Social Issue Short Story – SUFFER…..A Journey for few drops
Photo credit: click from morguefile.com
It was heavy day in my lab. I came back to home that evening, completely exhausted. My wife was at her mothers’ place that day, so I was alone. I had dinner and went to the kitchen for drinking water. I took a glass, opened the jar and suddenly I saw that, there was not a single drop of water inside. I was feeling even thirstier by watching the empty jar. It was already 10.00 pm, so there was no chance that I would get water bottle from outside shop.
I also realized at that moment that there was no water remained for daily use too. Only a bucket of water was there in the bathroom. But I gave up the thought of drinking that. I washed up my hands with that and came back to our living room. I took the unopened newspaper on the table and went through the all pages from national news, international, local news, foreign, business and sports news. My thirst wasn’t giving up, but still I was enduring that feeling at that moment. Finally I felt too much tired and I tossed myself on the bed. I didn’t remember when my eyes got closed.
Next thing I remember is that, I was walking on a road in the middle of hot afternoon with sun right perpendicular to the ground. Actually it wasn’t any road but ‘kacchi sadak’ giving its way on the large landscape which was seemed to be a drought hit, trees without leaves, large stones, uneven ground, remaining skeleton of an animal lying beside the road. The sadak was giving its way in to a valley ahead.
I was still thirsty, in fact even more. I was sweating also, and was feeling like; I have walked too much in the heat. I was searching someone or somewhere for water source. I took a next turn and walked ahead. The tree came to my picture ahead. On the branch of it, something was hanging, that I couldn’t see it from far. I went near to it, now I could see it properly. It was a man hanging from a tree, seems to be a farmer by appearance. I didn’t realize whether he was alive or not. I went near to him and asked him for water. I don’t know why I didn’t get shock by watching a hanged man, but I was so thirsty that I asked him about water. He opened the eyes, saw me disgracefully and asked me to come besides him and get hanged myself also. I asked him again, pleading this time.
He said, “go ahead, there are plenty of people you will meet, ask them, they will give you a water.” I trusted him and went ahead.
After a short distance, I saw a man coming towards me hurriedly. He seemed to be a politician by appearance. He came nearer to me and said before I could speak, “we have made an arrangement to provide a relief to water-less and drought hit affected area. Lakhs of tons of water will be transported to this area by train within fifteen days.”
I said to him I want water now, otherwise I will die.
He said “wait for more fifteen days”, and went away.
Next to this, I saw a man coming in a jacket, jeans, T shirt and a goggle. He seems to be well dressed and appeared to be an actor. He came to me and said, “There is growing despondency and intolerance in our country, so I am leaving this country, do you want come with me??”.
I asked him, “please give me a glass of water”.
He pointed finger in backward direction and said, “they will give you”, and ran away.
The rush of crowd coming towards me. They seemed to be a media-persons with camera and mics in hands. Instead of going after that actor, they came to me and asked me,
“Do you think, there is rising intolerance in our country?”.
I said, “Can you give me some water please.”
Then one of the female reporters whispered to her cameramen in his ears, something that I couldn’t hear and then everyone went away.
I walked some distance ahead, I saw a man with beard and green flag coming towards me shouting “I will give you water, but I will not say ‘Bharat mata ki Jai”. A group of men with orange colored flag and were running behind the previous man. I asked them for water. They started shouting loudly, “Say, Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and went away.
I was fatigued by now, still I kept walking with resistance. One young man came towards my direction with Red flag in his hands. He was shouting something that I couldn’t hear. The group of same media persons was stalking behind him. I asked the young man, “Do you have a water?”
He asked back to me,” Do you have an AAZAADI??”
I said ‘Oh God!!!, Please go away”.
Miles and miles of the road was gone by, but there was no sign of water. I couldn’t walk now, started feeling very uneasy, so I sat under the tree and closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes, I felt better. As I started walking, I got crossed with a fat man with suit and boot running with a bag with label of Rs 4000 crores in one hand and the plane ticket for London in the other hand. I tried to speak to him, but he didn’t seem to notice me at all.
The previous farmer came ahead of me and said “Let’s take a walk. There is river ahead”
I was readily agreed with him, and thus we started walking. He asked to me,
“Have you watched yesterday’s match?”.
I exclaimed, “I…..What??”
He said, “Virat played awesome man”
I felt surprised. “Yeah”, said I.
The river came to the picture. We drank water. Felt nice. There was our national flag was lying on ground. No one was giving attention to that. It was lying in mud. I lifted it, farmer said, “Wash it in water bro. It doesn’t look nice with dirt”. So I washed it.
Then he pointed me to see something. I saw back, a tree, a man was lying under it. Seemed to be dead, as there were few policemen around him writing something, were taking photograph of him. Then came the same media people picturing him and started broadcasting the scene.
“Now you can see here another death due to heat and scarcity of water in a drought affected area. Who is responsible for it?? To know that, watch our special debate at 9.00pm. ‘THE QUESTION HOUR’. With cameramen Alok, Aslesha, HEATING NEWS, Latur”
The face and clothes of man seemed familiar to me. Then in horror, I realized that, it was me only. “Dead???”
Farmer said “Yes. Then, what did you think? Only dead person can drink water at this virtual river”
“Dead person?? That means…you are also….??”
“Dead. You saw me at first place only. Hanging on a tree. Didn’t you??”
I was sweating now. My heart started beating fast. I felt thirstiness again. My eyes were swinging rapidly, and suddenly, I opened my eyes. Sweating heavily, I saw a ceiling fan. I was in my bed. I checked my watch; it was 4:00 in the morning. I woke up, went to the bathroom, and drank some water from the bucket only. It felt better. I came again in our living room again. The Newspaper was still lying on a table.
–END–
