ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Social Story – ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

[The characters in this story are one dog called Lion;one diseased,mad dog called Tiger; a cat by name Julie. Lion, Tiger and Julie are symbolic names used as proper nouns. Also a woman with 2 kids.]

Julie gave a detailed account of barbarous physical torture meted out to a woman and also announced that she would not allow any such cruel man to remain alive in the country.

She added that they should demonstrate their gratitude for all the good a friend of hers, a dog by name Lion had done to her.

Chapter 1

“So what should we do now?” says Lion, to Julie.

“Are you still in doubt about it? If I were you, I will diabolically bite every man to death”, responded Jolie.

The dog cautioned the cat not to become tense and emotional but reflect in calm and then decide what course to adopt.

Jolie hastened to react and say, “the thinking time is over and now the time has come to get into action.

Please understand that no woman however poor and weak, will ever compromise on her self respect which she would preserve it any any cost”.

Incidentally it was rather strange that Jolie got separated from her mother cat immediately after birth. Although normally any cat would keep its flock together, in the infant stage. But in the particular case of Julie very strangely was taken Lion’s mother who took care of the abandoned cat Jolie in its infancy. The Lion’s mother very fondly nourished her and fed her with her own milk. It might perhaps be for this reason that the cat Jolie had developed an unusual sense of affection and loyalty to Lion.

“I have hit upon an idea”, said Lion..

“What is the idea”, inquired Julie..

Lion said, “I have a good friend, but unfortunately it is inflicted with incurable skin disease all over his body and besides his very appearance it looks horrible and abhorrent. Added to this, he is also a mad dog, who lives in isolation in the hollow of a tree trunk in a desolate place.”.

Then Julie innocently asked, “how can such a dog help us in our mission.”?

Dog replied “Very simple. Show him your object. He will manage to sink his teeth into the target’s skin which will make recovery impossible.

Julie was very pleased and complimented Lion for his brilliant idea. I will also come along with you”.

But Lion, discouraged her saying, “you will not be able to bear the very sight of that creature. Many people who happened to see her could not resist omitting involuntarily.

You may not be able to stand her sight. Of course you should be very careful to get only the man we wanted, and no one else by mistake.

Julie said, “I will do one thing, that man will be frequently moving on a particular street. Once I trace him, I will follow him from his behind and your horrible looking friend can then enter the scene, identify the man walking before me, and finish the job.

Said Lion, “the idea is good. But what happens it by mistake it bites you and not our enemy. Your’s is a very soft and delicate body and if the dog happens to attack you, there will be chaos. Therefore I will ask my friend to jump over you first and then land on the victims shoulder for the final job. Julie was very pleased with the Lion had so much consideration for her.

It was also happy that Lion decided that this should happen the following day, without any further delay.

Chapter 2:

“Hello…”

“Who…”

“It is me?”

“What …don’t you have a name?”

“Very much, but being a close friend of yours, I want you to identify me by my voice”.

The skin diseased dog, Tiger very meekly emerged out of the – hollow of the tree, and said in a very feeble voice “Oh, it is you, Lion”? And as the conversation was going with Lion, complimented him for the beautiful and appetizing fragrance oozing out of him.

Lion then blurted out the glad tidings that it has brought for her friend 4 pieces of good meat.

Normally any mad dog leads a lonely and miserable existence always itching for some victim to harm, but this particular one, Tiger chooses to be seclusive and desperately looking for his last moment. In fact just at that moment, the lion brought some pieces of meat and sprawled before him when his taste buds started itching for this food.

Lion told Tiger “my dear friend, I know you and every thing of you. You are one who never harms others, control your emotions and also keep fasting in the hope of merging with infinity. I understand but, I have come to seek a help from you, and it should happen tomorrow and for that at least you should have some strength and stamina and therefore please accept eat these pieces of food”, said Tiger.

During their conversation, Tiger noticed some injury to the left eye of Lion and asked him how it happened?

Then Lion replied, “Wait I’ll tell you everything. In fact that’s what I have come here for. You know, I have a friend called Julie. She is very particular that you should teach a suitable lesson to one person, who atrociously and inhumanly behaved towards one helpless poor woman with two kids.

Do you mean Julie,the cat who was nourished and raised by your mother? Asked Tiger.

“Yes the very same” answered Lion.

“How is she? A rare phenomenon indeed among cats, to have such kindly emotion and empathy for others.

Lion said, “Julie being an eye witness to the barbarous act and misbehaviour of a beastly man to a poor helpless woman, is hell bent on punishing the aggressor.”

Tiger says “any creature, be he a man or bird or any animal should live with self respect as otherwise there will be no meaning for life itself.

Lion is happy to hear Tiger utter such words of wisdom. He complimented Tiger for his ideals and pushed the meat pieces nearer to his reach.

