Scion of Immortality

By Prakash Trivedi

Raised on principles of nonviolence and biodiversity, Suhas could hardly conjure up ways to avenge unexpected and sudden deaths of his near ones. His life was becoming almost a living hell with desire of revenge, particularly as his capacity to strike back allegedly increased thanks to large inheritance.

Can his girlfriend Nandini help him over come his sense of remorse and hate? Can Nanaji shed new light and show him his real self of being, not a hateful mongrel but a Nectars Child?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Apr 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781482872989

Prakash Trivedi

Scion of Immortality is first of Prakash’s five published Gujarati novels, being translated in English. He has also published a three act play on Mahatma Gandhi’s life. His novels deal with Indians residing in USA and India and living in the shadows of violence, terrorism and war but coming out stronger with their internal strength, love and resolve. Prakash is a Ph. D in Polymer Chemistry from Univ. of Akron, Ohio, USA and works as a consulting Polymer Technologist and lives with his wife Varsha in Mumbai, India.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by Prakash Trivedi.

Cover Artwork: Paul Klee, Senecio (1922; Public Domain).

Oil on canvas.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

www.partridgepublishing.com/india

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Aditi

Chapter 2 Vikram

Chapter 3 Ba

Chapter 4 Nandini

Chapter 5 Nanaji

Chapter 6 Salma

To Shrimati Dhiruben Patel,

Well-known writer and loving mentor!

Thanks to:

- Shri. Ashok Dholabhai, for translating from Gujarati and Shri. Pratin Trivedi for initial editing of this manuscript.

- Prof. Prasad Brahmbhatt, for his suggestions and critical essay published in Parab, monthly of Gujarati Sahitya Parishad.

- Divya Bhaskar – Sunday edition for publishing the original as a serial in twenty two Sundays.

- Shri. Manubhai Shah and Gurjar Granthratnalay for publishing the original in a book form – Amrut Putra.

- Partridge Publishing India team for making this edition possible.

- Shrimati Dhiruben Patel for inspiring me to continue to complete this novel and to write more.

CHAPTER 1

Aditi

Unlike others who consider their home as the entire universe, for Suhas, the entire universe was his home. No place was strange to him nor any person a stranger. As if this was not enough, he felt the world was too small for him, and he could hardly suppress his urge to leap up to the moon and the stars. At the slightest opportunity, he would escape from New York with Asha. After spending a few days or weeks outside New York, he would return home just as eagerly and quickly as he had left.

Within five years, he had traversed the whole world. From New York to London and from London, he had flown to Mumbai. From there, he flew to Hong Kong, Tokyo, Honolulu, and then to Los Angeles. By the time he had returned from Los Angeles to New York, with Mummy of course, he had spent two months on the road. Of these, he had of course spent one month in Mumbai with his Nana and Nani (maternal grandparents). The remaining period had merely been flying visits of two or three days to various places. Although he had very much wanted to stay awake crossing the International Date Line, it had been crossed when he was soundly asleep. What vivid memories could a 5-year-old have? All that he remembered was the constant drizzle in Hong Kong, his jumping up and down on a small bed in a small hotel in Tokyo, and playing video games in the lounge of a large hotel in Honolulu.

But how could he forget the Mumbai home where he had stayed for a long period and had visited almost every year? Could he ever forget how eagerly he looked forward to a visit to that zoo?

Today, probably for the first time, instead of a weekend at a nearby picnic spot, his mummy was insisting on taking him for a full two weeks visit to India. However, for some unfathomable reason, his mind was balking at the prospect of a visit to his nana’s place in Mumbai—an opportunity which he normally looked forward to eagerly. Was it because he did not want to miss his school? Was he worried at losing his last year in school? Or did he not want his preparations for admission to college be disturbed? Was it some other reason, which was worrying him? This frame of mind presented a dilemma for both of them.

It was true that Nana’s letter was responsible for creating this situation. Did he want them to come or did he not? He had specifically written them not to come. Why then was Mummy getting so desperate to go to Mumbai against Nana’s wish?

For Suhas, this was the second dilemma. There was yet a third problem.

Suhas was in the final year of school, and he was to enter a university the next year. He had to start preparing for the entrance exam. He had to stand first in class and also had to obtain a high ranking in the CET exam. He had yet to complete entrance application forms for several universities. He especially wanted to—rather had to—win a Westinghouse scholarship for which he had to work on a project. It would then only be possible to get into an Ivy League University.

The two-week long tiring journey to India was going to be a major obstacle in the way of these urgent pressing preparations. The prospect of the impending visit to India started a wave of troubling thoughts in Suhas’ mind. On the other hand, the delay in a positive response from him sent Asha’s temper soaring.

‘Why don’t you go alone if you want to? I can’t afford to miss school at this juncture,’ he said nervously.

This reply evoked an angry response from her, ‘Do you think you have become an American just because you were born here? Does it mean that you do not need to listen to your own mother or take care of her?’

He knew from experience that when his mother’s temper rose, her flow of words became a raging stream.

‘Will I have to teach you again and again our Indian cultural traditions? Haven’t I taken you on frequent visits to India, so that you could observe first-hand what family life is, and what we should do for our relatives? Why then did you turn out be so stupid?’

While Suhas drowned in a flood of verbiage, Asha too lost her bearings in the rushing current of her own words. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Suhas listened stoically. Finally, Asha calmed down. She washed her face and issued an order, ‘You yourself arrange for two tickets to India.’

Suhas realised that he had no other alternative but to obey his mother. It would be easier to explain the two-week absence from the school than to expect his mother to relent. Even though it might be difficult to stay alone in New York City, it was impossible to avoid accompanying his mother to India. But Suhas did not lose patience. There was still a week’s time between the purchasing of tickets and the India trip. Maybe he could find a way. Maybe he could persuade his mother to give up the idea of the India trip, or at least postpone it. He could let Mummy go alone and stay back in New York, possibly with Nandini, or else manage to stay with Papa in Washington.

