Short Story – Donations is now a business
Photo credit: singhajay from morguefile.com
Kranti has come new to Swapnil’s locality to stay. He has come here for his job purpose and so staying alone. To travel from his original house, where he has his parents and all other relatives, to his recent job place, everyday, would be too much time consuming. So he planned to stay here, very near to his office.
As time progressed, he started visiting in the tea shop where Swapnil also visits and soon grew friendship with Swapnil and his friends. However as time went Kranti idolised Swapnil more and more than others. He was really moved by Swapnil’s nature as a person, his humour and more specially his wit. He has seen a lot of times how Swapnil with his wit has found out solutions to various problems and had helped so many.
So like other days on one morning Kranti was sitting and having a cup of tea in the tea shop. But unlike other days he was a bit tensed. He was in some trouble and was waiting for Swapnil to arrive, so that Swapnil could give him some advice or suggestions or some tricks about how to recover from this problem, like he has been usually doing. He knew Swapnil used to come for a cup of tea in the morning. Durga Puja was nearing and it was an excellent weather outside with a special Puja type of smell all around in the air, which we generally get during that time.
So as expected like other days, Swapnil indeed came for a cup of tea in the tea shop. Then and then Swapnil could see Kranti. Looking at him only Swapnil understood that he was in some trouble. Still showing him five and signalling him to wait for a couple of minutes, Swapnil ordered for a cup of tea for himself. Then taking the cup full of tea and taking a sip from it, came and sat on the empty space on the bench just beside where Kranti was sitting. Kranti was yet to finish his tea. But since very new to town and not quite sure whether there is indeed any solution to his problem, got excited and tensed and without finishing off his tea continued, “Swapnil, hope you have already made out from my face that I am in some sort of trouble, haven’t you?”
Swapnil smiled and said, “I indeed have. Tell me what is it?”
Kranti said, “Yaar not quite sure whats the practice here, still want to hear from you whether I do really can have some solution to my problem. Actually yesterday night, after I returned from office, the members of our local club came to me to ask for donation for upcoming Durga Puja. Now I was prepared for that. I used to give the same when I was staying in my original house to the members of the club of our locality. This practise is not a speciality only in towns but common all over.
So I also immediately thought of the amount I would be giving and was about to go inside to bring that, when the next incident happened and I stopped and then thought of not paying then and then and rather should wait a bit to consult with you and then pay the next day. They said that since I am new to this locality and since this would be the first puja for me after I came here, I need to give a donation of 1000 bucks, or else they wont allow me to stay in this locality. I have to find a house somewhere else.
They would again come next day and gave me one day time to gather the amount and keep it ready if I dont have handy then. Here lies my query. Is this forcing a new guy in the locality, the normal practice? Since they were members of club, so I also got a bit scared that they could really do what they have said.”
Swapnil said, “See boss, nowadays these donations are like business. They have taken role in normal lives in such a way that there could be different practices with this in different places. But we commons have to stay brave and fight and not support this. We have to keep in mind that whatever practice they follow, afterall is a force with which they are asking for donations from us, and this force for donations is now a crime. So I would surely help you in this. You are staying alone in your rented house here, right?”
Kranti said, “Yes.”
Swapnil asked, “Do you have a girlfriend by any chance?”
Kranti said, “No not yet.”
Swapnil said, “Then I am afraid you have to make one immediately. Ha ha ha, no no, dont worry, I was kidding. But anyway, atleast one virtual girlfriend is required for implementing my plan. Listen what you need to do…”
Then Swapnil told Kranti, his plan and told him to inform Swapnil next day, whatever happens. Kranti also became happy hearing Swapnil’s plan and went home.
That night when the club members again came to ask for the amount from Kranti, Kranti knew he has to play as per Swapnil’s plan and started right away.
