INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...110

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..110
Dr K Prabhakar Rao

( Jawaharlal Nehru is seen sitting in a room in heavens. He is nervousand is worried. Indira is seen sitting on a stool next to him. Mahadev Desai rushes into the room very anxiously. )

Desai. Jawahar. Are you relaxing here? Bapus condition is bad. He has fainted. I think Indira has already told you.

Nehru. Yes . By all means. But what to do. That old man takes everything to heart. He must know that he was dead in 1948. Look how many years have passed now.Why should he worry for the events in India?

Indira. Yes father. What you said is true. He is still living in past ( sings)

Look father the great
This old man has to be set right
He is still living in past
Hope he does not breath his last

Nehru. I am highly upset. My entire family has been ruined. I died a broken man. You were shot dead.Sanjay crashed in pane. Even Rajiv was blown up. Eee..eeee.aaa…aaa..

Indira. Dad. I am his mother. How should I feel. I lost Sanjay in air crash and it was his folly. You can not escape fate.

Nehru. But Rajiv was killed for nothing.

( In the mean time Ghost of Rajiv Gandhi walks in. His face is very badly disfigured)

He embraces Indira and bows to Nehru. Indira is seen sobbing)

Rajiv. Mummy. Mummy I have also come. I could not stay in that wretched place after you left India. We were not that bad people. Why we were killed?

( In the back ground Great singer actor KL Saigal is heard singing)

Koi bhee manush kitna hi bura ho
Hothi hai thodi si bhalayee
Ishwar kaa gun ek yahee
Kantao mein phool khila dena
Sath manush ke gayee burayee
Rahgayi uski bhalayee
Tumbhi man mein preet ko rakhna
Aur kantoko hasaa dena.. ( From Film Lagan 1939)
( Who ever may be he
And how evil he may be
There is always some good in him
This is a god’s trait that
In thorns a flower blooms
With death of a man
Also dies his evilness
Look, so harbor love in you
An always in your heart
And make thorns laugh)


(Some wailing ghosts suddenly enter the room. They shout)

Ghosts. We are the people who were killed along with this Rajiv. What crime we have done that we died with him? Our families have been ruined. Haye Hame Mardiya. Fuzool mein hame mardiya (Unnecessarily we were killed).

Indira, Come on shut up you guys. A king never dies alone. PM in India is king. Whole world knows about it. PM in India is supreme.

Ghosts. Then who is president?

Indira. He is there as ceremonial head. To put his stamp where required without questioning. Do you know Zail singh said he would sweep the floor for us. Look a king never dies alone. Do you know that in medieval days whenever kings died his attendants, concubines, horses and keeps were also killed by strangulation and were buried along with the dead king? Heeee..heeee..ou..ou..ou

Rajiv. Mom. Forget them. Why you are wasting your time?

(The ghosts go away after shouting slogans against Rajiv and Indira)

Nehru. Very true. Rajiv, I was very happy when I learnt that you were made PM

Rajiv. Yeah grand pa. Every thing was so sudden. Even I did not expect turn of events Rather I was forced into chair. The nation was at my feet and was handed over to me in silver plate.

Nehru. I heard Mukerjee was a stiff opponent. Who was he to oppose a member from Nehru family?

Rajiv. He was no one. How dare any one can oppose one from our dynasty? He did not have backing. He was silenced.

Nehru. How about the old man Narsimha Rao? He was faithfully serving us for many years

Rajiv. No chance. Where I am and where he is? He can not even dream. How can some one outside Nehru family will rule India? Although the old guys were desperate they could do nothing. After all they are camp followers. Hee..heee, I became the PM the youngest one and the whole country lay flat in front of me. I was dead sure that for next 50 years I would rule India and every one thought so.( Cries) but Grandpa.. eeee…eee. I was blown up by LTTE guys.. Haaa.haaa… eee..eee. I hardly enjoyed as PM.

Desai. You guys had enough of discussions. Are you not bothered about Bapu? I have been watching you guys for the past one hour. None has bothered to go and see Bapu ( cries)Bapu. Mere Bapu. How are you? Zinda ho?( Are you alive?)

Nehru. Look Desai. We are all already dead guys. How can Bapu die again?

Desai. Ohfo. I forgot. Then I think we need not worry much about him. The old man gets worked up on small things in politics. Ditching, corruption, scams, cheating is part of politics now. If one does not master these traits one can never succeed. Think of Gulzarilal Nanda. He was PM twice for short periods as care taker. Who cares for him? He did not have these traits or atlesat one of them. You know his fate. The guy was cycling in Delhi while political cheats were travelling in luxury cars in Delhi and also occupied important positions.

Indira. Are we cheats? Be frank

Desai. I did not say that.

