IN TO THE PAST WITH PAIN..LX

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN.. LX
SCENE ..LX
Prof Dr Colonel ( Retired) K Prabhakar Rao

( Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen walking on a street in Hyderabad. They are in their usual dress and Gandhi is seen singing Ramdhun.. Raghupati raghava Raja raam …)

Nehru. Bapu. The sky is cloudy and is also dark. It may rain heavily. Let us go fast from here. You can sing later.

Gandhi. Come on Jawahar. Are you scared of rain?

Nehru. No. No. It is not like that. We may get caught in traffic jam soon

Patel. Hee…heee..Bapu. Nehru is correct some times

Gandhi. Look Guys. Listen. The sky has been like this many times since many days . But there were no rains. June is over. Now we are in July. There is no sight of rains.

Nehru. True Bapu. You are always true. ( Sings)

Truth is our Bapu
And Bapu is truth
If any guy disputes
Sure to loose his tooth

Gandhi… What a nice poem.. love it.

Patel. The CM last time in his election meetings said the State received very good rains for 5 years because the Gods were very happy with him and his rule. Hope he has direct contact with Gods. He may be having video conferences with him. heee…heee

Gandhi. Heee..hee.. Yes He said. Now what he would tell?

Patel. What he can tell? He can not tell any thing. He has to tell that there are no rains now because Gods are un happy with him haa…haa..heee..hee ( Sings and does jig while Gandhi struggles to continue his Ramdhun while listening)


Dear What he can tell?
When we are here in this pell mell
City traffic is a dirtiest well
We are all struggling in this shitty hell


Gandhi. Well said. How Gods can be angry with in three months? He formed government recently. Gods might be unhappy with him now and even earlier. So no rains. heee…hee( sings)

There are many clouds but no rain
It is causing all great pain
So be happy with whatever you had
Instead of getting crazy and mad

Patel. Well said Bapu Nice poem indeed

Gandhi. Ha..Haa..Haa. I am a born poet you know. Some how I did not receive much attention in this field.

Patel. Naidu received all attention.

Nehru. I know Bapu .. Bapu, let us cross road quickly. Not many vehicles are coming this way

( They try to cross over the cement partitions that are kept as dividers. Gandhis Dhoti gets stuck to a protruding iron rod and he gets stuck with one leg an each side of cement block. Nehru and Patel jump over the block)

Gandhi. Bacho..bacho.. I am stuck

( In the mean time a motorcyclist arrives at great speed and runs over Gandhis foot.. Gandhi yells inpain)

Gandhi.. eeee..eee.. Margaya.. bacho

( Nehru and Patel run to Gandhi and catch hold of the motorcyclist ad Patel slaps him. In the mean time crowd collects)

Patel. You swine. Can’t you see the man stuck here. Is this way you drive ? Why drive at such speed? You are not even 16 years old. Is your father a crack guy who gave bike to you.?

Nehru. Patel. Poor guy. He is a kid. Let him go. He did not see Gandhi.

Patel. What is your name?

Youth. I am Bin Kasim

Patel. Good name ( Scartches his head). I heard this name earlier. Where it can be?

Nehru. You must have read in history book. He was an invader who attacked India in medieval times earlier to Gaznavi and resorted to killings and lootings. He was resisted by Hindu kings.

Patel. Yeah. Now I can recollect. What is there in a name?

Gandhi. ( Still stuck in the block) Patel. Please pardon him. Mistakes are to be done. Eeswar allah tero nam . Sab ko sanmathi de Bhagwan.. Jai… Bolo.. Boy kasim. Please go away.

( The boy starts the bike and zooms away in a second)

Patel.( Holds his head) Ohfo.. What a guy? There is no change in him even after 60 years after his death. What an appeasement? Bapu . You should not have left that guy. We should have taken him to police too. Bapu. I shall tell you one thing. If you stand up in elections now no one will vote for you.

Nehru. I am sure you will not vote for him. My vote is for him only

Gandhi. Relax Guys. Do not make mountain out of a mole

( They slowly pull out Dhoti ( Loin cloth) of Gandhi and take him out and Gandhi feels relieved. They cross over and stand at footpath where some other guys are also standing. There is an old bus shelter near them that has many holes in its sheet roof. There is also a small tea vender there and Patel gets three cups of tea)

Patel. Bapu. Have tea. You must be tired

Gandhi. Sure. I am tired too. Ask him whether he made tea with goat’s milk

Patel. Bapu. What a fad. Does any one make tea with goat’s milk? People will laugh if I ask him.

Gandhi. That is OK. Tea is fine( Sips tea)

Nehru. Bapu. Scores of people make living by selling tea. Have you seen the size of cup? It is so small. We have to call it a cup. It costs Rs 3/cup

Patel. I am sure by next year the cup would further reduce in size and shape. Finally the guy offers tea in spoons. First in table spoon and then tea spoon. He will pour tea with spoons in the mouths of people, like fish medicine that is offered in Hyderabad.. Heee…heee…heee

Gandhi. These plastic cups must go. I shall invent a Khadi cup soon. Many can make living by making these cups. It would become a cottage industry. Any how what is this fish medicine. Looks strange

Patel. Bapu. There is a family in Hyderabad and every year at a particular time of the year they offer some medicine with small baby fish and thousands of people assemble. The medicine along with the fish is thrust in the throats and they gulp.

