Bhagirathi Mohanty

Drama Tragedy Classics

4.0  

Bhagirathi Mohanty

Drama Tragedy Classics

A broken heart

A broken heart

16 mins
251


The heat was very intolerable by cause of the fervent sun. All existent and magnolia seemed half a life. All the old people in the old age home were snoring loudly except the youngest among them. He was newly admitted in to this last resort. All the items including the fans were broken, such as the incapable old people who were sloughed off their sons' whom they complained creating ' annoyance and their fifty percent salary had been misutilised for their medical expenses.

      The newly entered Ritesh , was forced out mercilessly by his kindreds

  It was a winter night.  He was trembling like a palm leaf. To wards the later part of the night he   extended in a rail road terminal . A train was on the platform. He did not know its destination but boarded in it. He sat beside an old man who seemed to him possessing no-one. Probably, his only support was his tears. Inscedentally, he was aware of the fact that he was sluffed  off  his home

  unable  to  lay out substantial earnings for the benefit of the home 

     Ritesh querried ,,"where are you wandering  ?"

      " To another supporting place in search of daily labour " replied Rabi.

 "Pertinently, where is your pire platform?" Rabi asked.

      You appear weaker and older than myself .you can not do any manual work. He suggested"look for a old age home _ they can help you. It is nearer to this station"

  " But of yourself? Are you not forthcoming with me to the old age shelter ?"Ritesh Included.

 "No ,It is just a shelter _ no other facilities. I want freedom from bond.  I will try for a registered railway labourer and take pleasure in, depoting and comixing with a lot many passengers to realize their weal and woe ."

The train came to halt.

  He said,"Your stipulated terminus arrived. Get down here. Ask anybody about the destination.He can help you reach the outstrech to old age boarding. Be happy. Don't remember the melancholic past. Live in the present ."

    Ritesh moved down from the cabin and looked here and there in Search of a particular person who can direct him to the old age protection. An aged man was going past him. 

    He halted him and wanted to get statitics  from him which was the way to the  old people home where the  ill-fated old people abode.

He gave the idea," Go straight.  Then right turn and to the left. The lane is finished there. Fleck a blade of grass where càttle are grazing freely not like the ones inside the hall who are imprisoned to diseases and reprimand their adversities."

     The long description about the place made him half hearted. When he entered the hàll nobody showed interest.  On him. Almost all were prey to some sort of diseases : coughing and sneezing. 

    He asked one of them,,"Brother, I want to see the owner."

  A gray haired man  With a look of surprise, opened a gust of gas and inquired," Have you deposited a year's marginal money in  advance ?"

    "I have been discarded by my family  As per I know some kind hearted men has set up this for the benefit of the feebles"

    He laughed openly and pointed his fingers out side and said harshly ," Are you my God son ?" 

   Being scared he asked ," sir, I guess you are the benefactor and all in all of the old age shade.!"

    "Please be kind to me. Having everything I have nothing. I think you receive a large aid from the government to run the abode".

       Anger found its place in his words," Go away. Get lost. "

     Ritesh prostratated."Be kind to me. I will do whatever work you trust me. I will do unhesitatingly but don't refuse me  to nuzzle here ."

       His anger seethed. He thought for a while and instructed to take care of the cows and milch them. the morning's quota of milk will be supplied out to the tea stalls . With the bottles in hand, early in the morning you visit those shops. There are other departments and each of the boarders are in charge of them"

    Is this the life he aspired for ? Even so,

, it is far better than the life at home

   What did not he do for his family? He was posted as a dealing assistant in a T.R.W. high school. He had some extra money from accountancy in a private firm from evening till late night 

. He did spend a pie for his own.  pocketing the whole sum he returned home. His only obsession was that his wife he loved most , died after bringing forth two male genders   . He was broken hearted. Inspite of pursuance , he did not marry for the  nd time.He kept a snapshot of his bygone wife in his pocket às a source of inspiration in his eternal weal. He gave his children parental love excessively and tried his best to to educate them and both of them grew up as two jewels. They were in prominent government profiles. In course of time, they made love marriage. Soon after they became couple they had a personal abhorrence towards their father who brought up them at the cost of his perspiration. Then the tussle began who would rear up the ailing old man. Both of the sons sat on a debate along with their steering wheel wives, who directed them to do things in a caerless  manner. Eg.Rama the eldest son would shut up his door after donating him fooding for one month and Shyam a like. The month which ends in thirty- first ,  nobody will receive him. Ritesh thought he had been well rewarded for his sweat- thrashed life

       On the verge of his retirement , Ritesh was suspended from his job being caught by the vigilance for the fault of others for misappropriation of Government cash.and deprived of his pension. It is for a spontaneous in flow of bucks they   loved him . 

