He saved

Write Over the Weekend theme for this week

This time we’re aiming at making it more creative! The post must revolve around ‘two material things that normally are paired together’.

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Madhu is decade old in this Salt & Pepper logistics company. Though he was employed only as an office peon, it was not very long before he could win over the trust of his other colleagues and superiors.  His amicable nature and multitasking abilities endeared him to one and all in the office. Everyone considered him an integral part of the office functioning and he has been rewarded accordingly. On a regular office day, Madhu used to care of so many things without anyone really noticing them that his absence for even a single day was very conspicuous and things would obviously get stuck on something or other. Last week, he had gone on leave for 3 days to Bhagalpur on the occasion of the marriage of his niece and it was an utter chaos in the office.  A few consignments could not be delivered on time. He is like the salt in the office- the absence gets noticed more in comparison to him being present-taking care of the things. 

It was Friday evening around 8:30 PM at night when Madhu, on his bicycle, was approaching his home at the Bose para lane in North Calcutta. A shower had just drenched the area and it was still drizzling. Usually,he would stop at the tea stall at the corner, spend some time chatting with the owner before getting back home. He noticed few unknown faces that day- some young rogues, between ages 18 to 20, in a somewhat belligerent mood. They were misbehaving with the tea stall owner for quite some time now – ordering cups of tea and refusing to do the payments.  The other elderly gentlemen chose to vacate the place earlier than usual sensing something was not right in the atmosphere there. Madhu waited for some time and kept observing them silently. Mitra uncle came to buy a pack of biscuits and these guys started harassing him by snatching his umbrella. They laughed insolently at his pleas to hand it back so that he could head home as some guests were waiting.  Madhu tried to reason with them but it was in vain. They shouted at him and Mitra Kaku calmed Madhu down so that situation did not spiral out of control.

A girl returning from tuition in the same locality was just crossing the stall when one of the unruly boys, in inebriated state, leered and advanced upon her. The frightened girl, in her attempt to flee, dropped her books on the pavement and Madhu ran towards her to help and protect her from them. The gang of boys had crossed the limit and all hell broke loose as far as Madhu’s patience is concerned. They started using slangs and taunted the girl, one of them even going to the extent of trying to grab her dupatta. 

Madhu could not tolerate any more and pounced on that misbehaving boy. On seeing this, other companions of the boy came rushing towards the scene with kitchen knives and short wicked daggers drawn out.  While other people were hurriedly scurrying away from the place to distance themselves from the commotion and danger, Madhu alone stood up against those goons making sure the girl is sent safe on her way. People around were not familiar with this side of Madhu -the otherwise cool and friendly person, fighting like a man possessed. Soon the 9 pm beat constables were heard arriving and the boys fled, but not before one of them had stabbed Madhu in his abdomen. In the pouring dark night he lay writhing in pain while the pool of blood got washed down the flowing rivulet of water in the street. Due to the incessant rains, that had inevitably triggered traffic snarls, Sanjeevani ambulance got delayed and Madhu had succumbed to his injuries by the time help arrived.

Madhu’s alter ego- the self of the pepper was in action that fateful day.  He is the quintessential salt and pepper guy-the nice and amicable gentlemanly self was like salt that was noticed only when he was absent that had coexisted with the peppery self which did not keep any stone unturned on the critical night to save the girl.

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This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.