INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN....XV

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…. XV

Prof Dr K Prabhkar rao ( retired)

SCENE XV

( MK Gandhi is seen walking on the street in Hyderabad accompanied by Jawaharlal Nehru, They are at Koti ( Residency ) and near Bapu smarak ( Memorial) Mandir near book shops. The road is very busy with all sorts of people walking pell mell. All types of vehicles including horse drwan carts, bullock carts, cycle rikshaws, farm tillers are snaking way through on the road. People are conglamation of guys dressed in full suit, dhotis, half clad sadhus, mendicats, half naked beggars and som lepers to. Some are putting western caps while few are in Gandhi caps, turbans, muslim skull caps, roomi caps, Fez caps, and no end. Gandhi and Nehru are trying to cross over to otherside of road)

Gandhi. Jawahar . Let us go to otherside. I am tired seeing this side.

( They are about to cross over and suddenly a three wheeler auto rikshaw climbs almost over them)

Jawahar eeee…eeee.. (shouting loudly) You fool cant you see us

Auto driver. Kay bolta hai buddhe ( What are you talking oh.. old man).Zaban zyada chala raha hai ( your lashing your tongue more)

Gandhi. Bhai ( Brother). What is wrong?. You were almost about to kill us. Is this way you drive?

Auto driver. Tho kya ( So what)?. We drive like this only

( He gets down from the vehicle and takes out a knife and brandishes at Gandhi)

Driver,. You guys! get lost or else have you seen this?( He swings knife in air) Kya samjhe hamko ( What have you thought of me)

Gandhi (Taken back for some time) Bhai. Chakkoo ( Knife) Apne pas rakho. Hath kat Jayagaa( Oh Brother Keep the knife with you. You may cut your hand). Hame chakoo kuch nahi karta ( Knife cannot do any thing to us)

Driver I will show just now
( He plunges his knife into Gandhi)

Gandhi ( Waves hands in air) Haa…haa. Dekho, kuch nahi hua ( Nothing happened) You can not do any thing. We are above death.

Driver. Oh. This guy is a bhoot. Better run from here

(Jawaharlal pounces on the driver and catches him at waist and shouts )

Jawahar. Come on guys … catch this guy.. police. police

( In the mean time a police van is seen passing that way and Gandhi stops it_.

Gandhi. Bhai.. Police bhai. Please help us. This guy threatened us with a knife. Please catch him and put him behind bars

Police man, Look sir. We are off duty now. We are going home. More over this area does not cover our route Please look for some one or ring up Crime branch Head quarters ( The vehicle goes away)

Jawahar. Ohf.. What a place and what type of guys are there? (He still holds the driver)Is this the same India that I ruled for 16 years


Driver. (struggling) You can not do any thing to me. That too to an auto driver. All our guys will go on strike tomorrow and city can not afford it. At best I will be inside for few hours and I will come out on bail

Jawahar. I shall show. You how dare!

Driver. Heee… Heee

( In the mean time a beat constable comes that way and he sees the scene. He apperoaches Jawahar

Constable. What is the problem?

Jawahar. This guy is misbehaving and showing knife to us

Conctavble.. Knife…eeee.. Knife.. How dare ( He catches the driver)

( the driver is well built and the constable is weak and famished although he carries a Enfield .303 bolt action rifle that appears unoiled for atleast 50 years )

Driver. Laughs. Heee. Hee. Is this guy catching me?

Constable . Look. Police is very strong. Have you seen the emblem on my cap? This is very strong. It is not my physical personality that catches you. But this emblem that gives me power

Driver. Sorry sir. Kindly leave me. I am sorry. I shall not repeat

Constable. But why did you show knife?

Driver. This is only for cutting fruits. This is only 4 inches long

Constable. That is OK. But how about showing it to others and trying to stab

Driver. I was joking

Constable. Is this a joke? ( He calls police van over mobile and within few minutes a van arrives and a team of police patrol catch the culprit and they thank Jawaharlal for apprehending him)

Sub Inspector (SI). Thank you sir. You have done great favor to us. We will arrest him and charge sheet him. Please give your address and you have to give witness in a court. You have to also give complaint at Police station

Jawaharlal. Please take our address. Please note, MK Gandhi. Suit no 2, Gandhi bhawan. Martyrs districts, Swargam, State of Vaikuntham, Heavens

SI. Address looks strange. Sir where is this district? Which state?

Gandhi. Bhai. It is in heavens. You have to cross river Waitarni and you can reach there

SI. I never heard it.( Getting confused) Sir. Are you from this country? But there is a river of that name near Orissa border.

