INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...343

                                            Dr K Prabhakar Rao

Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen  at High tech city road in Hyderabad. They are in their usual attire, but look tired and depressed.

Gandhi. Patel. I usually find these roads are dirty with no control and full of chaos.

Patel. Yes Bapu. That is the usual state all over Hyderabad.

Gandhi. But today the roads are clean. Everywhere Sweepers are working with lot of drive

Patel. It is learnt that Daughter of American President is visiting Hyderabd to take part in a conference of  women industrialists. In particular. Modiji  will be also present. He will also inaugurate Hyderabad Metro rail.

Gandhi. Oh Metro.. That means it is ready now.

Patel. Not completely. Only a small portion  is ready for running the trains.Modi will make it run.

Gandhi. If Modi does not come will iot not run?

Patel. It is not like that. It is a custom to inaugurate any project at the hands of some big guy.

Gandhi. That means  some type of pleasing a guy goes on.

Patel. It is common Bapu everywhere. 

Gandhi. Let them be happy,, Sings

Maska Baji  is everywhere

Where people dance without shame

Pleasing the guys is the sole aim

Guys  are careful that they do not get  blame

Patel.. Hear …..  hear..

Nehru.. Nice Bapu. You hit the Bull 

Gandhi. I am a perfect shooter

Patel. But you fell like a duck to Godse

Gandhi. Only he had the gun. I had only a lathi.

Patel. Bapu , Once the meeting is over, all this tamasha  will be over. Everything will return to normal.

Gandhi. That is usual.

(Suddenly a pup comes near Patel and licks his feet. Patel  with love pats the pup and it sits down at his feet. Mother dog also arrives with another six pups. ) 

Gandhi. Look at these lovely pups. They are living on streets and not worried of tomorrow. They have no unions. 

Nehru. Bapu, They are animals. They have to live like that only

Gandhi. How bad Jawaharlal. Don’t you bother for animals? Are they not part of this world?

Nehru. What we can do for them? They live like that.

(In the mean time two municipal guys arrive and want to take away the pups. The mother dog growls at them. They batter the she dog with a stout stick and put all the pups in a gunny bag while they scream. They put a rope noose around the dog and drag it into a van. )

Gandhi. Hey Why are doing this? What they have done to you?

Muncipal staff. It is none of your business. If you act funny we shall take you also

Patel..Hey Behave. Do not act  like a rowdy. You appear to be a govt servant.

Nehru. This arrogance is because they are govt servants

Gandhi. That means corollary of the theorem is that govt servant has to be arrogant

Patel. You are good at Maths too.

Gandhi. Who said I am not?

A  passerby  stops near them. His  name is Narsing

Narsing. Hello sir, The municipal guys  have been  ordered to eliminate all dogs on streets around this place and places where the visitors are likely to travel. Nothing can e done. After all they are dogs. There is no mercy

Suddenly they find few Cops and the cops arrive wielding sticks

SI.. Catch hold of these guys and put them in van

Gandhi Why What for.?

SI. You can not beg around. No   beggar should be visible

Nehru. Are we beggars?

Patel. Who told you we are beggars?

SI .You look so

Gandhi. Don’t you recognize us

SI. I do not know who you are.We will take you to Chanchalguda jail.

Patel. We will not come. We are not beggars

SI.. You    son…. Of.. I  shall teach you…

Gandhi. Keep quiet Mr SI. Do not loose balance.

SI. What will you do?

Gandhi. You will know soon. Come catch me if you can

(SI pounces on Gandhi and falls flat on the road. He is badly hurt. Constables lift him up  and take him to the van )

SI. Why I fell down? Actually I fell on that old guy 

Constable. Relax sir. Now look sir .The guys have vanished from here. They do not look to be humans.

SI. You mean they are ghosts. Eee,,eee.aaa...aaa.

Constable. Yes  sir.. Better leave this  place.

The police van speeds away.carrying the SI 

           CURTAIN FALLS