Spirits of History

December 01.2006
Spirits of History saunter around the fort
BINA THOMAS
Malhar and Mallika were admiring the architecture of the fort, when suddenly they met with the past.


"The fort walls look so magnificent in the evening sun," said Malhar.
"And so spooky!" added Mallika, a little nervous. The siblings were waiting for their parents outside the old fort.
The 200-year-old fort was the most important architectural feature within the city. It formed the core around which the entire city had grown. The monument stood strong and mighty, as the city bustled around it.
They were admiring the huge wooden door with metal spikes and plates. Suddenly they heard someone sobbing.
"Who's crying?" asked Malhar. There was no reply.
"Who's crying?"asked Mallika.
They looked around and spotted two men, dressed in silk dhotis, with regal turbans, and wearing leather joothis. Malhar and Mallika walked up to them.
"What happened? Who are you? Are you from the village? Do you need help?" they asked. But the men only wept. "We are not from the village," they finally said. "This fort is our home."
"What! Even the watchman doesn't live here!" said Malhar. The two men looked puzzled.
"But we have been living here for the past 200 years."
"What do you mean?" "We are the chief architects of this vast fort," they explained. "We selected this spot and planned not just the fort but the market and residential areas around it," they added with pride as they wiped their tears. "You mean you are ghosts?" they nervously asked.
"Not ghosts. They are scary. We are souls of the fort, or better still, call us spirits," they smiled. "We are two of the many spirits that reside in this old monument."
Great grief
"Why were you crying?" asked Mallika, now a little relaxed seeing the gentle ways of the spirits.
"Everyday hundreds of visitors come to see the monument we built. We feel proud. But when we see the damage and the filth they leave behind we feel sad. The sweepers clear the trash every morning, but what about the stains and graffiti on our stonewalls? They are like scars on our body! People and children too, spit and urinate in any isolated corner within this structure! Would you do such a thing in your house?" they asked, seething with anger.
"Of course not!" said the children rather alarmed.
"This fort was the residence of the royal family. It also housed a few offices. It was all so neatly planned with corridors and balconies, gardens and fountains... " the spirits were ecstatic with nostalgia. "That was all so long ago. We are happy our country has declared this fort and many other such structures as `Protected Monuments'. But do the citizens really care? They cause so much damage!" they began to cry again.
"We can imagine the effort it takes to build a structure like this," Malhar consoled them. "We will talk to our teachers, so whenever children from our school go on a picnic to a historical monument, they will take care not to damage or dirty the monument or its premises," promised Mallika.
Suddenly they heard their names being called. They turned around and saw their parents at a distance. Malhar and Mallika turned once again to say `Bye' to the Spirits, but they were gone. "Sorry to keep you both waiting," apologised their father. "Were you scared?" he asked.
"Not at all! The spirits kept us company, " they said.