"Leaves in the sky"

Based on the reading of “Leaves in the Sky”

Source: Paul, Meenakshi F. Ms. First ed., Primus Textus, 2020.

Fegra Blossoms by Murari Sharma

Fegra Blossoms is a short story written by Mr Murari Sharma.   This story was originally written in Hindi as “ Fegre Ke Phool”. The story has many features of a typical folk tale. Unlike classical literature which is full of set patterns and manners and regulated by certain literary rules, folk literature contains a range of experiences, emotions and thoughts of the common people. It carries a unique worldview, preconceived notions and inspiration of the masses in simple language. Simple day-to-day experiences of the common people form the subject matter of most stories in folk literature.

The story Fegra Blossoms is about an innocent expectation of a young boy named Chunnu who has heard a story from his grandmother (dadi)  about the magical blossom of the Fegra tree (wild himalayan fig). Chunnu’s dadi tells him the story of the magical blossoms of fegra trees.  She tells him that the blossom of the fegra tree is truly miraculous and rare and only a very fortunate person can see it. It remains invisible to an ordinary person even if  the person is right in front of it.  She further tells him that the flowers are magical and it is said that “if someone finds the fegra blossom, their house will always be prosperous, their grain basket will never be empty, and all their desires will be fulfilled. The blossom brings peace and happiness”

Chunnu  becomes greatly curious and his imagination is ignited to a whole new level with this bedtime story.  He can't even sleep at night and keeps thinking about getting this treasure.  The young boy is quite generous and kind-hearted as he doesn't want the magical flowers for himself alone rather he wants the flowers to set right many a wrong. Chunnu keeps dreaming the whole night and keeps talking to himself in his sleep. His  grandmother gets a little concerned and feels that someone has cast an evil eye upon him. Chunnu however is ecstatic and runs to the field to search for the blossom of the fegra tree when he gets up in the morning. He doesn't find any magical flowers and comes back home in a sad mood.  When he makes an inquiry his grandmother tells him that it is autumn and flowers will come in the spring season; in the months of Falgun and Chaitra. Dadi  also warns that only the fortunate one who has the moon on his forehead can find the fegra blossom. Chunnu is quick to respond that he is very lucky and dadi has to approve of him by saying that indeed he is lucky because he was born after four girls were born one after the other. She also tells him that he is the answer to their prayers for a baby boy. This little talk between grandmother and her grandson indicates the typical patriarchal mindset of the rural people who give importance to the birth of a son over that of a girl child and see it as a continuity of the familial line and heritage. The grandmother tries to reason with Chunnu that flowers blossom at the right time only. Trees sprout new leaves and branches in the spring season and that he must look for Fegra blossom then. Dadi, being worried about her overexcited grandson, also thinks that her darling grandson will forget all about this when the spring comes as it is only Autumn yet. 

Chunnu however has taken his grandmother's words to his innocent heart.  He has dreams that are innocent and small like him. Chunnu’s family is a poor family and he dreams about buying brand new clothes and shoes for himself when he gets the money with the help of the magical flowers.  His father has not been able to provide for new shoes or new clothes and he has to manage with his old shoes and even has to go barefoot to school and his feet get hurt walking on the icy frost. Chunnu fancies that once he finds fegra blossom he will place it in the grain basket so that there will never be any shortage of food in their home. He hopes that he will liberate Bapu from the slavery of bonded labour that he has to do to pay off the loans he has taken  from the local money lender.  His Bapu works as a hired labour in his own field.  With the help of the magic flowers Chunnu wants to free his father.  Chunnu dreams to help his mother who has to work in other people’s fields.  He wants her to be happy. Chunnu wishes that he will put the flowers in the money box that his mother keeps hidden in her wooden chest. Then, there will be no lack of money in their home and he can give each and every person in his family whatever they desire with the money that will grow when he gets the magic blossom.

