Translated from the Bangla short story (Chheley-Ta) written by Sandipan Chattopadhyay (1933-2005). The original Bangla text was first published by Tarzan Minibook – 11 in 1980 and reproduced by Ripan Arya through his Facebook profile on 21st January 2015. Dedicated to Kamlesh the ‘solution kid’ and the Kamleshes of the world.
– Hey, do you have parents?
– No.
– Both dead?
-Yes
– Sisters?
-No
– Are you alone?
– yes
Silence.
- what do you do?
-i beg - how much do you get every day?
- 20 paisa. 30 paisa.
- is that enough?
- yes
- What do you eat?
-MuRi, mostly
Silence. -
how much did you make today?
- i haven’t begged today
- why?
- didn’t feel like
- feeling sick?
-
no.
Silence. -
Nice shirt. Chains and all! did you buy it?
- No
- Did anyone give it?
-No - Where did you get it from?
- The drain
-
O
Silence. -
and the pant?
-
mom gave this
Silence. -
Saw your mom die?
- yes
- what happened?
- she was sick
- where did she die?
- there. there.
- what was her name?
- Gouri
- And dad’s?
-Suryaprasad Singh - Ever seen your dad?
- No
- Mom told his name?
- Yes
- how long back did he die?
- many days
- what’s your age? Seven?
-
many days.
Silence. -
Are you sick?
- No
- Do you feel any pain?
- No
- Can you sleep?
- Yes
- Where do you sleep?
- Here
- On this rug?
- Yes
-If it rains? - Let it
- do you dream?
- yes
- can you recall?
- no
- did you dream your mom?
- yes, once
- can you recall?
- no
- how’s your shit?
-
hard and sticky
Silence. -
heard of Jyoti Basu?
- no
- Indira Gandhi?
- no
- Shakti Chattopadhyay?
- no
- Uttam Kumar?
- I don’t know Uttam Kumar
- Never seen a movie?
- No
- Where does the sun rise from?
- Here, there, everywhere!
- Do you know the name of your country?
- Country?
- This, the land, the soil where you are sitting?
-
BT Road
Silence. -
Aren’t you scared?
- No
- Of no one?
- I’m scared of the police
- You didn’t beg today. So, what did you eat?
- That pipkin of curd
- The one there that the shop has thrown away?
- Yes
- So, you scraped the curd stuck inside?
-
Yes
Silence. -
You know that dog?
- Yes, it is my dog!
- Your dog?
- My mom used to take care of it
- What’s its name?
-
Robi. Oi Robi – Ooss. Ooss.
Silence. -
Remember what I asked you first?
- ‘Do you have parents?’
- One of your eyes is huge and red – do you know this?
- No
- Don’t you look at mirrors?
- Looked at one long ago
Silence.
What’s your name?
Ganesh.
Translated by Atindriyo Chakraborty. He is a poet from Kolkota