INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN.. METRO EPISODE

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..B

                                               Dr K Prabhakar  Rao

Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seated in Gandhis room in heavens. The room is simple and poorly furnished as usual.Gandhi reportedly  believed in simple living and high thinking.

Gandhi. Patel. Last week we visted Hyderabad before the Metro rail started functioning.

Pate. True.

Gandhi. Modiji must have  inaugurated the rail.

Patel. Must have done.

Nehru. True

Gandhi.You look not thrilled

Patel. What is there. Metro rail is functioning in many other places in India. Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay already have metros. So what is  so big about it.

Gandhi. The thing is that the project is strangely  getting successful. Hyderabad is an ancient city and surely the sky line of the city is disturbed,  I think I want to travel in Metro.

Patel. Where is the problem Bapu. Let us go.

The trio lands at Nagole  the starting point of Metro.

Gandhi. Yeah. The station looks grand. It looks  for a moment that we are styanding in USA.

(Just then  two dogs scramble across  barking at each other, followed by  two buffaloes   that are running wildly scattering people  on the road. )

Gandhi. This is bad . One one side ,we have metro. Otherside, we have same old things.

Patel. Bapu. We can not  get rid off dogs and buffaloes on roads. They are part of India.   If  a cow is seen on street people worship it too.If a buffalo is seen it is not bothered and people are also are not bothered.

Patel. That is our tradition.

Gandhi. Haa..haa  True (and ,he,,sings)

We are friends of every one

Although all make at us  fun

Dogs, cows  and pigs ,all are fine

In the evening  all have peg of wine

buffaloes and cows are our main stay

And Asses are here too that loudly bray

 Most of us show off as if we  care for their lives

However we are eternally busy with out wives

Patel. hear hear. Bapu you sang well.You are. A great poet too.

Gandhi. That I am. who says no.haa..haa

Patel.. He,,HEE

Nehru.. Fine Bapu . You are taking the name of wine. How ?

Gandhi. I only took name. Did not taste

Nehru. Hee..hee

The trio takes tickets and enter the station. The platform is fully crowded being Sunday.

Gandhi. Why there is so much rush? Where they go. ?

Patel. These guys have come to have fun travel in Metro rail.

Nehru. They have no work.It is picnic time for them

Gandhi. India is full of nuts

Patel. True. Why the craze? Where it will go.? Why create crisis in city?

On the platform there is great yelling, loudly calling others.

Maisamma.. Hey Narsimha  where are you.? Do not go far. Train might arrive soon

Narsimha.. I am not goin anywhere. I am here only. Dont worry

Pochamma.Hey yenkulu.. Come fast  soon .. bring  water...amma...nayana   come fast

A child starts crying loudly. He is unale to be calmed. The child is upset with crowd.He pisses on platform

The train arrives on platform. in the commotion

 The crowd surges forward shouting , yelling at the door. The doors get opened automatically and like mad people  the crowd lunges forward to grab seats.

Pochamma.. Narsimha, Run.... occupy seats. Put kerchiefs on seats. No one will date to sit on them.

Narsimha. Ok . ok. (He sprints towards the door)

The crowd is unable to get in as all can not get in all at a time. Few  guys fall down. Others climb over them into the coach. The guys  who are trampled are seen yelling. A guy faints. Others are not bothered.  With great  difficulty Gandhi, Patel and Nehru alkso get in. The seats are already occupied. Gandhi is holding his stick. A constale arrives at the bogie

Constable. Hey old man . Why have this lathi. You can not take it.

Gandhi. It is my support. I can not walk without it

Constable. It is not my headache. Leave the stick

Passenger. Look police bhai. Please leave him. He needs the stick

Constable. Kindly do not interfere. I am doing my job

Gandhi. If  stick is not allowed why I was allowed to enter the station?

Constable. Some one has not seen. Now I have seen. How can I leave?

The doors of the cach close and the train  starts off

Constable. Hey.. I have to go.Give me stick.

The constable drags the stick and Gandhi holds on to it. The tug of war goes on. The train halts at next station. The doors open and the constable jumps down with the stick and vanishes. Bapu curses him

Nehru. Bapu. You lost the stick. What will you do now?

Gandhi. I shall see. I can manage.

Bapu holds the supporting handle at roof and hangs on. He looks at an youngster  who is sitting.

Nehru. Look son. Please allow this old man to  sit, You are young and can stand

Youth. Hey.I am not your son. Be careful in your language. I have also purchased ticket. Why I should stand

Patel. We are old people

Youth. If you are old stay at home. Why keep traveling

Gandhi. Ok Ok Relax. World is much changed

Patel. True There is no respect to elders.

Gandhi. Such things disappeared long ago.

 The train halts at Ameerpet and doors open. People rush out    as if they are out of prison  and suddenly   there is great commotion.   Some guys  falldown and are trampled. People run over them. Luckily    Gandhi, Patel and Nehru are safe. The injured are taken to a side and an ambulance is called. Few guys  have  broken  limbs and a guy is no more. His troubles of transportation in Hyderabad are over permanently.He is freed from Police persecution on roads.

Gandhi. What a country this is!

Patel. True Bapu. this is no country. It is chaotic and  intolerant  and  medieval

Nehru. People have no discipline in this country.There is  a madness everywhere.We have over population  with no discipline. Some time ago in Mumbai there was a stampede on a bridge  and many died too.

Gandhi. True. What we can do except to pray. Let us go. I am tired. We must thank god that we came out safe. We shall never travel y by it.

Patel. True. Let us go. Bapu you need to buy a stick.

Gandhi. True. We will see to it. Any how I have a spare stick in my room.

The trio walks off  and vanish

CURTAIN FALLS