Bab & Ken (Pt 2) — ‘Surrender’

Ken often watched Bab around the house.

He’d do so many things all the time. He gardened the plants. He’d sit next to them sprinkling water over each leaf till all of them quenched themselves wholeheartedly. He’d take his rusty and blunted plough and weed out the unwanted little plant threads that were possibly irritating sores for the poor ones.

Bab would also be seen being out and about. He’d be away for hours. Ken would hang on the house’s iron door, swinging in and out, waiting for Bab to come back. And, sure enough, she’d see him from a distance — carrying a sack full vegetables. She knew what was in it. It had its tell-tell signs — The bushy top ends of raddishes and onions that spilling out its top end , and the big fat brinjals squeezed in the bottom looking like a tightly clothed big bellies.

She had no interest in the vegetables, ofcourse. What particularly gnawed at her, was the little tune that Bab would hum to himself while walking back from the mandi. Sometimes she could also hear him debating and talking loudly at the paan tapri next door. It all made her a wee bit jealous.

‘Why was Bab free to do all that his heart desired?’ a nagging thought that continuously rattled her. What killed her more was that she knew the answer. The most unconvincing answer of all time — ‘Because he was a grown up.’

Grown ups had all they wanted. It was an unfair world for the young ones

She wanted so badly to climb and hoist herself upside down from the neighbourhood Peepal tree. But, she was reprimanded for even thinking about it.

Bab owned a funny looking scooter. It wasn’t much to look at it, but Ken was endlessly fascinated by its leathery handle. She’d often go sit on its elevated seat and make-belief ride it. There were so many buttons on the the sidebars of its handle. None of them did anything when the scooter wasn’t on. But Ken would make whooshing and honking sounds and pretend that she was riding the scooter around up in the clouds. But, this was all just tawdry fantasy. None of it was real. For Ken wasn’t a grown up.

One evening, when Bab was returning home from the vegetable mandi, Ken decided to confront him once for all. “Hello Bab, I am about to declare something very very important, and I want you to hear me out loud and proper”, she demanded. “Ahaan”, mumbled Bab not knowing that he was being ambushed.

With a strict expression, and her nose stiffening up, she went on to add “I want to do many things of my choice. And, I don’t want to be kept away from doing them just because I am a child, and not a grown up”.

Bab amused at this declaration, let out a faint snigger. Ken didn’t quite appreciate her being taken lightly like that.

Bab sensed that she’d been offended and quickly changed his expression and voice to damage control the situation. He put together an utmost serious look and perched himself on the chair next to where she was standing.

“Well, I guess that is a fair ask, my child”

Ken who was expecting a downright disagreement was slightly taken aback.

“Really?” she asked amazed and confused.

“Oh absolutely” he re affirmed. “From tomorrow on, I’d very much like to take your place. You’re free to do as you please. Its your job now to pick out the freshest veggies from the mandi and figure out the sturdiest branch that you could go climb on the Peepal”

“Would you help me decide, Bab?” asked Ken feeling slightly anxious.

“Ha, ofcourse I would. But, you’ll have the last word”

Ken looked over to Bab. She wanted some reassurance. If only he could tell her the best thing to do like he had always done, she’d be more than happy to do them independently. Right?

Ken’s expressions were a complete give away. Bab chuckled, and then she stroked her head lovingly.

“Ken, I envy you too, you know.”

Ken looked even more puzzled than she had the whole evening.

“I’d very much like to surrender like you. And, live free in surrender. Only the little ones know how to. I’ll teach you how to be free, if you teach me how to surrender”

Ken didnt quite understand a lot. She understood this though - Little ones were cool too!