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
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