Eidgah Kahani in English: Munshi Premchand Story
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Eidgah Kahani in English
Eid has come after full thirty days of Ramzan. How beautiful, what a pleasant morning it is.
There is some strange greenery on the trees, some strange brightness in the fields, some strange redness in the sky.
Look at today’s sun, how lovely, how cool, as if it is wishing the world a happy Eid.
There is so much commotion in the village. Preparations are going on to go to Idgah.
There are no buttons on anyone’s kurta, people are running to get needle and thread from the neighboring house.
Someone’s shoes have become stiff and he runs to the oilman’s house to put oil in them.
Give water to the bulls as soon as possible. It will be afternoon by the time we return from Eidgah.
Walking three miles, then meeting hundreds of people. It is impossible to return before noon. The boys are happiest. Some have kept a fast, that too till noon, some have not even that, but the joy of going to Eidgah is their share. Fasting will be for elders. It is Eid for them.
Used to memorize the name of Eid every day. Today she came. Now there is a hurry as to why people do not go to Eidgah. What use do they have for household worries? Whether there is milk and sugar in the house for the servants or not, by their power the servants will eat it.
How would he know why Abbajan was running to Chaudhary Kayam Ali’s house in an angry mood? What news do they have that if Chaudhary changes his eyes today, this entire Eid Muharram will be ruined. Their own pockets are filled with Kuber’s money. He repeatedly takes out his treasure from his pocket, counts it and happily keeps it back.
Mehmood counts, one-two, ten-twelve. He has twelve paise. Mohsin has one, two, three, eight, nine, fifteen paisa. With this immense amount of money we will bring countless things – toys, sweets, bugles, balls and who knows what else!
And Hamid is most happy. He was a poor-looking, thin boy of four-five years, whose father died of cholera last year and whose mother, for some unknown reason, turned pale and died one day. No one knew what the disease was. Even if she told me, who was going to listen? Whatever happened to the heart, it was tolerated in the heart itself and when it could no longer be tolerated, it left the world.
Now Hamid sleeps in the lap of his old grandmother Amina and is equally happy. His father has gone to earn money. Will bring many bags. Ammijaan has gone to Allahmian’s house to bring nice things for him, so Hamid is happy. Hope is a great thing and then the hope of children! Their imagination makes a mountain out of a molehill.
Hamid has no shoes on his feet, an old-fashioned cap on his head, whose brim has turned black, yet he is happy. When his father brings bags and his mother brings gifts, he will fulfill his heart’s desires. Then we will see from where Mahmood, Mohsin, Noore and Sammi will withdraw that much money.
Unfortunate Amina is sitting in her room and crying. Today is the day of Eid and there is no food in his house. Had Abid been there today, would Eid have come and gone like this? She is drowning in this darkness and despair. Who called this Nigodi Eid? He has nothing to do with this household, But Hamid! What does he care about someone’s life or death? There is light inside him, hope outside. If adversity brings its full force, Hamid’s blissful thoughts will destroy it.
Hamid goes inside and says to grandmother – Don’t be afraid Amma, I will go first. Don’t be afraid at all.
A fair started from the village. And Hamid was also going with the children. Occasionally all of them ran to get ahead. Then he would stand under a tree and wait for his companions. Why are these people walking so slowly? It seems as if Hamid is on his feet. Can he ever get tired? Have arrived to the tail of the city. There are rich people gardens on both sides of the road. A strong boundary wall is present. The trees are full of mangoes and litchis. Sometimes a boy picks up a pebble and aims at the mango. The gardener comes out abusing from inside. The boys are one furlong away from there. Are laughing a lot. How the gardener has been fooled!
Now the settlement had started becoming dense. Groups of people going to Eidgah started appearing. Everyone was wearing flamboyant clothes, some were riding on horse-drawn carriages, some were on motor vehicles, all were covered in perfume, everyone was filled with excitement.
That small group of villagers, oblivious of their plight, were moving on, engrossed in contentment and patience. All the things in the city were unique for the children. Whatever you look at, you keep looking at it. And did not alert even when there was repeated sound of horn from behind. Hamid was saved by going under the motor.
