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.

In the Fantasy Land

I have been travelling for days now but not an iota of life around me.

Everything around me is in a fixated state. All lights are gone barring a moving green pearl shimmering in the tunnel, its rays creating an envelope of mesmerizing beauty all around. Through the sideways and alleys, I see males, females and children, all in a state of daze and motionless- as if someone was playing a game of statue and everybody got fixed to their positions. It was clear to me that once what used to be a happy kingdom with the usual din and bustle, colors all around, beautiful gardens with trees in full bloom, flowing rivers and green pastures –was now motionless, stuck in a limbo of perennial immobility. Was it due to some blight or bane that life has paused here and is ready to be in motion just at the touch of a magic wand?

I remember getting into the tunnel towards the center of the earth from the midriff of the beautiful Sarovar where I was playing by the bank. Someone, probably a messenger from Heaven - a Debdoot, called me and I just followed him towards the middle of the lake. As soon as we reached the middle of the lake, an arrow appeared from nowhere, parting the waters and creating a deep tunnel in the middle. I just followed him and continued walking. Though I am the son of King Aradha of the Himalayas, and am considered to be the crown prince of this planet, I was feeling homesick and terrified and tears welled up in my eyes. How do I survive here?

With the intention of trying to find someone to talk to, I moved around a bit more but wherever I go, it is the same deserted, forlorn story. It just looked to me a simple touch is what they are all waiting for to bring them back to life.

Is it that I am the last person to live in the world - the feeling itself is as eerie as it sounds? But then do I have a secret of my own to do something about it, me being the prince of world? 

Suddenly it struck me that I still have one more boon left with me- two others had already been used to rescue Gods from the clutches of demons and to prevail over Saturn to spread love in the world.

I got into action to invigorate the power of the third boon and got deep into prayer and meditation. After a long hour, I opened my eyes to find a golden magic stick in front of me and could hear a voice from behind.

Following the instructions, I went inside the palace, turned to the north-east corner, went up five stairs, turned to my right, got down ten stairs and walked for ten steps in the front. There was an urn lying enclosed in a small wooden chamber. I was told not to touch the chamber lest the power of the wand vanished. Very carefully, from a distance, I used my golden magic stick to take out the urn using the knotted string tied in its’ throat without touching the chamber and not allowing a drop of nectar to trickle behind.

Once in my possession, I spread the nectar all over the place bringing them back to life. Everybody was back to their usual selves with smiles all around. I was pleasantly surprised by the utter absence of misery and pain, cruelty or jealousy in that land that saw only happiness all around.

The grateful King of the land met me that evening and proposed marriage to his daughter. We lived happily ever after making sure – with our vigilance that our beautiful planet doesn't go to that sordid state again.

*Thoughts influenced from stories read on Fantasy Land (RupKatha) during childhood days.