifferent about the war going around and can search for beauty within it?

A- No, one can't be.

16.                        What is the place of love in life and literature?

A- It is central.

17.                        What do you basically create literature for?

A- It gives me pleasure.

18.                        What is more important for a writer, his perception or the object he encounters?

A- Perception.

19.                        Can materialistic thinkers, in your opinion, get the level of pleasure a spiritualist gets from art, artistic process and the world around? Why?

A- I can't answer, sorry.

20.                        Your debut novel received the prestigious Madan Puraskar. Do you think it deserved it? Why?

A- It isn't me to comment on.

21.                        How long did you take to write Palpasa Café? How did you get the title?

A- It took some two-three years. The title clicked one day all of a sudden and I enjoyed it having on the cover.

22.                        Some critics have said that Palpasa Café is an anti-war novel. Some others have said it is a post-modern avant-garde narrative. What do you have to say? In your own opinion, what kind of novel is it?

A- I really don't know.

23.                        Do you believe that you have presented yourself as the narrator both at the beginning and the end of the novel? Or is it only your strategy to present another character who shares your personality?

A- I thought it'd be the best way to present Drishya.

24.                        How and why did you get the idea of choosing a painter (artist) as the protagonist of your novel?

A- I thought the artist would satisfy me more.

25.                        Do you accept that Drishya’s ideas and personality represent yours? How much is the impression of your personality in characterization of Drishya?

A- It might be. It mightn't be.

26.                        How could you gain all the knowledge about art and aesthetics? Who are you inspired by?

A- I used to cover art exhibitions in Kathmandu as journalist earlier and used to be fond of art.

27.                        What are your references before and during you wrote your novel?

A- I didn't have any.

28.                        I have found a narrative mismatch in the novel. The beginner narrator says that Drishya has just been abducted. The narrator at the end says that Drishya’s whereabout is still not known. But in chapter-28, all the description about Drishya’s abduction has been presented through his own narrative. How is it possible for Drishya to provide all the information about his abduction so precisely? If Drishya has already got an opportunity to narrate about his own abduction to the (writer?) narrator of the novel, then why does he pretend of not knowing anything about Drishya? What do you say on this? Is it your deliberate strategy?

A- It wasn't strategy but style.

29.                        Mostly you haven’t specified the names of the village and other places that Drishya and other characters roam. What’s the purpose for that?

A- Because it was identical to all hills, I suppose.

30.                        How is Drishya’s aestheticism different from Siddhartha’s dialectical materialism in your view?

A- Sorry, I can't answer it.

31.                        What are the bases in the novel to prove that Drishya believes in aestheticism? What are your efforts, as a writer, in the novel to show Drishya as an aesthete?

A- I thought whatever I've portrayed, it was enough.

32.                        The music has been mentioned many times in the novel. Drishya seems to be listening songs almost all the time. So what is your purpose, as a writer, behind it? What place do you think has the music got in your novel?

A- Again, I don't know.

33.                        How do you explain Drishya’s style of making paintings? Why doesn’t he paint an object as real as the object is? Why does he use orange colour to paint a hill?

A- There are hints in the book.

34.                        Do you see any difference between Drishya’s perspectives before and after visiting around the village? If so, how? If not, how?

A- Again, there are hints in the book.

35.                        How do you explain the relationship between Palpasa and Drishya? Between Christina and Drishya?

A- It's not the writer's task role to define it. No more of the writer once the book is out, I think.

36.                        Does Drishya believe in art for art’s sake? If so, why? If not, why?

A- Again, I am unable to answer.

37.                        Does Palpasa like Drishya’s painting just for its own sake?

A- There are hints again the book.

38.                        In your judgment as the writer of the novel, how do you evaluate Drishya, Siddhartha, Palpasa and Christina?

A- As the writer I love them all. They are very dear to me.

Appendix-II: Wagle’s Reply to the Quest for His CV

Dear Parshuji

I'm sorry again to respond you late.