Gandhi. Very much. We are Indians no doubt, You could not recognize us. I am MK Gandhi, father of nation. He is Jawaharlal Nehru, Former Prime minister of this nation.

SI. They were dead long ago before I was born. I am not aware of you. e are so busy that we are unable to remember our Prime ministers name. How can we remember you guys? Any how, I shall see you later on. sir again thanks.

( The police van drives off with the driver while the constable takes away the auto to police station. The passengers in the auto go away abusing every one saying these ba....have wasted our time. Shitty ba....)

Gandhi. Look Jawahar. One must fight injustice. See How we have handled the situation. These gys in India at the top have bungled everything after Bomaby incident

Jawahar. True. The country in the view of all including foreigners has gone down very low. Do you think Tourism will pick up in India? Will Taj be same as earlier. Hope taj hotel does not turn into Taj mahal aroyal grave yard. All are scared. No one trusts India

Gandhi. That means Pak has achieved the aim

Jawahar. True

Gandhi.They are also our brothers. Let them have nice time

Jawahar. Bapu! What are you talking? Why have sympathy for Pakis? The crooked ones.

Gandhi. I am wishing well on the new year day

Jawahar. Then OK Bapu

In the mean time Gandhi purchases a pomegranate from a vendor. He is impressed with the red seeds from the cut fruits. They go few yards away and Gandhi cuts the fruit with a knife that he carries in his Dhoti. It is a small pocket knife.

Gandhi. Eee…eeee… Rotten. Jawahar look, this fruit is so rotten. That guy has cheated me

Jawahar. Laughs…. Heeee. heee, Bapu that is very common. My daughter Indira declared Corruption is world phenomenon. Why worry about it? This is a tip of ice berg. Whole country is engulfed in it. It is a crooks galore( Sings)

India, Oh Bapu is in a shit pot
Where each issue is a difficult knot
None can change this land
All have to fall in line of band.

Look at the great Ramlinga Raju of an IT joint
The guy has cheated the nation and made it a point
World confidence has been shaken through
While the cheats are busy gulping coffee and bru

Gandhi. Cries Mera Bharat.. Mera Bharat.. ee…. Eee….. ee. Ee.( He bangs his chest crying)

Jawahar.. Bapu . Please control. You have to see many things.

Gandhi. What is left for me now? Did I get freedom to India for all these cheats?

Jawahar. Probabaly true. Winston Churchill said long ago that India would be handed over to a bunch of cheats

Gandhi. I know. Then we cursed him. What he said was true. I want to say sorry to Mr Winston

( Suddenly there is a flash and Winston Churchill dressed in dark suit with a pipe in mouth stands in front of them)

Winston. Hello guys. How are you?

Gandhi. Welcome sir.

Winston. Mr Gandhi what is the matter? You guys appear upset. Can I help you?

Jawaharlal. Sir! We are sorry sir. We have misunderstood you

Winston. What is the matter? Why should you? Why you are apologizing? What for ?

Gandhi. In 1947 you stated that poor India would be handed over to some cheats and crooks where even a piece of bread and glass of water would be taxed. Then we condemned you sir. We are very sorry sir. What you said is true. We have realized.

Winston. Come on guys! Do not become sentimental. I never meant any harm to you guys. Please be calm. I am your friend. Look at that time when you were not mature to administer the country. Look! Corruption and inefficiency everywhere now! With independence Pakistan was created. You could not prevent it. In a hurry you accepted it. You did not want to delay independence. For every thing you have to pay a price.

Gandhi ( Wipes tears) (Sobbing). Sir , I can not see the things in India the way they are. Please save us from this shit pot.

Winston. Sir Who asked you to be here? You were happy in heavens

Gandhi. Sir there also the dead Pak leaders are visiting us and troubling us. They want to form a Pakistan in heavens for dead guys and Jinnah would lead them there

Winston. What a craze?

Gandhi. Kindly take care there. See How the guys have brought down the national prestige after the recent Bombay attacks. A spineless show. We don’t want any independence in heavens at least. We shall be with you.

Winston. OK . By all means. Ok Bye Guys . see you. Bye ( within himself) That is good. The guys have atlast learnt a lesson. They will never forget. Heee..heeee..Hii

( Gandhi and Jawahar hold hands and sing doing a break dance)


Mujhe tumse kuch bhi naa chahiye

Mujhe mere haal pe chod dou…

( I do not want any thing from you
And leave me alone to my fate)

( Both walk off )

Dr K Prabhakar Rao