EP01: BUDDHI KE BAAL WALA

 

The summers were the best in 2000. Every morning from April to June Rahim chacha used to come to with his cart chanting “Buddhi Ke Baal Wala Aaya, Khushiyan Laya” and kids of the colony rushed to him with sheer excitement. Kamla one of those kids was Rahim chacha’s favourite. Every time Rahim chacha visited the colony, Kamla would be the first one to run towards him and sit on the front porch of his cart. She used to travel the whole colony with him. Seeing vegetable vendors and greeting them, seeing children rushing towards Rahim chacha and watching the preparation of cotton candy with the wooden machine, eating the cotton candies for free and in the evening getting off at her house. Leaving Rahim chacha alone for a night.

Rahim chacha had a daughter named Tasnim. Then he used to work in a factory as a metalsmith. His daughter was very fond of cotton candies. He and his daughter every Sunday went to eat the cotton candies in the Bazaar. He used to hold her daughter’s hand and walk from their home to Bazaar. His daughter told him about her whole week and Rahim chacha like every father enjoyed her cute things. Rahim chacha had bad relations with his father so, he left his home when he was 16. He didn’t want to have a bad relationship with his daughter so he tried his best to share moments with her. One day, when the sun was enjoying irritating people, he took his daughter to a new place, where cotton candies were available in different flavours. He wanted to surprise his daughter with new flavours of cotton candy. As usual, he held his daughter’s hand and she began to tell about her whole week and they continue to walk. They were on the highway when his daughter’s napkin flew away from her and landed at the centre of the traffic-filled lane. His daughter left his hand and moved towards the centre of the highway when a big vehicle tossed her in the air and separated her from her father forever. From then, in the memory of his daughter, Rahim chacha is distributing happiness to little children with his cotton candy cart. He loves Kamla as she reminds him of his daughter Tasnim.

A year passed and reign of the sun was back. Rahim chacha again with his cart set out to the colony to meet Kamla and other children. This time he was unable to find Kamla while all other children were present. He asked one of the kids, Raju, about Kamla. He with an anxious expression expressed, “who Kamla? No Kamla is living here for a long time.”

He gets disturbed and gloomy and realised that Kamla was only the result of his Erotomaniac delusional disorder and lost his hope for longing love. He then moves ahead in search of another Tasnim, and kept chanting, "Buddhi Ke Baal Wala Aya, Khushiyan Laya"