Nehru. Oh God .. Yeaaaakk…aakku…baaaack… ( He vomits after listening)

Gandhi. Patel. Plesae hold his head and close his ears.

Patel. Most of the time he keeps ears closed. There is no problem with him. He will be better soon. I shall get him some tea

Gandhi. Is this medicine scientific? Does government allow this cock and bull?

Patel. Very well Bapu. They make elaborate arrangements for controlling the crowds. The medicine is not scientifically proved. Government is scared to take any action.

Nehru. India has long history of ancient medicine. All these practitioners of some sort of medicine write Dr in front of their names although they are mere quacks, Some ego satisfaction for them Bapu

Gandhi. True. But they may be playing with lives of people

Patel. Who bothers for such things? Indian lives are very cheap. So many guys get killed in terrorist attacks and the criminals are not brought to justice. They are all well fed in jails never to be punished.
In Hyderabad on the roads some guys pitch tents and sell various herbs and some quacky medicines and people run for them. Government does not bother. Soon such guys also get RMP certificates and practice as doctors..haa…haaa.. Most of these guys lure guys with some sex medicines claiming to improve libido…
Gandhi Why bring that topic now. It is out of context

Patel. Bapu. Please do not run away from truth. It will stare at you wherever you turn.

( In the mean time there is a great rush of wind and all collect under the rickety bus stop. Wind blows at great speed. Suddenly the structure collapses on the people and Gandhi and Nehru are also caught under the debris while Patel escapes. All shout bacho..bacho.)

Patel. Come on guys . help…help

( Some other guys from closeby collect and pull out people and Gandhi is first to come out and next is Nehru)

Gandhi. Eeee…eee.. Why you have pulled me first ? There are many guys within the debris. You should have pulled them out first.

Nehru. Bapu. You would have died if stayed for long

Gandhi . But we are already dead. How can we die again?

Nehru. Ohfo..No.. I forgot about it.

Patel. That is fine. You are out. Let us go from this shitty place.

( In the mean time there is a traffic jam on the road. Lights and signal are also not working. A light mast fell down after the great wind. In the meantime convoy of Chief Ministers convoy arrives and these VIP vehicles also get trapped in traffic jam. Suddenly there is a downpour and entire area gets full of water. The roads become water pools and VIP vehicles also are partly submerged in water. There is an utter chaos. Police does not know what to do. CM is stuck with in vehicle and police are worried about his security)

CM. ( Speaking to his security officer) What next? How do we get out now? There are thousands of vehicles every where and we are in middle. The rain is also heavy. It is cats and dogs. The gods are more happier now.

Officer. Have called for a chopper. It will be here in another five minutes.

CM. Where it will land?

Officer. Sir It can land on our car. We have an exit door in roof of this car. You can get out from it

CM . That is very good.

( Seeing CM in pathetic state Gandhi rushes out and runs to the car and manages to wade through pool of water)

Gandhi. CM Saheb. How are you? This is the effect of bad town planning. There is no traffic sense in Hyderabad. Now you can see for yourself

( CM downs the window glass)

CM. Who are you? You have dressed up like Gandhi. But it is good. You are imitating him well. You deserve some tip. ( He hands over him a Rs two coin)

Gandhi Come on Sir. I am not a beggar. I am real Gandhi. You are insulting me.

CM. You also appear to be a nut too. How can you be real Gandhi? He died long ago. Do not waste my time.

( In the mean time Patel goes to Gandhi and tries to take him out. A chopper has arrived and it slowly lands on the car of CM. Under its weight the roof of the car crashes down and CM is stuck in between.. He cries)

CM.. eee….eeee…aaa…aaa.. Bacho

( In the mean time water level around rises with heavy rain pouring. Water gets in to the car and it is almost half full with water. CM is seen shouting for help. Security officer has already slipped out or trapped under the chopper )

Gandhi. Be brave CM Saheb. We are here to rescue you. Now do you know the value of life?

( Gandhi swings his stick breaks the windshield of the car )

Gandhi. Look CM Saheb. Now come out of the opening of windshield , Look You called by fake Gandhi. Now you are being saved by me.

( CM slowly crawls out. With help of Gandhi and Patel he is pulled out of the car. He is dazed and gasping for air. He is seen shivering in cold and catches cold also. He sneezes too. In the mean time the helicopter pilot helps CM to climb in to helicopter.

Gandhi.. CM Saheb. Think of poor guys outside. Do not sit in marble houses and ivory towers. Have you seen what really happens in Hyderabad after one small rain? Haa…haa

(The CM looks other way and chopper roars and lifts off taking car also with it. Car dangles on to choppers legs)

Patel. Hope Chopper can land safely at some place. God bless him

Gandhi.. Haa…haaaa

Nehru.. Heee…heee

( People stuck in traffic jam enjoy the entire drama and laugh while Gandhi, Nehru and Patel do some jig in water while Gandhi holds his stick atop his head while doing jig )


CURTAIN DOWNS



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