Miya Fuski : The sari's New Color

- Vilayati saheb replied,  "You never talk seriously!" Miya Fuski said, "I'm not laughing for fun. We must act quickly."

- Miya Fuski , thinking quickly, decided that he would throw away the sari and show his face to them.

- Jivram Joshi

Miya Fuski , Bhatt, and Vilayati saheb were sitting together.

Vilayati saheb suddenly said, "What if we visit Ahmedabad and Mumbai for a little while? It will be so much fun!" hearing this, Miya Fuski  became very excited, but Bhatt was feeling lazy.

Vilayati saheb asked, "Why, Bhatt, why did you not say anything?"

Bhatt replied, "I don't want to go. You both go ahead. I don't want to be confused or bothered."

Miya Fuski  then said, "Alright, so you won't be coming with us."

Bhatt insisted, "No, I'm really not coming."

Bhatt was not ready to get up.

Miya Fuski  and Vilayati saheb began to prepare for their journey. It was winter in Abu, and during winter Abu sometimes feels a little empty and quiet. Vilayati saheb thought that after spending many days in big cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, or Surat, staying in Abu had grown tiring. When the summer ended, Abu became gloomy, as the people who came for a cool breeze soon left and everything felt silent.

Vilayati saheb said, "Bhatt, you stay here and take care of the bungalow. Miya Fuski , I am sure you will be just fine. We are fun people and we will have a great time. We will come back refreshed."

First, they reached Abu road - a place called kharedi. Every day a motorbus ran up and down the Abu hills, traveling along a road that was very long and winding. The road sometimes looked as if a snake was slithering along the hills. It was very exciting!

After getting off at Abu road station, they took a vehicle. Near Ahmedabad station, there was a restaurant called Ashok Niwas Bhojnalay. Getting off there was always fun. Miya Fuski  and Vilayati saheb got off, and soon a hunger for tasty food and some leisure filled them. They enjoyed wandering around, and before they knew it, a week had passed.

Vilayati saheb said, "Oh Miya Fuski , Ahmedabad is like a den of rats - the cats live there!"

Miya Fuski replied, "Do any cats really live in a den of rats? I think it is the rats that live there."

Vilayati saheb said, "All the rats ran away, scared of the cats. Some cats even got trapped, and that cleared out the rat nests."

Miya Fuski said in a gentle voice, "No, saheb, our Ahmedabad is a treasure of wise people, devotees, and saints. You should see the Gita and Veda temples, the great heritage of shaahalam, and the busy market streets."

Vilayati saheb replied, "All that is like a den for the cats. There aren't any rats left now. We must be careful - if any cat sets its eyes on us, we might be in trouble. We should leave Ahmedabad quickly."

Miya Fuski said, "Let's buy one beautiful sari in Ahmedabad; I hear they have lovely ones."

Vilayati saheb asked, "What use do you have for a sari?"

Miya Fuski answered, "When we go home, we will gift it to Bhatt. Bhatt will be happy."

They went to the market and looked around the fabric shops. A hard working man came with a little bag and said quietly to Miya Fuski , "Sir, there are seven saris in this bag. Please tell no one - they are being sold at a very low price."

Miya Fuski asked, "What do you mean?"

the man explained, "Sir, these saris have come from the mills. For seven saris, you only pay 21 rupees." 

This were olden times, so prizes were really cheap. 

Miya Fuski thought for a moment. Twenty-one rupees for seven saris meant each sari cost about three rupees.

Miya Fuski said, "Bhai, we can't buy these without checking them first."

The man replied, "Sir, I won't show them openly in the market; but if you wish, you may take a look."

Miya Fuski examined the saris and they all looked fine. He paid 21 rupees for the bag of seven saris and they headed back. When they opened the bag at home and looked at the saris, they found that many of them were damaged. Miya Fuski then understood that this was why they had been sold so cheaply.

Vilayati saheb said, "Miya Fuski , we must leave quickly. If any strong cat comes, it might catch us."

That very day, Vilayati saheb and Miya Fuski went to Vadodara. They stayed there for two days and saw many things. They visited Kamati bagh, saw beautiful animal statues arranged as if in a fair picture, and even went out in pairs. When they returned, Vilayati saheb's new shoes were missing - someone had taken them.

Vilayati saheb got angry and told the guard, "Hey you rascal! If you take our shoes when we are outside, why don't you make sure to secure them properly?"

The guard replied, "Sir, we are not responsible for taking down the shoes when you come out, nor for keeping them safe."

