The Puppet-Master

A Short Story

Loma a Puppet-Maker made his own puppets, traveling across the plains of India he traveled from Village to Village running the Puppet-Show. Sometimes, when Puppets grew Old and Worn by Time Loma changed the Puppets and Threw them away one day. In the summer that year, Loma was having as bad a time as sun scorched lands ravaged with dryness and like the water the money trickled away. Loma , old now, finally decided to stop for the night, hungry weather-beaten he found money only to buy cloth for new puppets. Stopping beside Chandni Bazar( Moon Market), on that night be brought a piece of red cloth finally making himself some new puppets.

He cut the large red Muslin cloth into four pieces and after working through the night he made three puppets. Shining, and stuck with pins the Puppets satisfied his trained glittery eyes and he made clothes for the puppets with the last piece. Then, when the sun was nearly breaking out with cocks crowing he finally threw his puppets satisfied in the big Blue Sphere that carried all his puppets.

The new puppets were an immediate success and people thronged to watch his shows again. Goodtime came again and Loma’s Blue sphere filled with up tinkle of coins. One morning he had a dream- and waking up he found himself rubbing his eyes. Running his hands through his beard he mused trying to recollect his funny dream. As if all puppets were alive. Opening the blue-box he found the puppets just like they were, all their own compartments.

Puppets were joyous, some watched the other cry, some danced twirling around. He felt the puppets had a world of their own. Merry-making, loving each other in their small world and above one side he found two puppets together. He felt they were the new puppets, and wondered whether they were indeed alive.

Chandni Bazar was soon flooded with rains, filth from the gutters spewed onto the streets sticking on wet roads. It rained and it rained, and All the people stayed indoors. Three later, he soon found his business dwindling. He looked cursing towards the skies but the rain never stopped. Hail, thunder and floods.

During that time most of the puppets were kept indoors in their box. Safe from wet rain. Bored, he finally opened to take a look inside the box- the puppets glittered , shining as if they were new, knowing. He removed his favourite puppet- theone he’d named Anita. ‘Come and dance little Girl’ he said. His expert fingers danced strings pulling a leg and then hands until Anita was dancing on the wet-street to the delight of a few surrounding rain-sheltering people. ‘Bravo, Bravo’ the people cried. And a few coins rained into the blue shell. ‘More,’ they cried and he put up a best show. Anita, Radha, Rani , Raja – the elephants, the horses, the prince and princess and courtiers.

Rainstopped the play at middle with the puppets returning back to the BlueShell. As if they’d returned back to the Kingdom.

As days passed and money dwindled- the puppets , why he wondered that dream. Never later.

‘Dance in morning, dance at night, Dance all ye Puppets- ye dance all right’. As if he’d said it or wished it but Loma knew not why again the dream came. He saw them fighting inside. Awakening to morning cold, he rubbed his eyes shivering looking around towards Box quite amazed later though he was finding all the Puppets exactly like he’d set them-only Raja Puppet wandered around seemingly.

Meanwhile a Magician made his business on otherside of street dragging all Old Loma’s customers away. Loma again fell onto bad days, and began drinking spending more and more time away from the Puppets. Angry at Magician he scorned shouting and screaming but people never listened. Even his faithful crowd disappeared. Old Loma finally decided to look what Magician was upto-at first he found him enticing, alluring with a smart black moustache. He gave free bananas. Magic tricks- he’d make Pigeons appear, rats disappear. Magician used dirty tricks that made the crowd laugh.

Loma was angry at Magician. With his last few pennies he bought another Muslin cloth sitting down to make puppet’s to lure away the crowd.He worked all through night but Loma was very Old. And sleep overpowered him. Another dream Loma, he felt the Puppets were sad. They too, like people , wanted to be with the Magician. Loma felt sad for he made his puppets himself- he felt cheated. Through the dream, the Prince and Princess fought with each other. Mourning he moved towards Magician- he felt Puppets had a life of their own. But what could he do? He always felt like their father. He had grown old ,Magician had all the tricks luring all ; even his puppets away.

‘Ha, ha-Old Man’ Magician laughed. Old Lama felt insulted. ‘They are mine the Magician said; I, the Magician hold all the keys, give me your puppets. They will never miss you. Magic everyday, people will cheer. Have no fear’. Old Lama was very angry, ‘You betray me, these puppets are like mine. Go away or I’ll fight with you’.

Again Magician laughed. ‘ They want to come Lama. Your hands are old. Go away. Give me my puppets’. Lama angrily humped, the Magician hissed, ‘waste not my time theirs’ too.’ Before Lama handed the Puppets to Magician he kept The Prince and Donkey puppets that he liked handing but before long Lama, sitting on other side of pavement watched every-day, day by day as people liked Magician. Watching his puppets with Magician Lamas’ heart broke. Strangely though he felt contented, his puppets felt happy. He never wanted to make anymore puppets watching Magician every day. One night again the dream; feeling as if Prince was crying, Lama felt terribly sad. Lovers torn apart. He picked Prince ,a sad face, his eyes gazing towards Magician. “Yes” the cloth lips

spoke, and feeling evermore guilty Lama gave Magician who welcomed Prince with a banana.

Lama contently stared as Prince’s face was Lit up, and yonder Princess was all smiles. Lama, looked at the Donkey- ‘Just for a second’. Donkey Puppet he threw into Magician’s Box. A few moments later it rebounded back. Unsure, Lama felt that Donkey wanted him. As if it were alive.

Magician said: ‘Go Lama, take Donkey, he spreads Poison. He tells my Puppets that they can be what they like, live where they want. Go Lama, your place is across the street’. Lama gazed happily at Donkey with Colgate-Smile and wandered off to the other end where he waits even in now…..waiting for his Puppets to make their way to their father.

The following is a work of fiction. The characters and incidents portrayed and the names herein are fictious and any similarity to the name , character and history of any person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

 

 

© 2006 T.Prabhakar. All Rights Reserved