As Lion then related the entire the incident in great detail, Tiger responded “you know I am a sick and stinking creature. I emit sickening odour even to myself. Therefore please keep a little more distance away from me.

Lion said, “what do you mean, you think being your close friend I can’t stand it? Then Lion started the narrative, “We have a case of a young 25 year old woman she is always looking depressed, and melancholy. carrying in her arms a one year old baby,besides a 5 year old girl who always accompanies her, clutching her hand in her’s.

Last week during the festival, in the market she was striding along with her two kids. The daughter suddenly happened to notice a 100 rupee bill and slowly whispered to her mother. The mother bent down and picked up the 100 rupee bill that is being blown off due to wind through her legs and she continued to move in pursuit of the bill all along musing whether she was doing the right thing.

Then there was suddenly a thunderous shouting from a small crowd a little away from behind her. She was scared and looked back at the crowd and then handed over the 100 rupee bill to some person running towards her from the crowd.

The owner of the bill full realized that the woman was not the type of person to take any thing that not her’s, and put it back in the little child’s hands very graciously telling her mother to buy something for her kids with the money. The feeling of self respect in the part of the woman prevented her from accepting the gift.

Tiger intercepted and wanted to know about her husband.

Lion confessed that he did not know any thing about her husband or her family. And she is always seen with her two kids only”. The Tiger was listening with raft attention. The Lion continued “the woman is very poor with really nothing in her small house to cook and feed her self and kids”.

Any way all that apart, let me tell you the main matter.

A big man in the society announced a poor feeding event and hyped about it all over the town.

When the time came a number of poor people starving for days have assembled to partake in the feeding ritual.

The woman I told you about, also went to the venue of poor feeding and some how struggled her way into a row of poor people seated and waiting to be fed.

The feeding was done in a inhuman manner and so little food was served that no one in the crowd was able to get even a fraction of normal meal. Even the people serving the food showed little mercy to the people gathered there for food, ill treated them calling names and serving ridiculously small quantities of food.

Even the meagre food served to them the people had no option but to accept to what was given and perhaps filling their stomachs with imaginary food. Quiet a few in the crowd came out without any food and with empty stomachs not knowing how to meet the situation.

We can’t forget the enthusiastic and expectant mood we have all gathered in the back yard in the building to wait for our chance to consume whatever left hovers in the leaves. The publicity however was done in a grandiose manner about the poor feeding. We abhor the very sight of so many mouths remaining dry and percent with of course no left hovers in the leaves thrown out after the so called poor feeding event.

At that point of time we were shocked to hear a very loud feminine voice protesting against this cruel joke on the hungry poor. We heard a woman shout, ‘where is the philanthropist, where is the food, rice, vegetables and other edibles. While yelling at the top of her voice part of the sari covering her shoulders had come off loose. Then the cooks hurriedly and angrily reached her in the dinning hall and shouted at her, “you ungrateful beggars instead of expressing satisfaction for relief of hunger and gratitude to the great philanthropist you had the cheek to make such a noise. Those people who are seated opposite their leaves on which food is supposed to be served all got up feeling outraged raged ill treated and cheated.

Then a gorgeously clad rich man came on the scene, he brutally attacked the woman shouting and protesting against the quality of food served. he caught her by hair and ruthlessly dragged her from inside the dining hall and tossed her on the street.

In this process her dress got torn by rupture with the nails of the tables,doors on the way. The baby she was carrying slipped off from her arms. And the other five years old girl started running hither and thither in a sort of mad frenzy.

Not content of this, the rich man kicked again and again as though if she were a foot ball. The strange thing is in spite of all the torture she was going through she was making a desperate effort to keep her two kids in her fold. In this turmoil the five year old kid extracted herself from her mothers grip and jumped on the rich man to prevent further torture of her mother.

This cruel man with devilish look fully clad in silk mercilessly kicked the 5 year old kid and pushed it out, the hapless mother looking at him with a feeling of desperation and helplessness, took also the other child into arms to protect her from further damage thrashing of the cruel man.

She lay on the floor blanketing her two kids to save them from the cruel man’s wrath. Sadly this man is not content with the injuries he caused to the woman and her two kids, and did not seem inclined to get them go.

With torn clothes the woman looked like embracing the earth like a new born baby does to its mother. Nothing could be more tragic to her than being tortured in the very presence of her children and public and that too in the very street where she lived.

It was very hard to any woman to survive in such condition.

The man brutally thrashed her again and again in the side brining her into a flat position. His vengeance seemed endless and he went on brutally kicking her with his boots unmindful of the fact that she was a woman with children and in a desperate state of life. After all she had come for a small quantity of a food to quench her hunger and her children’s while she got in return ruthless, physical damage to her delicate figure. She was pining an agony, with all parts of her body aching in an unbearable manner.