He took his cell phone in his hand, connected to tollfree customer care so that in the midst of his speech noone else could call him in his cell, brought near his ear and started shouting, as if he was having a great fight with his girl friend over the phone. Continuing this act only he opened the door and continued in front of them, as if its heat of the moment and he is unable to stop and concentrate on anything else other than this. His relation with his girlfriend is almost at stake after 6 odd years but subconsciously opened the door, hearing the calling bell somehow. Then how the dialogues went was like this:
One of the Club member started and then gradually stopped seeing Kranti busy with a call and also being scared seeing him shouting on top of his voice: Hey do you remember, we are back again to take the amount today. The bill is with youuuu…
Kranti over phone: What, you are bad.
Kranti over phone: No no you are good and I am worst. Yes.
Kranti over phone: Tell me whats the problem with you.
Kranti over phone: I am feeling like killing you right now if you were here in front of me.
Kranti over phone: What?
Kranti over phone: O no I havent given you anything till today
Kranti over phone: What love? Yes so what do you want more, other than love?
Kranti over phone: Do you really understand what love is? Is that ormanents for you?
Kranti over phone: Do you love me or my money. Listen love should not be judged by ormanents, I am telling you. Then that love also would not be sufficient for you one day. You would feel my love for you to be directly proportional to my buying of ornaments for you. Yes.
Kranti over phone: And still havent I given you anything else other than love?
Kranti over phone: Havent I given you a golden ring?
Kranti over phone: Now what why did you stop? Tell.
Kranti to the club members very rudely, as if yesterday he was their prey and today he is the tiger: Yes tell whats the matter?”
Club member: Yes actually…
Kranti over phone: What, what did you say? I gave that six years back. So what do you expect?
Kranti over phone: I would give you at every hour or what?
Kranti over phone: Dont you have any idea about my affordibility?
Kranti to the club members: And you all tell no, what do you want? For so long I have been asking and you all are standing and watching my face and listening to my conversation. Dont you all have that minimum courtesy to not to listen to others conversation, mostly when there’s a fight going on?
Club member: No actually, thought of taking the amount quickly and going off but not getting the chance….
Kranti over phone: Now listen Nisha, I would now commit suicide. Undoubtedly you gradually proved to be my life partner, but now along with that your demands are also actually crossing limits everyday and exceeding your love for me. If you continue to give me pressure like this, I have to commit suicide.
Kranti over phone: Also I would leave a suicide note. Yes. And since I am going to die not because of you not loving me upto my expectation but you pressurizing me for money, I would include in that not only your name but of all those who have forced me in monetary terms, as to be blamed for my death. Then you all would be in jail. Chakki pissing!!! Remember? Sholay?
Kranti seeing that it is somewhat working got a special confidence from inside and started performing better with a lot more screaming. However as Swapnil told, he also kept a note of it that his voice are only heard by the club members and not anyone else who are passing by. Moreover everyone knows that there’s fight in every family. But the ways to express that out by different people are different like five fingers of our hands. Some keep it secret and some forget everything during that time and start shouting at the top of their voice. But afterall noone remembers neither treats him different when meets him next time after hearing him fight. Fights, quarrels are indeed good at times in small amount before turning to a serious thing, for coming closer to each other.
Kranti already noticed that the club members finding no opportunity to speak or ask for the money and whatever they asked for was in vain, or realising not a good time to ask for or may be, being scared that Kranti commits suicide and blames them in his suicide note, started going out again gradually.
Still Kranti continued over phone, to make a permanent impact and that they dont come back again: What, I dont have to die. Ok. Fine. Yes you are correct. Its better that we break up. Its high time now. We have understood each other more than what we understand each of ourselves. So I also believe we cant match. You have ruined me. So you can get someone better of your choice more matching with you and myself also could get someone more of a kind I want.
The club members went away. Kranti knew that these club members would never come back again, thinking that he would be furious losing his girl friend and that too for a reason which matches very much with theirs. Still if they come, though not only they would come to know but also from them others would also come to know that this Kranti always quarrels, he would still again pretend to quarrel, may be with someone else that day, but the reason being the same – monetary force.
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