INTO PAST WITH PAIN..319

                                    INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…319

                                                 Dr K Prabhakar Rao

Gandhi, Patel and Nehru  are seen at a village in Medak district. They are seen seated in a small hut like house. There are three broken chairs on which they are sitting
.

Gandhi. Patel. I am itching to have some tea. I am tired travelling in Telangana RTC buses. They are very bad.

Patel. OK Bapu. I shall manage some how. I have some  powder milk and tea ppowder.

Nehru. That is nice. I shall also help you.

Patel. Hat is very nice of you dear.

( Patel and Nehru collect three stones and some twigs lying around and light up fire. From their bag they takeout a small utensil and start boiling water after putting tea powder. Soon the tea is ready. Patel serves tea in polythene cups to all  and sip hot tea. Three guys approach them. They are  akash, Ramesh and Lokesh)

Akash. Good morning everyone here.

Gandhi. Very good morning. What we can do for you?

Lokesh. We are the  govt survey team. WE came to collect data from people.

Patel. What data you want.

Lokesh. Yester day I came here and gave some forms to guy who was staying here.

Patel. We came only today.Thi splace was  vacant and no one was there. There are no doors too. So we are staying here.

Ramesh. Now you guys are here. So you have to give data.

Gandhi. It isinteresting indeed. Whatinformation you want.

Ramesh. Who is the owner of house.

Gandhi. None of us.

Ramesh. Are you staying on rent.?

Patel. There is no one to collect rent here. We do not pay anything to any one.

Ramesh. Who is the leader amongst you?

Patel. We are all leaders.But Gandhiji is senior( Shows Gandhi)

Ramesh. What is your phone no.

Gandhi. I do not have one

Ramesh, What is thehouse no.

Patel. There is no number.

Ramesh. Do you pay property tax.

Gandhi. We told that we are  just staying here as no one sytays here. I donot knowabout this tax.

Lokesh. Where is your water bill.

Patel. I get water from a nearby well. No money is paid.

Lokesh. Where are your adhar cards.

Gandhi. We do not have. We are niradhar.

Lokesh.  It is a blunder that you have not taken Adhar cards,

Lokesh . Can you show your pass book of bank account?

Gandhi. We do not have one.

Lokesh. How about Gasvoucher?

Patel. We cook food by burning wood. No gas is there.

Lokesh. Show me birth certificate

Gandhi. We were born  during last to last century.

Ramesh. That means you are all more than 100 years old. How it is possible

Gandhi. At that time there were no birth certificates.

Patel. We are all law graduates. These two are barristers from UK.

Ramesh. Strange. How are you living like this,

Patel. Who said that we are living. We are dead in fact

Ramesh. Please no jokes.

Nehru. True we are dead. You are speaking to ghosts infact. If you have doubt try to touch me.

( Lokesh tries to touch Gandhi and he can not feel. He tries with others and fails.)

Lokesh. There is something wrong with these guys. They appear to be not humans.

Patel. We are ghosts. Your survey fails.  Better go from here.

Ramesh. These guys  could be magicians.  

Patel. Do yo want to see what I am?

Ramesh. Show me if so.

( Patel unfold his  skeleton figure and dances around) 

Lokesh, Oh No. These are ghosts. Run from here

( The trio of survey team  run away from the place while Patel and Nehru along with Gandhi Laugh loudly)

                                      CURTAIN FALLS