But now things have changed : he is pocket less therefore, no love. He came to the conclusion : money money money brighter than sun shine sweeter than honey. Dispute arose between them  as regards to the old man. (They say ,oh, old fellow) 

      They forgot the old fellow was their father at the time of throwing him out of his home.

   He came to reality of the situation on the calling of the care taker.

      He charged ," Have you not cleaned the cow shed ? It is also your work. Go , do it immediately." His voice was like thunder.

     In leisurely hours , the old people assembled in a place and share among them selves regarding their ill-fate.

    One of them pronounced in tearful eyes ," What will be my five- year grand - son doing now ? Is he asking his mother when DADU will return to our home.  Do you know he plays with me, eats and sleeps with me. He goes to the market on my cycle. since the time he has left his mother he recognises noone except his DADU."

      He rips up .

     Another one described how sorrowful his life had been at home when he was for a friend of his,  edicted to drugs and he was under its clutch. His sons could not bear it and they were poverty stricken for this.Consquently ,they abandoned him from his little house. At length, he became a refugee.

      Another old man lamented ," owning  this refugee life was not for my fault. My sons did not like to live in their native places and demanded selling it as they owned citizenship in foreign countries. When the house was sold against my will I collected some soil from the room,_ I partiriated and left my kith and kin for ever."

      During the period of his participation with them Ritesh remembers his own sorrowful life.

     In his adolescent he met a girl who came to her maternal uncle's in his village and happened to come to his house as they were her distant relatives.

    On their first meeting, Ritesh offered her a PALSE chocolate which she put it into her mouth with pleasure. But she paid him in dividends.

     Every month she sends him a packet of Cadbury chocolate writing below a  line ,"It is a token of sweet and pure love not like the PALSE which is sweet and bitter."

   In due course , they married off.

      He came to actuality when the propitor  appeared before him.   

    Not only did Ritesh but others also put an end to their activities and stood up to respond him with woo.

     The  uncompromising proprietor raised his voice and said ," I see you all while away your time in talking. But keep it in mind without doing your duties properly you will be deprived of nyour amenities." He rushed away across the hall.

    After his departure Ritesh called forth the boarders for a meeting.

    He elevated them," Here most of you are paying inhabitants , except few of us who have not paid a penny. We are obliged to obey him.  But why don't you raise up your voice against his injustice. Let's revolt non violently. We will neither pin up our duties nor take lunch or dinner. Concurrently, we will conjur at to the government as regards to the monopoly of the proprietor. I hope we will get justice." 

    Majority of them  disagreed upon it stating reasons that they were incapable people. If they were expelled from the boarding they had no way left.   

      Nevertheless, he was bold enough to head the revolution himself. He did not eat or drink.  He conjurated to the concerned authorities to draw their attention against the governing body of their napotism and  corruption. But no action was taken as the whole system was under the cult.  

    He was in trouble when the proprietor cognised  that Ritesh attempted to stir up the boarders against him and conjurated to the higher authority. He issued final warning to evacuate the abode immediately.  

    In a high pitch sound he said," I knew the ultimate. As long as , I alive I will fight for justice. But time will come you will be obliged to these dependent old men. God is there you will be answerable to Him. Good bye."

     Ritesh came to the open. It was spring. Breeze was blowing slowly. Flowers of different kinds, were playing and dancing not caring the red eyes of the wrong doings of the chief. He directed to the station. Fortunately, he got the same old man who helped him  reaçh a filthy and un healthy home where he suffered beyond he could imagine.

    He submitted to him self,"Brother , are you fine ? Now I think your life is quite better than myself in the rambling atmosphere. It is time I will join you and enjoy freedom like you  despite what it costs to me." 

  The old man , Rabi said "The only hope remained for you is not so easy to get as you think  because of the  increase of unemployment. oh my God, the  old age homes are so unhelpful ! Okay I shall try for you. Have you any money with you?"

  Ritesh bowed his head and said ,"I have not seen the face of a coin since I have been expelled from my home" His voice was feeble

   "Keep this amount with you. We will meet here in the evening. I will try to my capacity  to obtain for a job." 

      In the evening when Ritesh returned to the particular place where he positioned Ritesh , to fascinate him with the work order he got for him. But to his surprise he did not find him out there. He searched for him here and there , asked the coolies but couldn't get any clue. He was in a hurry ànd going past the waiting hall. He saw some passengers gathered round some thing.  

  He asked to himself ," What is that?"

   He pulled out the passengers and saw some one had been shrouded. Hastily he un covered it .  

    He squealed," Rjse up Ritesh . See here is the work order for you."

     He cremated him and celebrated his funeral ceremony with his labourer friends. Before his cremation he collected the snapshot  of a woman. He thought probably it was his beloved wife's whom he loved most and a true friend of his worst hour,whose pyre he had witnessed before he was casted out  of his thatched roof.

  • ..................................


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