Vilayati saheb then scolded everyone, gathering a group of people to block the entrance of the storage room. He said he would not allow anyone to enter there.

Miya Fuski said, "Please bring our shoes back."

As the commotion grew, people came to the storage area. They explained to Vilayati saheb, "We are not sure what to do with the shoes now."

Vilayati saheb then said, "Oh you clever ones! You have shown us how to take our shoes out, so now you should also take good care of them."

Everyone agreed that if one takes the shoes out, one should also look after them.

At last, the people at the storage area apologized to Vilayati saheb and explained the matter, and Vilayati saheb calmed down.

Vilayati saheb then said, "Miya Fuski , this Vadodara town is also like a playground. They have built enclosures for lions and tigers here. Let's not stay in this town. Let's go to surat - that colorful city where we can enjoy delicious treats like barfi and have fun."

That same day they got into a vehicle and headed straight to Surat. When they got off at the station,

Miya Fuski said, "We must go to the post office. There is a waiting room where we can relax and enjoy ourselves."

They headed toward bagicha where the local bus stop, called khatara, was located. There was a long line and a big crowd, but people stood patiently.

Vilayati saheb said, "This does not seem like our spot."

Miya Fuski then said, "I have an idea."

Vilayati saheb asked, "What is it?"

Miya Fuski explained, "Ladies have their own separate area. First they get a place to sit in the khatara. Times have changed - as Bhatt used to say, I want to go ahead. Let's use a little trick. There are two or three empty spots in the waiting area. Soon it will be our turn to sit."

Vilayati saheb laughed.

Miya Fuski asked, "Why are you laughing?"

Vilayati saheb replied, "You never talk seriously!"

Miya Fuski said, "I'm not laughing for fun. We must act quickly."

Vilayati saheb said, "Oh dear! Are we really going to pretend to be just guests in the waiting area?"

Miya Fuski said, "Let's become guests for a while."

Vilayati saheb then said, "We must show confidence and stand firmly. I have a bright pair of shoes, but they must not be noticed by anyone."

Continued from page 3

Miya Fuski replied, "oh saheb, we must hide any sign of shyness. If we act without worry, no one will ask questions. We are only planning to spend half an hour here. There is a garden right nearby where we can remove our saris."

Miya Fuski liked this plan. They quickly made their way to the garden nearby. They removed their saris there.

They did not have much with them - only a bag of clothes for wearing, and they had rented a palanquin here and there. After all, why should one carry extra luggage on a trip? It is more fun to travel with as little as possible.

After changing into their saris and picking up their bags, they boarded a bus. No one recognized them, even though they looked a little different. People began to think that these were people from a small village. Because they looked that way, they wrapped their head covers (dhunghat) neatly and wore their saris in a simple, unshowy style.

Soon enough, they found a place to sit in the waiting area. They both sat on the empty spots. In the middle of the area, near the khatara's ticket counter, a ticket collector came and said,

"Come on, please show your tickets."

One said, "Here is my ticket, sir."

The ticket collector said, "Come on, sisters, show your tickets."

Miya Fuski had a ticket kept safely hidden. He knew that when the ticket collector came by, he must show it. Carefully, he took out her ticket from its hiding spot, but as he tried to remove it, his sari got tangled. In the process of trying to get it out, the ticket slipped from his hand and fell somewhere out of sight. The noise of everyone rustling made Miya Fuski feel very embarrassed.

The ticket collector said, "Hurry up, sister, the train is leaving. Keep showing your ticket, don't delay!"

Miya Fuski fumbled and tried to get his ticket out once again, but his sari became even more entangled. Despite his best efforts, the ticket did not come back into his hand.

Someone said, "Sister, please stand up. Perhaps the ticket has fallen down."

Another said, "Please stand up carefully and check your sari."

Hearing many sisters advising her, Miya Fuski felt so upset that he could not speak.

The ticket collector then said, "Please stand up, sister. I believe your ticket is caught in your sari."

Slowly, with a little effort, Miya Fuski managed to stand up and untangle his sari. The ticket collector carefully checked and returned the ticket. Miya Fuski finally felt a bit of relief, though in his heart he worried that if his sari came untidy and his beard (a playful comment about looking unkempt) showed, he would get scolded. And he was already angry at those who kept calling him "Sister" in a teasing way. Deep inside, Miya Fuski was thankful for the help because standing up had eventually gotten his ticket back.

The waiting area's journey continued as they went outside to the garden. Miya Fuski and Vilayati saheb also got off. Miya Fuski had ended up messing up his sari a bit when he changed, and Vilayati saheb's outfit got rumpled as well. In these kinds of trips, one must always be careful with one's clothes - for one cannot travel comfortably without them.

