Into the past with pain..178

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…178

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen at Indian Satellite and Research Organization and they are seen loitering near the gate. They are seen by the security guys and they are doubtful about their intentions. An Inspector of security goes to them)


Inspector. Who are you guys? What are you doing here? What work you have? From where you have come? What are your names? What is the purpose of your coming here? Why are you in this strange dress?

Gandhi. Are there more questions sir?

Inspector. First answer these questions. We shall talk of others afterwards

Nehru. Hee..heee

Inspector. What is there to laugh? Is it a joke?

Nehru. Did I say that it is a joke?

Gandhi. Jawaharlal . Plesae relax. Look Inspector Bhai. We are simple people. I am called MK Gandhi, i.e Mohan das Karamchand Gandhi, He is Jawaharlaal Nehru. The last one is Sardar Patel. The iron man of India.

Inspector. The names appear familiar.

Gandhi. Thanks for it.

Inspector ( Scratches his head). I remember such men died long ago. We now have their statues at some places. Of course there is nothing wrong in having such names. It is ones wish.

Patel. Thanks to that extent.

Gandhi. We came here after learning that A large rocket is about to be tested from here. We came to see it.

Inspector. You are not allowed inside. This is very high security area. All nuts and bolts are not allowed to witness the event. Only VVIP are allowed.

Gandhi. Don’t you think we are VVIP.

Inspector. You guys appear to be nuts. Look the way you are dressed. You do not have permission letter and Pass. We have no such information. How can you go inside.

Patel. That is fine. Keep watching us.

Inspector. That means are you planning some mischief? I shall not allow.

( He picks up a phone and rings up his boss)

Inspector. Hello sir. Here are some strange looking guys and they say theya re Ganfdhi, Nehru and Patel. They want to get inside to watch Rocket launch today.

Voice. Are they mad. Who are they. Be careful. They may be some terrorists. Keep them away. If required take them into mcustody nad hand over to police.

Inspector. Thanks sir. ( looks at Gandhi) You guys just pack off from here or you will have from me.

Patel. Look sir. We came from great distance. He is Bapu, the father of nation. Have some consideration for him

Inspector. I am helpless. Go away from here

Gandhi. Can we watch the rocket from here?

Inspector. Go to some distance and sit and watch the rocket when it goes into sky.

Nehru. What is the use of watching like it?

Patel. True.

Inspector. Guys. Plesae go away and do not trouble us more.

( Gandhi, Nehru and patel vanish and land at the Rocket launching site and hide behind some bushes. Some scientists arrive to check last minute things)

Scientist A. I think today will be a great day. This mission will be feather in our cap.

Scientist B. But we do not wear caps. How can we wear feather. More over we are bald also although very young. No feather can be stuck in hair

Scientist A. You fool. It is not that we are going to wear a feather really from to morrow. You are a bloody nut. Wearing feather in cap means it is a great achievement by us.

Scientist. I see. But I do not like you calling me a fool. I am a senior scientist like you.

Scientist A. Then what should I call you. Shall I call you great CV Raman?

Scientist B. Did I say that? I only said that you should not call me a fool. I am of course weak in English. I studied in Telugu medium up to inter.

Scientist A. Where did you study Engineering?

Scientist B. I studied at Rambharose College of Engineering, Technology, Science and research studies in Andhra Pradesh. It is affiliated to Amma Ayya Technological University that has been recently established.

Scientist A. Hee..heee

Scientist B . Why are you laughing. I am a joker? What do you mean?

Scientist. Why are you getting worked up?

Scientist B. then What should I do. I shall report against you to the director.

Scientist. (Holds the neck of other guy) You son of a Bit… Will you report? Swine of the first order and crack pot of tenth order. I shall show you what I am

( The Scientist A hammers up the guy ferociously. The scientist B falls on the Rocket and gets entangled)

Scientist B. Bacho .. Bachao

( The scientist A quickly goes to him ad pulls him away and in the mean time a siren is heard giving an alarm that count down has begun. This is being watched by Gandhi a and patel)

Patel. Bapu. What is this comic scene going on here?

Gandhi. How do I know? I am with you.

Patel . These jokers are at blows. With such guys will the rocket go up?

Gandhi. Yes It will go up in its own way

Nehru. Hee…heee

Patel. Haa..haaa

Gandhi. Plesae laugh slowly

( In the distance the scientists are seen rolling over the ground biting at each other and abusing each other. The countdown is continuing.. It is about to reach zero.. All of a sudden the rocket blasts off and with ferocious flames and gases coming out slowly lifts up from the pad)

Gandhi. What a seen.. Great indeed. Indians are great really

Patel. Bapu. Wait for some time..

Gandhi. Look. How well it is climbing into sky

Nehru. Yeah.. great

Patel. Bapu.You.. There is some smoke there.

( In the sky they see suddenly a great explosion and fire ball)

Gandhi. What is that?

Nehru. That is called a Rocket.

Patel. Fool. Every one knows it. The Rocket has exploded into bits

Gandhi. Will it fall on us?

Patel. No we are safe. It will fall in Bay of Bengal

Gandhi. Thanks god.

Nehru. This has been a fiasco.

Patel. These scientists fought and one guy fell on the rocket. Some thing must have gone wrong then,

Gandhi. Let them break their heads. Jokers indeed. So much money has been wasted.

Patel. They are doing good job. They are atlesat not swindling like in Spectrum scams

Gandhi. To some extent it is correct.

Patel. Bapu. Will they be able to take men to Moon as promised?

Gandhi. I doubt that. Even if they take it they can not bring them back to earth.

Patel. Then who will go there?

Gandhi. I think we must volunteer.

Patel. But we are not scientists.

Gandhi. We can get fake qualifications. In India we can get plenty of certificates by paying up. Rayala seema and Dravidian University will award PhD certificates easily. I was told. First we shall register there.

Patel. True Bapu. We can also pay them something. With money we can solve every issue.

Nehru. Iam not interested to go to moon. I may not return.

Patel. Hee.. you are shit scared guy

Nehru. So what ?

Gandhi. OK Guys . Let us go from here before things get comlex.. Now let us walk off

( The trio walks off from the main gate and are seen by the security guys)

Inspector ( Rubs his eyes) Shh. Are these the same guys. I sent them away?

Constable. Yes sir . But they walked through the gate. How did they get in?

Inspector. Strange indeed. Let us catch them.

( They run after the trio and the trio vanishes into distance in front of their eyes)

Inspector. Ohfo. Strange guys. What answer will we have if some one asks?

Constable. No one will ask sir as no one has seen them.

Inspector. I am sure they are ghosts

Constable (Wraps around Inspector) Ohfo no sir I am scared. Iam scared of Ghosts.

Inspector.. shhh.. shh. Leave me.. You clown . Are you a constable?

Constable. Sorry sir.

Inspector. It is OK. Do you know what happened? The rocket exploded after going up for some time. Now do not talk of this thing. We may loose our jobs.

Constable. OK sir.. I have not seen anything.

CURTAIN FALLS