Nehru. Please do not fight here. Desai Please relax. You can never change the world. Your days were over long ago. You even did not live till India got freedom. We suffered more and have right to speak more.

(In the mean time, Gandhi arrrives in wheel chair. The ghosts of Sikhs who were killed in Delhi massacres after Indira’s death also scramble in to the room shouting)

Ghosts. Haye.. haye. Hame maar diya.. is kameeno ne. Ek margaya to kya itene maar naa kya.Haye.. kameeno. Haraamee..Kitne zaalim ho.Kya tumhe bacche nahee hai kya. Haramee..How cruel you are? We were always innocent Hamara ghar jaladiya.tumne..Khuda tumko nahi chodega..sab ko khatam karega khuda ne… Haye. Haye.. You will also meet same fate. Ye hamara shaap hai.. Kameeno. Yaad rakho isko.

Gandhi.. Ram..ram ( Closes his ears with hands). What type of curses they are giving?

( All run to Gandhi)

Nehru. Bapu. Why did you come here? It will be a strain.

Gandhi. I heard Rajiv has come here.

( Rajiv rushes to him and greets. He falls at the feet of Gandhi)

Rajiv. Bapu. Namaste. How are you?

Gandhi. I am fine . but not happy to see you here. Things really could not have been good in India. Or else they would not have blasted you in Madras.

Rajiv. I have nothing to say.

Gandhi. I heard you were very eager to get into Lanka. It was none of your business. Where was the requirement of going to Lanka for India army?

Rajiv. You think like that. In fact lanka was in great turmoil. Pakistan was trying to get in. Even Chinese and Yankees were ready to get in. So I had to act.

(Voices of dead India soldiers are heard. They shout Bapu. Suno. Listen.. These are lies.. Bapu. Bapu. We were sacrificed for some one’s fancy. We were just gun fodder. haaa.haaa. Haye…haye.. Our families are ruined. Where is my child?)

Gandhi. Too bad. I heard that our plans were very bad and our troops were mowed down by Lankan LTTE.

Rajiv. Bapu. I can not answer this. Only Gen Sunderjee my army chief can answer. But he is still alive (This article was written when Sunderjee was still alive). How can he come here?

Gandhi. You don’t worry . I shall get him.

Gandhi.( Twists hand ) Choomantar.. Sunderjee yahaa aanaa.

(Suddenly Gen Sunderjee appears in front of Gandhi. He is in uniform with slightly tilted peak cap imitating Yankees)

Gandhi. Hello, General Sunderjee. What you have to say on Operation Pawan, the Lankan fiasco?

Sunderjee. (In American accent). Bapuji. Nehruji, Rajivji, Indiraji, one and all, I planned everything very well. On American lines of course. You know, I did a course in their staff college. Our troops were well rehearsed.

Gandhi. But the troops thought that they would have nice time being a peace keeping force singing Ramdhun. They I am sure thought it was a picnic.

(Having remembered Ramdhun, Bapu gets sentimental and gets up from wheel chair and jumps around singing Ram dhun.. All are surprised. Bapu gets tired and collapses in wheel chair. He gasps and Desai gets him some water. Bapu slowly gets composed.)

Sundeerjee. Bapu. Initially they thought it was a picnic. Some thought that it would be like Congo participation. Even Lankan kids were terrorists. They shot from behind.. They carried information.

Gandhi. I felt bad when I saw the Photographs of dead Indian men in heaps on the cover pages of Indian journals. How sad?

Sunderjee. I agree. Indian army was very well hammered in Lanka and air was taken out of them. It happens some time. In turn we bought wrath of LTTE.

Nehru. And Rajiv had to pay dearly with his life ( cries) aaa…aaaa…eee..eeeee.

Rajiv mummy.. Oh mummy I was killed for a national cause ( cries) eee..eeee..

Gandhi. A true soldier never cries. Do not cry. ( suddenly Gandhi develops serious cough and his condition becomes serious.)

Desai.LookFriends, Bapu needs rest. Let us leave Bapu to take rest. We can meet again.

Indira.That is fine.

( Gandhi is taken way in wheel chair by Desai while all look at him)

In the distance Great singer actor surendranath BALLB is heard singing,

Jalena.. kyoo.. jalena kyoo
Jalena kyoo parwana...
Jalena kyoo parwana
Shama dikha kar husneke jalwe
Banaade jab deevana..
Jalena kyoo parwana
Jalna haitho phir ja jaye..oh..ohh
Jalna haithophit jal jaye
Husn ke sanche mein ja jaye
Husn ke sanche mein dhal jaye
Ishk mein dono ek hai tho
Jeena yaa mar jana...
Jalena kyo parwana ( from Anokhi ada 1948)

( Nehru, Indira, Rajiv, and General sunderjee loook at each other and appear to be lost)


CURTAIN FALLS