Jugari Cross - 1

"So, tell me Sukhi. Is it true that you read the same books hundreds of times?"

"Hmmm... Not all the books. Only a few books are addictive enough to push you into reading them again and again."

"I have some kind of allergy. I can't read books. Most of the times I feel that reading is for a different category of people. May be its for the geeks."

I wasn't ready for an argument. I know too well that you can never convince people on certain things and hobbies and tastes are among these things. My way of thinking is different than his. My tastes are different. My way of looking at Life is different.

"Well, its perspective that varies."

He looked out of the drizzling sky through the window. It was quite a boring day. We were sitting in our house amidst the arecanut groves. Monsoons had slowed down. The days of downpour were over but the winter hadn't yet set in. Days were devoid of sun and the nights were quite chilly. In our village of four and a half houses, people generally spent time chewing paan and playing cards. For my young cousin who grew up in a busy city playing with a PSP, these things were certainly strange. So he bothered me again and again with his questions. He knew for sure that I won't lose patience and scold him.

"Can I try reading some book out of your collection?"

Now I understood the effect of boredom. This guy is saying "I will read something!".

"Why not? Sure you can pick up something and read."

"You chose a book for me. I don't want to start reading and lose interest in the mid."

Well, I had a few good detective stories by Agatha Christie, few detective thrillers by Conan Doyle, some high funda novels and many collections of poetry. I knew for sure that he will throw any such books before reading the tenth page.

Then I thought of this book which I had read for countless number of times, which has given me different understanding every time and which is a delightful time pass.

"Ok. Go and get that black bound book called Jugari Cross. I am sure you will enjoy it."

Now it has been six-seven years since that conversation. Now I live in Bangalore and my cousin suggests me on books and many a times lends me books!

That is for the background. Don't ask me if an introduction to a book itself requires such an elaborate introduction. I can't help wandering in my memories while talking about this book.

Thats quite enough. This novel is written by one of the legends of Kannada literature K.P. Poornachandra Tejasvi. An English translation (by Ravi Hanj) is also available.

The novel, on the outset, is a romantic thriller set in the densely forested Western Ghats. The plot revolves around a couple, Gouri and Suresha, who accidentally tumble upon the mysterious world of miscreants, mafia dons and small time goons of Deva Pura, an ordinary town that hosts extraordinarily dark businesses under the cover. The main plot covers the incidents that happen over a short span of a day. There are multiple sub plots that move in a zigzag and interleaved fashion. The novel covers multiple themes of religion, globalization, organized crime and many more. Under the cover, it gives a vivid description of Human nature. At some point of time its quite possible that the reader loses track of himself in the dense forests of the Jugari Cross.

The story unfolds with Gouri and Suresha, along with two 'yellow bags' of cardamom, waiting at the bus stop of Jugari Cross to board the public bus going to Deva Pura. The author here describes the place Jugari Cross in some detail (Well, the novel is not set in Jugari Cross) which includes a small story. I won't delve into the details of it.

The seconds chapter is a story in itself. It talks about an 'orphan' village on the way to Deva Pura called 'Medara Halli'. This story exploits the effects of globalization on the small villages of India (You can say that the novel in itself is all about globalization!). The author takes time in explaining the dependencies between and the intricacies involved in economy, religion, globalization etc and how it all relates to human tendencies. It narrates the heart touching story of an 'unnamed dumb girl' and her parents who play an important symbolic role in the novel. Here the author stands at a distance and watches the grave tragedy that surrounds human race and history all the time.

Then the main plot continues for a while in the bus (called the 'Ghati Express of Captain Khuddoos, which has a story of its own). Here the Hero of our story, Suresha, gets last in his retrospection. It involves a memoir of his life as a Master of Kannada Language (specifically the Old Kannada). Born to rich parents, Suresha decided to study Kannada literature from a reputed university. This in itself was sufficient enough for his parents to conclude that he is a bit eccentric. At the university he becomes a follower of (actually falls prey to) his Botany lecturer Ganguly, who is supposedly a Marxist leader. When Internal Emergency was declared in India, Ganguly flees away and his disciples are left with no guidance. Suresha and the other disciples start towards villages to start their 'revolution'.

