Mini Gautam is a lawyer and has been writing from a young age. Her work has won numerous awards. Her first novel “The Gutter Princess – Diary of an (Un)Willing Prostitute” was published in India in 2017, and her short stories have appeared in various magazines both in India and abroad.
A Muslim Takes a Dip in the Ganges
It is believed in the Hindu religion that a dip in the holy Ganges River in India can rid a man of all his sins and trespasses. Asif was Muslim by birth, and he was raised in London. He had wanted to visit Varanasi for many years, but his mother told him it was not an appropriate place for Muslims. She asked him why he was interested in visiting what was a Hindu Mecca. What could he possibly need from there? He replied that he felt a strong urge to take a dip in the river. It was difficult for him to explain, but he needed to visit the oldest city in India, which had changed its name and character from Kashi to Benares to Varanasi.
Each year Asif asked his mother, and each year she refused. He grew tired of it. Finally he decided that he had to hoodwink her. He informed her that he was visiting the more suitable and immensely popular Muslim mausoleum – the Taj Mahal in Agra – for a short while. His mother approved immediately, and Asif took the flight to Varanasi.
The chaos of the city engulfed him. He felt as if he was in a trance. The month of Ramzan had started, and a large number of people were wearing skullcaps. The Muslims in these areas were not very affluent; many of them were aged and tired. The silk weavers in the areas of Madanpura and Jaitpura were largely Muslim, and Asif spent hours watching them busy at their craft. Varanasi was stained with blood from the riots. It had long since been compartmentalized into Hindu and Muslim residential areas.
Asif didn’t feel threatened. His English upbringing made him look like any other foreigner – like a rich man. The next morning, he showered and walked down the steps of Assi Ghat for a dip. The experience was something he hadn’t anticipated. Although the water was unclean, he felt a sudden sense of peace and belonging. What was it that had attracted him to a place that did not belong to his people, or to his religion? What magical quality was there in the water that made him believe in its healing powers, and in its ability to eradicate evil? And, the most important question of all: why was he here?
Asif was checking out of the hotel the next day when his mother called him:
“Beta, where are you?”
“I told you, Ammi. I am in Agra –”
His mother stopped him. “You don’t have to lie to me. I know you’re in Varanasi.”
“Ammi, I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. I know I violated our religion…”
“No – you did no such thing. The Ganga is water, and water is life. It doesn’t belong to any religion or any man. It gives birth to all religions and all men. It does not rely on anyone, but everyone relies on it.”