The Eternal Light Poem by Prayag Saikia

ONE NIGHT AT "RELAX"
Original story in Assamese: Prayag Saikia
Rendered into English by: Bibekananda Choudhury

It is twilight. A wintry evening of the days of short daylight and long nights. A middle-aged person has entered climbing the steep stairs of Hotel Relax. He appears to be past sixty; may not be also. Not a trace of hair on his head, eyebrows are of course beautiful, a few strands of hair jutting out of his ears. One looks older when devoid of hair. Perhaps age will be around five years less if assessed in that angle. At the first sight itself he appears to be a person thriving by selling thoughts.
The person entered straight into the Reception Counter at the left of the corridor after climbing the stairs. The Reception Counter of Hotel Relax is almost at the entrance itself. There are two rows of rooms on both sides of long corridor that starts at the entrance. The first room on the left side is the Reception Counter. A TV is running on a table of average height at the left corner inside the counter. There are two small sofas on both sides of the room. Both are occupied. A youth with a couple of days unshaven beard and weak constitution is manning the counter. It is difficult to ascertain if the youth is the full fledged manager or just managing for the time being.
"I have come from a faraway place. Shall I get a room for the night? "-The visitor asked on entering. The thin youth sitting with a long thick register in front of him replied - "Yes, but no single room is available; you will have to stay in a double room."
"Ok, then, allot me the double room. But please donot put anyone else; I will pay the entire rent". "That is not possible"-the youth seated in the Manager's chair replied in a shaky voice. "There is already one person in that room since yesterday and that is the only vacant bed today. You will not face any problem to stay there. The one staying in that room is our regular customer. You will like him".
The gentleman paused for a while at the response of the youth sitting on the manager's chair.
"Are you the Manager? " He questioned. The boy smiled and replied "Any doubt? "
"No, no"-The person was a little embarrassed at the question hurled thoughtlessly. He started a little hesitantly - "I agree that you know your old and regular customers well: But you don't know me! If there is some trouble from my side, then? "
"We have learnt to assess people, Sir. I have worked in this line for quite some time now. If I had not liked you, I would have turned you down at the very first minute.
The person smiled at the comment of the youth. The young manager pushed forward the Big Register kept in front of him towards the person. "Please entry here. Rent for you is only Rs.100. Check out time as per our Rule 1 P.M.". The customer pulled the Register towards him to write his name. Name - Ajay Sarma, Address - Gokular Tol, Barpeta. Profession - Professor. Reason for Visit - To take part in a Seminar. The person finished noting down and asked - "Advance? " The youth replied - "Not required. You can pay at the time of Checking Out. Oh, your roommate is here." Speaking this, he got up and addressed the gentleman engrossed in the newspaper sitting on the corner of the sofa at the left in broken Bengali "Hello Mr. Das, here is your partner for the night."
The man raised his head from the newspaper and spoke in a Bengali accent looking towards Professor Ajay Sarma, "Namaskar, I am Dinesh Das. Now you better go to the room. Freshen up there a little first. We will talk later on properly. You look really tired."
"Hey Chutey"- Das commanded the boy that appeared at the entrance of the counter, "Take the suitcase of the saab. And, serve him a nice cup of tea immediately."
It appeared at the commanding appearance of the person as if he were the actual manager, not the lanky one manning the counter.
Chutey picked up the briefcase of Mr. Sarma. Sarma followed Chutey towards his room.
Before leaving Manager's counter, Sarma bowed a little and pressing his arm lightly like an old friend said - "I am Ajay Sarma. Coming from Barpeta to participate in a seminar to be held tomorrow at the District Library."
He proceeded after saying this. Sarma reached his allotted room after walking a little through the wide corridor. Chutey opened the room, kept the suitcase near the unoccupied bed and went out. He returned again after a short while and put a piece of soap in the bathroom and placed a towel on one side of Sarma's bed. Ajay Sarma opened his suitcase and took out a pair of kurta-pyjama and an Eri Chaddar. He changed his clothes. He placed the suitcase and the pair of clothes just taken off in the almirah nearby and picking up the towel entered into the bathroom.
Tired Sarma washed his face hurriedly and got up onto the bed allotted to him. He wrapped the Eri Chaddar already laid out on his body cosily. Meanwhile Chutey served him the cup of tea. A cup of tea in a tray and a little sugar with a spoon in a tiny bowl. Sarma looked at Chutey and smiled..."Brother Chutey, you need not bring the tiny bowl from tomorrow. Just the tea, ok."
Chutey kept the tray on the small table near the bed. He said before leaving "Sir, press the bell if you require anything."
Sarma finished his cup of tea with deep content. He is not feeling very hungry. Straightway dinner will do. He lied down on the bed in the posture of Savasana. He thought silently - ‘let Mr. Das come. Then we will press the bell for dinner. A vegetarian meal will be right. No bed tea in the morning. First some morning walk and only then tea.' Time is passing by. But Mr. Das has not yet knocked at the door. Sarma felt the heaviness of sleep pulling his eyes down. He felt some difficulty in breathing. A stroke of cold wind is making him shiver occasionally. The wind appeared to carry away the Eri Chaddar wrapped over the Kurta. He felt breathless. He wanted to say something but cannot. Suddenly his wife entered hurriedly. Jaya has removed the hand from over his chest and said "Why do you sleep with your hand on the chest…don't….it is not good." Sarma has woken up startled at Jaya's mild admonish.
