THE LION

“I want to drive a big truck, just like Jugga”, I chimed to my friend Kutu.

Each day we used to spend hours on the highway which divided the village in uneven halves watching the lorry and trucks on their way to some place called Mandi. I had heard father talk about Mandi in reverence. It was some kind of a place where the farmers carried their produce and haggled with the brokers and dealers for a fair price.

Jagga was the tallest and the strongest of all the village youths. He was very popular with us kids. He used to get us candies from the town and regale us with his adventure stories which we all lapped up with awe and great admiration. He owned and drove this big truck which could be heard about a mile away. Occasionally, he would drive us around the village; I so used to wait for these rides. He was my hero.

On that fateful day, Jugga started early to pick wheat from the nearby village and dump it in the Mandi before the sun was up. Jugga never reached Mandi.

It is said that he got into an argument with another trucker over jumping the queue. They pounced on each other. The trucker couldn’t match Jugga’s strength and got a good thrashing. It didn’t end there… when Jugga turned around to get into his truck; the trucker stabbed him in the back repeatedly until Jugga was on the ground in pool of blood. The trucker is still at large.

The day Jugga died the entire village was enveloped in gloom. We lost our hero. It has been about a year since Jagga passed away but he is still remembered. His tales of adventure and bravely have been retold a thousand time.

On one such idle day while we gaped at the passing traffic a truck screeched to halt near us. The burly driver and the cleaner got off the truck. It was a rare site to see a truck stop on this busy highway. We rushed to side of the truck and watched them inspect the truck.

“Did you know Jugga”, I proudly asked the burly driver who was under the truck. “Who”, he shouted. “Jugga the lion”, I said. “Oh yes! I did. I was the one who carried him to the hospital. He caught his leg in the truck door and fell on his head. By the time we reached the hospital he had passed on”.

We looked at each other and quietly walked back home.