Namita Rani Panda

Drama Others

4  

Namita Rani Panda

Drama Others

Border

Border

5 mins
55


While Mr Shashank was engrossed in watching the news from TV, Mamata rushed into the room and shouted, " You just sit in front of the TV. Again that fat black cat has dumped the garbage beside our garage."

Still looking at the TV Shashank said, "So, what? The cat also needs some space to poop. Don't go there. I know it's my duty to clean before taking my bath. Let the news be over."

With annoyance, Mamata shouted, " I'm talking about Mrs Yadav. This is for the third time she did this. You know it very well. The first time we cleaned the area by engaging Matu. Second time politely I told her not to dump garbage beside our quarters. It was immediately removed. But again today they trimmed the drumstick tree in their garden and dumped all the branches beside our garage. Along with that, they heaped the uprooted weeds too. Are we their servants?"

" Mamata, please don't make a fuss of small things. What will people think of us? Think about our prestige." Shashank tried to pacify.

But Mamata was not in a mood to listen. " They don't have civic sense. They keep their surrounding spick and span and shamelessly dump their garbage beside our quarters. Can't anyone see this?" She retorted.

" Oh! Don't get upset. Maybe it's too late in the evening. Wait till morning. They may throw away the branches in the morning."

"Okay. But I don't think they will do. If not, I will throw them into their area."


Shashank didn't tell anything. He knows Mamata very well. She will definitely do what she decides. No one can stop her.

He smiled and said," Whose area Mamata? These are government quarters. We are not permanent residents. We can keep the surrounding clean. We should not fight for space for cultivation."

" I know. I too am not a farmerette. You know the reason very well why I planted a banyan tree in the corner."

" Yes, I know. I appreciate your cleverness. They stopped dumping their garbage there. No need to fight or quarrel. You found out a wise solution."

" But they started dumping two feet away from the banana tree. And I had to open my mouth."

" You did the right thing."

" You see, Mrs Yadav is slyly encroaching our area. First, she planted a row of papaya plant to mark their area. Then she encroached one foot by planting a row of basil plants. Then again encroached one foot by planting a row of chilli plants."

"It seems, she loves gardening very much. Let her be happy with her hobby."

" Do you know, she was occupying the whole space in between the two quarters? Previously, we didn't have such divisions. We both the families were using the leaves of the drumstick tree. Mr Prakash and his family were very nice. But now it is on their side. You can't go near it. Whenever I go for some leaves, she would watch like an eagle and remind me repeatedly, ' ma'am, please mind the chilli saplings. Don't tread on them,' as if I'm blind."

" There are so many drumstick plants on the campus. Again, the leaves of this tree are not so tasty. "

" But what would you have done at the time of repairing the roof of the garage? It would have been difficult to go to that side. I had requested her to leave at least two feet space beside our garage."

" I do appreciate your foresight."


The next morning Sashank was in a hurry to go to the office. Throughout the day he was busy for admissions. When he came home for lunch Mamata was looking very serious.

While taking food he asked, " Has the fat cat created any problem?"

She smiled and said, " No, she will never dare to."

" Why? What happened?"

" In the morning I found the husband and wife working in their garden. They didn't throw away the branches. So I threw all the branches to their side along with the weeds thrown by her."

" You will never change. " He chuckled.

" Not only that, but I also planted a row of hedge to make a fence. She will never be able to set her foot in our side."

" Then you should look happy. Why are you looking gloomy?"

" Mini didi had rung me. She was telling that Suni didi had encroached my area."

Shashank was surprised. " How is it possible? The land was demarcated in the presence of all."

" Yes, it was. But she is not satisfied now. She thinks that her share is less. So she demarcated the land again and has encroached a few feet of my land."

Shashank felt disgusted. " Please don't tell me anything about the dispute among your sisters for the paternal property. Your father has not gifted you a piece of land but sown a seed of quarrel."


He lay on the diwan and switched on the TV. The top news headline flashed: 20 soldiers martyred in the Galwan Valley face-off, Indian Army vows to protect the nation's territorial integrity. His heart ached for the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Land, maybe an inch at the border or a piece of paternal property, has always been a bone of contention among people and nations. His short nap was disturbed by a thundering voice.


Mamata had changed the channel to DD Bharati and was watching The Mahabharata serial. Lord Krishna was in the court of Hastinapur, the kingdom of Kurus, to seek peace. Krishna pleaded to give five villages to the Pandavas and they would go happily. In response to this Duryodhana said,

"Take my message to my kinsmen, for Duryodhana's words are plain,

A portion of the Kuru empire sons of Pandu seek in vain,

Town nor village, mart nor hamlet, help us, righteous gods, in heaven,

Spot that needle's point cover not unto them be given!"

Mamata was deeply engrossed in watching the scene.


Rate this content
Log in

More english story from Namita Rani Panda

Border

Border

5 mins read

Similar english story from Drama