"Oh, it is you"
"Yes, it is I, Sarma. Please don't mind. I knocked from outside, you did not respond, luckily it was not hooked from inside. As I entered, I saw that you are groaning with your hand over the chest."
Sarma felt ashamed at the comment of Das. He spoke shyly "I even don't understand what happens to me. I am suffering from this problem since after my marriage. I scream at night in my dreams and my wife wakes me up and says often - ‘Why do you sleep keeping your hand on your chest? ' I don't think I had this habit before. Now I am afraid to sleep alone. If situation makes me to sleep alone my wife cautions me ‘tell someone nearby to kindly remove your hand from your chest as soon as he hears your groans'."
Das smiled on hearing Sarma's comment. "So, Mr. Sarma, had I not reached in time, who would have done this job? "
"That's the thing. Only the almighty has placed you against me today. What a mistake I made by asking for a single room! You know Mr. Das, actually we both husband & wife were planned to come to the Seminar together. Accordingly we also booked a room in a hotel named "Galaxy" through the Seminar Committee. But a Seminar also was fixed simultaneously at my wife's college later on. Being the departmental head, she cannot remain absent at the seminar. So, we cancelled our reservation at the hotel. But I thought it would not be nice on my part to withdraw at the last moment. Moreover, the topic of the seminar was fixed by me. So I decided at the last moment to come alone. I went to Galaxy, but it was fully occupied. The manager there advised me come here. He told me as I departed that I would like the place. The only thing is that the boarders are generally young people. Most of them are Medical Representatives. I thought a young man might not like to share his room with an aged person like me. So I preferred to stay alone."
Das laughed at Sarma's long speech. He spoke laughing "You had been lucky to find a middle aged representative."
"It is also the turn of fate that you came to know about my old problem without explaining. So, please forgive me if you have to bear with my groans and screams at night. Kindly wake me up or just remove my hand."
Das laughed at Sarma's request. -"You are really nice. God forbid, let there be no problem from my side. When I sleep off, I snore so loudly, people say that I could easily beat Kumbhakarna. That is why I am really afraid whenever I get some unknown person beside me. If you face any difficulty in sleeping for my snoring kindly straighten my neck a bit, so that my breathing becomes normal. My wife does so when she faces such situation."
Both of them laughed simultaneously. Both laughed to their heart's content. As if both are old friends. -"Do you understand Mr. Das…that you are lucky, got a good wife too. People get divorced on these issues in the West." Das immediately replied …"You are also no less lucky.'
Time passed by. The calling bell was pressed for summoning Chutey. Discussion progressed. The Seminar tomorrow is on the topic chosen by Sarma. Subject - "Analysis of human beings from various religious angles." He has picked the topic after getting impressed by a book read in English named ‘Diagnosis of man' and written by certain scholar from the West. He has blurted out to Dinesh Das various topics starting from dream, consciousness, super consciousnessto Rajayoga. Das has got absorbed in the taste of new topic. Chutey served food. Both finished the dinner with satisfaction amidst conversation.
Sarma sat in the posture of Vajrasana after taking food. Observing Sarma in the posture of Asana Das felt that this person should be allowed to rest otherwise the discussion will be never ending.
He made him aware. "Sarma you are quite tired now; you should lie down. I must also be ready to get out on my job in the morning. If I cannot visit a few doctors in the morning hours the whole day is wasted."
Both arrived into a unanimous decision that whoever wakes up first will wake up the other.
"Good night." Both looked at each other and took refuse in the bed. The thick blankets placed on the bed embraced their two bodies with warmth.
Some time passed in discussion. Sarma fell asleep soon. But sleep eluded Dasbabu. A weird thought invaded him. ‘There are numerous instances of persons meeting death with the habit of sleeping with their hands on the chest. If he does not hear Sarma's groan? If Sarma dies in sleep what will happen? If circumstantial evidence points him to be the killer as in the story "God sees the truth, but waits" written by Tolstoy or someone else that he read in his school days, if the actual cause of the death is discovered only much later on, he will be in dire straits. If God gives him justice at his last age, then it will be disaster for him.' The thought made sleep impossible for Das. It is as if his hairs will turn silvery during the night itself. Time is passing. The night Chowkidar of Hotel Relax is trying to shoo away a dog. Das is waiting for a particular scream, so that he can rush to remove the hand of Sarma from his chest.
Sarma has not shouted yet. He felt that every ticking of second's hand of the wristwatch is being felt like the sound of a loud gong.
Time is passing likewise through numerous mixture of thoughts. Dasbabu felt it impossible to fall asleep. Dawn came after the night passed in seconds. At a moment when the Sun's rays were about to enter by tearing the veil of fog, Sarma awoke as if by the sound of sleepless Das writhing in bed in discomfort.
"What Mr. Das, you have already woken up? Good Morning" He got up after stretching his body instinctively. He did not wait for the customary ‘Good morning' in response from Mr. Das. "I am going for a little morning walk, want to join? "
"No", the reply came out more strongly than the ‘Good morning' earlier. Sarma got down from the bed and put a pair of socks before putting on the pair of Sandal. He told Das lying in bed, "So, then I am going".
Sarma reached the entrance of Relax after coming out from his room. The entrance was open. It is for the passengers alighting from the night buses. Everyone is asleep; someone seems to be dozing in the Manager's cabin. Perhaps the night watchman. Sarma is about to touch the road after coming down the stairs. Simultaneously a peculiar sound has started emanating from a two-bedded room of Relax. Except for one inmate it seemed all the others in the Hotel are in the verge of getting their sleep disturbed from the roar of the ever-increasing sound.