Stolen Dreams

Note – All Character and events are fictitious and not real.
—————

“Hari can you please help me to remove the water which have blocked near my house due to today’s heavy rain” a person almost 5 feet 10 inches tall, dark, having long black beard with some white spots in it, aged around 35 years asked in requesting gesture to his neighbor, Hari, who was standing beside him.

“Yes why not Abdul, anything for you dear, last time you helped me to build my tent when it was damaged. Now it’s my turn” replied Hari with a smile on his face. He was a short figure person, dark complexion with small beard, his age was almost as same as of Abdul.

Hari and Abdul resides in a small plastic tent near the footpath made by themselves.

They are residing here for a long time happily and peacefully. Abdul is a Rickshaw puller who keeps his rickshaw near Hari’s house and Hari was a labour in a factory, they take their meal together at night, near the Road Side of Kolkata. Abdul helps Hari to lighten up his house on Deepawali and Hari helps Abdul on preparing sewai on Id.

Vehicles with flags were moving on the road as it was the time for election.

Two parties were contesting for election one party was chair party and another was bottle party. Now these party representatives started campaigning for votes.

One chair party representative reaches Abdul’s house and starts convincing him

“Hey Abdul – your bad times are gone and your golden period is coming. You just have to vote our Chair Party candidates and we will provide you a cemented house instead of this plastic tent. Start campaigning with us from tomorrow. The Best part is that our candidate is Muslim and he will support people from our religion. We all have to protect our religion otherwise we will be in danger.

Have you ever noticed that this Hindu Hari’s house is 2 feet taller than your house? Why so? A Hindu’s house should not be taller than ours it is against our self respect. You should do something then only we will be able to support you”.

Now, Abdul started thinking – it’s true, my house is 2 feet smaller than Abdul’s house. I have not noticed it yet. It is against my self respect. I should do something.

Just at the same time a representative from bottle party enter into Hari’s tent.

“Hari, in your life you have struggled a lot but now you will not have to struggle more. Just give the vote to Bottle party and we will give you cemented house and a government job. You just cast your vote to Bottle party”.

Hari’s eyes were full of dreams and the representative continues….

“You know our Candidate is Hindu and he will support Hindu people. It’s our time to protect Hinduism. I want to ask you why this Abdul keeps his Rickshaw near your house. He can keep it at his side also. He thinks that if he keeps his rickshaw near your house then he can expand his occupancy whereas you will not be able to expand your house. It should not be ignored, you should do something”.

Suddenly Hari heard some loud and disturbing voice and he came out of the tent.

Hey Hari you first get your roof down by 2 feet – Abdul shouted

Abdul you first remove your rickshaw from here which is blocking my space – Hari Replied in the same manner.

Now Hari started moving the rickshaw for which Abdul got angry.

They fight with each other.

Both get hospitalised in the nearest general hospital.

From that day onwards they started fighting with each other on every next day in support of their respective parties.

Election date came, results get out and chair party won, but in centre chair party needed support to form government for which the bottle party supported chair party.

Now, Abdul and Hari saw on the road that both the representative of chair party and bottle party are enjoying the moments altogether, spraying colours on road but they does not even look towards the footpath where Abdul and Hari were standing shocked and surprised.

In the morning Abdul and Hari noticed that their tents were moving and shaking, they came out from their house, saw a tall officer on the footpath ordering some of their subordinates to remove the tents of the footpath.

Abdul and Hari both came near the officer but did not dare to say anything. The officer after watching their curious face understand their face expression and explained both of them

“The new formed Government has ordered that there should not be any tent near the footpath and neither any rickshaw on the road because both the things are hampering the beauty of the city”.

Now Abdul and Hari were shocked and felt astonished. Hari lost his house, Abdul lost his house as well as his job as a Rickshaw puller. They have been cheated for their dreams.

They both realized their mistakes and started living together again on the same footpath but without the roof.

Hari arranged a job for Abdul in the same factory.

#They now understand that there are two basic religions in life – Greed which divides people and Grief which unites people.#

__END__

Navin Kumar