Padma, Pomeranins & Bhopal Gas Leak

Sour bites turn sweet bites
Padma, pomeranins & Bhopal gas leak

As the week-end dusk was settling in, I ascended to the first floor and reached JK’s flat. The door was ajar and so,instead pressing calling bell button, I gently knocked thrice over the rhomboidal “Beware of Dogs Johnny & Jimmy” image affixed to heavy teakwood door.

She and her two softly-barking Pomeranians welcomed me. The dogs stood over their hind legs leaning on her side.She said JK on tour to Nagpur and Bhopal would return by Tuesday. Pointing to the couch, she suggested to be seated and excused herself to kitchenette. The cream-white bushy Pomeranians looking delighted, sat on my lap, keeping their ears stiff.

Manamkulira from sakunthalai rendered by ms amma,gliding and blending in mohaanm, dhanysai & banduvarali - from Grundig tape recorder was replenishing the drawing room; the redolence of boiled Aareymilk with saffron and cardamom wafting from kitchenette to the drawing room reminding me of THIRATTIPAL (MILK HALWA). Some celebration must be in the offing.

The pendulum wall-clock commenced striking softly seven. Hard-bound illustrated Titles of BRENDA ALOFF -, Aggression in dogs, On talking terms with dogs calming signals & canine body language lying overlapping one another, found lying on the glass-topped mahogany centre-table. Being middle class,Status symbols - TV & Telephone–considered luxuries were not there. Not even a transistor Radio.

Carrying on a golden-coloured-tray, two glass-filled cherry-red liquid, she came to centre table proffering a glass. She endearingly called “Johnny –Jimmy”with a pail of milk and they hopped out from my lap to balcony. She added milk into each of the two shallow metal bowls in the corner to which dogs rushed jostling. Listening to their slurping, I commenced sipping the pomegranate juice, told her, since a fortnight away on tour and just returned.

Someone was at the door. She attended to him. The Pomeranians dived at him. She gathered those three books on dog from centre-table and handed them over to him. The Pomeranians hopped into his inviting hands and left with him.Wiping her tears, she told that was dog-trainer. With moist eyes, she added that JK abhors dog-keeping, walking them and related work. So, willy-nilly, she had now gave away them with those books.It was around eight, when I excused with a promise to come on Tuesday next, when JK would be present.

It was that next Tuesday early morning. I picked up the paper dated Tuesday, December 4,1984 and casually opened it. What I read in those headlines froze me. Five column bold headline in Times of India inread “VICTIMS CAUGHT IN SLEEP: 10,000 HOSPITALISED 350 DIE IN BHOPAL GAS LEAK...”A sharp chill went through my spine. It was reported that people in the vee hours of Sunday-Monday common night, ran - some even naked -all across streets of Bhopal, many died due to inhaling leaked gas , some died in stampede, and countless men, women, children & livestock perished in sleep. Poisonous mix of heavy gases including MIC, escaped from a multinational carbide plant during Sun-Mon night was reported to be the cause. The gas settled down to a height of 6 to 10 feet all across Bhopal; and many turned blind and or disabled.

I rushed outside with mind-full of my friend JK and his spouse. I trotted to JK’s home. Padma was seen at her doorsteps, busy with her rangoli. On hearing my approaching ascending steps, she gradually turned her head and seen me casting a smile. Her eye brows went up with mild smile on her face, perhaps wondering of my presence at that hour. I forced myself to be calm and responded with a difficult smile, arresting my tears through which I saw her vermillion dotted forehead hazily. JK’s Bengali neighbour, staying single in opposite flat was sauntering up and reaching to his flat. I saw him holding folded morning paper with the words “The Times Of” visible. He just smiled at both of us and went into his flat.

I was in great dilemma. I assumed JKs not being delivered any News Paper at home. It was pre-mobile, pre-internet pre-satellite TV era.There was no way to contact JK.Only around 9, probably I can try to elicit some information by contacting JK’s local office from public-phone-booth. I was not sure whether to disclose to her, what I read in Times of India. I bluffed her something and came out.

With tears refuse to cease, I was unsteadily walking back to my residence at a stone’s throw. From a distance, it was incredible. The Yellow Fiat halted in front of my residence. JK was just alighting from it with difficulty, tad limping, and his left calf muscles covered in bandage.I was glad and sad. What a delight it was! I asked him the reason for his limping and alighting there.

I was all ears, when he began narrating the big picture. He needed some cash.He was to travel Sunday night by rail to Bhopal from Nagpur and stay there till Monday evening and then travel back to Bombay. On Sunday around eight p.m., as a pillion with his friend Sathya proceeded to Nagpur Railway station; there Royal Enfield bike was chased by ferocious stray-dogs and one of the dogs darted on him, bit his calf muscle. Sathya took him to hospital and got him the shots and had dressing for the dog bite.

Same night around nine from a hotel land-line, he spoke to his boss at Bombay to inform of the dog-bite he had, but the latter preceded him in conversation mentioning to his delight. “Hello JK how are you dear– Bhopal Negotiation meeting stands postponed. You plan to return immediately to Bombay” and the line went dead. JK rested in Nagpur overnight; following day, i.e. Monday with Sathya went to hospital where he had collected and seenblood report - got confirmed nothing critical - and evening boarded the train for Bombay.

I accompanied him to his home helping with his wheeler-Aristocrat. As we climbed up, the Bengali man just came out with TOI and upon seeing JK, with tears in his eyes rushed with open arms and hugged JK. At door steps stood Padma. Noticing the door devoid of warning “Beware of Johnny & Jimmy”, JK asked her about Pomeranians.

 

oh! That was Guardian Angel changed son's permanent dwelling and so his spouse to calif just in time.
That is what invisible hand of God or Lord. It must have given terrific emotional shift from deep worry to profound bliss. God's ways are great.
Thank you for sharing this with IL'ites & I owe you a hand shake for reading mine so quick and prompt apt parallel response. Regards. god Bless Us All.

 

He hated handling and taming dogs. When dog saved him which he was not aware of yet his concern upon reaching his flat was about Pomeranians. we can't say for sure that it was only dog that had indirectly helped him. If Sathya had been our on tour who also was a marketing professional, I shudder to think the sequels.
Later when he learnt the Bhopal gas tragedy, he started respecting dogs and worshipping Lord Bhairavar.
Today, is 33rd anniversary of Bhopal Gas tragedy and thought of JK crossed my mind and hence this post. Padma used to Hello me on this day every year invariably from different geographies but today I am awaiting her call.
Thanks and Regards.

 

Thanks dear sister for your reading this snippet and also for offering thought provoking comments.