Birthday

'Sir wants to see you,' Raju, the office boy came and told me. I got up and went to meet my boss Siddhartha in his cabin. 'Robin, I have an assignment for you. The editorial team has decided to produce a feature article on the coastal belt of Sundarbans in our magazine this Diwali. So I mentioned your name and they have agreed gladly.' My boss blurted out like an order and I must comply irrespective of any inconvenience on my part. This was my job and I'm bound to obey.

I'm a journalist and have been working for this news magazine for the past several years. I love the work but initially I got irked by the call of duty at odd hours. Now I'm married and father of a daughter whose demands have to be fulfilled. So I do not take up journalistic assignments and do only feature articles trying to maintain work life balance.

That day when I was given the assignment to cover the Sundarbans, the day was my daughter's birthday. So I made all the arrangements for the celebration so that my daughter Ria shouldn't feel deprived.

The next day I left for Sundarbans. At a distance of hundred twenty kilometres I took a train to reach the outskirts of the Eco zone. Train services have helped in the development of the region.

I had been instructed to get in touch with an NGO through whose help I may get a lead to build my story. During the journey I had browsed through the internet and gathered certain facts and figures to intersparse my article. One thing common I found that every year this region is plagued by cyclonic weather conditions more than once. Due to this reason the region is hazardous and people have highly difficult living conditions. At the NGO I met a character by the name of Lakhan, Lakhan Das to be precise. He was told to assist me in my work. Lakhan became my Man Friday. 

Lakhan came from the fishing community. He was a fisherman's son and fishing was the major economic activity here. Lakhan grew up struggling in a poverty stricken family growing up with five siblings. Even three of his earlier siblings had died of malnutrition. 

Recently, however, their economic conditions had improved with many governmental schemes. 

Lakhan was my perfect friend and partner in my writing journey in the Sundarbans. He was now into first year of his graduation class in commerce. The history and geography of his area Lakhan was well versed with. This quality of his was a great advantage for my feature article. 

Lakhan was a simpleton with minimal desires in life as per my observation. But I found out one burning desire Lakhan had kept hidden under layers of his thoughts. His dear friends, however were aware of it. 

Lakhan had a desire that his birthday should be celebrated every year with pomp and show as much his pocket would allow. He had no other known desires. From his childhood, Lakhan had seen birthdays being celebrated as people were moving up the economic ladder and with thriving aspirations. But Lakhan had to keep this desire suppressed due to his family being poor and could not afford to buy cakes and sweets. 

During my stay with Lakhan, I had the good fortune to celebrate his birthday. It fell during my tenure. I had made it memorable for him so that he would remember when I had gone. 

My stay period was coming to an end and very soon I would return. Then I got a cable from my office to stay a few more days to cover an important event. The event was the advent of a super cyclone. Lakhan said boastfully, 'I have seen many severe cyclones all my life, so I am not going to be bogged down that easily. Let's see, sir, how big and powerful this one is.' 

Lakhan was now more than his usual self. Because his birthday had been celebrated and the way he wanted it to be. Foremost, I had taken the initiative and hand held the function for him. He liked me very much. Sometimes, I felt he loved me more than his own self. No one had given him so much importance in his life the way I treated him. He felt like a royal in my presence. 

Lakhan, now a fisherman in his own right after his father had a heart attack last year and was bed ridden. He had to take care of his family and it's entire financial burden was on his shoulders. His mother sometimes got work as an agricultural labourer and earned some pittance. His two sisters used to work as maid in other houses but had to stay back home mostly due to obtrusive behavior of sexual nature by their male employers. So income was a scarce commodity. But he was a dutiful and responsible lad. 

The district administration became active to take preventive measures before the cyclone made landfall. School buildings were being made ready to accommodate people rehabilitated from low lying areas. Many community kitchens were being set up to look after the needs of cyclone affected hungry people. Lakhan was very busy in these activities. Lakhan was amazing. When community services responsibility was entrusted on him, he was totally transformed with energy and vigour. One could not recognise him then. He forgot to take food and rest. I admired this persona of his. 

Then the super cyclone finally struck. In it's wake lay only destruction and death. But the number of casualties was limited due to the proactive steps taken by the administration well in advance. But huge number of trees fell. The coconut trees were swaying like pendulums of grandfather clocks. Even the shorter date palms which are more steady were rocking like drunk people. Electric poles were uprooted and electric transmission was suspended. Traffic had come to a halt. Most people stayed indoors considered to be more safe. For four solid hours the gayle force winds played mayhem. 

Some brave Samaritans were helping out with the sufferers and Lakhan was one amongst them. Then in the evening I tried to contact Lakhan to take stock of the situation. The wind had abated by then but the damage had been done. Some men and women were slowly coming out to get a feel of the situation. Everywhere there was devastation and destruction. 

Then I got the bad news. Lakhan was a casualty of the cyclone. He had been injured trying to save a man from electrocution. The man was safe but Lakhan had come in touch with live wire. He was now fighting for his life in a hospital. I went to see him. He was kept in the ICU and I saw his listless body through the glass panes with several pipes fitted to his body. I silently wiped a tear from my eyes. The doctors had put him on observation. 

Two days past but Lakhan didn't regain consciousness. We were losing him it seemed. Doctors were saying that he was sinking into a coma. 

After almost seven days when all seemed lost, myself along with Lakhan's group of friends gave a weird suggestion to the doctors. We asked them to play the birthday tune over the broadcasting system of the hospital. It proved magical. Slowly Lakhan began to respond and in the next couple of days he was strong enough to be discharged, however on a wheel chair. 

I had to leave as my assignment was over but kept in touch over telephone to get health updates of Lakhan. In a few months he was fit to resume his work. 

The district administration held a big felicitation ceremony in his honour. I was invited so I attended. The function started with the birthday song and Lakhan was moved to tears. I patted him in his back and he hugged me tightly not able to keep his emotions in control.