Chunnu doesn't want to be a miser like his father. He has other dreams too but for himself only. Like he wants to visit the nalwar Mela with bapu, eat jalebis to his heart's content and ride the hindola. He wants to watch the magnificent bulls and the wrestlers do push-ups and fight bouts to the beat of the tamak. The only problem is that it seems impossible to find the fegra blossom because he has looked for them everywhere, high and low and on every fegra tree that he knows about. Then he decides to take help from Dhannu, his cousin and best friend. Both of them secretly search for the magical flower. But there is another problem. Chunnu and Dhannu's families have been embroiled in a court case over a piece of land for many years. There have been quarrels and fights between the two families and both the families refused to let go of the dispute. Luckily, the enmity of the elders has no impact on the children's friendship. But still the elders are not happy to see the children enjoying themselves together. His grandmother is worried about this conflict and she feels very disappointed that her children fight like monkeys over a piece of land. Chunnu wants the hatred present in everybody's heart to melt away as a wish if he finds the fegra blossoms. This amuses Dhannu who believes that the magical flowers, however powerful, cannot grant a happy peaceful life to everyone. He believes that these flowers can increase grain, bring plenty but can not remove hatred from anyone's heart. Dhannu wants to use the magic power to win over a girl's love, maybe the teacher's daughter and marry her. The two friends then begin their mission of looking for the flower. They search at every place where they think the flowering fegra tree could be found but they only find disappointment everywhere. 

They both find out some other things instead. One bitter truth is that a stone crusher has been set up by the Pradhan or the village headman. It has been grinding rocks and spewing smoke for quite some time and is responsible for the destruction of the whole hill in just a few years. The trees, the plants, the meadow along with the hill are all gone. The grassland where people used to graze their animals has been consumed by the stone crusher and the hill has been leveled. The children compare the stone crusher to a raksha. Chunnu in particular feels that someday the stone crusher and his owner will eat up the village on top of the hill. Chunnu becomes very sad at this discovery. He is disappointed in his inability to find the fegra blossom too. Grandmother notices all this and regrets why she told him this story about the fegra blossoms as she feels that she has put the little child in trouble. As per a local legend the village has a place nearby called jogni meadow and a waterfall called jogni waterfall. Dhannu and Chunnu  had heard that jogniss were devis who brought rain. Whenever there was a drought the jogniss had to be appeased. Pieces of goat meat were flown in the direction in which jogniss lived. If eagles came down to eat the meat it was understood that jogni mata was pleased and there was hope of rainfall in a day or two. Dadi had heard long ago that people could obtain vessels and utensils for weddings from near the jognis' waterfall. But that was in Satyug when truth and righteousness prevailed. Then people had no malice or treachery in their hearts. People would come to the jognis's' fall to invite them for the auspicious occasion and they also prayed for the required cooking pots and utensils for the event on the certain date. On the appointed day, when they reached there, the cooking pots and utensils would be found by the side of the fall. After the feast, these utensils would be returned to the same place. Once, however, a greedy man did not return all the items. Since that day the miracle of utensils and vessels disappeared, the water of the fall dried up and the very fortune of the village went away. Streams and pools dried, fish disappeared and mills stopped. Villages fought daily over the little water left. Friendship was replaced by enmity, the bonds of kinship were broken, there were quarrels in every home and there was no sign of letting up. The whole village has been under a curse ever since.

Chunnu has come to know about all these problems and his dream is to correct them all. He has nothing else but the power of the magic flowers but those are almost impossible to find. 

The fegra tree has inverted blossoms and the fruit itself is the flower. In that sense it is impossible to find the blossom as it is not visible from the outside. 

Dhannu and Chunnu ultimately find the fegra blossoms and both are extremely happy. Using the magic, they fly like Hanumanji and while flying over the village Chunnu resurrects the dried up jognis’ waterfall by dropping a blossom at the source of the waterfall. The water begins to flow in the dry land. They sprinkled blossoms on the village from above. The dry land becomes green, the granaries overflow and the mills begin to turn. The magic of the blossoms has turned everything around. As soon as a blossom hits the crusher it vanishes and the whole wounded hill heals as if nothing had happened to it. They both then land in the stream and start swimming and diving in it. Just then Chunnu is woken up by his grandmother. Startled and annoyed, He asks her where his fegra blossoms are. We realise at this point that the little boy has been dreaming all this while and his dream is now over. 

The story weaves together rural beliefs of magic, fantasy and reality and so has a folktale-like narrative structure. The issue of environmental degradation has been taken up as one of the basic problems of the text. Interpersonal family relations is the second issue. The story focuses on social and environmental deterioration in rural societies in general. Chunnu's desire, the dream-like state along with his radical innocence and enthusiasm to address the problems with magical flowers is unique and appealing. We, as readers, sympathise with the child at once and wish that the times were as simple as the little boy's imagination.

