(A Collection of Short Stories)
Author - Suresh Babu Mishra
English Translation by - Dr. Brajesh Kumar Gupta ‘Mewadev’
‘THE STORIES OF THE COLLECTION ARE RELATED TO THE STRUGGLE OF LIFE AND THE INTENSE DESIRE TO LIVE’
Human life and its activities have always been the center of infinite wonders and curiosity. Literature is considered to be the most important means of knowing and understanding the activities and actions of any period. Through literature, we know and experience the living world in our neighbourhood, surroundings, and the living world spread across the world and its activities. These experiences not only enrich us as readers but also make our perspective or viewpoint.
'Story' has been the most popular genre of literature since its inception. Apart from other genres of literature, the most natural quality of a story is that it interests and attracts people of every age group. The child's mind steps into adolescence, youth, adulthood, and old age while listening to stories. At every stage of life, the story stands firmly with us like a companion. That is why it is even said that 'stories are the most efficient guides in our life journey.'
The fundamental analysis of a story has its base points which have been determined and defined by scholars. Based on these, critics review any story or story collection from their angle. But I believe personally that if the story suggests ways of solution in the current circumstances along with looking at social conditions, circumstances, consistencies, inconsistencies, and inconsistencies, then this step confirms the beneficial sentiment of literature.
Shri Suresh Babu Mishra is a well-known writer of the country who has been associated with teaching work for a long time. Naturally, his literary and sensitive writer's mind is mixed with the sacred and heavy responsibilities of the education department. The result of this is that his works are densely woven with humane sublime aspects.
The story collection 'The Waves of Ravi' is the latest story collection of Suresh Babu Mishra. The collection has a total of twenty-five stories which attract easily due to their thematic diversity. The first story of the collection, 'The Last Salute' is the story of a brave soldier who completes his military mission, while 'Unique Aura' is the story of a patriotic Parvez Rasool who does not fall prey to the threats of terrorists due to his patriotism. 'A Wounded Soldier' touches the heart of the reader through 'Ghaus Khan', a devotee of Allah who saves the life of an injured soldier by lying to the terrorist for the sake of the country's security, while reading 'Scattered Blood', the reader automatically bows his head in respect to the brave Raghuraj who instead of going home on Diwali sacrifices himself for the country due to tension on the border. Similarly, 'The Waves of Ravi' is the story of the elimination of a terrorist who was trying to obtain confidential files related to the country's security by pretending to be in love. All the stories in the collection are meaningful and purposeful which strengthen the faith in humanity. All these stories have different colors like patriotism, humanity, compassion, companionship, and inclusion which unfold in front of the reader simply and easily.
The language in all the stories of the collection is suitable to the environment, circumstances, and characters. There is no verbosity regarding the language due to which the reader easily flows in the flow of the stories. There is no unnecessary elaboration in the stories and the events are interconnected. The characters, environment, plot, and events of the stories do not seem to be a part of any imaginary world but seem to be familiar and nearby to you. The stories have the struggle of life as well as the intense will to live. There are the sad stories of social life as well as the melodious melody of humanity.
Certainly, all the stories of the collection keep the reader engaged and enrich him with their emotions and impact.
I send my heartfelt best wishes for the publication of the collection. I have full faith that all the stories of this collection will be fully desired and appreciated in the world of readers.
- Dr. Avneesh Yadav
Principal
Political Model Inter College, Bareilly
THE WAVES OF RAVI: VOICE OF THE COMMON MAN
After reading the new collection of stories 'The Waves of Ravi' by Suresh Babu Mishra, who has written more than two hundred stories, it seems appropriate to say that stories are not written just like that. The writer has to take a special look at every corner of the society which is immersed in darkness. He has to become the voice of every person and class which is neglected and weak. The twenty-five interesting stories of the collection also touch that section of the society about which there has been less discussion.
This can be said especially about some of the initial stories. The general perception about the state of Jammu and Kashmir is that the people there do not have the patriotism for the country, which the people of other parts of the country have. They lack good feelings for the army of the country; they attack them, pelt stones, become sleeper cells for terrorists, and help them in every possible way.
