Into the past with pain.. 365 A

                               INTO   THE PAST WITH PAIN...336A

                                           Dr K Prabhakar Rao

Gandhi. Nehru and Patel are seen walking  on an approach road to Delhis  Raj path. They are confronted by Police

Constable.. Hey  you stop.. Where are you going?

Gandhi. Police Bhai. What is this ? Why are you stopping us?

Constable. No questions are asked.

Patel. Why? Why should we not ask?

Gandhi. Don’t  people have any rights here? Are we in Pakistan? Is it not India?

Constable, Speak to Our SI sahib.

Gandhi. Mr SI, Why we are being stopped?

SI. There are orders by Govt. Today is world Yoga day

Gandhi. That is good. What it has to do with moving of people?

SI. Govt wants people to be busy with Yoga

Pate. Why it is compulsory? If we want we will do otherwise hell  to it.

SI.Shh. Do not shout loud. Your voices would be recorded by a remote.The CID can be after you

Patel. Bapu. Are we  in India? I think we wrongly landed.

SI. What is that landing? Are you not from India?

Nehru. Are we not looking like Indians?

SI. You look I think.

Gandhi. Mr SI . How yoga is concerned with our movement?

SI. I do not know. These are orders.

Patel. What should we do?

SI. Sit down under the tree and do yoga. I am telling you again. If you  start moving, we may have to arrest you and take to Tihar jail and you have to stay along with Nirbhaya rape criminals.

Nehru. Bapu.. I am scared. We shall sit and do something .

Gandhi. Please go Mr SI. We shall sit here for some time.

( They sit under a tree on the ground. Gandhi spreads his  shawl. They all sit on the cloth

Nehru. Bapu. Do you have idea about this yoga?

Gandhi. Yes I do, I used to practice it many years ago

Patel. That is good Bapu. Why don’t you teach us some thing?

Nehru. Why this Yoga craze in India? Where are we going?

Gandhi. Do you know any yoga asana?

Nehru. I know one. It is easy and I always like it.

Patel. What is it? Please show us.

(Nehru removes his cap  and lies flat on the shawl. He closes eyes )

Patel. What is this? You started sleeping.

Nehru. This is savasana. That is dead mans pose. I find this the easiest and to be the happiest one.

Gandhi. Come on Jawaharlal, Please do not fool us.

Nehru. No Bapu. What I am saying is correct. This is savasana in which you completely relax

There are no limb movements. Mind must become inactive

Patel. Good. I have seen a yoga chart in which strange poses are given  bending twisting and curling of legs and hands.

Gandhi. I am scared of them,

Patel. I think Modiji must be told  to introduce this savasana  for all employees in lunch hour

Nehru. Why lunch hour? Then when they will have lunch?

Gandhi. Why introduce it? As it is most of the employees sit in the chair and do savasana whole day. In India,  some religious sects  ensure that the dead bodies of their family members are carried in sitting pose and also keep them in grave in that position. Savasana does not mean  the body must lie flat.

Patel. Haa..haa..Bapu I am impressed with your answer.

( In the mean time the Police team arrives that came earlier.)

Si. What’s going on. Have you done any yoga.

Patel. We are discussing which s the best  aasana( exercise)

SI. I left one hour ago. Are you still discussing what to do?

Nehru .what to do! None of us have any practice in these games

SI.  what’s big about it.

Patel. SI sahib. Please show us something if you know. We shall follow

SI. Sure.. sure.. I shall show you. To guide people is also our job.

( The SI gets down from the jeep  and  removes shoes, belt and cap. He sits on the shawl and Nehru gives place to him by vacating his place.)

Gandhi. SI sahib do you know some complex asanas that requires  skill.

SI. What do you think of me. I am  sports man and from Police. I won many medals in inter police meets. What should I show?

Gandhi. Kindle demonstrate  ardha Matsendhra asanam a complex one.

SI. Yeah. I know that , a tough one too.

(The SI squats and tries to perform the yogasana. He manages to  twist his legs, hands and  in the process stretches extensively)

(Gandhi and others clap loudly)

Patel. Well done SI sahib well done. I have seen many police men  mostly with pot bellies and cannot run. But you are different.

Gandhi. Very good SI sahib Now you can relax.

( The SI  wants to  return to normal position. But his legs and hands get locked. He struggles. Nothing happens. He feels great pain.  He is completely locked . )

SI. Eee..eeee.. a.. aa I am dying. My limbs are locked. Help..Help..

Gandhi. Patel.. Please help him.

( Patel tries to unlock his hands first by pulling. The hands  are stiff and SI feels great pain. He cries loudly. Next Patel tries to bring legs into normal position. But his legs too are also locked. )

Patel Bapu. It is no use. If I pull with more force the bones will break surely.

Gandhi. Please give him some water.

(Nehru brings a glass of water from the jeep and pours in his mouth. He gulps and cries.)

Patel. Bapu. If we delay the guy can become eternally locked. What to do?

Gandhi. We shall ask the constables to take him to the hospital in the jeep immediately. Patel  do something

( Patel goes to the van  and returns with constables and all of them transport the SI into the jeep.

Gandhi ( To the driver). Please take him at once to All India Institute of Medical sciences. If you delay he may even die . please go.

( The jeep  races to the hospital)

Gandhi. Ohfo. What a  mishap. Poor guy is in trouble.

Patel. Hope he will be alright.

Gandhi. I think so

Nehru. He was brave too. Bapu shall we go from here. It is getting late.

Gandhi, OK as you say

( The trio walks away to a park in distance from where they vanish to heavens. Next day morning Patel rushes to Gandhis room ) 

Patel. Bapu.. Bapu.

Gandhi. What’s the matter? Why are you so disturbed? Has Pakistan attacked India? Has China attacked India?

Patel. No one has attacked India

Gandhi. Then why are you so alarmed?

( In the mean time Nehru also arrives)

Patel. Bapu. You remember the SI whom we sent to the hospital?

Gandhi. Yeah.  How can we forget him?

Nehru. What happened to him? Is he dead?

Patel. No. He is alive.

Gandhi. Then?

Nehru. Bhai .Tell us what happened to him.

Patel. He has been awarded Ashok chakra by the Modi Govt for peace time Gallantry  for the act of bravery in course of duty.

Gandhi.  What for?

Patel. On the world Yoga day, he  has attempted the most difficult asana  and  survived although at the hospital while in uniform.

Gandhi. Eee..eee aa.. ( Gandhi faints and falls with a thud)

Patel. Jawaharlal . Please bring water at once

(Nehru runs and brings a bucket of water and it is poured on Gandhi . Gandhi wakes up slowly. He is helped by others)

Gandhi. What happened to me.?

Patel. Nothing Bapu. Relax. You fainted at the news report which Patel brought in.

Gandhi. Oh...I am ok . Please do not worry. Please allow me to take some rest. I shall be fine by evening.

(Patel and Nehru say Bye and go out of the room and Gandhi slowly sinks into the cot)

                                                        CURTAIN FALLS