I found some of your questions quite personal. I don't think you need to go into too personal matters. Just focus on your thesis on the book. Writer's personal life doesn't matter much.  

The following is my formal CV:

Narayan Wagle, 40, recently quit as the Editor of Kantipur, Nepal's largest selling national daily to realise a dream of launching a better newspaper. He along with a group of senior editors along with of The Kathmandu Post, sister publication of the house, helped set up a new media house Dhumbarahi Media Pvt Ltd to bring out two dailies Dainikee in Nepali under his editorship and Republica in English.

Joined as a reporter in Kantipur in 1991, he has covered everything from business to politics, tourism to mountaineering, arts to international affairs. He became chief reporter, rose to the position of news editor and finally appointed as the editor of the leading daily in 2003 after the beginning of the Royal regression. He travelled the country extensively before and after of the Maoists’ armed movement.

He led the newspaper during the much difficult period of military censorship and Maoists militants' pressure. He was detained, summoned and threatened by the authorities because of the newspaper's very strong editorial line advocating free press, democracy, human rights and rule of law during the King's days.

He was born in 1968 in Tanahun district, did schooling from his village, came to Kathmandu for college. Started journalism in 1990 in the then Janamanch weekly. Left the magazine to be with the inception-team in Kantipur.

Palpasa Cafe is his first book.

Thanks.

Narayan

Source: VOICE FOR AESTHETICISM IN PALPASA CAFÉ,

                                       A Thesis

         Submitted to

   The Department of English

                       Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan

  In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

                   Master of Arts in English 

                                        By

                                   Parshu Ram Shrestha

                                               2008

Voice for Aestheticism in Palpasa Café

Parshu Ram Shrestha

parshushrestha31@gmail.com         

1. Introduction

Aestheticism was developed in the late Victorian era in England. It was a movement against the then Victorian moralities and hypocrisies in an attempt to inspire people to seek pleasure instead of morality and utility in art.

Walter Pater (1839-94), regarded as the father of English Aestheticism, was the first person to introduce the views of French aestheticism into Victorian England. He advocated of “the supreme value of beauty” and of “the love of art for its own sake’” (Abrams 2004: 3). Pater’s aestheticism is impressionistic aestheticism, i.e. he gives importance to beauty and subjective impressions of an object.

This article is an analysis of the novel Palpasa Café by Narayan Wagle on the model of Pater’s impressionistic aestheticism. It is based upon the article writer’s M.A. research. It contains 1) Introduction, 2) Assumptions of Pater’s Aestheticism, 3) Presence of Aesthetic Ideology in the Novel, and 4) Conclusion.

2. Assumptions of Pater’s Aestheticism

Walter Pater’s ideas expressed in his Studies in the History of the Renaissance (1873) can be summarized as follows:

a) ‘Beauty’ and ‘impression’ of an object are important. A beautiful object produces ‘special impression of beauty or pleasure’.

b) A work of art is judged subjectively. An art which has a complete union of form and content is an ideal art. Art must give pleasure and exert charm as it excites or surprises the observers.

c) Beauty is relative. Beauty should be defined in the most concrete terms possible. Beauty should be manifested.

d) Beauty is untranslatable. Beauty is an order of distinct impressions.

e) Each art has its own peculiar and untranslatable sensuous charm. It is also

possible that each art may seem to be impressed by some other arts. The arts are

able to lend each other new forces.

f) Music is the most perfect art. All the other forms of art strive to reach the

position of music. Music is a very high art because, in it, it is impossible to distinguish the matter from the form.

g) An artistic genius employs all details with refined and complicated thoughts and passions to create a happier world than we are living in.

h) Art is for Art’s sake. Impressions of an art work may vary person to person. But art should not be judged for its objective or goal.