The situation there has been prevailing since the time of independence, when we look at the facts and figures, these things get full strength. It cannot be denied that the army and the country have been facing widespread resistance there from the very beginning. But as it is said that a coin has two sides and any coin or thing is complete only when both its sides are talked about.
In this collection, 'The Last Salute', 'Unique Aura', 'A Wounded Soldier', 'The Waves of Ravi', etc. are such stories that talk about that side of the coin, which is generally less discussed. One step of the heroine of the title story of the collection 'The Waves of Ravi' presents this side very strongly. She is a victim of the conspiracy of the Pakistani intelligence agency. She falls prey to the Pakistani agent and gets badly trapped in their clutches. While studying at the university, she falls in love with the Pakistani agent and starts loving him with all her heart.
When the agent is convinced that she cannot live without him, he comes from Pakistan with his senior, whom he calls his father, and meets her at the Indian border, where the river Ravi enters Pakistan. Her father tells her that their marriage will take place only when she gives him the secret file from her police officer father's cupboard, otherwise not.
She had not even imagined that she would fall prey to such a bad deceit and conspiracy. But she keeps her composure and responds to the deceit with deceit, calls him to the same place on the border on the pretext of giving him the file, and shoots him. And she tells the shocked dying agent, 'A terrorist cannot be anyone's husband, father or brother, he is just a terrorist.'
These stories representing different periods of the collection depict very effectively the lives of the weaker sections of society and the soldiers, their sacrifices, and self-denial. In these short stories, an attempt has been made to give strength to the voice of such sections of the society which are still struggling for their rights even after so many years of independence. The issue of the weaker sections has been raised in stories like 'The Protectors of Honour', 'Lease of Land', 'Bade Thakur', etc. The story 'Work Style' depicts the corruption spread in the society and the system very strongly.
'Lease of Land' is a very touching story that very skilfully explains the condition of the exploiter and the exploited through a lawyer and an old person, while reading which one is reminded of Kailash Gautam's famous poem, 'Kachehri Na Jana'. In one place he says, the glory of the court is the unique, son, the court is the plate of the lawyer, son, it is a younger sister-in-law for the police, son, here advocacy is now brokerage, son... He writes further like this... You will find people teaching while working out, growing mustard seeds on your palm, the court looks at the body of the widow; it looks at where the button will open… This dialogue of the old man in the story shakes the heart, 'I had thought that after meeting the lawyer Sahab, I will buy a dhoti, but the lawyer Sahab took this money from me by assuring me of possession of the land. I pleaded with the lawyer Sahab a lot but his heart did not melt. The greed for money is probably never satisfied BabuJi. Today there is no money left for the fare. Maybe I will have to go to the village on foot. After saying this, the old man became quiet. Countless shadows of worry were visible on his face.' This story presents a strong picture of the continuous degradation of humanity in the age of commercialism.
'Beautiful Eyes' is an excellent story of innocent love born in adolescence. Through this story, while there are talks of love in adolescence, oblivious to the world, this story also reveals how religion is used as a weapon for selfish interests. The story 'Baba Santa Singh' is an excellent narrative of human emotions and human values. A great Sikh doctor is equally popular among all sections of the city due to his service, and fearlessly opposes the barbaric, inhumane violent activities of the terrorists, angry with this; the terrorists killed his wife and sons when they got the opportunity.
He is shocked to see the dead bodies of the entire family in the blood-stained courtyard of the house. The blow to his heart was such that his eyes became as dry as a hot desert, not a single drop of tears could even make them wet. His hurt mind fills him with a feeling of detachment; he leaves the city and starts serving people by living in a hut in a village. After some time, he finds an injured person, seeing whom he recognizes that he is the terrorist who killed his family, the flame of revenge blazes in his heart. It is here that Suresh Ji is particularly successful in marking the extreme point of the conflict between revenge and human emotions.
