A rag tag hat, black trousers with silver sparkling chains dangling from them, a crumpled white shirt, worn out shoes, a coat that was held together with a couple of patchworks - yet he stood tall in the evening sun looking majestic, calling out to the crowd to gather around for the show. He was beating the drum to draw people's attention to the event.
The road right under my balcony has become a venue for many a street performer over the years and with the asphalt surface giving way to a more modern tiled surface, the “naka” (junction) under my balcony at Mori Road certainly looks like the place to perform. And of course, Mori Road will always have a ready audience for the enterprising entertainer, and that includes me.
The crowds had gathered by now and the show was about to begin. It was dusk and the streetlights were just coming on. I had never seen him before. A first timer, at Mori Road for sure. He was a magician, a juggler, a clown and a stuntman all rolled into one. The show began.
Things came out of his bag, vanished into thin air and then reappeared from the pocket of a bewildered man in the crowd. Colored ribbons flowed out of his magic wand and with the wave of his hand he made money appear and disappear. He put on the "clown" mask and deliberately failed at some of his tricks and put on a tragic expression that almost reminded you of Raj Kapoor's Johny Mera Naam. But people laughed. He juggled three, then four, five and six dinner plates. And they clapped. He ate fire and they gasped. He juggled fire sticks and they looked on in awe. After every performance he tried an even more difficult one.
The sun had set and now it was dark. The show continued under the streetlights. A good crowd had collected and people jostled each other for space to get a glimpse of the proceedings. And then he announced the final act "Ladies and Gentlemen, put your hands together for this little girl, my daughter" and a little girl emerged from the crowd. A girl, of about six or seven. She looked familiar but I could not make out in the dark. "Brothers and Sisters, she is going to walk on this rope, and I will tie this high above the ground, and light a fire below, If she falls she will hurt herself, but she is my daughter, my magic will protect her and not let her fall. Please clap for her." The audience roared back in approval.
The rope was tied between two cross poles and her father helped the girl onto the rope with a balancing pole in her hand. She carefully placed one leg on the rope and then the other and looked straight ahead. No fear or doubt in her eyes and nodded to her father. Her father then lit the ground below with an inflammable substance and the fire raged beneath her. It was quite a sight and it got me really tense. The father started beating the drums as the girl inched forward step by step, balancing with the help of the pole and swinging lightly on the rope. The audience was at a standstill and suddenly it seemed that the whole of Mori Road had frozen. The fire beneath now raged on as the girl reached mid way. The local constable watching held up the traffic to make sure that the girl could complete her act.
And then it happened. Mori Road plunged into darkness. The streetlights went off all of a sudden and there was a slight commotion in the crowd that surged forward and someone hit the cross bar to which the rope was tied shaking the entire structure. The girl was now trying very hard to maintain her balance as the rope swung wildly from side to side. Her father stopped playing the drums and stepped forward fearing she would fall, but the fire would not let him get very close. Someone got water and doused the flames and the girl's father now stood below asking her to let go and come down. But for some reason the girl was still there and trying to keep her balance.
Headlights! The local taxi driver saw what was going on and switched on his headlights as his car was parked well positioned to provide light to the event. People gave way for the light as the taxi moved up closer to the site of the performance. People clapped now as the girl steadied herself. Her father announced, "She does not give up. She will finish the game" and started up the fire again and the local street urchin started beating the drum for the girl. This time the audience cheered on every step of the way till she reached the other end of the rope. A dozen hands reached out to help her down and she was soon perched on the shoulder of a bystander. Her father with his rag tag hat in his hand went around and I saw every hand reaching into their pocket to help fill the hat.
As the curtains came down on this final act, almost magically the lights came back again and more brightly than ever. It was the first day of Navratri and Mori Road was getting ready to celebrate and this time the street lighting was indeed special with rows of brightly colored bulbs lighting up in a rhythmic sequence. The crowd cheered even more with the lights coming on. The father announced the close of the show and signed off saying "God is the greatest Magician” and went across to thank the taxi driver.
Years back, Satyajit Ray in the movie Agantuk had Utpal Dutta explaining the concept of an eclipse to a kid using two coins and described it as God’s greatest magic of making the sun disappear for a few moments. On hearing the Magician’s words echoed what the great director had depicted.
As the taxi driver and the girl’s father sat sipping tea I could not take my eyes off the little girl. I now recognized her. I often see her every morning, bag on her shoulder, walking to school by herself.
The father finished sipping his tea. As father and daughter walked off into the distance, they left behind a street that lit up in all it's glory to celebrate the spirit of the little girl and will now stay that way for the next ten days. I headed back inside smiling and told my wife "I just saw the greatest magic show on earth" "Where and who was performing" she asked. " Well,I think it was God under my window" I said. She glared at me and I defended myself "Just joking dear, but look how someone lit up the streets so brilliantly on the eve of Mahalaya".
Mahalaya is here again and I wish all of you a very Happy Pujo and if you look carefully chances are you will recognize some magic in the things happening around you. You just need to keep your eyes “open”.
And you are most welcome to come over for a cup of chai and adda on my balcony and I assure you that you will see some interesting vignettes of life from there.
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