ESL Blogs

He was a Hijdra (ہجڑا) (a transvestite).  His name was Raja.  I always found him sitting or dancing under an oak tree.  It seemed to be his living place.  There was a rag folded with a pillow lying on one side of the tree, and a Pitcher with the water on the other side.  Most of the time he used to hum while dancing,

 “I am the lover of my beloved, I am the lover of my beloved, one day I will visit Him.” 

When he sang, he pointed out to the shrine (the grave of the saint) nearby and then to the sky.  The passersby used to throw coins when they found him dancing and passed away.  It was all he got for living.  He was alone.  I never saw him with anyone, but himself. He was very handsome, long tresses, which waved when he jerked his head while dancing.  When I passed by him he used to smile and with it he saluted me.   I never talked with him neither he did, just looked at me with a smile.

It was the weekend, I decided to pay a visit to the saint’s grave.  When I reached it I found Raja sweeping in the court of the shrine.  When he saw me, he quickly came up to me and said, “See saabji, when I dance people give me money but when I give the service to the saaen (he meant the saint) no body gives me money."

“Shall I give you?”

“No, one day someone will come and give me what I want, then I will request you to do some work for me.  That time has not come yet.”

I just smiled and went away after paying the homage to the saint.  Then I didn’t remember him, neither did I pass by him.  Some time later, he came into my mind, I stood up at once, feeling as he was remembering me, too.  I also had to visit the saint.  When I reached his place he stood up seeing me and said, “Where have you been saabji, haven't seen you for long!” 

“I was busy!”

“Now the time has come saabji, you have to do some work for me.”  Saying that he took some money out of his pocket and handed me, “Saabji will you give this sawa rupia (one rupee and a quarter) to saaen.”

“What do you mean by "give him"?  He is sleeping in his grave, how can I give him any money? I can just drop in the box put in the shrine for this purpose, and why don’t you go yourself to give?”

“I am not Pak (chaste) yet, when my gift is accepted I will definitely visit him.”

“Ok whatever you say.”  He was looking very happy.

I went on to the Mazaar (shrine).  First I decided to pay my homage to the saint.  By chance I was alone there, when I got near the grave, all of a sudden the grave split opened and a hand raised out of it,  “Raja has sent a gift for me”

I got frightened and dumbfound.  I just stretched out my trembling hand and put the money into the hand.  The hand disappeared and the grave once again got closed as if there had been no opening at all. 

I was terrified and ran out of the Mazaar.  I ran back to Raja and when I reached there I saw the people who gathered around his place and he was lying on the floor covered with his rag.

“What has happened? I asked the people standing there.

“No idea,”  said one of the men, “He just got mad, laughing and dancing, saying, my gift has been accepted my gift, has been accepted time's to go ,  time has come to go then he lay down and covered himself with that rag.  Since then he has been lying there.”

I came closer to where he was lying, and removed the rag from his face.  I got shocked, he was dead. 

I could not hold my tears.  He was a true lover and his beloved allowed him to be together in the heaven by accepting his gift a part of his pure earning.

Blessing doesn’t see the actor, but the action and the intention.  Who acts is of no difference.

Basic Idea Adopted.