Dadi was adept at storytelling with a twist in the tale. Tuni, courtesy Upendranath Kishor Ray, was a constant but Dadi married Tuni harmoniously with Rabindranath Tagore. I recall as if it were the other day…
” Raja ‘r ghawre je dhon acche,
Tuni’r ghawre o she dhon acche”, became
Tuni’r ghawre je dhon acche,
Raja’r ghawre she dhon NEI…”; translating loosely into, the wealth the King has, Tuni has the same. And later in a cruel twist of fate, ‘ The wealth that Tuni has, the King hath no more…’
In a melange of superb combination, she amalgamated Greek mythology, and Indian literature. Her version was thus:
For those unaware of Tuntuni, the story is about a bird, who is keen, intelligent and speaks to the King as an equal, ALWAYS illuminating the finer things in life.
Once upon a time, the King, irate with the thieving Tuni, who intermittently stole the guineas, spread upon the royal pavilion, washed and glinting, even as the bold rays of sunshine beat upon them, reflecting a blinding irridescence. The King decided to ensure that Tuni could not get at them, however hard she tried!
The unbeatable little sparrow, was truly at her wits end, but NEVER frustrated. She had a MIND, that the King was unfortunately not born with. So, the little scruffy sparrow, scratched her scrawny feathers, looked daringly back at the golden orb, and thought. As the orb ebbed into an orange flame, transforming itself into a silver crescent, the clever sparrow, exhausted with the dilemma and the holocaust of overthinking, fell into a deep sleep. And as she slept, she dreamt…
Strangely, her dreams were not fraught with the savagery of one upmanship, or Machiavellian machinations to diminish the King; it came to her as clear as the call of the morning lark, the toll of the blessed church bells, the ancient Arabic chants and refrains of yore; it was clear as crystal that she had what the King could never achieve.
Meanwhile, the King like Midas had been granted his lifetime wish, ALL that he touched turned to GOLD; including the guests of honour at his princely palace!!! Time was of essence, and Tuni was the Master of Time…
Even as Tuni, diminished by natural calamities, old age and lack of agility, she swore to help her lifelong enemy, the King, and sang for him her last song:
Tuni said,
O King, make your home like mine, where ALL are welcome and ALL visit.
” Come o Aryan, come non Aryan, Hindu Myssulman,
Dravidian and Chinese,
Sakas, Huns,Pathans, Moghuls, united as one body.
The doors of the West have opened,
Bearing gifts they arrive;
To give and take, unite and be united, NEVER to return.
UPON THE SHORE OF HUMANITY, OUR MOTHERLAND, INDIA.(SUCH IS A HOME).
Let me leave the conclusion, ‘ if tomorrow comes’! But at age nothing, a little girl at her Dadi’s knee, was already on her way to reading voraciously, and more significantly, comprehending the enormity of the philosophy, ‘ UNITED WE STAND…’
TUNI and I remain inseparable, that was Dadi’s GIFT to me,
” ei Bharoter mahamanober shagorteere …
Rupa Chakravarti
