INTOTHE PAST WITH PAIN....138

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…138

Dr K Prabhakar Rao


( It is Washington DC in USA and American President Barak Obama and General Washington are seen sipping tea in the sprawling lawns of White house. Both are
immaculately dressed. General Washington is in his full uniform while Obama is
sporting a black suit. There are armed guards around taking positions at vantage positions.
There are some machine gun posts too.)

Washington. Mr. President. Hope you are very comfortable now. You had some initial hiccups after the elections.

Obama. That usually people have. Iwas new to this position. But I knew I would do well.

Washington. In very short span you got theNobel Prize too. That was a great surprise for most of us.

Obama. Thanks you sir. (within himself) Thank god he did not say he got a shock.

Washington. Heee…heeee..heeee

Obama.hooo..hooo…hooo

Washington. What is the problem at the old WTC site. I learnt there is some problem.

Obama. Sir. If we think there is a problem, it will be there. If we thinkthat there si no problem nothing willbe there.

Washington. MrObama, You are a practical guy.

Obama. Hee…Heee…heeee

(In the mean time a sentry arrives and smartly salutes)

Sentry. Good evening Sir, There is a gentleman outside and he wants to see the President.

Obama. Who he can be? I do not have any appointment today.

Sentry. Sir .What are the orders for me?

Obama. Please wait for some time.

Washington. Can any one walk-in into white house gate and ask to be let in.

Obama. Strange indeed. Any how we have to be careful.

Washington. True. He could be an AlQaeda man.

Obama.( looks at sentry) Is he bearded and looks very rough?

Sentry. No sir. He is clean shaven and ill clad. Does not look like modern man

Washington. It is better you describe him more.

Sentry. Sir. He thin, frail, weak and looks like a skeleton moving. He is dark and bald and wears round glasses f past century. He has no teeth and has shrunken face. He wraps a cloth over his chest and is wearing chappals, a watch hangs at his waist and he is armed with a long stick. There are two more guys with him. They are reasonably well dressed. They appear to be the yes masters of this old man,

Washington. Yeah… I got him. He is MK Gandhi. Other two guys are his flunkies Nehru and Patel. They are always with him clapping al the time..

Obama. Yeah. He came here earlier once

Washington. Not once, but any times he came here. He means no harm. Let us call him.

Obama. Sentry. Plesae allow themin with all respects.

( sentry sautés smartly and goesout and outside he meets Gandhi)

Gandhi. What happened? You have taken lot of time. Are they not there?

Sentry. Who?

Gandhi. Those who are supposed to be there.

Sentry. Sir . How do you know who will be there inside?

Patel. Look. These are beyond your comprehension. ( sings)

They are those who should be there
And they know who they are
we know very well who they are all
to know all the secrets is a bar


Sentry. Ohfo.. What guys are these..(Pulls his hair in disgust and later composes himself) Sir You can go inside.

Gandhi. Thanks dear.

( suddenly he sees a She goat behind Nehru and is surprised)

Sentry. What is this animal? This is new to this country.

Nehru. This is a mini cow and we call it Goat mother.

Sentry. But you can not take this inside

Patel. This is part of us. We can not live without it. Rather I can not live without it.

Sentry. We have strict rules to not allow animals inside White House.

Nehru. We are helpless. (Goat bleats loudly may. may…may..)
Sentry. Sir I have to get permission again

(He goes inside and salutes smartly)

Washington. What happened? Where are they?

Sentry. Sir. They are very much there. The problem is that they have a goat with them and they want to bring it inside.

Washington. Strange guys indeed. What they are doing with a goat?

Obama. Any how we shall see. Look
sentry. Please allow goat also inside.

(Sentry salutes and goes out and
meets Gandhi)

Sentry. Look gentlemen. Now you may go inside with goat. But leave the stick here.

Gandhi. I can not walk without stick.

Sentry. But this is weapon.

Patel. Look Mr. Sentry, Does this look like a rifle to you? You are very strange.