Suddenly Idgah came into view. There is cool shade of tamarind tree upstairs. There is a concrete floor below, on which a carpet has been spread, and the rows of people fasting, one after the other, have gone till who knows where, till the bottom of the concrete world, where there is not even a carpet. Newcomers come and stand in the back row. There is no space ahead. Nobody sees money or position here. Everyone is equal before Islam. These villagers also performed ablution and stood in the back row.
What a beautiful operation, what a beautiful arrangement! Millions of heads bow in prostration together, then all of them stand together. We bow together and sit on our knees together. Many times the same process happens, as if millions of electric lights are lit simultaneously and extinguished simultaneously and the same sequence continues. What an extraordinary sight it was, whose collective actions, expanse and infinity filled the heart with reverence, pride and self-ecstasy. As if a thread of brotherhood is tying all these souls together.
Namaz is over, people are hugging each other. Then there is a raid on sweets and toy shops. That group of villagers is no less enthusiastic about this subject than the children. Look, this is a carousel. Pay one penny and go. Sometimes you will seem to be going to the sky, sometimes falling to the ground. There is a spinning wheel, wooden elephants, horses, camels are hanging from rods. Pay one penny, sit down and enjoy twenty-five rounds. Mahmood and Mohsin, Noore and Sammi sit on these horses and camels. Hamid is standing far. Just three paisa is all that he has. He could give one-third of his wealth to Nadi just to have a little fun.
After toys come sweets. Some have taken Revadis, some Gulab Jamun, some Sohan Halwa. Eating with pleasure. Hamid is separated from the community. The unfortunate man has three paise. Don’t you eat something? Looks at everyone with greedy eyes.
After sweets, some shops sell iron items, some gilt and some fake jewellery. There was no attraction for the boys over here. They all move ahead.
Hamid stops at an iron shop. Many tongs were kept. It occurred to him that grandmother did not have tongs. When she takes out the rotis from the pan, her hands get burnt. If he takes the tongs and gives them to Grandma, how happy she will be! Then their fingers will never get burnt. There will be a useful thing at home. What is the benefit of toys? Money is wasted unnecessarily. He asked the shopkeeper, how much are these tongs?
The shopkeeper looked at him and seeing no one with him said, ‘This is of no use to you sir’
‘Is it for sale or not?’
‘Why is it not for sale? And why have you brought the load here?’
‘So why don’t you tell me, what kind of money is it?’
‘Will it cost six paisa?’
Hamid’s heart sank. ‘Tell me exactly.’
‘It will cost you exactly five paise, take it if you want, otherwise keep moving.’
Hamid asked with strong heart, ‘Will you take three paise?
Saying this he moved ahead so as not to listen to the shopkeeper’s scoldings. But the shopkeeper did not give any advice. Called and gave him tongs. Hamid placed it on his shoulder as if it were a gun and came proudly towards his companions.
At eleven o’clock there was a commotion in the entire village. Fair people came. Mohsin’s younger sister ran and snatched Bhishti from his hand and when she jumped with joy, Miyan Bhishti came down and Surlok straightened up. There was a fight between brother and sister over this. Both of them cried a lot. Their mother got upset after hearing the noise and slapped both of them two more times.
Now listen to the condition of Mian Hamid. As soon as Amina heard his voice, she ran and took him in her lap and started loving him. Sahaja was shocked to see the tongs in his hand.
‘Where were these tongs?’
‘I have bought it.’
‘Why in the money?’
‘Gived three paise.’
Amina beat her chest. What kind of foolish boy is he that it was afternoon and he neither ate nor drank anything. What did you bring, tongs? Did you not find anything else in the entire fair that did not match this iron tongs?
Hamid said guiltily – Your fingers got burnt by the pan, so I took it.
The old lady’s anger immediately turned into affection, and affection is not the kind that swells and spreads all its pain in words. It was silent affection, very solid, full of juice and flavor. How much sacrifice, how much goodwill and how much wisdom is there in the child! How tempted his mind must have been after seeing others taking toys and eating sweets! How could he seize so much? There too he remembered his old grandmother. Amina was very glad.
And now a very strange thing happened. Stranger than this tongs of Hamid. Child Hamid played the part of old Hamid. Old Amina became girl Amina. She began to cry. With her arms wide open, she kept praying to Hamid and kept shedding big drops of tears. What does Hamid understand the secret of this? This is the end of the Eidgah Kahani in English by Munshi Premchand.
Also Read: Lomdi Aur Angoor Ki Kahani in English: Fox and Grapes Story