INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...251

INTOTHE PAST WITH PAIN… 251
Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(It is the gate of Hell and there is a great commotion everywhere. A huge crowd is jolsting and pushing around. There are many guards of hell trying to control the situation. In the mean time, the Record keeper of hell Chitragupta arrives)

Chitragupta. What is happening her? Why this commotion?

Bhootnath ( Guard). Sir Today there are many arrivals into hell from earth.

Chitragupth. This is strange. From which part of earth they arrived? Are they from Asia?

Bhootnath. There is a place called Jamboodweep with Bharta versh and Bharat khand.

Chitragupta. Oh.That is Hindustan. Now a portion of it is called India.

Bhootnath. Correct sir. These guys are from India. Last week, you gave us a list of persons to be brought here today. The list had 7500 names and out of the list, 6000 were Indians. Today, our Yamadoots brought them here.

Chitragupta. Strange! Why so many are there from India?

Bhootnath. Sir In India, evil is maximum. Almost every political leader is found to be corrupt. There can be some exceptions. But most of such guys had already died.

Chitragupta. Oh I see. (He goes to the gate) Look sinners. Welcome to hell. Today, we have many arrivals. It will take some time to check all of you and complete documentation. We may have to do medical examination too. You have to go through security check and these things will take time. Have patience.

Ekambram( from crowd ) Brother. We have been waiting here since long. I am getting vexed up. Is this the way you receive us here.

Yamdoot . How dare! Do you need a VIP treatment here ?You are sinner. In fact, you are required to be taken in being dragged after kicking hard. We have been polite.

Ekambram. I was a minister in Delhi. I am surely a VVIP. I demand special treatment.

Yamdoot. Here all are sinners. Once you leave earth, all are on same platform. In fact, you being a minister should have been a better person. You received higher education, good upbringing and comforts. What made you a sinner? You must feel ashamed.


Eakambram. In politics one can not be honest. We have to manage the show. We have to keep the majority guys with us. That is why, we have to close eye when some other guys do mischief and resort to evil practices.

Chitragupta. Why so? Is it is a must that you should be a minister and stick to power. Don’t you have ethics and morals? Did you father and mother told you to be dishonest and corrupt?

Ekambram. Why do you bring them here? In politics there are no morals. George Bernard Shaw the great English man once stated that it is the last resort of a scoundrel.

Yamddot. Their souls must be crying over your deeds. So you are a scoundrel as per him.

Ekambram. How dare you tell me like that? I shall show you.( looks back) Where is my security?

Yamdoot. Hee..Heee. You are a dead guy and they are left at Delhi in India.

Ekambram. Never mind. I can tackle you.

( Ekambram picks up a steel post at entrance and throws at Yamdoot. It passes through him,. He laughs. Hee,,heee.)

Yamdoot. You swine. You are still not changed. I shall teach you.

Chitragupta. Please go ahead and do your job. Kick him hard .

( Yamdoots gather and kick Ekabram black and blue. He collapses and is dragged around over rough ground as if he is dog. Another Yamdoot brings hot lead and pours in ears of Ekambram. These acts give great suffering to him. He cries loudly. In the mean time Gandhi, Nehru and Patel happen to pass close by and stop at entrance of hell)

Gandhi. What is the matter? Why the guy is being beaten up so badly?

Yamdoot. Please do not interfere. It is none of your business. This is hell and these are great sinners. More awaits them inside.

Gandhi. They are still outside and are not taken in.

Yamdoot. True. But this guy is arguing. He thinks he is still a minister at Delhi.

Patel.Is he aminister. Let me see him.

( Patel looks at him)

Patel. Are you not ashamed to be here.You brought shame to all the leaders.

Ekambram. Where is shame in politics? This is part of game. If we are concerned about such things we would have become doctors and engineers and administrators.

Patel. Come on sir. Even administrators are now in jail in AP state for helping out the top brass. But you must have also studied well.

Ekambram. Yeah. I graduated from a US university.

Patel. Did they teach you to be corrupt? What is this YEAH?

Ekambram. No Institution teaches such things. Yeah is an American usagein place of Yes.Circumstances and opportunities decide whether one has to be corrupt.

Patel. Look. During our times too we had many opportunities But we did not make money. We were surely honest. No one speaks badly about us.

Gandhi. True. Guys may condemn us for vivisecting the country in 1947and accepting creation of Pakistan. But no one stated that we did for money. It was a political compulsion in fact.

Ekambram. Everyone is after money. Without money how can we contest? Who will vote for us?. We have to spend a fortune for many activities.

Yamdoot. Sir, enough of this discussion. Please do not waste your and our time on such jokers. We are getting late. There are many in waiting. Please go away from here. Once they are inside you will not know what happens to them. What you have seen is only a tiny fraction of what we do actually.

Gandhi. True. Please do your job sir. We are sorry we troubled you.

Chitragupta. Never mind. I know you are respected people of India. I also know that you are in heavens for the good deeds done. But one day you have to be here for all the failures. A man can not be 100 faultless. You can not a sage of yore. Even some of them suffered here.

Nehru. So, Bapu, we have to here one day..eee..ee…ee….aa..a..aaa…I am scared.

Patel. Look Jawaharlal, How can you be eternally be in heavens? You know clearly what you have done all your life. So one has to be prepared. I am not scared. I think Bapu is also not scared.

Gandhi.I shall sing Ramdhun if I am brought to hell. That would reduce suffering.

Chitragupta. It will not work here. It is OK on earth.

Gandhi. How can it be?

Yamdoot. You shall know soon after coming here.

Nehru.Bapu. Let us go from here.I am scared.

Gandhi.OK. Run.

( The trio runs away from the gates of the hell while Yamdoots laugh loudly)

CURTAIN FALLS