Showing posts with label nation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nation. Show all posts

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Something greater,something greater in You.

This post of fiction is dedicated to someone very close to my heart.
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I saw that white skoda in the toll road. I thought twice on the fact that a lot of sand fell out of its Dickie when the car hit the speed breaker. Soon that thought was overruled by Indian Aristocrats,my favorite band, playing on the radio. While Shuddhi-their famous track, sent me into a semi trance, I almost reached out for the pack of cigarettes in the dashboard, when I suddenly realized my aunt sitting next to me enjoying the trance she was sent off to, as well.
"Yeah, she's cool. Bloody cool at 60. Just not cool enough to see her 19 year old nephew smoke."
I went back to driving with a smile.

"You know...Ramashish.. this lead singer.. used to be quite a heart-breaker when we were in college together. Oh he was such a charmer, I tell you. Those green bell bots with the cream silk shirt and the wayfarers he used to wear on Fridays to college.. All the girls used to drool over that chap!" , she said.
I tried imagining this guy I called my idol in the clown like clothes my aunt's teenage-hood considered hot.
This guy with the most amazing Fender guitar (Dave Murray Stratocaster) I've ever seen , wearing Green bell bots with a silk cream shirt. I concentrated on Torrent, before every preachy feeling in me for the poster-guy of Rolling Stones I considered God, melted to ashes.

"But pishi.. I thought you never gave any guy a second glance while in college?.." I asked, being a complete jerk and smiled slyly.
"Naa ofcourse, I never looked twice at him! I was just saying... acha let me listen ok. You just drive!" ; she replied in her sweet Bengali accent, looking away, trying her best to hide those memories of flirtatious youth that were so evident in the blush that slipped into her already rosy cheeks.
"Women!" I laughed, and shifted my gear. My aunt looked at me and gave a shy smile.

We were on our way back from Noida. My aunt had some work there. It was about 11 in the night, and we both, Indian Aristocrats fans were drowned in their music, while my subconscious mind managed to drive, and not get us killed.
That's when it hit me.
It had been fifteen minutes since a white Skoda had been following me. Each an every turn, every fork, it followed me.
I increased my speed to a 60 and hurried,as smartly and quietly I could. The car over took me, sped faster and zoomed away leaving my car smeared in dust.
"Sunofa!" I quickly stopped, when I realized for the second time,I wasn't alone. I was pissed. "These goddamn jath!" I said.
My aunt was silent. She was trying to look hard at something in the distant.
"Ric, turn the car around." ; She suddenly said. Her voice was serious, and somehow hid a hint of fear.
"What? Why? The main road's going to take us ages pishi, this ridge is fine."
"Just listen to what I'm saying. Just turn the car, Ric. Now!"
Her voice now screamed panic. I tried to follow where her eyes were fixed.... That white Skoda. The same one that had been following had now halted on the road in front, and five men wearing shawls and with guns, signalling me to stop the car.
And that's when I saw another appalling reality; There was a flag of an opposition party stuck to the car. I immediately understood what was happening. My aunt; Mrs.Rukhmani Ghosh was one of the leading  leaders of a progressive political party. A few weeks back, she beat Keshav Das in the elections.. These men stood there to kill her. I saw the dickie opened with sand and big bags inside.. I didn't even want to allow myself to think what they might have been for.
I had heard about this dirty tactic rising in Delhi and Calcutta. I had heard about certain selective opposition-party leaders sending out men to loot,rape, and kill women and men who went ahead of them in the Party. But I just couldn't believe my own aunt was the victim-to-be.

It was too late to turn around. There was a driver in the Skoda, they'd just end up chasing us, and it would lead to a showdown of blood. I was numb. My mind felt blank. I was 100 meters away from Death.
Something kicked in me. Something jolted me inside. I heard my uncles voice who told me once upon a time ;


"Ric, in life, somewhere there will be a mere five minute when you're an eyelash away from destruction.. Nobody will be there to help you,then. No matter how much you preach that guy sitting above, you'll just get silence from the clouds. That's the time when you need to reach out to something greater. Something greater in you, that heroes out as your own Saviour." 


It was either two innocent lives getting killed, or killing five Satans. It was either an unfair funeral dirage, or a national anthem- somewhere a favor to the Nation.
That's when I hit the gear, increased to an 80. The five men didn't seem to budge. I sped. I wasn't going to stop. When I was 50 meters away, there was a point when my eye met with one of the guys. I hit the gear the most aggressive hit and lapsed on 120. I felt a beast in me. I felt a Nation in me, striving to kill such epidemics- such filth of politics. As I sped fast, I could see fear hit those ten eyeballs.
I was 3 feet away, when they realized I wasn't stopping. They jumped out of my way, and I sped off to what lay as a perfect horizon.

My aunt was fielded. They wanted to kill her. They wanted to kill someone who wanted to bring a change, a stronger change than fear that haunts the minds of people, today.
She wanted to bring out a voice.

It takes a lot of guts to decide to kill someone when you have no right to. It takes even more guts to decide that in 30 seconds. It takes a lot of guts to make up your mind, and not choose the road of roses, but choose the one for the greater good.

But when the police puppets, the world, the god above, and the constant cacophony of voices in the universe fall silent, it is something greater, something greater in You that speaks.
Learn to listen to that voice. 


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Awaiting your precious feedbacks, as usual.
Much much love,
Nil.
:)