Social Story – Whose Mistake?
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Every writer has a place that he/she adores or finds attractive. One can always find a reference about that place in most of his stories. I have a place too, where I spent my childhood and early years of my youth, Ajmer. It is a very small town in Rajasthan but its beauty and serenity is beyond comparison. It possesses a lake in its heart which makes it even greener and comely.
This story is about Mr. Bhagchandani who used to live right beside my house in Ajmer. He was a lonely, bald and retired lecturer from a polytechnic college. I never saw his family and neither did I ask about them. He was a convivial but a weak hearten person. Moreover, calling him a miser would be an understatement.
It was winters that time. Almost every one used to come out of their respective houses to sit under the glistening sun and relieved themselves from the bitter cold. That was the time when I and Mr. Bhagchandani got along quiet well. We used to talk about cricket, politics, environment, Bollywood and many more things. The following is a succession to that.
It was half past noon. I rushed out of the house. I started organizing my sitting place. With a quick look I saw Mr. Bhagchandani who was going close to a cow to feed it with chapattis. It’s common to find cows right outside your house in India. Someone had told him that if he feed cows regularly and directly through his hands will bring him prosperity. He had obviously taken the suggestion quiet seriously. When I was about to sit on my cozy jute chair I heard a thud. I looked outside but I didn’t see anyone. But I was worried as I had seen him outside a few seconds ago. As I rushed to the venue I saw him lying in the sewage line with both the legs in the air. It appeared as if the cow had pushed him and he collided with the boundary and fell. In a state of frenzy I took him inside the house, cleaned him and put hot water bags on his chest.
‘Is it necessary to do all this at this age?’ I asked.
‘It was an ox and not a cow but I realized this when I was close enough. Otherwise it’s would not have been a big deal’ he replied feebly.
I sensed that it was a waste of time explaining him. When he felt better I came back to my house.
The next day I was in kitchen preparing breakfast when I heard someone shouting,
‘Saraswat ji’ incessantly.
I rushed outside and found out that it was Mr. Bhagchandani.
‘What’s the matter uncle?’ I asked.
‘Come to my house’
‘Hurry!!’ he exclaimed.
‘But. Why?’
‘Don’t ask questions’
‘Hurry up’
I brooded for a moment but came to a conclusion that what can possibly go wrong inside a house. I immediately jumped over the boundary. As soon as we entered inside the house, he locked the door.
‘Why are you closing the door?’ I asked, alarmed by his action.
‘So that you don’t run away’ he said and winked.
Rubbish thoughts crossed my mind and getting murdered was definitely one of them. He held my hand and pulled me to the bathroom. There was a hot geyser whistling loudly as if it will explode any moment.
‘See. Can you do something about it?’ he said pointing towards the geyser.
I rushed to the main MCB board and tripped the electricity for the entire house.
‘Thank God. It stopped.’ he said with a sigh of relief.
‘Are you mad? You could have got me killed’. Why didn’t u tell me earlier? Why would you close the door in the first place’ I said furiously and left the house.
My breakfast had turned black which made me even more furious. I decide that I won’t help him in the future. It might cost me my life.
Few days passed quietly after that incident. I had stopped sitting outside by then. I didn’t want to be in contact with him. But my happiness didn’t last long. I was lying in my bed and was hoping a nice sleep when I heard,
‘Saraswat ji’ again.
I knew it was him and so I didn’t answer. Slowly the voice was increased and in no moment he was thumping on my door with his fists. I knew this can’t be ignored. As soon as I opened the door he held me by his hand and dragged me to his house.
‘Now, what happened? What’s the reason? You will definitely get me killed’ I kept saying but he didn’t pay heed to that.
As soon as we entered the house he closed the door again. I was helpless. I was dragged by an old man from my own house like a cop drags a criminal. The next moment, he held my hand again and dragged me to the porch. He stopped at the door and pushed me forward. I had no idea what I was up to.
‘Did you see it?’ he whispered.
‘See, what?’ I trembled.
‘The snake’
I turned and meteorically ran towards the door on hearing that.
‘Why are you after my life? If you would have told me earlier, I could have come prepared with a stick’. What am I supposed to do now? Do you expect me to eat it?’
I was furious and my temperature was rising. I wished to kill him instead.
‘If I would have told you earlier, you would have never agreed to come’ he said and pleaded to help him out.
I grabbed a wiper and jumped to the other side and held the head of the snake.
‘Now, kill it’ I said.
Mr. Bhagchandani clouted the snake with a heavy rod. It was dead in a single blow.
‘You should burn it now or the female snake will kill you’ I said with a stern look.
He was s*it scared and he did it immediately. It was my way of seeking revenge.
That night I wondered that Mr. Bhagchandani is more dangerous than that snake. Living beside such a neighbor is more risky and life threatening.
After the last incident I went in a house arrest. It did augment my safety as everything was smooth as silk for a few days, not too long.
On one fine morning I heard,
‘Saraswat ji’ again.
It startled me as this time it was a female voice. When I went outside I saw it was my another neighbor.
‘What happened?’ I asked.
‘You need to come urgently. Mr. Bhagchandani is having a chest pain. I think it might be a heart attack.’ she said.
‘No at all. He is absolutely fine. He is mimicking so that I come to his house and solve some of his other problems. I am sorry I can’t help you in this ‘ and went inside and closed the door.
She shouted for a few more minutes and then she went.
I was quite confident that it was nothing and got indulged in my mundane activities. After few hours, I heard siren of an ambulance. I was shocked and I rushed outside immediately. The ambulance was right in front of his house. That lady was standing right beside the ambulance. I ran towards her.
‘I am sorry. I should have listened to you. How is he?’ I asked.
‘It’s not your fault, son. But he is no more. He has rested in peace’ she shuddered.
I was heartbroken. I had nothing to say. I blacked out. I went straight to my house with tears rolling down my cheek. I decided I will not live in Ajmer and did leave the very next day. I don’t know whose mistake it was. I repent that I could have saved him.
__END__