Sentry. Sir. It is not me. You are all strange guys. Plesae go inside

(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel get in along with the goat while the sentry holds his head)

Gandhi. Good evening gentleman. This is Gandhi again here. This time I am not alone. I have Nehru and Patel with me. Oh sorry. This goat is also with me

(Gandhi ties the goat to a post available there in the garden)

Washington (rises). hello Mr. Gandhi. Welcome. We are pleased to see you here.

Obama. Welcome Mr. Gandhi. We are happy to be with you this evening.

Gandhi. Thanks. Gentlemen. We are honored.

( All are seated)

Washington. Let us get to business. Mr. Gandhi. What is the matter? All the way you came to us.

Gandhi. Nothing great sir. I learnt there is some problem at the site of former WTC.

Obama. Yeah .But how you are concerned with it? This is not your country.

Gandhi. Not really sir, but we stand for peace everywhere. We may be of some help to you.

Washington. At the former site of WTC, Muslims want to build mosque. Many Americans are against the proposal.

Obama. What can be wrong in it? I do not understand. If a mosque is built aQaeda will not bomb it in future

Patel. Please excuse me sir for speaking in between. Then you may build mosques everywhere near all great centers.

Obama( Looks angrily) My intention is not that infact. I wanted to buy some peace internally.

Gandhi. Obama sir. You are large hearted in a thin body. Muslims have bombed WTC earlier and why you want to be very considerate to them? Hats off to you.

Obama. Hee,,,heeee..heee

Gandhi. look sir. In India too I gave all concessions to Muslims. They partitioned India. Even then I opted India to be a secular nation.

Patel . All the guys voted for Pakistan. But most of them are with us and many art trying to create one more Pakistan.

Washington. Heee…heee. You guys had no forethought. What you have done like that?

Gandhi. For me they are like my two eyes.

Washington. That is your problem. How you are going to help us solve problem?

Gandhi. I shall go around and spread my message.( sings)

Raghupathi Raaghava Raaja raam
Pateetha paawana seetha raam
Eeswar aalh tero naam
Sabaki sanmathi de Bhagwan..

( Nehru and Patel clap also singing Ramdhun while Washington and Obama strangely look at them)

Obama. Better you be there where
you are. This is not India.
Every guy has a gun here.

Washington. Some guy may put bullets into you at ay time.

Obama. In India some one waited till1948 so long to do that. Here things are different. People are trigger happy. They will finish you off in no time

Gandhi. Iam not scared.

Obama. But we are scared that you will disturb the system. We already have many problems with Afghan war and Iran Iraq problem.

Washington. We can not allow you to create more problems to us.

Gandhi. That means you are not sincere in solving problems peacefully.

Obama. Did I say that Mr. Gandhi?

( In the mean time Goat bleats loudly)

Obama. Mr Gandhi. Your pet is feeling upset. It may be hungry. It is not eating any leaf too.

Patel. This is an Indian goat. It can not eat American leaves.

(In the mean time a bearer brings tea trolley and serves hot tea to all. Gandhi takes black tea in a cup and asks Patel to get some goat’s milk. Patel goes to the goat and milks it and collects milk in a glass and gives to Gandhi. Gandhi makes tea with goat’s milk and sips. Washington and Obama strangely and queerly look at them)

Obama. Mr.Gandhi. you are really great.

Gandhi. Thanks sir. Iam honored.

Washington. Hats off to people of India. They are
also great people.

Gandhi. ( In low tone whispers to Patel) I hope they are not
sarcastic

Pate I think they are. They are amused with goat and your tea.

Gandhi. What is wrong in that?

Patel. Nothing wrong for us. But they are not happy. I think better we go.

Nehru. True Bapu. Our mission is not successful

Gandhi. Ok Mr. Obama sir and Washington sir, We take leave of you. Please solve your
problem yourself.

Obama. That is better said.

( Gandhi and his friends get up an thank Obama and Washington and are about to leave)

Washington. Mr. Gandhi. How about your goat? You have forgotten it.

Gandhi. I want to present it to you.

Obama. Ohfo. No. We can not take care of it. Please take it with you (Goat bleats)

Gandhi. OK , as you wish sir.

( The trio along with goat say bye and go out of White House)

Obama. Ohfo. We are saved today.

Washington. True. Now let us enjoy our
evening.

(CURTAIN FALLS)