A rope
He was alone on the deserted street. Darkness was gathering all around him like his brooding thoughts. Tomorrow continued to be a big question. Plans for the day went wrong. He couldn't find the right job. Nothing seemed to go right his way. He cremated his father only two days ago. All those 'near and dear' happened to be there. All praises were heaped on the dead man proclaiming him as the nicest person ever lived in that part of the country. As far as he is concerned, his father left to him nothing and took away nothing. One thing they and his father ignored was his forty-year-old legacy in human form, that is himself, stranded forlorn there, in a neglected part of a strange city.“So what?” he thought to himself. He had survived, survived many hard times. What remained were his own problems, to be faced without losing courage. In fact, the moment he got up from his makeshift bed on the railway platform, he started facing the harsh real world advancing menacingly to be tackled with patience. No doubt, he had some education decent enough in the old world standards, now fit for performing religious ceremonies. He could also comfortably fill up the post of a dingy clerk in any of the rundown cellar stores in the city. He wondered what he should be doing with all the knowledge acquired over the years of penury under his dad's tutelage. Pity, no certificate could vouchsafe and brand adequately his credentials to secure a decent job.A whistle from the distance awakened him from the gloom.
“ Hey, You! What on earth are you doing here at this time of the day? Don’t you know about the curfew imposed in these parts of the city?”Roared a khaki-clad, stick-wielding man.
“ You are supposed to be indoors”. Saying this the policeman frisked him roughly. In the process, he recovered a rope from the back pocket of the stranger.
“What is this meant for?” He thundered.
“Officer! This is the rope I used to tie my bedroll with. Unfortunately the bed was stolen in the railway station in the morning before I woke up!”He replied demurely.
“Now I come to understand you have nothing to declare, neither a weapon nor any valuables in your possession.” Confirmed the khaki-clad.
“Yes, Sir. I am harmless and penniless. What all I had was spent on my rail ticket from my village and here I am, searching for a job,” He pleaded.
The policeman apparently took pity and invited him for a quick supper, which consisted of four thick chapattis with a lumpy mixture of cooked vegetables, mostly potatoes and onions. The stranger ate his portion of two chapattis with relish, excusing himself out of the hot curry. But he didn’t forget to say his thanks profusely. All of a sudden a jeep screeched to a halt alongside the curb and out stepped noisily, a superior looking officer, obviously to check on the policeman for anything new. While the surprise inspection was going on, the stranger huddled himself deep into a corner of a shuttered storefront and pulled closer his collar to ward off chilly winds. He could hear distinctly the voice of superior officer floating toward him.
“Heard the latest, Sergeant? A bomb exploded in the neighborhood. So, you better be on the look out for suspicious characters, especially strangers. Knowing you as I do, you would jolly well be letting go even a cutthroat criminal with blood on hands. Your record speak no good about your alertness.”
So admonishing, the super-cop swept past to inspect another patrolling party along the way.The policeman returned to the stranger and lighted his favorite cigarette, nonchalantly. In the glow of the flame he examined the stranger’s face closely for a second. Something strange fleetingly caught his attention. Didn't this man look like the man who was behind the earlier serial bomb blasts case? But, that was only half a chance. Thus, the policeman was thinking fast seriously. Yes. The face resembled somewhat. But, it was not the case with the rest of the body. Here this stranger looked as if he never ate more than one meals on any single day in past year. There was no fat, even an inch thick anywhere on his person, while unfortunately the wanted criminal looked like WWF Champion. All he had were mere bones and week-old stubble on the chin, to heighten his pallor, as if to give a scare of lifetime to the passers-by.The policeman ventured hopefully and carefully at last, “Tell me who you are exactly and what is your identity? Where are you from? Can anybody in the city identify you?” “Out there is my father who could do that, who gave me this life, but no soul. Gave me bones but no flesh to cover. Gave me education but no substantial results from it. Gave me morals but no wealth. And here I am with a rope tucked in my pocket a little while ago, but even that was confiscated by you.” the stranger had just gestured and gesticulated toward heavens.Suddenly, the policeman held together the stranger’s hands tightly, tied them with the rope he had earlier confiscated and started pleading obligingly.