3. Presence of Aesthetic Ideology in the Novel

3.1. Summary of the Plot

The novel is in double narrative form. The first narrator is a newspaper editor who has written a novel Palpasa Café. It is the story of Drishya, his artist friend. So the core story is told by Drishya. The novel is just finished, and the editor waits for Drishya in a restaurant. Meanwhile, Drishya is abducted from his gallery by five unidentified people. The novel ends without providing his whereabouts.

Drishya meets Palpasa in Goa. Then, they fall in love. Meanwhile, Drishya goes to his village on trekking with Siddhartha, his former college friend and now an underground maoist leader, without informing Palpasa. He describes his encounters with various people and their sorrowful stories. While returning from village, Drishya unexpectedly meets Palpasa on the bus, which falls prey to a bomb explosion caused by Maoists shortly after. Drishya escapes, but Palpasa is killed.

After the mishap, Drishya returns alone and makes a series of paintings. He has also a plan of establishing a resort, Palpasa Café, with a library, an art gallery and internet facilities, at a hillside. But his plan remains incomplete.

3.2. Conflict between Two Perspectives: Marxist and Aesthetic

Drishya travels a lot and makes paintings which he auctions in his own gallery in Kathmandu. He is not just an ordinary painter. He has his own ideology on arts and artists. For him, an art work doesn’t have any prior objective. He says, “Paintings aren’t meant to change society” (Wagle 2008:85). The responsibility is of politics. Art should be free of politics. If politics is mixed up with art, it becomes “mere propaganda” (Wagle 2008:85).

For Drishya, painting is “like music, removed from day-to-day life”. He says it is “a medium that touches the heart and mind simultaneously” which seeks only “the synergy of brushstrokes and colours” (Wagle 2008:85).

            Drishya doesn’t have a special purpose while painting pictures. He creates them according to his experience of a particular place or time.

            His ideology has greatly affected his manners. He is liberal and supports individual freedom. He says, “The spirit should always be free” (Wagle 2008:11). He even says, “We don’t need to tie ourselves to any ‘isms’ ” (Wagle 2008:12). He freely roams around for he believes that one should be free to express oneself freely.

            Once, in the middle of the novel, Drishya openly declares that he is an anti- Marxist. Answering a question by a customer, he says he isn’t a Marxist. He says, “If I believe in any ism, it’s aestheticism” (Wagle 2008:80).

On the other hand, Siddhartha, an underground Maoist leader, a former college classmate of Drishya, is a Marxist. He says we should look at things in “their totality” and we should analyse individuals “objectively” (Wagle 2008:79). For him, objective perception helps us realise the hope in the society.

            Siddhartha and Drishya have their own priorities. Drishya believes in “the supremacy of the free individual”, whereas Siddhartha talks about “institution” (Wagle 2008:84).

            Siddhartha’s perspective on arts and beauty, too, differs from that of Drishya. Siddharha thinks artists should have “urge to change society” (Wagle 2008:85). Drishya believes the opposite. For Siddhartha beauty lies “in the bitter truths of life” (Wagle 2008:85). Siddhartha says that Drishya’s colours express only fantasy, so his paintings are meaningless. Siddhartha accuses Drishya of being lost in a cacophony of culture, songs and dances, a fantasy world of colours. It is a big insult for Drishya, an aesthete.

Drishya feels that Siddhartha’s ideals are sweet to hear, but they are not practised in his comrades’ behaviour. When Drishya goes to his village with Siddhartha, he meets many characters suffering in vain just because of the ‘people’s war’ Siddhartha and his comrades started. Drishya hates the violent way they have chosen to get their genuine demands fulfilled. Therefore, Drishya exposes their dictatorial manners through his narration. He is rather ironic to them.

            While roaming around the village, Drishya feels Siddhartha is also not less responsible than the oppressive state for the plight of the innocent and straight-forward villagers. Despite Siddhartha’s claim that he is fighting to free these people from poverty and injustice, these things were added more to their life.

