INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...156

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…156

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(Gandhi, Nehru and patel are seen walking on a road in Hyderabad and they are near gun foundry. They are coolly walking while talking to each other)

Gandhi. look Patel. I observe that there is a craze in Andhra Pradesh to name everything after Rajiv Gandhi.

Patel. It looks to be.

Nehru. What is wrong in that? Rajiv was very much liked by these guys.

Gandhi. It could be, but is it necessary to name everything after Rajiv?

Nehru. It is up to them.

Patel. Look Bapu. This street is named after Rajiv and is called Rajiv street. The road going to Karimnagar is called Rajiv Rahdari

Gandhi. International airport is called Rajiv International air port.

Patel. Probably they will name the public garden at secretariat as Rajiv udyan

Gandhi. You will not be surprised if necklace road is called Rajiv necklace road.

Patel. Abid road may be named Rajiv Mall

Gandhi. How about city Bus station in Hyderabad.

Patel. It will be called Rajiv city bus station

Nehru. Hyderabad railway station has to be named as Rajiv Hyderabad railway station

Gandhi.. Haa..haaa..haaa

Patel. Hee..heee,,

Nehru. Bapu Why are you laughing. Patel this is bad. You are hurting sentiments

Patel. I have not hurt any ones sentiments

Gandhi. Jawaharlal , why are you getting irked up? Rajiv was the PM and poor guy died in a blast. Does it mean that every thing is named after him?

Nehru. Rajiv was the hero of people.

Patel. Does it mean that all others were zeroes.

Nehru. I did not say that.

( A push cart vendor passes by. He has got icecreams on his cart and some biscuit packets and toffees too.He is shouting at pitch of voice)

Vendor. Rajiv ice cream… Rajiv ice cream.. Come.. Come.. Very cheap. Rajiv toffees too are here.. ice cream.. ice cream… Rajiv ice cream..

Gandhi. Strange, even toffees are named after him

( Patel suddenly finds a ball point pen on the road. He bends and picks it up. He looks at it)

Patel. Hee…hee.. This ball point pen I salso named after Rajiv. Look guys . the name reads Rajiv ball pen, Cost.. MRP Rs 1

Gandhi. hee..hee Patel. I feel like having some tea. Look for some thing.

( They find a road side tea cart and they go to the vendor)

Gandhi. Namste brother. Good Morning.. Ram.. Ram.. bhai
]
Vendor. Namaste. Rajiv… Rajiv…

Patel. Why are you repeating the name of rajiv

Vendor. Yesterday there was a news in paper that now on wards people must greet each other by saying Rajiv.. Rajiv.. instead of Ram.. Ram.. which mostly north Indians do.

Patel. This is some thing funny.

( They want to cross the road. They are unable to cross. Yet they try to cross in traffic. They are hardly at middle of road and motor bike comes at very high speed and comes to screeching halt, The driver abuses in chicest way)

Driver. You jokers, sons of … idiots. Is this way you cross. Run from here. I do not know from where these nuts have come. ( He goes away and the trio returns to the road side)

Gandhi. How to cross now?

Nehru. Bapu. Look. There is a foot bridge there. Let us go.

( The trio quickly reaches the foot bridge. Gandhi looks up and reads a sign board. He shrieks loudly and falls down. Froth comes out of his mouth. Patel and Nehru hold Gandhi in their lap and start comforting him. Some on lookers also gather and one guy brings a water bottle and sprinkles water over Gandhi’s face. Gandhi slowly opens his eyes)

Patel. What happened Bapu?

Gandhi. Where am I? Look there ( He shows the name plate)

Patel ( Reads) Rajiv foot bridge inaugurated by Rosiah the Chief Minister of AP.. haa..haaa A joke indeed.

Gandhi. I could not take more. I fainted

Patel. Bapu. Take it lightly. These are small amusements.

Nehru. Bapu. Let us cross over.

( The trio slowly climb and cross over the bridge. Bapu carries the water bottle left by the on looker as it has plenty of water. At the foot of bridge Bapu feels thirsty and drinks water from the bottle and also reads the label)

Gandhi. eee..eee… Oh God… See.

Patel. Now what happened?

Gandhi. Patel. The bottle has the label, Rajiv Mineral water, MRP Rs 12. eee…eee… Now kill me…kill me.. I can not take it more

Nehru. Bapu. You are already killed by Godse. No one can kill you again. You have to suffer and accept things.

Gandhi. eee…e….eeee… waaa…. Waaaa…weeee..wee

Patel. Bapu. Take things light. Bapu. I want tom purchase today’s news paper. Please wait here.

( He goes to a small roadside shop and purchases English daily and looks into it after going to Bapu)

Patel. ( Reads) The government of Andhra Pradesh has renamed the present Lalita kala Toranam as Rajiv Gandhi Lalita kala Thoranam… haa,,haa

Gandhi. ( Picks up a roadside stone and hammers his own head and hysterically screams) Kill me…kill me.. you guys at once kill me.. with one stroke kill me. Do not spare me. I want to die.. die,.. dire and die. I can’t take this any more.

( The onlookers gather and pull away the stone and try to comfort Gandhi)

Onlooker. Is something wrong with this old man? He appears to be mentally unstable.

Patel. No nothing like that. He is perfect.

Onlooker. Better we call ambulance and take him to hospital before it too late

Nehru. Sure..sure.. We must.. Be fast Bapu is till in senses.. Look.

Onlooker. OK I shall call Arogya sree ambulance. It will come soon

( The onlooker over cell phone rings up some one and with in moments the ambulance arrives. The onlookers and Patel, Nehru lift Gandhi and Take him to the door. Gandhi sees the ambulance and the markings. He Reads, Rajiv Arogya sree. Government scheme

Gandhi.. eee…eee… aa…aaa..

( He faints shrieking loudly. Hot fumes eminate from his ears, and nostrils. Froth comes out of his mouth. He is quickly pushed into the van and it drives away along with Nehru and Patel)


CURTAIN FALLS
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