INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...170

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…170

Dr K Prabhakar Rao



(It is a Mandal office in Andhra Pradesh state and there are many people milling around. Attenders are moving around busy handling files from one place to other place. Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are also seen sitting on a bench in the verandah.)

Gandhi. What is the problem here? Why there are so many guys around?

Patel. Bapu, This is Mandal office and this belongs to revenue department. Naturally all the guys will be having work here

Gandhi. True.

Patel. Bapu. Why you brought us here? What work you have here? We are already dead and we do not own any property and documents. What work you can have here?

(Their conversation is heard by a guy standing close to them. His name is Sitaram)

Sitaram. Please excuse me. You said you are already dead.

Patel. Did I say that?

Sita ram. Yes. You said. I heard it.

Patel. How does it affect you?

Sitaram. I am shocked at your talk. How can you be dead and still talking? I think you are highly frustrated. May I help you? Life is given to you by God. Please do not insult him by talking like this.

Gandhi. No Thanks. I need no advice. I am a Mahatma already.

Sitaram. (Within himself.. Poor guy appears to be mentally affected. He calls himself Mahatma…heee…heee) Look. You guys appear very old and frail. You must be surely cut up with some thing at this office. Mandal offices are always like this. Here, nothing moves without the power of money. You waste money and time too and yet work is not done promptly.

Gandhi. Please leave us. How does it matter to you if we are alive or dead?

Sitaram. Nothing happens to me really. I feel bad because a fellow being is suffering.

Gandhi. Thanks dear for your concern.

Sitaram. To day, most of the people have come for income certificate to be submitted by their children at colleges

Patel. What they will do with that?

Sitaram. The govt has declared that they will give scholarships and reimbursement of fees to those whose father’s annual income is less than Rs. one lakh.

Patel. That is good. But every Tom Dick and Harry will get a certificate if he is not a govt servant. This is India. Highly corrupt nation. We have world record in that. Now we may get even Guinness Record for the greatest scam that took place recently and called spectrum scam. ( sings and does jig)

We are the greatest corrupt and shady men
It is high time our deeds are recorded with golden pen
Looters are now in the fray
They make tons of money come what may

Sitaram. Oh! Great dance indeed and song too. That is exactly happening.

Gandhi. Don’t they verify?

Sitaram. They say they verify.

( In the mean time, an Innova car arrives and from it a white clad fat guy gets down. He looks like a ruffian . He has gold necklace around his neck and has gold rings on four fingers. A costly cell phone is in his hand. Two bracelets made of gold hang from his wrists. The shirt buttons are made of gold. The wrist watch has a gold chain too. He is putting on white Khaddar shirt with a tight pyjama. Most of the time his cell phone is attached to his ear. There are three escorts with him. They look like wrestlers. They climb steps and enter verandah. His name is Yadgiri Khota. He is noticed by attender Mallesh)

Mallesh . Namaste sahib. What do you want sir?

Yadgiri. My name is Yadgiri. I came for income certificate. It si required for my son who has taken admission in a Engineering college in Hyderabad city.

Mallesh. Sir Please come with me. I shall take you to the concerned person.

Yadgiri. Thanks for the help.

Mallesh. This is a form. Please fill up this one.

Yadgiri. Al this you take care of. I can not fill up all these things.

Mallesh. OK Sir. I shall take to the clerk and he shall fill up for you. Please pay him something

Yadgiri. That is good.

( They go to a clerk selling the forms and makes themselves familiar with him)

Clerk. Please tell me your annual income.

Yadgiri. Please write Rs 40, 000 per year. It does not look nice if we write less

Clerk. Hee..hee. True sir. You are honest too. Sir what should I write against caste?

Yadgiri. Please write as I say in your ear

( Yadgiri tell something into the ear of the clerk and he smiles. Hee…hee..)

