INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..169

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…169
Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(It is the compound of a convent school and the area is very large. There are many trees too all around and the buildings are old. The school building appears to be atlesat 100 years old and the style is medieval and Victorian. There are many parents with their small kids and some with toddlers squatted under trees as the chairs are filled. Gandhi, Nehru and Patel happen to go along that road and they get interested)

Gandhi. Patel. There appears to be some interesting thing going on here. Let us wait and see.

Patel. I shall enquire.

( Patel goes to the watch man and enquires)

Patel. Bhai. What is going on here?

Watch man, To day admissions are being conducted for children.

Patel. That is fine.

( Patel goes to Bapu and informs)

Patel. Bapu. They are conducting admissions for children. Probably it is for nurseries

Gandhi. I see. But I see some pregnant women too here resting under trees.

Nehru. They must have come with their young kids.

( Gandhi and his friends also go to benches and some good persons rise and offer seats to them)

Gandhi. Thanks dear. We are obliged. By the by how long you have been here?

Parent. My name is Ramratan. We came here early morning at 4 AM.

Patel. Why so early?

Ramratan. They said the timing is fixed and can not be changed. Probably they test us for patience.

Patel. The guys appear to be mad persons. How can kids get up so early?

Gandhi. Patel. Relax. Let us see further.

( In the meantime an announcement is made. It announces the names of parents and kid to report at the office for the interview. Parent Laxmi Narayan, Jhansi and kid Asha report at the office to a clerk sitting at a table. )

Gandhi. Let us go and see what is happening there.

( The trio goes to office and stands close to the parents. The woman at the desk is Savitri)

Savitri. ( looks at Gandhi) Why are you here? Who called you?

Patel. We came along with Laxmi Narainji. We are his friends.

Savitri. Why all stray people come here. As it is there is no place around.

Patel. Are we stray people, Madam? Kindly give some respect to our age atlesat. We are like your grandfather.

Savitri. OK. Ok. Plesae do not get into arguments. Stay slightly far. Ok Mr Laxmi Narayan. You brought your daughter Asha for admission into play school. Is it OK?

Laxmi Narayan. That is correct.

Savitri. How old she is?

Laxminarayan. She is two and half years old.

Savitri. What is the date of birth?

Laxminarayan. It is 15 August 2009

Gandhi. How lucky. She was born on the day of independence.

Savirti. Please tell me her time of birth.

Laxminarayan. It is 1201 hours that is midnight.

Savitri. Plesae tell me whether she was born after full nine months of pregnancy or the delivery is premature?

Patel. Madam, Is this information required for you?

Savitri. Sure

Patel. Why and what for?

Savitri. It gives an idea whether the kid will be an healthy kid. We do not want problems.

Gandhi. Oh fo. What types of guys are here?

Savitri. Now tell me, where the kid was born?

Laxminarayan. In Niloufer hospital in old city.

Savitri. Why there? Why could you not take her to some good corporate hospital?

Laxminarayan. Madam. How you are concerned about it?

Savitri. Very much dear. It gives an indication of your financial status.

Laxminarayan. I also want to reserve another seat

Savitri. For whom?

Laxminarayan. My wife is pregnant. She is already of 6 months. Kindly register her name and for the likely kid.

Savitri. Yeah. Kindly pay Rs 4000 for registration. At the time of admission to your second kid you have to pay admission fee of Rs 20000 rupees apart from donation of another Rs20000. Now pay only Rs 4000.

Gandhi. Ohfo. What a loot mar is going on here!

Savitri. Is it loot mar going on? We are helping people with education.

Patel. Look. This is clear loot mar here.

Savitri. If you people do not keep quite I shall call Marshalls to throw you out.

Laxmi Narayan. OK Madam. Thanks for everything. Where we should go now.

Savitri. Plesae go into the room of Principal for the final interview.

Gandhi. Patel. What shall we do? How can we go inside? Madam Look. Can we also go inside?