Personally, I see this short chapter as one of the main chapters in the novel. I have always felt that Tejaswi has brilliantly depicted the fate of most of the post freedom movement revolutionaries and the ideologists who, without proper guidance, could achieve nothing.

Now, the story unveils itself with the Mafia of Deva Pura in the form of two small time goons, Doulat Rama and Kutty. Both are on their way of delivering a 'plastic covered something' from under a tree to a dustbin in Deva Pura. But as they get the 'something' and start from that place in thier stolen car, their car is overtaken by some police vehicles. They grow suspicious, abandon the car and get into the same ''Ghati Express of Captain Khuddoos' in which our hero and heroin are traveling. And when even more number of police vehicles start overtaking the bus, they become almost sure of danger and gets the 'plastic covered something' into the 'yellow bags' belonging to Gouri and Suresha, thinking that if everything goes fine, they can get it back. But when the bus arrives at Deva Pura, in another funny incident, they lose track of the 'yellow bags'.

Amidst all these seemingly nonsensical happenings, the author explains the basic gambling instincts of human beings. The whole town of Deva Pura doesn't have any official business except the cardamom trade and as the curse goes, nobody involved in this business can ever be successful in business. People invest, lose, gain and again lose. People who lose here again invest here hoping to make some profit. There is no way out once you get into the circle. But this gambling factor of cardamom business has extended its hands beyond this business as it is revealed later in the novel.

Gouri and Suresha bring their 'yellow bags' of cardamom to a mandi for sale. Here there are some small sub stories and details about the cardamom business and the small brokers. Meanwhile Doulat Ram and Kutti (the ones who slipped the 'plastic covered something' into the 'yellow bags') decide to 'interrogate' their boss 'Shastri' who assigned them the job. They ask him the basic question of "What was there in the plastic cover?" and "Where is it supposed to land finally". Shastry convinces them that "Not even the Lord himself  can answer such stupid questions". Shastry further makes them responsible for their actions and asks them to get back that 'something' at any cost.

Here enters another character called Kunni, a bar owner and generally considered by all as a third degree criminal. Doulat Ram and Kutti asks for his assistance in getting the 'yellow bags'. At the Mandi, Kunni wins the bid for cardamom by offering an extravagant price. Kunni offers Suresha that he would pay him by chewue and the chewue would be issued by Bharath Lal, a famous jeweler.  Suresha agrees to this and gets the cheque but never reads the amount written on it! Here starts a chain of mishaps.

Kunni suggests Suresha to en cash the cheque at Sheshappa, a commission agent. When Suresha and Gouri arrives at Sheshappa's paan shop, Sheshappa (an old friend of Suresha) expresses his concerns over the cheque issued by Bharath Lal, saying that many who got a cheque by Bharath Lal were either murdered or were never found. Sheshappa also gives many example of such people. On further inquiry, he reveals that Bharath Lal is suspected to be involved in many dark businesses including the smuggling of the precious 'Red Stones'. Sheshappa requests the couple to be cautious. Then he gives Suresha the money. But Suresha, again, won't count it.

When they are about to leave Sheshappa's paan shop, Suresha accidentally meets Rajappa, an old friend of him. Rajappa, a relentless gambler, had faced many hardships during college days due to his gambling habit and Suresha had helped him on all such circumstances. On asked for the reason for his presence in Deva Pura, Rajappa says its a different kind of gambling. He explains that some university has offered him a hefty sum to translate a scripture written in Old Kannada to Kannada but the old manuscript of the book is torn and some words are missing. He says that he has come to Deva Pura in search of any other copy of the book as the author of the book was born some where near Deva Pura.

When they are about to leave, Sheshappa calls them and warns them against some people standing by the roadside near the shop. Sheshappa cautions them saying that 'they have committed murders for just a few hundred repees.' Suresha ignores his warning and leaves with the money.

Well, dear readers, thats all the story for now. I will take a small break here and I will surely return with the remaining parts and further opinions soon. Till then, take care.