Manas Ranjan Mahapatra, Puri, 27 August 2023
We were at Mussoorie many years ago to meet Ruskin Bond and Haridutt Bhatt Sailesh, as desired by our senior friend, Dr. Shyam Singh Shashi. Interestingly, Ruskin Bond lied to us by reporting through his servant’s daughter that he has gone to Dehradun and we didn’t know the address of Haridutt Bhatt Shailesh.
Dr Shashi was depressed but my daughter Seema, son Litu, and I were not, for we were not obsessed with Ruskin Bond. In fact, I don’t consider Ruskin Bond a great author. We have many great authors in Indian languages.
Anyway, that was a non issue for us. The bigger issue was that we were feeling hungry and there was no restaurant nearby. We were passing by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), the training school for IAS probationers.
“Should we go to Soudamini Aunty’s place? She lives here,” Seema proposed. My classmate Soudamini Bhuyan was the Odia-Bengali instructor of IAS probationers there. Her son was junior of my daughter at Delhi University.
“But will we not be late for our meeting with Dr. Shailesh?” Dr. Shashi said. However, he was equally hungry as we were and was in two minds. By that time our car had already reached the gate of the Academy and Seema had sent message for her Soudamini Aunty.
Seeing us there, Soudamini was excited. “You did not inform me that you are coming. I could have prepared something better for you all to eat,” Soudamini said. No matter, she immediately made food for us. Her son and Seema’s junior was there and they started discussing their college, academics, etc.
While we took food, Dr. Shashi did not forget to speak about his theory of Roma, how they traveled the world, after knowing that Soudamini has interest in India’s contribution to the world.
We were about to reach Haridutt Bhatt Shailesh’s house, when suddenly we saw an old man moving left and right and waiting across the road. “Is he Dr. Shailesh?”, I questioned myself. Yes,he was! Dr. Shailesh was waiting for us for more than an hour. But our mobile phones were not reachable.
His house was at the hill top from where one could see the entire Mussoorie. My son was so happy that he moved throughout the house, up and down. “I want to live here,” he said.
“That room is yours”, Dr. Shailesh showed them a room at the right. “You can stay here whenever you come,” he said to my children.
Then, Dr. Shailesh prepared tea for us and offered some eatables to Seema and Litu. “My wife has gone to Dehradun to our son’s place and I will go now to bring her back”, he said. Dr. Shashi then informed us that Dr. Shailesh traveled the whole of Kashmir Valley by scooter with his wife as the pillion rider. And going to Dehradun and coming back to Mussoorie was for him like going to the market for groceries or vegetables!
“Your children do not live here?”, asked Litu. “No, my daughter is not a much known actress in Mumbai, son works in ONGC, and daughter-in-law in Doon School at Dehradun” Dr. Shailesh replied. “What is the name of your daughter?” Seema questioned….and pat came the reply, “Himani Shivpuri.” “What do you mean Himani Shivpuri is not a much known actress?” I exclaimed. Himani Shivpuri has been the best character actress in Hindi movies that I have seen.
Dr. Shashi divulged how Himani used to like the food at his place when she was in Delhi, teaching in the National School of Drama (NSD). Dr. Haridutt Bhatt Shailesh was the English teacher of Rajiv Gandhi, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Naveen Patnaik, and many others. But he never went to them for any favour. Rajiv used to visit him whenever he was in Mussoorie or Dehradun. Since Dr. Shailesh was a known author in Hindi, his friends once suggested him to tell Rajiv Gandhi for an award. Dr. Shailesh smiled and replied, “So, you want me to ask for my Guru Dakshina? I am happy that I have some good students!”
It was now time for us to come back to Dehradun. We promised Dr. Shailesh that we will come again. I don’t remember if we visited him again. But for many years we were making fun that he described a great actress like Himani Shivpuri, his daughter, as not a much known actress and Dr. Shashi was speaking on the way only about his daughter and son-in-law as to how special they are!
Many years have since passed. Dr. Haridutt Bhatt Shailesh is no more. Whenever I remember him, I feel thrilled….how hearty the person was, how human was the author in Hindi. And the so called internationally renowned author in English did not want to meet his friend who went all the way to meet him….