            Drishya says Siddhartha is “out of tune” (Wagle 2008:169). Siddhartha is killed by the security forces in front of him in a village. He has remorse that he helped the soldiers to recognize Siddhartha by mistake calling out his name. Otherwise, he is not so much sorry about his death. He feels rather free of the relationship with Siddhartha. He says: “I was free from the bonds of that friendship. I’d left it behind” (Wagle 2008:182).

            The death of Siddhartha has a symbolic meaning. It shows that one who always seeks harsh reality dies without knowing beauty. Siddhartha’s objective view doesn’t help him see the beauty Drishya discerns on things and people. 

At the climax of the plot, Palpasa is killed in an explosion by Maoists. Symbolically, Palpasa’s death is the destruction of beauty, art and innovation by Marxists.

Drishya is very sorry and shocked at Palpasa’s death. He feels he has lost his dearest asset, his sweetest dream. He returns alone from the village. Then, he openly declares his fight against over-powering forces.

3.3.   Subjective Impressions in Creation and Judgment of Arts

            Drishya paints his pictures according to the impressions of objects or people around him. He tries to incorporate his personal feelings and interests about something, i.e. inspiration. He has his own style of using colours, shade and light. He doesn’t paint an object as it is. Therefore he paints the Chandragiri Hills “orange” (Wagle 2008:46) instead of using the usual green colour for it.

            After Palpasa’s death, Drishya doesn’t see any difference between blood and vermillion. He is intoxicated with bloody impressions. So, he uses colour as his “weapon” to fight against his opposite forces. He also mixes the colours according to “the mood” (Wagle 2008:221).

            After Drishya returns from Goa, he reaches to Palpasa’s house in Kathmandu. At first, he doesn’t know who the house owner is. He is there in search of a book about painting. He likes the structure and decoration of the house and its garden very much. He especially likes the Buddha statue in the garden. He thinks “…Artists live on a higher plane. They create a separate world, another reality. They conjure characters from their minds” (Wagle 2008:49). His idea is similar to that of Walter Pater about an artistic genius. For Pater, the artistic genius has the ability of “conceiving humanity in a new and striking way” (Pater 1873:213). A person who has this genius can create a world happier than the mean world we are living. He or she can select, change or modify the images according to his or her own imaginative power.

Drishya appreciates the Buddha idol’s eyes, and imagines himself creating the same art. Certainly his present mood would affect his creation of art. He is in illusion, so he admits that the eyes of the Buddha idol would be “crowded with illusions” (Wagle 2008:49).

            When Kapil, Drishya’s friend, asks the meaning of his painting ‘Langtang 1995’, at a get together party, Drishya suggests him to “go beyond what’s represented and try to feel the mood” (Wagle 2008:67), i.e. to be subjective. His painting doesn’t represent the real object Langtang, but it has captured just “the mood of 95”. Mood is related to mind. It is not always the same. It gets changed in due course of time.

             Drishya frequently admits, many times in course of his narration, that his art is impressionistic. Drishya has been very much impressed by his village surroundings. He says he has learnt different skills of his art from natural things like hills, mustard fields, wind, water, etc.

After Palpasa’s death, Drishya goes to Palpasa’s house to meet her grandmother. There he again sees the same idol of Buddha which had fascinated him with its beautiful eyes. This time, he sees no peace in the eyes. He thinks: “If this Buddha were made today, he’d carry a gun in his hands” (Wagle 2008:191). Definitely, the creator of the Buddha would incorporate his present impression into his creation.

After losing Palpasa, he starts making new paintings which he has named ‘Palpasa Series’. These paintings are “a reflection” of his journey and his sufferings, so he can’t “be objective” (Wagle 2008:212).

            After completing the paintings, he puts them in auction in his gallery. When his customers, a Japanese couple, ask him about his way of mixing colours, he replies that he does it “as the mood takes” him. He further says: “The language of colour depends on the eye of the viewer …colours depend on the way you see them” (Wagle 2008:221).

