SHOOTING  STAR ( True Story ) Sipra Roy

 

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Ever since I was a little girl, shooting star always remained in me  still now ,as awe and wonder, simultaneously  the automatic music  is played  in mind, following the star:

"Twinkle twinkle  little star/ How I wonder what you are / Up above so high/like a diamond in the sky."

 The moment we used to see a shooting star in childhood, we always impulsively pointed at it and screamed "look, look shooting star! "

 

Most of the kids of my age believed one must close eyes to wish which might be granted by god. Star was thought as symbol of magic, dream and fulfilling wish and hope. Shooting star gives a certain glow to the night sky. when a speck from its body come down to the earth.

 I could never close my eyes for "wish" as my friends ; instead I gazed and arduously wish to get  that particle, to own that particle,  which never happened. With much pain and wonder I asked my mother, "Ma, why that shooting star always lost in the midway of the sky and never reached the land?"

Mom answered," because it burns and become ashes which mixes with air .It looks like a star falling but actually a piece of rock and dust, metal known as meteor. When two heavenly bodies  collide their tracking, small part is separated, then like a spark it comes downward but through the airy layer the spark often burns out to ashes before touching the earth's ground. It is not a star at all , but an illusion. "

 

I was never happy with this answer.

 

"Ma had you ever seen it to touch the earth  in your childhood  ?'

 

'Yes not me, but my grandmother witnessed it.'

 

 'Really? Then tell me  ma ,   please! '

 

  It is a true story told by my mother.  She came to know from her grandma.

 

 Great Grandma had a habit of taking bath at night before going to bed in their family owned  pond, adjacent to their house .One night she saw some bright flashing particle  (a shooting star) dropped near by their pond at the time of taking her bath. 

 

She was terrified; the night was dark the pond was surrounded by tall palm trees and low mud wall. She was extraordinary courageous. She watched it for at least half an hour. She noticed some flickering light; at first golden yellow and  then bluish light was prominent .Within half an hour gradually it began to dim. 

 

Great -great grandmother dragged a huge clay bowl from her near-by cow-shed and dropped over  to cover that dimly flamed matter. She did not disclose it to anybody at night. 

 

Next day in early morning she told first to my grandfather who was a doctor. Great great grandma with my grandfather and his attendant, named Haru came to the spot; Haru lifted over that clay-bowl curiously, as he was asked  to do. They saw something look like a lump of meat, still flickering light( like fire-flies )  was  coming out from the pores of the lump. 

 

Haru  brought a long iron spear and shovel from the cow-shade. He tried to move it ; but it  was too heavy to move. he pierced it with the spear; it looked like oily glossy lump of dark brown colored  flesh and still flickering fade blue  flame from the scattered pores. Finally it was covered again with the same bowl. 

 

Grandpa sent an urgent message  to  the superintendent of Calcutta Museum.  Within 10 Am. a special team of British scientists  from Calcutta reached by a zeep and a car. 

By the time the news spread over; a huge crowd from the adjacent villages  gathered around the pond; many  children  and  villagers climbed on the trees to get  a better view. 

The scientists told that they thought it to be  a speck of meteor, made of metal but still not hard enough to be rock With the help of shovel their team laborers  put it on their zeep-car. They left                                                                                                                                                                                    after congratulating  my grandpa a lot for informing them   ..

 

Curious villagers were excited  more to see the team of white British people  which was a rare sight in the village, in addition to that ugly dung dropped from the sky The adults began to discuss   gravely about that odd piece  fromthe sky as inauspicious and went towards the temple to consult with the priest.

"There must be sin ;we should do some 'yagna' to save the village "

  

I learnt from my mother that it was kept in the Calcutta Museum with written history at the bottom. 

My great grand mother kept it secret  at night because the ignorant villagers might relate it to ghost spirit and might claim their own decision under the guidance of ignorant orthodox priest ,instead of calling scientist for research. I appreciate my  courageous great grandma with such advanced scientific mentality, more than 140/45 years ago! 

Although most of the meteors burn up but some do survive and reach our ground ;they are all journey from space to earth.

As my childhood was over, the myth of wish or hope related to shooting star was lost from memory but it remained still as a piece of beauty, love and wonder.

It is amazing to think how wonder is the life of shooting star to witness the majestic universe in its journey from space to earth---I am really jealous;I want to be shooting star next life. 

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