'Chaudhary Uncle's Dream', 'Ramiya', 'People on the Margins', 'Final Conclusion', 'The Protectors of Honor', 'Palace of Happiness', 'Dust', 'Desire for Luxury', 'The Relationship', 'Holi of Childhood', 'Immortal Martyrdom' etc., including all the stories of the collection, which are based on various subjects, are a symbol of Suresh Ji's detailed study and farsightedness. He selects his subjects from anywhere from pre-independence to modern times. His pen works equally on all subjects. The story 'Immortal Martyrdom' paints a picture of the country before independence, how the British were exploiting the countrymen, making those who fought for the country, and fight among themselves through deceit, blackmailing them, committing severe atrocities on them, despite this, how the freedom fighters were sacrificing their lives to liberate the country.
Suresh Ji's vision goes to various points of society, analyzes them closely, and uses events as story elements. The craft of the stories is effortless and straightforward. These stories, written in easy colloquial language, can touch the hearts of the readers easily. These stories take the readers closer to those aspects of our society that have remained away from them due to a lack of proper discussion. The stories give the confidence that they will be successful in leaving their mark on the readers' hearts. My heartfelt best wishes to Suresh Babu Mishra Ji for his continuous excellent writing.
- Pradeep Srivastava
Storyteller, Editor
MY OPINION
Human life is multi-coloured and multi-faceted. It never stays in one place, nor can stay. The mind is never at peace. The desire to do something new and something different keeps stirring inside it every moment. Due to this passion to do something different, I got inclined towards literature. Gradually my attachment towards literature increased and today literature has become an integral part of my life.
The story is the oldest genre of literature. At a time when words, language, script, and grammar had not emerged, stories were heard and narrated. Story is such a genre that readers of every class take an interest in reading. Keeping this fact in mind, I started writing stories. My literary journey started in 1984 which is continuing uninterrupted. Meanwhile, I got a lot of love from the readers. I believe that the letters of the readers, their reactions, and their messages are the biggest support for any writer. It is the result of the love of the wise readers that my pen never stopped, and never got tired during this period.
The story collection 'The Waves of Ravi' is my fourteenth book. There are twenty-five stories in this collection. These stories are based on different subjects. In these stories woven into the family and social fabric, I have tried to touch the heart of the common man.
This world is very strange, what is visible is not true and what is true is not visible. Through my stories, I have tried to expose this truth hidden behind the curtain. These stories are the expression of the free flow of thoughts and feelings arising in the mind of the common man.
In this era of chaos, man is getting cut off from the country and society and is shrinking into his sphere. His sphere has become the largest. The whole country and society is going through a phase of transition of moral values. In such a situation, I believe that the stories of this story collection will play a meaningful role in awakening the spirit of patriotism and social concern in society.
This story collection is respectfully dedicated to the feet of my late father Gulzari Lal Mishra and late mother Ram Pyari Mishra, whose blessings and affection are my biggest support.
I am grateful to senior litterateurs Dr. Pawanputra Badal, Dr. Sandeep Awasthi, Dr. Avnish Yadav, Dr. Pradeep Srivastava, Dr. Bina Sharma, Dr. N.L. Sharma, Dr. Shashi Wala Rathi, Surendra Kumar Agnihotri, Anand Gautam, Dr. S.P. Maurya, Rohit Rakesh, RaJiv Srivastava, Dr. C.P. Sharma, Vinod Kumar Gupta, Gurvinder Singh, and Naresh Kumar Maurya for the creative suggestions given in the writing and publication of this story collection.
In this series of gratitude, I will not forget to express my gratitude to my wife Mrs. Santosh Mishra, my daughter Samta Mishra, son-in-law Jayant Pathak, sons Saurabh Mishra, Sumit Mishra, Amit Mishra, daughters-in-law Swati Mishra, Shalini Mishra, and Pratibha Mishra, who have always provided positive support to my writing journey.
The success or failure of any work is determined by its readers. How well this work stands the test of readers is still in the womb of the future.
