Rakhsha Bandhan

Fiction
‘Aethea vuhur bhoie te sheithea verish beni’ continued Part II
(Eight year old brother owes his services and care to his sixty year old sister is an age-old Kashmiri saying)
Note: Any resemblance in the fiction is a matter of coincidence.

Rattan is influenced by perfect Kashmiri culture. He never saw any of his three paternal aunts, Zaper Dedh, Kuej Dedh and Tekear Dedh in their traditional dress right since early forties tying a knot on the wrist of their brother to bind him in a commitment to protect them (literal meaning of ‘Rakhsha Bandhan’). Sacred relations do not call for any guaranteed commitment. It is a self guaranteed commitment. Same was true since time immemorial. Brother in Kashmir was committed to his sister without tying any knot. On every ‘Diar Dahum’ a few days before Shivratri, Rattan was sent to each of his three aunts with a ‘kangri, khrav, a packet of salt, kashmiri bakery (in cash or in kind) and one to two rupees in cash. Same was true about Deepawali. On Deepawali, Kashmiri Pundits used to perform ‘Satidiv’ and distribute Prasad among relations and neighbours nearby. Cracking of crackers on Deepawali too is the latest addition to Kashmiri culture and so is Holi.

Mrs.Chuni (name changed) used to visit Naresh on the day of Rakhsha Bandhan and tie the knot of rakhi on the wrist of Naresh (Name changed). Both were employees of the SMHS Hospital Srinagar. Naresh was driver to the ambulance and Mrs. Chuni was serving the hospital in the capacity of a
Nurse. Mrs. Naresh taking Mrs Chuni as sister of her husband used to serve her to the best of her capacity. She used to give her a packet of salt, a few rupees as ‘ateguet’. Parents of Naresh were well off. They had a spacious house in Karan Nagar-a posh colony in the valley. One day Naresh eloped with Mrs. Chuni and deserted his wife and college-going daughter. Mrs Chuni retained her adult children but deserted her simpleton husband.
Amin and Rashida employees of Handicraft department were colleagues. Amin used to come to Chotta Bazar on all working days and carry Rashida along with on his motorbike. One day Amin was thrashed by the locals of Chotta Bazar for carrying Rashida along with. He escaped further assault when on an oath on ‘Khuda Rasul’ he said that Rashida was his sister.
One day Rashida eloped with Amin and entered into wedlock. Amin’s mother-in-law was also sister of his mother. Amin deserted his cousin cum wife along with her children. When asked why she used to allow Rashida’s visits, she said that before entering into her room Rashida used to declare from the threshold loudly ‘shurien hunz poph ha aivea’ (Paternal aunt of children has come) and she used serve her as she was expected to serve sister of her husband.
Sony Chaudhry in her neighbourhood used to send her younger daughter hardly eight year old to Ramesh Pundita, a man of 68 with rakhi on the auspicious day. Ramesh could not say no to Rakhi lest his intentions became doubtful. He used to pay Rs.100 for the ritual. 2006, Ramesh rebuked the tiny girl for being party to illegal activity of her sister in the broad day light and that too in the open. Sony challenged Ramesh for his rights to interfere in their matters. Ramesh claimed that rakhi had given him rights to restrain her from doing any bad.

Both these festivals and many other changes in the Kashmiri Pundit culture got influenced from the culture across the tunnel and got adulterated in the present form due to acculturation. Kashmiri Pundit culture ceases to be in its purest form. Now Kashmiri brides no more knit pullovers for the groom and others at her in-laws; weave a hand-woven fan (Wavejie) studded with different silver or aluminium thread called solmea, white table cover woven of cotton thread with qureshi (needle), bring the photograph of Lord Krishna embroidered with silver beads(mokhtea fulie) and silver thread. Items like furniture, bedding, bed, fan and fridge etc are addition to the list of dowry items for the last four to five decades.
Brijdass te Girdass chue venan lasiv te basiv’
Contact No: 9858205514 (Srinagar)