The Legend of 'Andy'

The Legend of ‘Andy’ in Kharkhoda is as popular as the legend of ‘Hallaq Kuttaq’. So popular that it has seeped into the everyday language as an adjective that can mean ‘Awesome’, ‘Wonderful’, ‘Unparalleled’, ‘Unique’, ‘Stylish’. When someone is called ‘Andy', it means all these and much more.

The tale of ‘Andy’ is a tale of the old times, as old as the first fable of Kharkhoda. It is said that in the times when Kharkhoda was like a desert with few oasis, covered with golden dust all over, and a cruel sun always above the people, when the oasis were the places of storytelling and refreshments, a foreigner in a big bright pink turban was seen in the oasis. He had deep green eyes which brought the coolness of ocean to that dusty place. He was white-skinned with a light golden beard. He wore a shining bright leaf green shirt that was also like a T-shirt, that fluttered in freedom when the winds blew. He wore white pyjamas with long black vertical stripes. And he had very long and thin artistic fingers.

‘Andy’ told strange stories and often children gathered around him. His stories were of alien worlds, out of this world. He did magical things, so magical and so unbelievable that their secrets are unknown to this day. What he did was more magical than what science would be to a prisoner who has returned from jail after being there for more than 30 years. He had secrets, he dealt in enchantments.

Once, Andy called a feeble, sick, and dumb-looking boy from the crowd gathered around him, touched his little hand with his long fingers and the boy turned suddenly healthy, not only in the body, but also in the mind. It is said that the same boy went ahead to become one of the prominent scientists of Kharkhoda. Once, Andy was seen floating in the air, and at other times talking to the spirits.

Andy amazed all, and Andy loved all. Once there was a big calamity in the village. There was a plague which had affected everyone, people were dying like flying moths on a light. Andy was sitting in the oasis sipping his favorite Lassi when he considered the situation. Andy came out of the oasis and summoned the Gods of the winds, to bring about a terrible storm, thunder, rain, and lightning. Once the storm was over, there was a renewed freshness in the village, each leaf and flower had a new life – Kharkhoda was no longer a desert, but a bed of flowers and gardens as beautiful as Kashmir.

The people thanked Andy with their tears of joy. Andy disappeared into the sky showering fragrant white-pink flowers that looked like cherry blossoms. From that day on, people take his name reverently. Nobody knows whether he was a God, or an Alien, or simply a Man with super powers, but he won the hearts of the people and his name got into Kharkhoda’s everyday language, and till this date when someone says, ‘You are Andy!’, it is taken as the biggest complement.

© Manan sheel.