In life, as in politics, a week could be a long time. He could first buy two tickets and get one cancelled at the last minute. He could still wait patiently for some more time.

Nana’s strange letter came to his mind repeatedly.

‘Dear Aditi,’ it began. Who was Aditi to whom the letter was addressed? Suhas had perhaps forgotten that Aditi was Mummy’s other name—really her original name. Usually, all the letters from Mumbai began, ‘Dear Asha and Suhas.’ Aditi was only a formal name. Suhas also noted that the word ‘Dear’ and the rest of the letter were xeroxed. Only the word ‘Aditi’ was written by hand by Nana as also was his signature, which only meant that he had written the letter, got several copies made, filled in the names of several people, added appropriate blessings in his own hand, signed them, and posted them.

‘Dear Aditi,

I have completed eighty years of my life, and my duty now is to retire from worldly activities, but I do not believe in asceticism. I have no faith in subjecting my body to punishment nor do I believe in performing penance or going on pilgrimages. However, my mind is now turning toward non-attachment, and therefore, I shall attempt to detach myself from family and worldly ties.

In the past, I have served members of my family and society in whatever way I could, and I have no further desire to continue to do so now nor do I have the capacity to do so. I feel that the time has now come to sacrifice and surrender all worldly desires and attachments, and spend the rest of my life striving to achieve salvation through devotion to and worship of God.

No one should have any expectations from me, and in turn, I relieve everyone from their responsibilities toward me. I do not expect anything from anyone. I request that if I have in my possession anything belonging to anyone, I should be so informed and it should please be taken back from me.

Please do not grieve over me or spend anything on an elaborate ceremony after my death, but consign my body to the funeral pyre in accordance with simple Hindu rites. Although I am in the best of health, please treat this letter as my last communication, and do not henceforth expect any communication from me. Please do not rush to meet me.

With blessings from your ever well-wisher,

Mulshankar.’

Suhas was very upset at this letter with its confused thoughts and language, which contained only Nana’s signature in his own handwriting, and in which he addressed only Mummy by her old forgotten name. Apart from this, Nana had not made any mention about him. Suhas felt real bad. Why had Nana forgotten him?

Moreover, Nana had specifically forbidden anyone from rushing to him. In spite of this, Mummy’s mind was in turmoil. There was no question of sulking. There was no other alternative but to book two tickets to India. Mummy had issued a command, and for him, it was like ‘There’s not to reason why!’ He had learnt Tennyson’s poem in school.

Suhas started calling all the airlines one after another. There was no response from Air India even after he had listened to a recording of Bismillah Khan’s shehnai for half an hour. Swissair told him that only seats in first class were available for which he would have to shell out three times the price of an ordinary ticket. Lufthansa held out the offer of business class accommodation at double the usual rate. British Airways expressed their inability to provide them return tickets from Mumbai back to London on a definite date. Japan Airlines offered them a trip to Mumbai via New York, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and Tokyo. Air Canada could take them only up to London via Toronto. It was as if all airlines were conspiring against them.

Finally, Suhas very reluctantly called Pan Am. Although Suhas was a US citizen, his father had advised him to avoid international travel by American owned and operated airlines as far as possible—Asha too agreed on this. They felt that the staff of these airlines turned up their noses at them. However, now since none of these foreign airlines seemed willing to take them to India, it was a waste of time not to take the help of an American airline. Therefore, instead of thinking of any other European airlines like Air France, KLM, Iberia, or Sabena, Suhas finally approached Pan Am. Invardly blaming Grandpa for this dilemma, Suhas was able to book two return tickets for Mumbai for convenient dates in no time. He would be able to take off from JFK airport on Friday, and reach Mumbai by Saturday night via Frankfurt with a short halt at Karachi. Similarly, after two weeks, he would be able to board a flight from Mumbai on a Friday, and be back in New York via Karachi and Frankfurt. At the most, it may take a couple of more flying hours due to the Karachi halt, but he was not unduly worried about this since he would not have to pay anything extra to Pan Am for this nor did Pan Am grumble about it. On the contrary, Pan Am tempted him with an offer to upgrade them, if possible, to business class on their return trip.

When Asha got the good news that their tickets had been booked, it was as if there was a cool shower of rain in the Sahara desert. Her frame of mind underwent a positive change. She started hugging and kissing Suhas every few minutes. She stroked his head and his back lovingly, all the while singing praises of India.

‘My son, you know what a grand cultural tradition we have inherited, which goes back to four to five thousand years! This country has a history of hardly two to three hundred years—is that any history? And our Dravidian civilization goes back even more than five thousand years! Shouldn’t we keep constantly returning to our civilization? How can we afford to keep away from our glorious past? And your Nanaji! He would never get swept away in emotions to write such a letter. Something serious must definitely have occurred. Maybe he has fallen ill, maybe he has had a premonition of death. Could it be a heart stroke or could it be cancer? He must be facing some problems, or else why would anyone be so downhearted? That is all the more reason why we should go to him in spite of his having forbidden us to come.’

Asha’s eyes shone with unshed tears. ‘Could it be our last meeting with him?’ and she burst into tears. Suhas took her in his arms and sat silently. He could not find any words to console her. He thought that when he got an opportunity, he would ring up Mama (maternal uncle) in Mumbai to get news. Was there any real problem, or was it just a result of ancient Indian cultural heritage?

Whatever it was, Suhas started thinking once again of an excuse to give up his Mumbai trip. Would he be able to convince Mummy about this? Would she allow him to go to Washington, or to let him stay back in New York? Would she agree