Chapter 17 : water well
Vrishali's mother looked at me with a gaze filled with pity.
I could not bear that look any longer and decided to change the subject.
"Auntie, I should get going now," I said.
Hearing that I intended to leave, Vrishali's mother shook her head in a clear refusal. "It is getting dark; it would not be right for you to go now. You live there all alone, don't you? Since you are here today, you must stay with us."
I wanted to protest, but Vrishali chimed in immediately. "Mom is right, Karna. Please stay tonight."
I smiled helplessly. I realized that I would not be able to leave today. A thought occurred to me, and I asked Vrishali's mother, "Auntie, is Uncle not home?"
"Oh, you are asking about Vrishali's father? He was summoned to the royal palace to repair some chariots. He will not be returning today."
Vrishali's mother explained her husband's whereabouts, but then something seemed to cross her mind, prompting her to ask a hesitant question.
"By the way, Karna... you do not have any problem eating with us, do you?"
I did not understand the reason behind her inquiry at first, so I answered plainly, "No. What problem could there be in eating?"
Vrishali's mother looked at me in astonishment. "Really, Karna? We belong to a lower caste. You may not know your own caste yet, but what if you turn out to be of a higher caste than us? Would it still make no difference to you to share a meal with us?"
I understood why she had asked. It was all because of the rigid caste system. I decided it was best to clarify my stance now to avoid any issues in the future.
I replied firmly, "No, it still wouldn't make a difference to me. Even if I were from a high caste, my answer would remain the same. I do not give importance to these castes; I consider everyone to be equal."
Upon hearing my response, Vrishali's mother gave a helpless smile. "Karna, if everyone thought like you, we wouldn't be forced to live apart from the rest of society."
Vrishali could not fully grasp the weight of the conversation passing between us. She was too young to understand these deep social divides. It was precisely because of her innocence that she remained so playful and happy.
"Karna, let us drop this subject. I am just happy to know that your thinking is so unique. I will serve dinner for both of you."
Saying this, Vrishali's mother went to the kitchen to prepare our meal.
Once Vrishali's mother retreated to the kitchen, Vrishali leaned in close to me and whispered, "I didn't expect that you, Karna, would be able to impress my mom so quickly."
"Oh, that is just my natural talent," I boasted self-importantly before changing the subject. "By the way, Vrishali, how many water wells are there in this village?"
"Why has that question suddenly popped into your head?" Vrishali countered with a question of her own.
"Just curious. I saw you fetching water from the river this morning, so I wondered," I replied, scratching my head.
Vrishali shook her head and began to explain. "Karna, it's not quite like that. As I told you, this settlement or village is made up of two communities: the charioteers and the blacksmiths. Therefore, there used to be two water wells here: one for the Sutas and one for the blacksmiths."
"However, a few years ago, the blacksmiths' well dried up. No one knows why it happened. Anyone who went inside to investigate the cause never returned alive. Since then, no one dares to go near that dry well."
"But what does that have to do with you fetching water from the river?" I asked.
"I was getting to that, but you interrupted me! Now I won't tell you."
Vrishali pouted, annoyed with me, and turned her face away.
"Please, Vrishali, tell me," I pleaded.
No one likes a story being cut off in the middle, and I was no exception. So, I requested her to continue.
Vrishali accepted my apology and resumed speaking. "We still have our water well, but the blacksmiths don't. Since we belong to two different castes, no outsiders are willing to give them water."
"So, the blacksmiths take water from our well, and in exchange, they pay us money."
"Because of this, the well has become much more crowded than before. To avoid the long lines and the crowd, my mother tells me to fetch water from the river instead."
Vrishali finished her explanation. I understood her situation completely, but what I couldn't grasp was how the blacksmiths' well had dried up so suddenly. That part remained beyond my understanding.
"Dinner is served. Both of you, wash your hands quickly."
Vrishali's mother's voice floating from the kitchen snapped me out of my thoughts. I decided to stop dwelling on the mystery for now and went to wash my hands. Vrishali had already washed hers as well.
Vrishali and I sat down on the floor. Her mother placed plates of food before her daughter and me.
After some time, we both finished our meal.
...
The next morning, I bade farewell to Vrishali and her mother and left their house.
However, I did not head straight back to my own home. Instead, I began making my way toward that dried-up well belonging to the blacksmiths.
According to what Vrishali had told me, the blacksmiths' well was located on the outskirts of the village which meant it should be near where I had first entered the settlement.
Walking steadily, I soon reached the spot.
There were no houses in the immediate vicinity. Due to a lack of maintenance, the well looked ancient, as if it had stood there for thousands of years. It was covered in spider webs, moss, and overgrown creepers.
"So, this is the blacksmiths' well. It looks ancient. I must uncover its secret."
I began walking slowly toward the well. If you think I am doing all this for the sake of the blacksmiths, you are sorely mistaken.
I cannot even fool myself into believing that I am some altruistic saint. I only care about myself and my loved ones.
If what I am doing happens to benefit others as a side effect, what is the harm in that? But my real reason for coming to this well is to uncover its secret, to penetrate its mystery.
After all, that is where the fun of life lies—in adventure.
To be continued...