The other, unfortunate people who had come on a similar hope were scared stiff and started running away fearing they might collapse if they continued to witness this barbarous act of cruelty.

Thereupon the Tiger passionately interrupted, “please hold on as you are describing the event my blood started boiling and I am over whelmed by emotion and indignation. Let me recover. “

How sad, in the land of Lord Buddha compassion has become an imaginary from a long time there was silence between them. After a while the lion sought to know from the Tiger whether he could resume the narrative.

The tiger replied, “I’m very anxious to know further, please tell me. The disabled woman tried in vain to rise with the sole intent of protecting her children. For quite some time she was unable lift herself up in spite of several efforts made. I am unable to reconcile the unkindest treatment meted out to the hapless woman, who came there only to have some food for her hungry stomach and those of the children.

Tiger said please wait, I am reminded of the great Kurukshetra battle between Pandvas and Kowravas and how blind king Dhrutharashtra, the father of Kowravas had broken down several times as Sanjaya (another Character in Mahabharata) was giving a running commentary on the war going on in front of them and how his own children were being bombarded the former’s.

Tiger even burst into remarking whether the Lion had come all the way to arouse the former’s feelings of helplessness and desperation who is already leading a desolate and wretched life.

Lion said, “please forgive me Tiger, you know that I have no one but you to help me out in times of need. Especially I am myself passing through very distressing times of my life. In spite of all the sadness in him the Tiger was moved when he heard Lion say these words. He assured the Lion, that he would certainly do best to be of service to the Lion.

Then there was a little respite for a while the Lion fighting resisting the tears flowing out from his eyes. The Tiger then wanted to know what happened then and particularly to the children. The Lion replied the ‘the children kept on crying clinging to her mother.

That the woman made another desperate effort in vain along with her children to rise and exit from the scene. But she just could not. Lion went on talking of this miserable event.

The sun was shining so hot as if the woman was almost dehydrated with no tears in her.’

Lion continued, “in the great epic Maha Bharat, the virtuous and righteous Pandavas were cheated into defeat and then even losing the queen Drupadi herself in the unholy game of gambling. Even Lord Shri Rama in the epic Ramayana questioned the chastity of goddess Sita after he was able to recover her from the captivity of demon Ravana. Even this incident I am narrating with a heavy heart sounds even more cruel and inhuman.

The woman somehow managed to gather some invisible strength and courage after a while and managed to haul herself and the kids away from the scene.

The Tiger listening to the entire episode was unable to contain himself and involuntarily got up and shook his head violently. Continued the Lion, “Julie has told me, that this particular richly clad socialite is the person who perpetrated the cruel joke on the people, just to boost him public image as a philanthropist. He invited 12,000 guests while he got the food prepared for a paltry 200. You can imagine the chaos that will result. Julie is very keen that she should teach an unforgettable lesion to this cheat going about with the label of a great philanthropist. So it is her wish, that tomorrow you should bitterly bite this fake philanthropist and end his story.

Mused Tiger, “What a strange thing. I should have left this mortal coil a long time ago. But,it looks like I am destined to live to perform one act of goodness before dying. The Lion resumed, “I forgot to mention to you that those people also pelted a heap of stones at the hapless body of the woman and the kids she was trying to shield. In that process one stone hit me near my eye badly damaging it and disabling me to see properly. Some how by memory and habit, I have been able to reach you. The Tiger said, “they say heaven is packed with angels but now it looks as though demons have out numbered them. Any way we should settle accounts with him. Thus the Tiger given assurance to Lion, who now felt sign of some progress in his project. Profusely thanking the Tiger, the Lion drooled out of the scene.

The following day, early in the morning the Tiger woke up and managed to reach a cozy place for himself in the folds of a big blanket under the top of an ironing stand. The iron stand was situated just opposite to the target’s have the ironing man was busy attending the his ironing work. Milk vans and news paper carriages started booming in both directions in the street. Morning walkers were busy with their bristling activity. Small groups of people reciting devotional songs were passing on the road. Buses carrying school children to the schools and some motor cars transporting employees working in offices and factories to their destinations have become a regular sight.

To the Tiger however the experience is been a little disappointing. To start with, the target man as usual fully draped in expensive silk attire, just climbed into car and sped off. After a little wait he has come back but drove off without emerging out of the car. The Lion and Julie who has just arrived at the sight to participate in the operation also felt disappointed at the Tiger missing the opportunity to get the big man. In fact they became very tense.

Just at that point of time the silk big man happened to passing that way on foot probably coming home from a near by place. Julie who happened to be in this location with the Lion and Tiger also scattered indifferent places but within the ear shot of Julie as well as the Lion. These were also waiting anxiously for their catch.

