INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...94

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN.94

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

( Gandhi,Nehru, Maharaja Harisingh are seen relaxing in chairs in a small room of Gandhi in heavens.)

Gandhi. Friends, Jinnah sahib promised to come. He is yet to arrive.

Nehru. He might avoid.

Gandhi. No. No.. He is not that type. I know him very well ( sings)

Look friends please listen
Jinnah is my second eye
Although he parted ways
Please do not as why

( Jinnah just walks into the room)

Gandhi. Think of the devil, it is here

Jinnah. Salaam walekum every one. Some one said the devil is here. Am I the devil you said?

Nehru. No.. No.. It was just a phrase.

( In the mean time Mrs Indira Gandhi walks in. She has a red band around her waiste. She touches the feet of Gandhi and wishes all)

Indira. Namste Jinnah Saheb, How are you sir.

Jinnah. Salam wale kum. I am fine. How are you Indira

Indira.Do you remember Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said he would wage 1000 year war with India?Where is he now/ Poor guy got hanged .I smashed Pakistan into two , never to get up..( Sings)

India my most loved nation that is
That has withstood greatest perils with ease
None can raise their head against my country
Which I would smash as if it is a poultry

Greatest looters invaded India some time back
However the nation could not be out of slack
The days of timidity are over
We would resist all tricks for take over

Gandhi. Dear Indira. You were really great. You have achieved certain things that no one has achieved. You have resisted greatest designs of the neighbour.You dismembered them

Jinnah. What is so big about it.? On western front you lost badly at Chamb sector. Did you forget battle of Munawwar Tawi? The broken bridge is still thee. Eastern wing of Pakistan was so far that any one could have cut it off.

Indira. Why it is not happening to Israel? It is fully surrounded by blood thirsty thugs. They have smashed all Arabs in the Palestine wars. You may fight number of wars with us. But you can not take Kashmir from us.

Gandhi. True. Remember this Mr Jinnah. Please do not have many hopes about Pakistan.

( In the back ground Marshal music is heard and Jinnah gets up wishes all and walks off stiffly not before throwing a dirty glance at Indira with contempt)

Indira. Bapu. Thanks. I am tired. I am going

Gandhi. May god bless you

( Indira adjusts her waist band and walks off smartly)

Nehru. Bapu. You wanted to see Kashmir. Maharaja sahib is not ready to accompany us. Let us go.

Hari singh. Thanks everybody. I am off. Ok Namste Bapu

Gandhi. That is fine. May god bless you

( Hari singh walks away. Gandhi and Nehru land up at railway station at Jammu)
Bapu goes to station master)

Bapu. Namaste Bhai. We want to go to Srinagar. Do we have a bus now? By the by I am Bapu, the father of this nation

Station master. I am khajuria. Look old man. I do not care who you are. Please do not waste my time. Go to Jammu bus station. I have better things to do.

Bapu. Look Jawaharlal. How arrogant he is? That too to an old man. There is no Tehzeeb

Nehru. Bapu. What to do? All are like this in railways from top to bottom. The counter clerks at many places will bite customers. There is none to check them. Eee..eee ( sings)

The government servants in India indeed
Are busy in committing man misdeeds
Many lack in minimum efficiency
This in fact is great deficiency

Gandhi. Jawaharlal. What we can do? It is our fate Let us go.

(They reach bus stand and try to enter a bus proceeding to Srinagar. Some Army men and police personnel confront them suddenly)

Police SI. Hey Buddhe ( old man). Who are you? You are dressed like Gandhi and Nehru. Hope you are not tricksters. Where are you going? Show your Identity card

Nehru. SI sahib. We are real Gandhi and Nehru. Why do you need our I cards. Whole world knows us.

SI. They were dead long ago. You are surely Pak spies. Come on. You have to come to police station at once

Gandhi. Come on SI Sahib. Your wisdom is clouded. Do not be harsh because you are in uniform. You are after all a servant of people. It does not give you power to misbehave

SI. Ye baat Hai. Old man. How dare to talk like this? Hey constable. Take his stick off and snatch hi watch also. He is already half naked. I will give a blow on his bald head. He will forget that he is Gandhi. Let us search him. They may be carrying explosives. Let us search this Topiwalah. He calls himself as Nehru. Topiwalah should be hammered left right and centre.

Constable. Haa… haa . I shall take lives out of them

( On search nothing is found. Yet they are taken to Jammu police station. They are lodged in a cell)

Nehru. What state of affairs here in Jammu itself? What would be the fate of Srinagar? I never thought we would face these situations and get this reception

Gandhi. Jawaharlal. Look. In British days the police was better. In free India police is behaving as if it is a colonial power. They are no way improved after getting independence.

( In the mean time a police Inspector and a constable come to the cell. They want to interrogate the prisoners)

Inspector. Tell me old man. From where you are coming? I know that Gandhi and Nehru died long ago. Then why act this drama? What are your intentions?

Nehru. Listen, We are really Gandhi and Nehru. We have come down from heavens to see what is happening in Srinagar.

Inspector. Haa..haa. Really funny. If so why are you here? You could have just vanished. Why get imprisoned?

Gandhi. We want to know how bad the people have become in India?

Inspector. I am now sure you are mere rogus. You will not listen like this. Constable! Tie up this old guy upside down and insert pins under his nails. The other guy is claiming to be Nehru be suspended from roof by hands. Insert pins in his private parts. Then only these jokers would realize the things. How dare they are to enter Kashmir I shall show.

( Inspector leaves and constables go to fetch ropes and other materials. Nehru and Gandhi pounce on the lonely SI and put in the ell and run out of the jail. No one sees them)

Gandhi. Thank god. These fellows are really mad. Is it so bad in India? These guys were about to kill us.

Nehru, Bapu. What is this? You have not seen any thing. This is only a sample. They are capable of many. No one believes the police in India. That is the reputation they have.

Gandhi. Ram..ram.. Give some wisdom to these guys. We have barely escaped. Baal Baal bachgaye is bewakoofonse ( we havenarrowly escaped from these fools).

( At bus station they catch a bus proceeding to Srinagar)

CURTAIN FALLS