Hooks ..........of the mental kind

Hooks….. not metal ones, but of the mental kind

Being new to Pune, I decided that the best way to know the city is to actually walk the streets. So as a part of my evening walk, I used to take up a different direction everyday. The routine was to walk for about 40 minutes and then turn back to return home. While it assured me of a good long walk it also helped me in getting familiar with the city. On the way I was careful to make mental notes of the crossings, the signals and some landmarks like names of the roads, the bridges, the institutions….. and as a backup plan I also had an assurance from my son….even if I did lose my way, he could  reach in about 20 minutes from wherever he was.

On one such stroll, I noticed a sign board that pointed the direction to ‘Khunya Murlidhar Mandir’. That name ringed a bell in me. I had visited the city in my teens and remembered that my dad’s younger sister -  my aunt lived somewhere nearby.  Later visits to Pune were more for work or for a social occasion and rarely spilled over beyond a day. It hardly gave any leisure to go visiting friends or relatives. I was now in Pune with time in hand and wanted to make the best of my spare time. So I enquired with  a passing pedestrian who guided me with directions….the usual go straight , then at the crossing turn left, then take another left at the next crossing  and then turn right at the first lane ….. When you don’t know the location, it sounds all confusing. Yet I decided that I will track down the temple….so with the first clue in hand, was set for my treasure hunt. By and by I arrived at the temple and the scene around was nowhere close to the faint memory that I had of the area. There was redevelopment everywhere. This temple is located at a crossing and faces four roads. Turn by turn I walked to the end of each of these roads, seeking some tell tale signs of my aunt’s house. To my dismay, I just could not locate the Paranjpe wada of my teens.  Then I saw the Perugate police chowkie and thought that the police would surely know. Zilch ….the usual result.

It would have all been very easy had I called up my sister in Mumbai and sought my aunt’s contact details. Though a sure shot shortcut, it would have taken away the fun of tracking down her house and giving them a surprise. As I was searchingly strolling in the lanes, I noticed that there were many pharmaceuticals distributor shops in the area. My aunt is a doctor and my uncle had chemist shops. So with this clue in mind I thought I could inquire at one of these shops. I peered in one such shop and found a young guy at the cash counter…..no no no , find an elderly person, my mind told me. This guy may not know much of older times …I thought. So I kept ambling around until I spotted an elderly man at another such shop. When I enquired with him about Paranjape wada, he looked at me with suspicion. Observing his hesitation I narrated to him the roots of my search. He then asked me a few questions - Is she having three sons? Yes….Is one of them in Australia…yes, yes ….I was feeling glad that may be this man will lead me to my aunt. Does her brother-in-law play the harmonium…..now this was a Yorker for me….but still I said yes……he then gave me the directions. Thanking him profusely, with a renewed joy I once again commenced my pursuit.

Off I went in double pace only to find that the wada had been replaced by ‘Paranjpe Apartments’. Never mind, I thought to myself and excitedly proceeded to spot the name on the name board. Sadly no Paranjpe to be found. Now what to do? As I was watching around, I saw next door an archaic structure akin to the ‘Paranjpe wada’ of my memory. Will I get some pointer there? I mused to myself. I came to the entrance of that stone walled structure….there was peace and quiet….  It was almost a scene from a ghost film….I was entering one such house ….it had a haunted look. I climbed the steps and saw a lighted room. It seemed to be like a sitting room .While I was enquiring with the lady of the house, she pointed at a man who had just entered and was climbing the steps. He belongs to that family, she said. So I turned around. He happened to be the brother- in- law of my aunt – the harmonium player that the man at the pharma shop was referring to.

He told me that the family had shifted near Bhandarkar road almost 22 years back and gave all the contact details. 22 years ….. so although we had been meeting the family, in effect I had not visited their home for a long long time, I thought to myself. By this time it was pretty late. I thanked him and told him that I planned a surprise visit. On my way back I stopped at the police chowkie  and told them that the wada is now a tower. I returned home only for the new search next day. This part of the search was rather easy.

When I knocked at the door, was delighted to hear my aunt’s familiar musical voice - Who is there? I gave my identity and the door opened. My aunt was at the entrance with her wide beautiful welcoming smile.

Crazy but indeed a thankfully fulfilling tracking of one’s roots.The time gap of 22 years had melted in time.

I raised my query with my aunt: Atya, Why do they call the temple ‘Khunya Murlidhar’ (murderous Krishna sounds so very conflicting ) Why the word  murderous? She told an interesting tale. During the British times the freedom fighter Vasudev Balwant Phadke and his team had been underground in this area. Somehow the British soldiers got the news that some freedom fighters were hiding in the temple. One such freedom fighter fell victim to the British bullets. Since then the Murlidhar temple came to be known as ‘Khunya Murlidhar’ – a place where a murder had taken place.

Anagha Hunnurkar

February 23, 2014