Before shifting to our village (Muraura) from Jamshedpur a conscious decision to remain बेकार (bekaar) had been taken by Rituraj. Heretofore, we had always remained साकार (saakaar) and Rituraj loves driving. So all of us thought that he is not likely to remain बेकार for long. However, he was to prove us all wrong and seemed quite happy and content with his बेकार status. And so we remained बेकार at Muraura for one year.
One of the great charms of staying at Muraura is that you need not venture out of your house, unless you really wish to. Biharsharif is a small मुफस्सिल town and is certainly not the greatest place to go shopping. Forget Malls and Multiplexes; the crowded town lacks even a decent old fashioned cinema hall. However, if you are either brave or desperate enough to see a movie you will encounter a seedy looking, dilapidated and crumbling hall where the combined smell of sweat, urine, खैनी (chewing tobacco), बीड़ी smoke (yes the very same Beedi which Bipasha Basu exhorted all and sundry to light - बीड़ी जलईले in ओंकार) shall assail your senses the moment you enter the portal. If you are brave enough to still carry on, be ready to donate blood to खटमल (bug) and मच्छर (mosquito). Surely a very steep price to pay for a movie titled something like "देवर बड़ा सतावेला" or "मदहोश जवानी"!!! "What about eating out", some of you may ask. Aaah ... well ... hmmm ... grrr, you eat out at your own peril in Biharsharif - not only will your taste buds revolt, probably so will your stomach the next day!! So basically you do not or rather cannot go to the town for either shopping, entertainment or eating. What about the essential household supplies then? That is where the charm of Muraura comes into play. You can ask one of your relatives (and the whole village is related to you anyway) who is going to the town to get whatever you want and he will be very happy to oblige. And we could always hire a car or, better still, borrow from one of the relatives.
Therefore, staying बेकार at Muraura did not pose any great problems as far as logistics were concerned. And Rituraj was most happy pillion riding on someone else's motor cycle if indeed he had to go to the town once in a blue moon. Poor guy, he was forced to pillion ride because he cannot ride a bicycle leave along a motor cycle!!! But all said and done, he had stumped everyone else by remaining बेकार for a year.
However, once incident in October, 2009 was going to create हाहाकार. We were driving to Ranchi in an Alto belonging to one of Rituraj's nephews and had an accident. Luckily we remained unhurt but the car was damaged. We did get the car repaired at Ranchi, thankfully it was insured as well, but surely we felt bad for being the reason behind the damage to someone else's car. This set the ball rolling and Jenny started campaigning for the car and kept chanting आकार, आकार, आकार like a mantra. Rituraj was, however, not convinced and every entreaty, every logic extended by Jenny was met by a firm नकार from him. This तू तू ... मैं मैं and the tussle between आकार and नकार carried on till December when Ketaki landed at Muraura on one of her rare stress busting breaks. It was nothing less than a चमत्कार when with youthful exuberance and irrefutable logic she stumped Rituraj.
She was with her mother in this tussle and was campaigning for the car, and when Rituraj once again did इन्कार, she latched on to it and said, "Papa, you have said "in-kaar" and so surely you mean that the car is (going to come) in!!" Ladies and gentlemen, such is the power of the youth brigade of India. You cross swords with them at your own peril.
Always a man of logic, Rituraj could not refute this logic and meekly let go of his अहंकार (ego), gave a very silent हुंकार (war cry), nodded his head in assent and said तुम लोगों के सपने होंगे साकार (your dreams will come true). Their faces flushed with victory, they replied in unison, हमें है स्वीकार, and did a short victory dance singing जयकार हो (with apologies to A R Rahman). We were now going to change our status from बेकार to साकार. Jenny, put one condition though. She was not going to allow any कारोबार (car-o-bar). It was decided, reduced to writing on a Rs. 10 non judicial stamp paper, signed by two witnesses and notarized that the car and the bar shall remain separate at all times to come. "Car is car and bar is bar ... And never the twain shall meet".
It did not take long for us to decide on the brand. We always wanted a MUV / SUV and gradually zeroed on the Tavera. A loan was quickly arranged, and on 18th January, 2010 we drove to Patna in a hired Scorpio and drove back in the shining Ivory Gold Tavera. We were no longer बेकार.
The plans and discussions to go on really long drives across the country now started in right earnest.
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