The voice ..... Part I

Have you ever heard someone speaking from inside you..... persuading you to do crazy things...... to take high risk?? So loud and clear that you couldn't reject the call? I have ........ not once..... not twice...... thrice..... Thrice I have heard someone speaking..... rather yelling from inside -- attack!!! beating him down!!!!

I was in my seventh standard....I had this friend who was my bench-mate....Things were fine till that moment.... It was a short interval before biology period. We had some heated argument....My biology notebook was on the table......He took it and threw it towards me..... I was standing at a hand's distance.....Biology notebook was the most used among all our books......We had a 'Drill Sargent' as our Biology teacher... Discipline...... In everything... If no discipline, you are in trouble........ Everyday there was a QA session in which only the nerds and the lucky escaped from his cane stick..... I belonged to neither group..... most of the days.......So, he threw the notebook towards me.... in rage.... The book was overused.... its binding was already loose..... the throw made it worse.... the binding broke.... in a fraction of a second, I could see the pages of my 'biology' notebook raining...... 'ATTACK!!!!' ..... was the cry from inside...... I was mesmerized by that....within no time I had given him a very nasty slap... he did not expect that...... he did not try to fight back ........but he broke down to tears..... he started crying out loud.... but not loud as all others were involved in their activities...... two three of our friends saw this... but they also was in a dilemma whether to interfere or not...... nobody came to resolve the conflict..... Now here comes trouble!!!!!!!!!! The 'Sargent' is on his way to our class..... I could see him coming from the other side of the quadrangle........We both are going to have a special treat ..... with his cane ..... The negotiator inside me woke up.... I told him, you keep crying and we both get caught.... you will get enough for the torn book.... and me for my slap..... He tried to control his sound and was successful.... but tears did not stop..... he tried hard..... and finally he could control his tears..... but anyone who looked into his eyes could tell that he was crying..... his eyes were red.... 'Sargent' came... he didn't notice anything fishy...... Fortunately we were in the third row..... We have to change seats every Monday.....From front to back....As usual, he started QA session...... As usual, me and my bench mates were on foot for the treatment session..... And it started..... It was his turn to go.... Sargent noted some reddishness in his eyes.... 'You got some problem with your eyes'.... I was shocked..... Will he reveal the secret??....'Yes sir, they are paining. Thats why I couldn't read yesterday'.... I got a second shock..... 'Ok. Go and wash your face and take rest' .... He was spared of his normal dose!!!! Cheating!!!..... My turn.... Were the cane stick a bit heavier than before??...... Or ???... Whatever... But, I did say sorry to him the next day..... I said I did it in rage..... We were friends again..... After that we went on foot again ...so many times..... for the 'cane-test'.....

Contrast

2008 - Hike in fuel prices - Fuel prices affordable for those who earn handsome - City Bus - Peak time - Fully loaded bus - I want to grab a seat - Struggle with co-passengers - finally got one - Comfort, Heaven!!!!!

2018 - Hike in fuel prices - Fuel prices affordable for only richest - affordable means of transport, City bus - Newly designed City Bus - runs on manpower - every seat has pedals - to be pedalled by legs - the whole effort will make the bus move - driver will steer the bus - give command to pedallers - start and stop - Would I prefer to sit? - Who would ? - Will the bus ever move?.

Small Pox

This happened around 60 years back....I heard this from my papa and aunts....

Our village was not so developed as it is now.....It was all paddy fields all around.......With patches of land, where there were houses....There were no roads.....All were farmers.....

Between the paddy fields, there is a path which goes to the nearby hill....Where our church is situated....Our church is around 3 KMs far......That was the 'main road'......

It was all fine......All were happy.......The days and nights were calm.....People worked hard.....Men and women......Aged and children......Life was good........

Then came the villain.....Nobody knew where it came from.....It consumed the villagers one by one.......Pretty soon the whole village was struck by the deadly epidemic.....Small pox.....At least one in every house was affected..... It was not the time of multi-specialty hospitals......Docs were also not easily reachable...... Who will take care of the diseased?.... This was the question.....Why?..... It is infectious.... Its very painful.....And more over deadly.....It could get one killed.....But somebody has to take care of the diseased. Otherwise the person will die.... for sure....

Taking care was simple.... The diseased has to be isolated from others.... Food to be prepared separate...Medicines to be provided...... Everything..... As if the person is in a different house.....