I am deeply grateful to Dr. Brajesh Kumar Gupta 'Mewadev' for the dedication and artistry; you have brought to the translation and publication of my book, 'The Waves of Ravi'. Your meticulous work has not only preserved the essence of my original words but has also breathed new life into them, making them accessible to a wider audience. Your skillful interpretation has bridged cultural and linguistic gaps, allowing my ideas to resonate across different languages. Your ability to capture the nuances and subtleties of the text is truly commendable.
And the publisher, 'Mewadev Granth Academy, Banda (U.P.), your commitment to bringing this project to fruition has been invaluable. From the thoughtful design to the careful editing, your efforts have transformed my manuscript into a beautifully crafted book.
Thank you both for your unwavering support, creativity, and professionalism. Your contributions have made a profound impact, and I am honoured to have worked with such exceptional individuals.
I will be waiting for your feedback and creative suggestions on the story collection 'The Waves of Ravi'.
- Suresh Babu Mishra
A-979, Rajendra Nagar, Bareilly - 243122 (U.P.)
Mobile No. 9411422735
Email- sureshbabubareilly@gmail.com
**************
LAST SALUTE
Ramandeep was searching for the bush where he had hidden his laptop in the bag. Ramandeep remembers very well that he had made a symbol of B near that bush. B means India. He was looking for that symbol.
After searching for a long time, he finally found that bush. Seeing his laptop safe in the bag hidden in the bush, a unique glow came on his face. Out of curiosity, he turned on the laptop. All the confidential information and data collected by him were completely safe. Seeing this, all his tiredness vanished and his whole body was filled with a unique thrill. He picked up the bag in which his laptop was kept and hung it on his back.
Ramandeep sat down on the ground there to rest for a while. The events of the past started flashing before his eyes like a movie. Ramandeep Singh was a brave spy of the Intelligence Corps of the Indian Army. He was sent to Pakistan on a secret mission. He had been living in Pakistan in disguise for many days and was working on his mission in a very secretive manner. It had been more than two weeks since he had come to Pakistan. He was sent to collect information about the terrorist camps operating in Pakistan.
He was successful in his mission to a great extent. He had collected a lot of information about the terrorist camps and uploaded it to his laptop. He used to roam around in the guise of a Sufi Fakir, so no one suspected him. But yesterday a Pakistani policeman saw him taking photographs of a terrorist camp. He became suspicious of Ramandeep. Since then the Pakistani police have been chasing him.
Somehow he dodged the police and hid in this hilly area of P.O.K. It was good that a few days ago he had hidden his laptop bag in a bush on this hill and today, he found it safe. The Pakistani police were still searching for him, so the danger was not over yet.
Ramandeep was a resident of a village in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab province. His father was a retired army colonel. He had participated in the wars of 1965 and 1971 and had displayed extraordinary bravery. Ramandeep had learned the basics of patriotism from him. His mother loved Ramandeep very much because he was her only son. His father also had a lot of farmland and his family was counted among the rich families.
Ramandeep had three sisters, two older and one younger than him. Ramandeep remembered that his younger sister Rajwant Kaur's wedding was about a month from now. He had applied for leave to his officer to go home for the wedding much before coming on this mission.
Ramandeep was married three years ago. His wife SurJit Kaur was very beautiful and decent. In these three years after his marriage, he was able to spend hardly one month at home with his wife, but SurJit Kaur never complained. She managed the household chores very well and took great care of everyone.
Ramandeep started thinking about how difficult and challenging the work of an army spy is. He has to work with his life at stake all the time. There is no way of knowing when the enemy will notice him. His every mission is full of dangers. The irony is that his family or the people of the country do not get any information about his risky work. Due to the mission being extremely confidential, nothing is printed in the media about his works and achievements, nor is anything shown on the channels. A spy is always happy thinking that his whole life is dedicated to Mother India. Ramandeep thought that after completing this mission, he would go to his village for his younger sister's wedding and spend at least a month in the village with his wife and family.