Patel. Look Bapu. Is his annual income 40000 rupees only. Look this guy has arrived in an Innova car that costs not less than Rs 9 lakhs. See the gold ornaments he has on his neck and fingers and wrist. These will not be less than Rs 2 to 3 Lakhs minimum.

Gandhi. How does it matter?

Patel. Very much it matters. How can a guy leading such posh life claim annual income of Rs 40000? Look at the pehilwans with him. He must be paying them atleast Rs 8000 per month to them. How about cost of diesel, insurance and maintenance for this Innova car? Surely this guy must be having a good house and costly gadgets and some concubines around the city and at the house.

Gandhi. How we are concerned?

Patel. He is trying to get a false certificate for his child.

Gandhi. Now I understand.

Mallesh. Sir, what we should write against the type of job you do?

Yadgiri. Write I am a daily wage earner.

Clerk. Thanks sir. Kindly wait for some time . I shall come back in few minutes. You may sit in car.

Yadgiri. OK Thanks. I shall wait

( Mallesh and clerk go inside to officers cabin)

Gandhi. Great guys indeed. They have disappeared for time being.

(In the distance a song is heard)

Mukhda dekhle.. ye ..Dekhle
Mukhda dekhle prani
Zara Darpan me. Ho..oh..oh
Pap hai kitna punya hai kitna
Dekh tere jeevan me
Dekhle Darpan me
Mukhda dekhle prani.

Kabhi tho pal bhar
Sochle prani.eee
Kya hai teri Karm kahaani.. eee
Pata lagale.. ye..ye..
Pata laga le pade hai kitne
Dag tere jeevan me
Dekhle darpan me
Mukhda Dekh le prani ( Kavi Pradeep)

Gandhi. Patel. Did you hear that song? How nicely written and sung too.

Patel. But the guys in world are thick skinned.They have no shame.

Gandhi. Patel. Have I brought freedom to this nation to see this day..eee..eee?

( Gandhi picks up a stout stick lying nearby and hammers his own head shouting.. Kill me..kill me.. I do not want to see all this… eee… aa..aaahgh .People gather around him and pull away the stick. Patel looks embarrassed. One guy wipes blood from Gandhis head. Another brings water to him. In the mean time hearing the commotion an officer arrives running)

Officer. What happened here?

Patel. Nothing sir. This old man got emotional a bit. He does these things at times.

Officer. Please take him away. We do not want buy troubles. As it is we are very much troubled. Please take care of him . No more trouble now.

( The officer goes away)

Patel. Bapu. Please do not create a scene now. Keep watching. Can we change the world?

( In the mean time Mallesh returns and goes to the car. The door is already open. Mallesh hands over the paper to Yadgiri)

Yadgiri. Well done. Is the work over?

Mallesh. You may check sir. The certificate is perfect.

(Yadgiri verifies the certificates and nods the head)

Yadgiri. Very good. I am happy. Any thing more?

Mallesh. You know all sir?

Yadgiri. You are very clever. Hee…heee…haa…haa

( Yadgiri hands over a cover to Mallesh. Mallesh looks into the cover and feels satisfied. He gives a smile)

Mallesh. Thank you sir. You are great sir.

( Mallesh closes the door and car is driven off . Mallesh returns to clerk and gives a smile..)

Clerk. Mallesh. Let us go to canteen

Mallesh. Yes sir

( Both go away)

Gandhi. Have you seen Patel? Now Mallesh and clerk have gone to canteen to share the loot.

Patel. True. This how it works in this country

Gandhi. Huh..Huh.. Iam upset completely.

Patel. Bapu. You can not change them. You getting upset has no meaning. You have to swim along with the stream. Or else one will be drowned. Let us go.


In the distance a song is heard.
Bhool jaa… Bhoola jaaa
Bhoola jaa.. jo dekhta hai
Jo hai dekha bhool jaa
Yad rakh kar kya Karega
Ye tamasha bhool jaa…………..(Great singer actor Surendranath BA LLB)

( The trio slowly walks away)


CURTAIN FALLS
..