The Evening of Life

The Evening of Life

 

 Congregation of ‘oldies’ are a familiar sight in the neighbourhood parks of Delhi. These 'elderlies' come early mornings and late evenings to sit on benches and chat in their respective groups even as younger walkers sweat it out to burn calories.    This park in Delhi’s Dwarka was a combination of two large plots – one a Rhombus and the other a rectangle.  At easy pace, it takes ten minutes to walk one ‘round’ of the path laid along its edges.

Some of the ‘elders’ took time to dress for their park visit. They came with walking shoes, a couple of them even wearing shorts. Most others dressed in humble white kurtas and came with the only purpose of spending time on the set of four benches arranged as a square, chatting with whoever was there during the time they were there.

Watching these ‘elders’ provides useful lessons on the stages in the ageing process. There are some who speak loudly, others in a mere whisper and some others who seemingly lost in thoughts and sit glaring into the distant horizon. One or two of them were dog lovers who fed biscuits and water to the many strays of the park.

Pass by the group a few times and it becomes easy to notice that while other ‘elders’ come and go, one of them is a constant.  He’s in fact always there, morning and evening. Sitting through all groups at the edge of one bench, chin resting on his palm, his face with stubble, clothes dusty, worn out rubber slippers, a cloth bag that was kept on the grass next to him and a half-filled water bottle laying lay flat on the bench by his side that ensured that only one other would sit on that same bench.

Peshori Bhai, a person of stoic calm who spoke little but was a keen listener who looked directly into the eyes of other discussants.  Himself a dog lover, he had developed friendship with strays and a couple of them, especially one with a hyena look were always around him.

There were two risk-ridden incidents that took place in the park in somewhat close succession and Peshori Bhai’s conduct during their occurrence provided insight into his state of mind.

The first was when a large snake emerged from amidst the close by  bushes and came very close to the benches. Neither the elders nor the dogs had accosted such a threat before.  While the curious dogs began to bark, panic set in amongst some of the bench-sitters, some of whom jumped up to run away.   Some others kept sitting still, carefully watching the snake’s movements.  On its part, the snake too perhaps, had by the assessed a potential threat to itself and chose to silently slither away back into the bushes.

Peshori Bhai was the lone person not to show any emotion or movement.  He just carried out sitting at his place knowing well that the snake was integral to the park and knew what it was looking for.

A second unusual event was when just after sunset one evening, a severe whirlwind of dust leaves and rubble swept across the park. The wind was fiercely strong that it ripped off the weak branches of the park’s trees and carried them along like missiles. Lightning and rain followed. As the build up to an ominous rising storm became evident, other elders returned quickly to the safety of their homes. Even the dogs moved to wherever they felt secure, but Peshori Bhai’s kept sitting at his place on the bench, unmoved by the dust, wind rain or whatever and remained there well into the darkness.  

Questions began to be asked - Was there no home for this elderly man? Has this park come to be his home? Why was he, at his age and state of health choosing to spend such extended stretches of time outdoors in hours when the summer sun was blazing hot? What were his compulsions? … and even as to asking if this how and where he would stay for the rest of his life.

These questions will now remain unanswered as a few days after,  Peshori Bhai was no longer to be seen at this park.

Some then asked if he was in good health, as to where he may have moved elsewhere with the hope that his issues at home resolving with the family becoming ‘one’.