RUSTAM-E-HIND

 

I do not remember the year. It was summer vacation and I was in the high school probably in the 9^th or 10^th standard. One bright morning in the picturesque industrial town of Digboi in Assam,  I was on my way for a haircut. I met a couple of friends pedaling vigorously on their bikes coming from the opposite direction. Huffing and puffing, they urged me to turn around and join them. I did; though still in the dark about their mission.

One of them soon explained. Dara Singh was in town! He and a group of other internationally reputed wrestlers were touring the country. The rest of the group had moved on to their next venue but Dara Singh was spending a day in Digboi at the request of a few senior officials who were his great fans. Fascinated, I decided to get my hair grow for one more day and reached the guest house.

The security guard would not let us in. He was a big man and was under strict instructions not to allow intruders. We begged, pleaded and promised to just have a glimpse from a distance. The guard insisted that it was not possible because “Sahab bahut gusse-me hain” and he might react violently.  Why was he angry we wondered aloud. The guard explained once again, “sahab nashteme 25 ande khatey hain… aaj ek kam tha”. In a feat of anger he picked up the cook and threw him out of the window. The cook had been hospitalized with multiple fractures.

We grabbed our bikes and fled.

Later in the evening, I met an “uncle” of the neighborhood and narrated this terrifying story. He was one of the organizers of the reception planned that evening for Dara Singh. He smiled and asked me to come over to the club along with my friends.

It was a very embarrassing moment that evening when the “uncle” introduced us to the great man and narrated our story. What followed was big guffaw with his big frame shaking vigorously  and his gigantic arms grasping us with a bear hug.  There was so much of simple innocence in that laughter; it was clear that this man would not even hurt a fly.

I never met him again. Later, I saw him on screen as an actor; and saw him aging gradually and gracefully.  On 12 July 2012, all the TV channels broke the news, the champion was no more. He lost the final bout; probably the only one he ever lost.

There will not be another Rustam-e-Hind.

18 July 2012