Softly, Vilayati saheb said, "Miya."

Miya Fuski replied angrily, "Don't call me Miya - call me bibi. Can't you see we are wearing our saris? if anyone notices, it will be a big fuss."

Vilayati saheb then said, "Hurry up, brother, Let's go to the garden and remove our saris. I really can't walk any longer."

Miya Fuski said, "Don't worry, there is a garden right over there. Once we get there, we will quickly change. We have managed well so far without any tricks in this world."

Miya Fuski led the way, with Vilayati saheb following behind.

The garden was not very far. Lifting his head cover proudly, Miya Fuski looked around and saw the road. Slowly, when he peered down from under his dhunghat, he smiled. As he walked, he kept glancing back and saw that Vilayati saheb was trailing a little behind - he was not used to walking so much. Miya Fuski stopped and said to him softly through his head cover, "Let's lift our covers so we can see the road clearly. Yes, that is the way."

Vilayati saheb replied, "Oh dear, you have caused a little mischief. Now what if a cat comes and catches us?"

Miya Fuski warned, "Don't speak! If the police see us with our covers off, they might catch us and say we are tricksters."

Hearing this, Vilayati saheb became very worried. If the police saw them, their reputation might suffer. Scared, Vilayati saheb fell silent.

Suddenly, a group of rowdy men appeared nearby. Not far from that place there was a small hotel where two ruffian-looking goons were sitting. They noticed two ladies getting off the bus. Their plan was simple - if they could find someone unsuspecting, they could steal from them. They began watching Miya Fuski and Vilayati saheb.

One of the goons said, "Hey, look at that woman over there!"

Another replied, "They seem like country folk."

The first goon added, "Look, she is carrying a big bag."

The second said, "Come on, friend, we have found an easy target."

The two goons got up and slowly started following Miya Fuski and Vilayati saheb. After a little while, the goons began to tease and follow them. Miya Fuski and Vilayati saheb soon reached the gate of a garden. As they entered, many hands were busy checking tickets and there was a large waiting area. There were two or three counters and at each counter stood two large wooden benches.

Miya Fuski looked around shyly from under her head cover. Soon, a counter came into view. In a low voice, he whispered to Vilayati saheb, "This side has a counter and a bench. Let's sit over there. We can then remove our saris quietly."

Vilayati saheb said, "Hurry up, brother. I feel clumsy now."

They slowly moved toward the counter.

One of the goons suddenly shouted, "Quickly, get out your scissors!"

Another goon said, "Let's do this - it will be fun. If we grab them, we can snatch them away. There are two lady travelers here!"

The first goon added, "She looks strong - almost like she is an adult. She might be young, so let's take her and sell her belongings later, and perhaps even snatch some jewelry!"

The second agreed, "Yes, let's do that. She seems like a country girl because she wears her head cover tightly."

Before Miya Fuski and Vilayati saheb could react, the two goons grabbed Vilayati saheb's bag and Miya Fuski 's big bag.

One of the goons said, "Oh, you stay here and do not make a sound. One of our friends will stand here, and if you make even a little noise, we will use our scissors."

The goons carried away the bags.

Miya Fuski and Vilayati saheb were very frightened. They knew that if these goons started to cut, they would be in serious trouble, especially since they already looked out of place in the crowd.

At that moment, one of the goons shouted, "Keep quiet or we will start cutting!"

Vilayati saheb began to get very scared by these words.

Miya Fuski , thinking quickly, decided that he would throw away the sari and show his face to them.

One of the goons said, "Listen, do not make a sound. If you make even a little noise, we will cut you with our scissors."

Vilayati saheb's bag and Miya Fuski 's big bag were snatched by the goons.

The other goon then said, "Oh, you just sit here and do not say anything. One of our friends will stand here with you. Even a little noise and our scissors will strike."

The first goon added, "Oh, little one, stand up. Come with us."

Miya Fuski felt very scared, wondering what he should do next. Suddenly, one of the goons crept up behind her and playfully tapped him with the scissors.

The goon said, "Come on, stand up and walk ahead. If you speak even a little, we will strike you with the scissors."

Miya Fuski managed to stand up quickly, though his heart pounded with fear.

Then, as he stood there thinking, he decided that she must show these ruffians that they are not just weak travelers but that they are all like brothers and friends. Slowly, she began to lift her head cover and planned to speak up and show her true self.

The goons were shocked! They simply ran away! Miya Fuski and Vilayati sahep kept laughing…