Making of a hero

Amarinder Gill

Moti Nandy’s Bengali novella Shiba and its sequel have been translated into English and clubbed as the story of Shiva by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay. He has done a commendable job. Noteworthy is that the essence of the narrative is not lost in translation.

The protagonist, Shivaji Aich, comes from a humble background. Living in penury, he works at a stall. He serves tea to the frequent visitors at the stall, as also to Bhawani sir and others working at the nearby auto-garage. He attended school, but had to drop out because of financial crunch. Though just 17, Shiva feels the weight of responsibility on his shoulders and sends home his meagre salary.

A chance encounter with Sadhu, a local goon, changes the course of young Shiva’s life. When Sadhu picks up a fight with Bhawani sir, an insane tiger rages within Shiva. He tightens his grip on the bullying scoundrel and lands a punch on his jaw. Sadhu’s henchman also receives a sound thrashing. The quite tea-delivering boy, who single-handedly tackles the goons, is then treated like a saviour of the impoverished locality.

There has always been a huge discrepancy between Shiva’s age and his physical strength. His widowed mother, who works as a cook in a rich household, regularly smuggles food to Shiva so that he can satisfy his hunger. Shiva sees Bhawani sir as his ideal and is impressed by the way he holds his own against Sadhu by saying, ‘You keep my arm, I’ll keep my honour.’

Gomes, a former professional boxer, who has heard about the tea boy’s bravado, offers to train him for free. He believes that Shiva can become a successful boxer. He learns a lot under the guidance of Gomes and Ashcharya Ghatak.

Running, skipping, shadow-boxing are a part of Shiva’s regimen as he undergoes rigorous training and boxes his way inside the ring. He loses his first bout, but proves that he is not a mere boxer, but also a fighter made of steel. Shiva also learns to train his mind along with his body.

Unfortunately, after becoming a champion at the local level, the protagonist gets lured by the materialistic world of Gora Babu. Promised good food, a warm bed and decent money, Shiva sells his soul to his new master. Entangled in the net of match-fixing, he is robbed of his fame. But he rises like a phoenix and proves his innocence.

An electrifying read, this is a story of unflinching determination. Shiva has a fall, but he also has the ability to rise again. While capturing the dynamics of human relationships, the novel explores the fragmented world of sports. Very splendidly, the story portrays the struggles of a young man fighting all odds to emerge victorious.