Social Short Story – The Benevolent Sweeper
Photo credit: hotblack from morguefile.com
Agarkar road was a tributary that emerged from the right-angled confluence of two of the main roads of Pune city: Senapati Bapat road and Law college road. Agarkar road was a two-way cement road bordered with neatly paved footpaths. The thick canopy of neem and gulmohar trees, the antique streetlights and neatly marked regions for parking vehicles along with the radium fitted small divider tiles on the road gave it a distinct look. Three prominent colleges of Pune had their respective entrance gates along this road: BMCC, Fergusson College and MMCC. In addition, some influential people had their bungalows along the road. As the sun rose, the flow of traffic on this tributary increased accordingly.
Shantaram Dhere had the important task of keeping the road clean and tidy. He had been doing this task for the past two months. The local residents knew Shantaram’s importance. He kept the classy image of Agarkar road intact. Shantaram was a rangy old man on the brim of his 70s. He liked to be well dressed. Except for tie, leather shoes and a blazer he was a formally dressed government employee in his own way. Long trousers that were worn off at the bottom, white patches near the knees and a striped shirt was his attire.
He was never late for his job although his two taciturn group members always came late.
The large four storeyed trees used to shed their leaves throughout the day according to the breeze. Therefore, Shantaram and his team had to clean this litter and garbage every morning. That was their job.
Everyday Shantaram came with his long broom and a mud coloured barrow. He had two rectangular light metal plates that he used for scooping and dumping the tree-trash in the barrow. He had been allotted the first one-third region of the Agarkar road for sweeping that stretched from the point of confluence until the first entrance gate of BMCC. After he finished his portion of job, he used to walk until the end of the road where it met the Ferguson College road. His purpose for this walk was to clean the remnants of trash that were left behind by his lousy colleagues. He pitied them,” poor fellows! Work hard and complete your job neatly because that is why you are paid. Otherwise Nagarsevak madam will suspend you.” However, they rarely listened to him.
Shantaram used to talk sometimes with the school going children as they walked past him covering their noses to protect themselves from the dust that was swept by him ,” sorry children! You go first I’ll sweep this side later on.”
Children used to thank him with a broad smile on their faces. Indrajeet, a loquacious child chatted with shantaram every day. ” Ajoba, do you know our history teacher slept yesterday in the classroom and she woke up because fat Somu farted loudly during the lecture. Whole class burst into laughter.” He told Shantaram as he went on laughing, holding his stomach.
Shantaram also joined him laughing,” Did the teacher faint?”
Indrajeet had gifted Shantaram his handkerchief to cover his nose while sweeping,” Ajoba please cover your nose with this, otherwise you will get ill.”
Shantaram said,” don’t worry; I am younger than I look. Nothing will happen to me.” Nevertheless, Indrajeet insisted and he had to accept the handkerchief.
After Shantaram left his earlier job, he had grown a grizzly beard. He used to shake his hoary head while sweeping and sung tunes of old Bollywood classic songs. Bending down and scooping the leaves sometimes sprained his back. But unlike his colleagues he never gave excuses. Although Shantaram always did his last inspection-walks and cleaned the remaining portions, his attempts could not save the job of one of his colleagues and the colleague was fired. For two weeks he and the other man had to sweep their ex-colleagues’ region.
Apart from the chatting with children and talking with one or two security guards of huge bungalows, Shantaram’s sweeping job was a dull affair. He had no one to talk after the children went to their school. In his previous job, he always had people around him. But this job was not for a loquacious man like Shantaram. However, he had to do this job to earn some money since he was left alone after his wife died in a stampede during a pilgrimage six years ago.
Though he had a decent job two months ago, he had to leave it because of the retirement policies of the place. Many times while sweeping and collecting the leaves he was silent. He thought of his past. No one to talk with, he was sad deep inside. Although conversations with children made him happy, they only lasted for a small period.
One fine day, as he was sweeping the leaves in front of the entrance gate of BMCC, a young man came hurriedly riding his bicycle and stopped in front of him trying to catch his breath as he asked Shantaram,
” uncle please can you tell me which way is the Ferguson college? I am very late for my job interview for the place of a junior lab assistant. I don’t think I’m going to get that job”
Shantaram quickly replied with a smile on his face,” go straight along this road and don’t turn anywhere, you will see the arch with ‘Ferguson college’ written on it. And don’t worry you will get the job son!”
The young man followed the road told by Shantaram and parked his bicycle in the parking space of the college premises. Hurriedly he went into the science wing for his interview. He was just in time as the senior lab assistant had just begun his introductory speech in front of the interviewees,
” listen everybody. This job is not an easy job. You have to be present here on time, every day. You have to assist the teachers with the practical experiments……”
He spoke for five minutes before commencing the interview. The other two senior assistants who stood behind him were chatting with each other. One of them said,” I don’t think we will ever get a man to replace Shantaram mama!”
END
A short story by:
Sushant Nitin Deshpande