He was lost in these thoughts when he saw some movement in the bushes a furlong away. He became alert. He checked the location of that place on his mobile. The Indian border was twenty kilometers away from here. He took off the Sufi Fakir's attire and took out the Indian Military Intelligence Corps dress from his bag and wore it. He hung his bag properly on his back and started thinking about getting out of there. He started crawling on his elbows in the opposite direction from where he saw movement in the bushes. He was having a lot of difficulty in doing this but he did not want to take the risk of standing up. He had to safely take the laptop and the data collected in it to his headquarters. He kept crawling like this for about an hour. Now he was about a kilometer away from that place. He was breathing heavily. So he sat there for some time. Then he stood up and looked. There was silence all around. He slowly started moving towards the Indian border. He was fully alert and was moving ahead cautiously.
He must have reached only three-four kilometers when he saw three-four Pakistani soldiers walking. Perhaps there must have been a Pakistani checkpost somewhere nearby. Somehow hiding from the eyes of those soldiers, Ramandeep was successful in getting out of there. Now he started walking fast. He wanted to somehow cross the Pakistani border and enter the Indian border. His mission was completed and now he had to reach his headquarters and hand over this laptop to the officers.
The evening darkness had started to set in. Ramandeep checked the location on his mobile once again. The Indian border was now only four-five kilometers away. Ramandeep started moving fast towards the Indian border, and then he saw four-five Pakistani soldiers coming from the front. Perhaps their eyes had fallen on Ramandeep. They were coming straight towards him. Now there was no way to escape. Ramandeep thought for a few moments and then he took out a small hand grenade from his bag and threw it at those soldiers, targeting them. There was a very loud explosion and in a moment the Pakistani soldiers fell to the ground and started writhing.
Ramandeep ran towards the Indian border with all his might. He kept running for a long distance. Now he could see the Indian border clearly, so he was filled with excitement. Then suddenly firing started from the Pakistani border post, targeting Ramandeep.
Ramandeep was a trained commando of the Indian Army. He was very skilled in martial arts. He knew very well how to escape from a shower of bullets. Therefore, he was continuously moving towards the Indian border, avoiding the enemy's bullets. Finally, he was successful in reaching the Indian border. Despite being very careful, many bullets from the enemy side pierced his body, from where blood was continuously flowing. Despite unbearable pain, he was trying to crawl on his knees and elbows on the hills to reach the Indian border. Firing from the Pakistani post had now stopped.
On the other side, the brave soldiers of the Army's Drass Sector Post situated on the Indian border were patrolling the border. The darkness of night had spread all around. The cold winds were blowing, making the bones shiver. But this did not reduce the enthusiasm of the soldiers. They were performing their duty with full alertness.
Suddenly, their eyes fell on Ramandeep who was trying to enter the Indian border by crawling on his knees and elbows. Sensing some impending danger, the army soldiers became alert. They loaded their rifles and cautiously started moving towards the direction from where that man was trying to enter our country's border. The soldiers surrounded him from all sides. But they were surprised to see that there were bullet wounds all over his body and blood was flowing from them. A bag was hanging on his back. He was still trying to move forward.
Seeing the Indian Army soldiers around him, Ramandeep's face had a unique glow of happiness. He had lost a lot of blood and was breathing intermittently. He took the soil of India in his hand and put it on his forehead. Then he bowed his head and kissed the soil and took his last breath with the slogan of Bharat Mata Ki Jai.
The Indian Army soldiers were standing there surprised to see him doing this. They searched him. An identity card was found in his pocket which revealed that he was Ramandeep Singh, a spy of the Indian Military Intelligence Corps, who was sent to Pakistan on a secret mission.
There was a folded piece of paper in the fist of his left hand. A soldier opened his fist and took out that piece of paper. It was written in it - I have completed my mission. The laptop in my bag contains photos of terrorist training camps running in Pakistan. Please send it to the headquarters. While returning, Pakistani soldiers fired indiscriminately and injured me badly. But I am very happy that I took my last breath in the lap of Mother India. A last salute of her son to Mother India. May your glory remain immortal Mother, whether we live for a few days or not. Jai Hind. Bharat Mata ki Jai.
After reading Ramandeep's letter, the eyes of the army soldiers became moist. They saluted and paid their tribute to this true son of Mother India.