“Please, Sir! For God's sake stay still! You are my instant promotion. I make no mistake about you and your potential to be my prisoner. You have all the qualifications to become a failsafe convict. With all the luck you have in this world, this may be your day to find a career for yourself as it will ultimately fill your stomach in the prison for a while. So, make my life at least, since you have failed miserably in your life!”
The stranger sighed at last regretting he carried a rope in the first place. He philosophized that if one has everything one should flaunt all those things and when one has nothing he should carry nothing at all.
Not even a rope!
“ Hey, You! What on earth are you doing here at this time of the day? Don’t you know about the curfew imposed in these parts of the city?”Roared a khaki-clad, stick-wielding man.
“ You are supposed to be indoors”. Saying this the policeman frisked him roughly. In the process, he recovered a rope from the back pocket of the stranger.
“What is this meant for?” He thundered.
“Officer! This is the rope I used to tie my bedroll with. Unfortunately the bed was stolen in the railway station in the morning before I woke up!”He replied demurely.
“Now I come to understand you have nothing to declare, neither a weapon nor any valuables in your possession.” Confirmed the khaki-clad.
“Yes, Sir. I am harmless and penniless. What all I had was spent on my rail ticket from my village and here I am, searching for a job,” He pleaded.
The policeman apparently took pity and invited him for a quick supper, which consisted of four thick chapattis with a lumpy mixture of cooked vegetables, mostly potatoes and onions. The stranger ate his portion of two chapattis with relish, excusing himself out of the hot curry. But he didn’t forget to say his thanks profusely. All of a sudden a jeep screeched to a halt alongside the curb and out stepped noisily, a superior looking officer, obviously to check on the policeman for anything new. While the surprise inspection was going on, the stranger huddled himself deep into a corner of a shuttered storefront and pulled closer his collar to ward off chilly winds. He could hear distinctly the voice of superior officer floating toward him.
“Heard the latest, Sergeant? A bomb exploded in the neighborhood. So, you better be on the look out for suspicious characters, especially strangers. Knowing you as I do, you would jolly well be letting go even a cutthroat criminal with blood on hands. Your record speak no good about your alertness.”
So admonishing, the super-cop swept past to inspect another patrolling party along the way.The policeman returned to the stranger and lighted his favorite cigarette, nonchalantly. In the glow of the flame he examined the stranger’s face closely for a second. Something strange fleetingly caught his attention. Didn't this man look like the man who was behind the earlier serial bomb blasts case? But, that was only half a chance. Thus, the policeman was thinking fast seriously. Yes. The face resembled somewhat. But, it was not the case with the rest of the body. Here this stranger looked as if he never ate more than one meals on any single day in past year. There was no fat, even an inch thick anywhere on his person, while unfortunately the wanted criminal looked like WWF Champion. All he had were mere bones and week-old stubble on the chin, to heighten his pallor, as if to give a scare of lifetime to the passers-by.The policeman ventured hopefully and carefully at last, “Tell me who you are exactly and what is your identity? Where are you from? Can anybody in the city identify you?” “Out there is my father who could do that, who gave me this life, but no soul. Gave me bones but no flesh to cover. Gave me education but no substantial results from it. Gave me morals but no wealth. And here I am with a rope tucked in my pocket a little while ago, but even that was confiscated by you.” the stranger had just gestured and gesticulated toward heavens.Suddenly, the policeman held together the stranger’s hands tightly, tied them with the rope he had earlier confiscated and started pleading obligingly.
“Please, Sir! For God's sake stay still! You are my instant promotion. I make no mistake about you and your potential to be my prisoner. You have all the qualifications to become a failsafe convict. With all the luck you have in this world, this may be your day to find a career for yourself as it will ultimately fill your stomach in the prison for a while. So, make my life at least, since you have failed miserably in your life!”
The stranger sighed at last regretting he carried a rope in the first place. He philosophized that if one has everything one should flaunt all those things and when one has nothing he should carry nothing at all.
Not even a rope!
posted by SESHU CBSR at 9:13 PM
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