Julie, actually became mad with joy as the much awaited target was now in the frame. She went behind big man but keeping a little distance away from him, but slyly shadows him. This was their understanding. The Lion was able to identify the big man and lost no time in passing on a message to the Tiger that it was time for him to act. The Tiger immediately rushed to face the man and attack from the front.

He jumped on to the silk big man and resting his fore legs on the shoulders and the other two clutching his stomach had bitten his neck as bitterly with its deadly teeth as he could. Fortunately or unfortunately the bite of a mad dog was incurable normally in any hospitals, private or government. The silk big man roared in pain before he fell on the ground as a corpse.

Days have rolled by.

One day during a formal chat, the Lion asked Julie if she was felt happy after wrecking her vengeance on the silk clad fake philanthropist.

Jolie however said that while she was grateful to the Lion, for doing his part of job, still she was not entirely happy since according to her it is not the public were not aware how the fake philanthropist met his end from a mad dog, for all that he did to the poor helpless woman.

In fact if only we have strength and however all of the cats would have meted out the punishment our selves on the spot.

The Lion then sought to know whether it would be fair to kill all the people for the sins committed by one bad man?

The Tiger said, “Do not refer to all the people. If there have any sense of humanness would they have be dumb witnesses to such atrocious torture, on an innocent person, that too a helpless poor woman who came for a few morsels of food.

Jolie continued – “does it ever occur to any body that the minimum that could be done was to give enough food to sustain themselves, but there is dearth of rhetoric public men in public compare this to the gestures of millionaires of like America and UK up who have donated all their wealth for the public affair.

Of course there is unity even among our cats and for that matter in your species of dogs. We would always quarrel and fight with one another amongst ourselves but not to the extent of destroy in our fellow creatures Might is right the order of the day. Always strong people dominate and insult the weak. We have yet to claim our past tradition and heritage.

Look Lion there is nothing to be proud about our cat community we always quarrel biting and hitting each other. I think the same can be said about your dog community. The story is of course no different of human beings. Might is right is the order of the day. And the mighty will always intimidate harm, and exploit the weak to the utmost. So what is great about human beings.

Take for example our present kingdom. In all fields of activity there are experts and intellectuals with creative skills. The only thing they lack is honesty and straightforwardness.

In their society every one is an incarnation of corruption with zero ethics and morals. They vie with one another for achieving fame for wrong reasons.

Our contemporary society has degraded to such an extent that you can’t spot a good honest man with some moral and ethical standards, even with a microscope. I am yet to come across an exception among these people. Take the mighty oceans or an expansive sea or even a river or for that matter a tank or a lake they have all bound by boundaries to limit them selves, with majesty and purity to remain within. But for the people of this kingdom they can not be accused of such niceties. Their only pursuit how to loot the common man and make mountains of money. Where is the place for development of language and culture and associations to develop such activities. No. We do not want this country.

As Julie was pouring her heart out, the Lion got a sudden flash of an idea. He said, “we will invite the Tiger and ask him to annihilate all the people and make the country a mad nation. The modus operandi will be Tiger will first bite me and then we both will jointly bite all the rest of the dogs in the country. And then we will covert the nation into a mad by diabolically biting every body.

Julie was indeed happy over this proposal of the Lion. She told the Lion, “you just said the correct thing. Your mom used to say that the guilty must be punished with no mercy shown”, while Julie liked the idea, she was over whelmed at the very thought of, Dear Lion also turning mad. Then Julie with tears in her eyes expressed to the Lion, “once this happens we will not be able to meet and exchange friendship. And I am really very unwilling to forgo your friendship.

The Lion took leave of Julie with her parting words of hope, “I trust that at least you must be happy without hassles in the new world to be created”.

All the dogs in the kingdom turned dangerously into mad ones. Even pet dogs managed to escape breaking loose of chains binding them in their masters’ houses. Myriad of dogs the converging from all directions in very strong and substantial shape into the thoroughfares, strangely all of them looked as high as horses and as strong as elephants and undoubtedly are more than a match in ferocity than wild lions. All of them had gate crashed into all visible buildings and factories bitten the insiders rendering them mad. It is very strange that the dogs had also developed wings to fly up the skies to destroy all flying machines such as copters and airplanes.

They had also developed capacity to dive into seas and damage ships and submarines together with their inmates. They derailed and destroyed fast moving locomotives and motor vehicles. Thus they achieved total destruction with a hope to create a new , people friendly and corruption free nation.

Atop a hill a lonely frail woman with a baby in her left arms and a five year old girl clutching her right hand was standing looking down in a meditative mood, a vast expansive uninhabited country. In her rear stands a meditative mild cat.

__END__

Original Story: Sanku Ganapathi Rao

From: “Nippula Toofan”

Translated by: Mandalika Satyanarayana