Answers to the textbook questions:

Q1. Short Answer Type

1. According to Dadi what made the fegra blossom magical?

According to dadi if someone finds the fegra blossom, their house will always be prosperous, the grain basket will never be empty and all the dreams will be fulfilled. The blossoms bring peace and happiness due to their magical power. Only a very fortunate person having the moon on his forehead can find the magic blossoms.

2. What is the Nalwar Mela?

Nalwar Mela is a cattle fair in which people come together to sell and purchase good breed cattle at reasonable prices. It is celebrated from 22nd March to 28 of March every year in Sundernagar in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. The main idea is to address the shortage of good breed cattle especially bullocks which play a dominant role in agriculture in rural areas. There are wrestling bouts on the beat of drums. Shops are set up selling eatables and other items. It is a kind of celebration in which people get together to eat, drink, watch the kushti and make merry. Different kinds of simple rides like flywheels etc. are offered to the visitors. Games such as kabbadi, half marathon, wrestling etc. are organised during the day. In the evening cultural items showcasing the local culture are presented by artists.

3. Why were Chunnu and Dhannu's families not on speaking terms?

Chunnu and Dhannu's families were not on speaking terms because of a dispute over a piece of land. Both the families were entangled in a court case. At the time of sowing and reaping of the crops, the families would be at each other's throat. They would quarrel and even fight and hurt one another at such times. Grandmother is worried about this conflict and she feels very disappointed that her children fight like monkeys over a piece of land. Luckily, the enmity was between the elders only and children were on friendly terms. 

4. Why do the children compare the stone crusher to a rakshas?

The children compare the stone crusher to an Iron Rakshas. It grinds rocks and expels smoke from its mouth.  Chunnu has heard from his dadi that when Tundi Rakshas will come he will bring a fierce dust storm with him and there will be darkness all around. The stone crusher appears like that same Tundi Rakshas as it blows dust with great power.  Dhannu agrees to it and says that it has swallowed the whole hill in just two years. The trees, plants and meadows are all gone. Its belly is never filled. That is why the children compare the stone crusher to a Rakshas.

5. How did the villagers appease The jognis in times of drought?

Jognis were devis who brought rain. Whenever there was drought  the joginis had to be appeased.  Pieces of goat meat were flung in the direction in which joginis lived.  If eagles came down to eat the meat it was understood that jogni Mata was pleased and there was hope of rainfall in a day or two. In this way the villagers tried to bring rain to their land.

Q2. Answer in about 100-150 words.

1. Comment on Dadi’s statement about Chunnu being “the answer to our prayers” as an example of patriarchy in our society.

Patriarchy is a system of society in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is traced through the male line. In the story when Chunnu declares himself as “lucky”, Dadi approves of Chunnu by saying that indeed he is lucky because he was born after four girls were born one after the other. She also tells him that he is the answer to their prayers for a baby boy. This talk between grandmother and her grandson indicates the typical patriarchal mindset of the rural people who give importance to the birth of a son over that of a girl child and see it as a continuity of the familial line and heritage. Only sons can perform the various rituals associated  especially with death. Most importantly, only a son can give the continuity of lineage. Moreover, a son is supposed to be the protector of a family and the sole breadwinner in a typical patriarchal society; also only a son is supposed to get “Mukti” or salvation by performing the last rites of the parents. The initial division of labour may have paved the way for biologically stronger males to exercise political and social dominance over females.  These are the reasons that society in rural areas, where physical strength has more visible manifestations and control over the existing social system, prefers sons to girl children.   

2. What did Chunnu initially want from the fegra blossom?

Chunnu belongs to a poor family. He has dreams that are innocent and small like him. Initially, Chunnu dreams about buying brand new clothes and shoes for himself when he gets the money with the help of the magical flowers.  His father has not been able to provide for new shoes or new clothes and he has to manage with his old shoes and even has to go barefoot to school and his feet get hurt walking on the icy frost. Chunnu fancies that once he finds fegra blossom he will place it in the grain basket so that there will never be any shortage of food in their home. He hopes that he will liberate Bapu from the slavery of bonded labour that he has to do to pay off the loans he has taken  from the local money lender with the help of the magic flowers. Chunnu dreams to help his mother who has to work in other people’s fields. Chunnu wishes that he will put the flowers in the money box that his mother keeps hidden in her wooden chest. Then, there will be no lack of money in their home and he can give each and every person in his family whatever they desire with the money that will grow when he gets the magic blossom.