Precipice

Arun looked up at the hill just across him, and wondered, what it takes to climb it. Raju had done it just last week, all the way up to the top and had come down, with only a few scratches on his knees. It couldn't be very tough. But Arun, he would never go up to the top of the highest peak in the village, therefore he would never be a man. The village tradition dictated it. He would always be a lesser man, never enough.

Presently Raju was coming towards him. He had been bragging about his climb to Lamba Pahar ever since he came back from his trek. Arun prepared himself to be party to some munificent brag session. "Listen to him and ignore him," He could hear his mother telling him.

"Hey Arun, how are you?" Queried Raju flippantly, not appearing much interested in learning how he fared. Arun just smiled back condescendingly. He had learned this trick, as more and more of his friends conquered Lamba Pahar and he kept falling further and further behind, culturally.

Raju did not wait for the response anyway, he went on, "You know it is not very difficult till you get to the last 100 meters, even you could do it. The last 100 meter though tests your manhood. It is certainly not meant for women, I can vouch for that, I have been there. There are these two rocky pillars, one about a feet taller than the other, there is a wide gap there, between the two towers. And the only way you go across is by jumping. And everyone chickens out just there. That is why Raghav went there three times, before he completed the whole trail. But I had gone there with one and only one aim, do or die. I did it at the very first instance. Didn't give much thought to it, before I knew it, I had gone across."

Arun listened to him intently, he was not ignoring Raju, he was hanging on to every word Raju spoke. He loved to listen to this part. He knew somehow that this was the spot of transformation and he hoped one day he could also transform. But he was not climbing the Lamba Pahar, he reminded himself for the n'th time. He looked up at the sky and smiled. Just a smile with no particular objective.

Latika, the free spirited girl of the village, was presently coming towards them. Raju whistled aloud, Arun cowered with embarrassment, Latika couldn't care less, she shouted at Raju from 100 meters away, "look what the new man of the village is up to. You just wait, I am going to Lamba Pahar very soon and then I will whistle at you."

Raju laughed an audacious, deprecating laugh. "Women are not allowed anywhere near the Lamba Pahar, let alone climb it. You will be burnt alive if you as much as try to touch one stone of that hill. And who do you think will fire you up first?" He was demeaning and suggestive. Dripping arrogance. 

"We'll see," Shouted back Latika, ignoring Raju's leering smile, Arun shyly looked on at her, disappearing in the dusk.

"Look at you, you are all pink and blushing," interjected Raju. "Women are not to be treated with that much importance. You want her to notice you, you whistle at her. She should know who is in charge. I know all about it, I am a man after all." Boasted Raju. Arun now knew it was time to give him a deaf ear. He did so.

Raju continued bloviating another twenty minutes, when they saw Latika coming back, she must have gone to the forest for her evening duty, she was the only girl who refused to go in a group and also the only one to go to the forest instead of the edge of the village, where all the other village women went. Raju whistled again at her, "look who is back so quick, couldn't stay away from me I believe. I have climbed Lamba Pahar, but I would not as much as look at a girl like you, who goes about her business in the jungle. But if you want, I can come with you to the forest, you know what I mean?"

Latika did not speak, she just walked right up to Raju, smiled and crash landed a slap right across Raju's face. Livid, Raju slapped Latika back with such force, she stumbled and fell on the ground, her shoulder hitting a rock. squirming with pain, Latika got back on her feet, a little dazed.

"You coward, you dare to eve tease me! I will teach you a lesson." She pounced at Raju with blood shot eyes.

"I am the man you bitch, I will show you how to behave with a man," Raju screamed and held Latika by her wrist and twisted it back. Latika kicked him between his legs, Raju screeched in pain, "Don't keep reminding everyone that you are a man, or you will get it very often." Latika scorned Raju.

When Raju turned towards Latika again, Arun knew that look. He walked towards her menacingly, held her left leg and dragged her to the ground, once she fell, Raju began tearing off Latika's clothes, holding her mouth shut. 

Arun kept a sickle on the side of the wheel-chair, to protect himself from the wild animals. He was the cowherd on wheels as the village called him. He only wanted to stop Raju. He cared for Latika. He stuck with the sickle on the head, Raju was bleeding.

"You bastard," he turned and shouted at Arun, but those were his last words. Raju was dead.

"I can't let him do that to you," Arun kept repeating. He could still see his mother being held back, her mouth shut with one hand of the assailant, the other digging into her clothes, he could see himself tossed to the corner of the room, bleeding and scared. That was the last he saw his mother alive. He had limped and run to her rescue, but he was too small for the assailant.

Latika was back on her feet and she was holding Arun's hands and assuring him that it was over.

Raju looked up at Latika, her eyes a mix of anger, fear, frustration and just a trace of gratitude, as she looked on at him. For the very first time in his life, Arun was not inhibited by his polio "Does that make me a man?" He asked Latika in a husky voice he couldn't believe was his.