            Drishya admits a relationship between the hills, the seasons and the colours in the painting, and says that his painting carries the impression because he grew up with “the colours the flowers painted the hills” (Wagle 2008:225).

            Palpasa, a fan of Drishya’s paintings, has also many subjective impressions. Drishya’s works seem “romantic” and having “something new” every time (Wagle 2008:20) to her.

Palpasa is very much charmed by a particular painting named ‘Rain’, in which a long yellow leaf is falling. “The leaf falls and falls but never touches the ground”, Palpasa writes in a letter to Drishya, “I feel like that leaf” (Wagle 2008:28). The picture represents Palpasa’s unstable mood.

            Palpasa thinks that a viewer understands a painting or an art work according to his or her inner state of mind. The same painting might carry different meanings for other viewers. So, she writes to Drishya that the true depths of a painting “lie in the mind of the viewer” (Wagle 2008:21).

            Palpasa also says Drishya’s work has “left its mark” (Wagle 2008:24) on her. She tries to know Drishya through the pages of his book because she believes that “Words can be a mirror of the self” (Wagle 2008:25).

 3.4. Desire for Beauty and Pleasure

An aesthete has “the power of being deeply moved by the presence of beautiful objects” (Pater 1873:x). An aesthetic critic possesses the “temperament” with which he or she identifies “the virtue” of a beautiful art object which produces the “special impression of beauty and pleasure” (Pater 1873:ix). It is the critic’s attitude to find the source of that impression and the conditions for its experience.

            In Palpasa Café, Drishya is often in search of beauty and pleasure in any object or person around him. He finds beauty and pleasure in Palpasa. He is attracted to her physical beauty, i.e. manifest beauty. Her “dark, beautiful” eyebrows and “large and clear” eyes remind him of “fresh, juicy slices of pineapple” (Wagle 2008:16). He has the temperament of being deeply moved by the presence of beautiful Palpasa. At his first meeting, Palpasa is only an object of pleasure. So he is in a mood to romance with her.  

Palpasa’s first letter is “the most beautiful” (Wagle 2008:29) one in Drishya’s life. Palpasa observes Drishya’s obsession to beauty as she says “You see beauty in everything” (Wagle 2008:30).

             By the time Drishya writes a letter to Palpasa’s grandmother, he is already known to another dimension of her beauty, i.e. her inner beauty, talent. So, he writes that she is “beautiful, intelligent…every aspect of her is beautiful. Her intelligence shines like a snow covered slope in the sun” (Wagle 2008:98). Here, Drishya, as Pater says, finds Palpasa’s beauty in more than one form, i.e. many forms of beauty manifested in Palpasa.

            While walking along the trail in his village, Drishya doesn’t want to miss the pleasant sight of the beauty of rhododendron flowers. He is “thrilled” and “overwhelmed” to see them all around him (Wagle 2008:130). In fact, Drishya has instinct for beauty and pleasure. 

4. Conclusion

            The study confirms the presence of main assumptions of impressionistic aestheticism in the novel. Drishya’s protest against the influence and involvement of politics in art, his objection to Marxist objectivity and appreciation of subjective approach for the judgment and creation of arts, and his almost all time quest for beauty and pleasure in arts are the qualities of a genuine asthete. The whole novel is dominated by Drishya’s aesthetic ideals.

References

Abrams, M.H. 2004. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Bangalore: Prism Books.

Pater, Walter. 1873. Studies in the History of the Renaissance. The VictorianWeb.5July.2007.14Aug.2008<http://.www.usp.nus.edu.sg/ Victorian/ authors/ pater/ index. Html>

Wagle, Narayan. 2008. Palpasa Café. Translator : Bikash Sangraula. Kathmandu: Nepalaya

(This article is the summarized version of the writer’s MA dissertation (submitted in 2008 to The Department of English, Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan, Sunsari) titled ‘Voice for Aestheticism in Palpasa Cafe’.)