Savitri. No.. No.. You can not. You guys are very badly dressed. You guys look like beggars with shabby dress.

Gandhi, (Speaks slowly to Patel) look Patel. These guys can not see us as we have invisible bodies. We shall coolly go inside. People can see us only when we want.

Patel. Ok that is fine.

( The trio vanish and enter the Principals room where Laxminrayan and his wife are seated. The kid is standing nearby.

Principal. Yeah. This is fine. The kid appears to be smart. Can she sing some song

Laxminarayan. Madam. She is hardly two and half years. How can she sing?

Principal. Now a days kids are very smart. Some can sing too. Can she do some break dance steps

Laxminarayan. Madam. She is too young for that.

Principal. Does she know some rhymes

Laxminarayan. We are trying to teach.like.. Jack and jill went up the hill.. Twinkle twinkle.. little star… etc

Principal. That is good. Now tell me can you sing?

Laxminarayan. Why should I? I am not getting admitted.I can sing slightly. Shall I sing

Principal. Plesae go ahead

Laxminarayan. Here I go ( sings)

Bale chansule Bale chansule
Lalalam.. lalalam lucky chancule
Illarikanlo unna maja
Adi anubhavinchute
Teliyunule.. Bhake chansu le
Ganji bosina amrutham laga
Kammaga undankunte.. Bal
Kammga undankunte
Chee.. po..chee..po
Cheep o anna chiraku padaka
Dulaparinchukuni poye wadiki
Bale chancule

Principal. B Very good.. Very good .. Yeah. That was great really

Laxminarayan. Thanks. Are you satisfied now madam

Principal. Actually we want to see talents of parents. These are passed on to kids. Does your wife sing?

Jhansi. Yeah. I can sing film songs. Shall I show? ( sings)

Indaa Indaa teesuko
Ipude sontham chesuko
Enta mando Ochharoyee
Enta mando poyaroyee
Inta chakkani vedhavalu
Ekkada dorakaledu…eeah…eeah
Yeah…Yaeh..


(she gets excited and does wild dance)

Principal. Great.. Great.. You guys are selected. Your seat is confirmed.

Jhansi. Thanks Madam, We shall take leave

Principal. Thanks. You may go now.

( Laxminarayan, Jhansi and the kid leave room)

Gandhi ( Invisible..) Patel. What type an interview is going on? Looks like idiots running the show.

Patel. Yeah.. Hua…Huaa. Mad guys are here.

Principal. ( Gets up) Who are the guys talking here. Who were allowed inside)

( Principal looks around and finds none)

Patel. ( Invisible) Look . Madam. You appear to be some mad one. Is this the way you conduct interview? Are you insane? I shall expose you to press soon

Principal. Hey. Who are you here? Come out in to open and talk. I shall show what I am. Do not hide like a thief.

Patel. Are we thieves or you are?

( Principal gets up from chair and shouts loudly)

Principal. Hey security.. security.. Come fast. Some thieves are hiding here

( Security men arrive and find none and they go away. Gandhi and his friends also go out and stand under the trees)

Gandhi. Nice Tamasha we had. The principal is really a mad guy. But I like the dances. They did well. The song of Jhansi was good.

Patel. Bapu. Do you understand Telugu?

Gandhi. We are divine men. We know everything. Look I recorded the song in this cell phone. It translates too and displays. I shall show.

( Gandhi displays song of Jhansi..)

Patel ( Reads)

Come.. Come… Here it is. Take it
Just now make it of yourself
And your own
Many have come
Many have gone
I have not seen any where
Such useless guys
Come..come. Here it is
Take it and own now.
Yeah..Yeah..

Gandhi. Ohfo. What a shit song. Is this the song to be sung by women

Patel. Bapu. It must be an old Telugu cinema song from Vamps

Nehru. This is really bad. Any how whole thing is some nonsense. It is degradation of values

Patel. True. Bapu. It is very hot. Let us go.

( Gandhi and his friends walk away singing Ramdhun)

CURTAIN FALLS