INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...164

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…164

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(It is Birla Mandir at Delhi and Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are also seen in the crowd. No one is bothered about them. They are looking around and none is caring for them. The crowd is large and they are at the back of the crowd. Temple bells are making big sound and conch is blown making still greater sound.)

Gandhi. Look patel. We are here for the last 40 minutes. No one has recognized us

Patel. True Bapu. They must be completely engrossed in the prayer.

Gandhi. Do you believe that?

Patel. We have to do that.

Nehru. Bapu. We died long ago. A generation has changed after that. I died atlesat in 1964. But you have vanished long ago. Who will remember you?

Gandhi. True. But I thought atlesat one or two guys would say hello to us.

Patel. Bapu. Have we come here for that?

Gandhi. Surely not for that. Why waste time. Let us sing Ram Bhajan

(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel sing Raghupathi Raghava Raja Ram… Pateetha pavana Seetha ram..

(Suddenly a police van arrives there and from it scores of police men get down and surround the crowd. They are fully armed. Inspector Nathuram goes to Patel and Gandhi)

Nathuram. Who are you guys?

Patel. We are Gandhi and patel.

Nathuram. You look new to Delhi. From where you have come? You are also dressed strangely. It is so cold outside and have hardly any cloth on you.

Patel. We do not feel cold. We are immune to it.

Nathuram. Why and how? Are you not humans?

Patel. You may believe so sir.

Nathuram. This is strange. You are also replying police people like this. I am sure you are a trouble maker.

Nehru. Inspector. What trouble he has given to you? We are peace loving.

Nathuram. I am not speaking to you.

Gandhi. We are all one.

Nathuram. So you belong to a gang.

Gandhi. What is this gang?. Are we looking like gangsters?

Nathuram. I am not happy with you. Do you belong to saffron gang?

Gandhi. What is this saffron gang? If saffron gang is there, there must be green gang too and white gang too.

Nathuram. What is this green gang?

Gandhi. When you say we belong to saffron gang you must know what green gang is

Nathuram. (Scarches his head) I do not know who coined this saffron gang.

Gandhi. It was Chidambaram the Harvard educated guy in white clothes hoping to become PM one day. Go and ask him. He shall tell with Harvard accent… yeah..

Nathuram. Can he become? The Prince or Yuvraj is already there

Gandhi. He knows better.

Nathuram. I am sure you belong to saffron gang although you are putting whites. I heard you are singing Ram Bhajan too.

Gandhi, Is singing Rajbhavan a crime in India?

Nathuram. Not openly. But it is almost like that.

Patel. How silly it is! How can one become a terrorist just because he sings Rambhajan

Nathuiram. He will have inclination as per latest philosophy. All Ram bhakts have to be one.

Gandhi. We are but not a gang as you said.

Nathuram. Enough of discussion. I can not leave you guys. You have to be taken into custody. You look shady persons

Gandhi. How strange! Don’t you know I am Mahatma Gandhi? I am your father of nation.

Nathuram. Who was he? Where does he stay?

Gandhi. Iam Mahatma Gandhi. Have you not heard my name? At least once in your life time. You must have heard about Raj ghat.

Nathuram. I heard about Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. Enough of this shit talk. You are under arrest

Gandhi. That you can never do.

Nathuram. I shall show you insect

Patel. Look bhai. Just go from here and allow us to pray. This is not the place for you. Go and fight terrorists in Kashmir and other places in the country. Do not be after innocents. You have no courage to fight them. You are after simple souls.

Nathuram. For me ,you guys look like shady persons belonging to saffron gang. Terrorists do not mean that they will be dressed like Taliban with black dress and head gear sporting AK 47. They may be in any dress.

Gandhi. I can only laugh at your ignorance and foolishness. But you appear to be an intelligent guy, but perverted too.

Patel. Bapu. He is much mentally disturbed. Look Inspector !How long you have been waiting for promotion to become a DYSP.

Nathuram. For the last 10 years I am struggling like this. I can get promotion if I can catch some terrorists.

Patel. So you are after us.

Nathuram. You are surely terrorists. You were singing Rambhajan.

Patel. Does singing Rambhajan make people terrorists?

Nathuram. Surely they belong to Saffron gang and the policy now is different. All are suspect.

Nehru. How poor you are in mental capabilities. I pity you.

Nathuram. Enough is enough. ( looks at Constables) Catch these jokers and put them in van

{(Constables fall on the trio with great tempo shouting Pakadlo. Badmashonko. Bhaagnena Paye. Sabak sikhayenge.. ( Catch the crooks. We shall teach them lesson). But they are unable to catch them as they have divine bodies. The police men struggle in air like flies. But fail to catch them)}

Gandhi ( throwing his hands in air) Look Nathuram. You can not do any thing to us. Keep trying. Patel and Jawaharlal come let us go. These guys are not capable of catching real terrorists.. So the are after others.

Patel. OK Bapu. We are with you

Nehru. Fine.

( The trio slowly walk away while police men helplessly watch. They sing

Oh God give them wisdom
They have become mentally sick
They are trying innocent guys around
Soon they will receive mighty divine kick )

CURTAIN FALLS