My grandpa was affected.....Who will take care of him? Grandma?.... How can she take care? There are 6 children in the family..... What if she gets affected?.... And the children?

An angel came, grandpa's cousin. He lived close by..... Walkable distance...... Around 10KM...... It was the ages when bullock carts were the main long distance transport for common man.....for short distance? - his own foot.....

The angel was daring.....Loved grandpa like a brother.......He didn't had any......He dared his life for grandpa....He left his big family behind......He took care of grandpa.....

Grandpa's house, actually grandma's.....She was her father's second daughter......As her elder sister was married and was living a bit far..... It was not that far....Walkable distance....A walk of around 4-5 hours.....Can you imagine?........Anyway, she inherited the house......

The house had two stories.....Good enough space on the ground floor......A single room upstairs.... Grandpa and the angel moved to the single room upstairs.....Isolated from the family....Children including my pa and grandma lived down the stairs...... Aunts say they could hear groaning from grandpa when he is in deep pain.....They couldn't see their father for some months.....My pa used to peep into his room from the staircase when nobody was around......

Worse, they couldn't go out........ to the neighborhoods........The killer disease was everywhere.....Looking for new candidates......The killer had an invisible advertisement - 'walk-in, go out infected and get killed'...........Everyone were scared......

Then came the time for everyone to cry.....There were deaths......Almost one per house......Since it was the time of joint families, there were enough people who could carry their dear one's dead body to the cemetery.......We are Christians....We have to bury the dead in the cemetery.....

We have a neighbor.....He is the only child to his father.....He is in his mid teens......His father was diseased....The family was small..... He had a sister whom he sent to a relative so that she will be safe......His mother died when he was around twelve......He did everything to save his life....But, who can stop the inevitable?....

Now the biggggggg question..... Who will take the deadbody to the cemetery.....Whooooooooo? There were absolutely no one to help......Or nobody requested for help.......The epidemic has become so deadly and frightening.....Only way for survival is to help self.......If one is not diseased, try to keep away from the diseased....The diseased may be dearest....husband, wife, son, daughter, father, mother....... But the villain doesn't care..... The reality.....the truth..... is hard to digest..... Everyone is helpless........

Now what? The son took his father's dead body on his shoulder.....Its the son who has to shoulder his father.....Heavy.....He could carry the body for some time.....By this time he reached near our house.....It was the early hours of night......People used to take dead bodies to the cemetery in the night......Because of fear.....

He is tired now.....More over grief stricken......His dear father is dead.....and nobody to help.....he could feel his power drain.....cant carry the dead body any more.....Still he is no where near the church....No where near the cemetery......

The children in our house, my aunts and my papa were watching through the window towards west.....No sounds.....They could see all the scenes.....Breath taking ones.....Son carrying his father....tired....resting....trying to pick the body and move forward.....but in vain....They could hear him weeping.....

He entered our arecanut farm....What for? What was his plan? He searched here and there and gathered three good arecanut leaves.....Why? He tied them together....Now it looks like a cart with no wheels....He placed the dead body on the cart.....Now who will pull the cart....He himself....My papa and aunts could see him disappear, carting the deadbody.....

Angel really did miracle....... Grandpa recovered.....He came back to health.......The villain epidemic couldn't touch the angel.....he went home happily..... leaving his brother's family .....he have to take care of his family too.....

The angel used to show up now and then..... We used to visit the angel and his family, often......I could remember him traveling with me, in my school van, to our home.... When he was on his walking stick.....I was 5 or 6 then.......I used to hold his hand....Wrinkles.....but soft....cool....Hands which gave a second life to my grandpa.....

Years passed by.........I grew up......I lived in the village.....I lived in towns.....Now, I live in the city.....

Do I have angels around?.........There must be some..........Can I become an angel myself?......... Hmmmmmmm.......Questions......Never answered......

1BHK for rent in Bangalore

1BHK available for rent, was the ad..... There was a phone number given...... I called him up.... 'Can I talk to Mr..' 'Speaking' 'I saw an ad regarding 1bhk for rent' 'Thats true' 'Can I come down and see the house' 'Sure' ........

'Hello..I came to see the house' 'Come...This is the house' 'How much would be the built-up area' 'Dont know' 'How much is the rent you expect?' 'How many people plan to stay? Where are you working? Which company?' .......... I gave all details..... 'Rent is XXXX' .... 'Uncle, dont you think XXXX is a bit high in this area?' 'You are in a good company and earning well. So, why dont you give?' ......