INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...LXXXVII

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..LXXXVII

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen sitting in a park in heavens. They are seated on benches made of gold. Some good looking women are seen playing musical instruments. Birds like Swans, pigeons and some divine birds are also seen playing in park. They are dressed as usual. Gandhi is half naked with dhoti and chappals. His long stick is lying by his side.He is looking out of place among all well dressed heavenly men )

Gandhi. Patel. To day the evening is very pleasant. I am really feeling happy to be here..laa…laaa ( Gandhi whizzles tune….. raghu pathi raghava…)

Patel. Yes Bapu. How I can disagree. You have to be right always. But Bapu,, Did’t you fin any other song for the tune?

Nehru. Come on Patel. I am sure you are not sarcastic.

Patel. Mere Bhai. Why I should be ( sings and does jig)?

Oh my brother I am not caustic
I am simple and at heart very plain
Why do you say I am sarcastic?
That causes me very great pain

Gandhi. Good poem. You picked up this talent well

Patel. At times, I get inspiration.

( In the mean time a nymph Rambha walks to Gandhi and sits beside him. Gandhi gets worried. She tries to get close to him)

Gandhi. Shh…shh… eee… ee… chee.. chee.. Please stay far

Nymph. Come on handsome. I am not that bad.

Patel. Neither Bapu.

Gandhi. Why you have come to us? What do you want?

Nymph. My dear, this is a love park. Don’t you know this?

Patel. There is no board displayed.

Nymph. This is heavens. Such boards are not seen here. By the by, when did you arrive? in heavens. You appear to be pretty old guys

Gandhi. ( Getting offended) Why do you say we are old? One gets as old as he thinks. ( sings)

Look dear nymph with lovely figure and grace
I am not in your catching and trapping race
Please go to some other useful guy
There are many such guys in this place in the sky

Nymph. Hoi. Well sung handsome. I am thrilled.

Gandhi. But I am not ready to be grilled

Gandhi. Why you are after me? Plesae leave me. Do not call me handsome. Look I am bald and look like a skeleton.

Nymph. That is fine. Bald is also beautiful ( she sings)

Although you are completely bald and bold
I like your head while it glows like gold
Your skeleton like frame is so strong
That I am sure can never go wrong


Patel. Hear..hear..Well sung dear

Gandhi. My dear Amma ( Mother). Please leave me alone

Nymph. We are mothers of none

Gandhi. Ohfo. Now what I should Patel

Patel. Bapu. Plesae recite Hanuman Chaleesa. You area ram Bhakt

Gandhi. Good Idea.

Nymph. Look . I am not a Rakshasi. Hanuman can not do any thing to me. Relax

Gandhi. Patel. What next.

Patel. Better sing ramdhun loudly

( Gandhi sings ram dhun very loudly and Nymph gets irritated)

Nymph. What type of character you are. I misjudged you.

Gandhi. Better read my book….. My experiments with truth…

Nymph. Not required. Get lost (She goes away)

Gandhi Ohfo. Good riddance finally. Patel. Better go from here.

( In the mean time some youth are seen dancing and embracing some nymphs. They come close to Gandhi. One guy whizzles at Gandhi)

Gandhi. Ohfo Shit. Patel..look. some of these guys look familiar. We have seen them. somewhere.

Patel. Yeah bapu. These guys were there at Osmania university during Telangana agitation.

Gandhi. How they are here. Plesae find out

( Patel goes to the guys dancing)

Patel hello young man, how come you are here. Strange

Youth. I am Ramesh. What is so strange? We committed suicide for Telangana. We are hence here. Don’t you know. Those who die for the nation go to heavens.

Patel. It is true in those cases where the guys go down fighting in a battle field in Hindu Dharma. In Islam also it is true

Youth. So we also died for a cause for Telangana.

Patel. You area Hindu. You committed suicide. That is a crime. You should not be here. Better go to hell

Youth. Look old man. I am in heavens. That means what I have done is correct

( In the mean time some devils ( sepoys from Yama Loka i.e Hell) arrive and catch the youth and drag them away from the dames)

Devil. Come on . Your pleasure trip to heaven is over. Now come to hell to suffer finally.

Youth. How come? You can not take away us like this. We sacrificed ourselves for Telangana.

Devil. True. Your sacrifice is correct up to identifying with Telangana agitation. For this noble cause for the state you deserve some time in heavens. So you enjoyed here. The permitted time is over. You committed suicide and that is sin in Hindu Dharma. So you have to suffer in hell for centuries

Youth ( Cries) What punishment will be there?

Devil. First we shall tie you to a pole and pluck all hair from you. Next we shall cut your external organs one by one. Then we shall saw you near stomach up to half. Next we shall pierce a lance in your back. We shall then boil you in hot oil. Then you will be thrown to dogs and wolves who will devour you. You will not die again. But you shall suffer.

Youth. Eeee…eeeeee…Jai Telangana..eee.. ( faints)

Patel. Can’t you show some mercy on this character?

Gandhi. Mere Bahi. Isko maff karo. I am Gandhi. Bapu the great.

Devil. Look old man. Do not commit the mistake of showing sympathy to this guy. That is a sin.

Gandhi. Oh sorry. Please excuse me.

( Devils drag away the youth kicking them hard and whipping and drag them to hell. The nymphs again run to Gandhi)

Nymph. Look old man. Have you seen all this show. Come on let us dance. By disappointing you will commit sin

Gandhi. If it is so, I shall oblige. I do not want to commit sin.

( Gandhi holds stick and attempts fox trot with the nymph. Patel and Nehru clap. Gandhi gets tired and gasping falls down and he is taken to the chair. He is given some potion to drink)

Gandhi. What is this?

Patel That is Som Ras. The drink of Gods. This is hot drink


Gandhi. Chee.chee.. I can not drink this. I want goat’s milk

Patel . Bapu. This is heavens, goats are not found here. You may get cow milk

Gandhi. That is fine

Patel ( Looking at Nymph) Madam. Plesae get us some milk.

( Milk is fetched and Gandhi gulps everything in one go. He gets up actively shakes himself and does jig and sings)

I am fine and strong now
I can do jig for hours in row
I am active and kicking like bull
Come catch my hand and pull

( All clap and laugh. The nymph goes away dancing)

Gandhi. Patel. Let us run from here . Or else that dame may come again

Nehru. True. Run
(The trio quickly runs away from there)


CURTAIN FALLS