One for All-Part-1

How calmly he slept with the sun looking down on him. Even sun had a smile, looking him sleep like that everyday. Bhola was accustomed to hearing different sounds in his sleep, chewing and mowing of cows, cursing and laughing of women, birds calling names to each other, wind in the trees, friction of stray animals with the standing crops, shouting of his master and sometimes even his snores. Yet among these he slept like he is never going to get up again except that he always does and that too with a start. Not because he had a bad dream but that’s how he was and the next moment he will assume the role he has been assigned with so much of energy and suddenness that to an unknown eye he will appear to be working the whole night. He will make the birds fly, animals run, silence the women and cow, all with one shout.

Bhola was a hired help for protecting the crops and the house from trespassers. But even his masters didn’t mind his sleeping till late, for a mind like that needs a proper rest. His such reputation was more out of word that followed him than on any facts.

The story around the village was that Bhola was from a distant village. He was an orphan at a very early age, no one to take care of him and no one whom he has to take care of. He was raised in streets, temples, bus stations, fairs, government buildings, shops etc. Well built young man of about thirty, he had a rough handsomeness in a peculiar way of unknown origin and his voice and smile just guided the point home. Nobody knew his real name or the village where he comes from but everybody looked at him with an unknown affection. His unknown past didn’t bother anyone instead they kept it that way because the same fact has entertained them for as many days as they can remember to have spent with Bhola.

Every time someone asks him about where he comes from, the ingenious storyteller called Bhola spun a velvety tale with design of laughter, emotion and tragedy all weaved together to make a colorful past. He made the experience so realistic that men and women cried, laughed and cursed equally with every twist and turn.

Although village had not witnessed any thefts or burglaries in near past but the news of such incidents in far off villages has given them enough material to gossip and be afraid of. Bus drivers or other travelers passing through village would narrate the incident to one or two local person. Seeing them reacting so hard to the news, they would add some of their own facts to feed on the expressions and reactions of his audience and feel like a master storyteller. That is how Bhola ended up in the village. He was just a passerby with a story to tell. He was not expecting anyone to buy it until the main settlement 130 Kms away. But to his surprise people here were far more gullible than he had assumed. And with his style of narrative, everyone was scared to death if only the villain of his story chooses to pay a visit to their humble settlement. But then there was the Hero of his stories, Himself. He would tell everyone in relishing detail how he had fought those giant thieves or burglars or dacoits lashed with life size knifes, swords, axes and guns, with bare hands and stuffed brains. He would weave a good to great strategy, depending on the size of the crowd, leaving mouths open and hands clapping as he traversed from help cries of the hapless victims to the ceremonies kept in his honor.

“He was holding the gun in his left and in the right hand had a big bag in which a man would have been easily accommodated. He threatened the Seth with his menacing look which was enough to compel Seth, to put all his money in the bag. They carried the stuffed bag on their shoulder and were leaving. I saw all that happening.”

“Why didn’t you stop them then or at least you should have shouted to gather a crowd.”

“Actually I was enjoying the look on the Seth’s face as if his last kidney has been taken away from him. But then I could not just let that happen to the poor villagers.”

“I thought you told that the money belonged to the Seth, then where do villagers come in picture?”

“You illiterate souls don’t understand the cause and effect of such events. This incident would seem very personal to your untrained and drained brain. But how this will compel Seth to increase his interest rates, how fund crunch with him will not allow farmers to borrow more and lose their season with no seeds, no fertilizers and in result no crops does not occur to you. How the same fund crunch will compel Seth in selling some of the mortgaged land with him, which he was putting off until now. Well this is economy and you have to take into account everything minor or major which might in turn affect the fate of the mass.”

“Wow you are so much wiser than us. We would have never thought about that. Well than did you save the poor villagers?”

“Of course I did. How can I let that happen to my subjects. As soon as the villainous creature came out the door, there waiting for him was the festival of Holi.”

“Holi?”

“Yes the festival of colors. But that day we decided to play with only one color, Red. And unfortunately that red color came from red chill powder. As soon as the powder hit the eye, that villain was blinded momentarily. Then I grabbed by the neck and pulled him to hit his head to the pillar. He was unconscious.”

“That's it. You just won?”

“Yes, what do you expect after that. Villagers tied him, police came and untied him, gave him a ride till his home, he threatened while leaving and came back next day.”

“What happened when he came back next day?”

“He took all the money from the Seth. Poor Seth or rather I should say foolish Seth didn’t realize he would come back so soon. And I was not in the village so nobody even bothered to stop to see.”

“Poor Seth, if only you would have been around that time. Never mind, You cannot be at all places at a time.”

“Well I can, but I chose not to be.”

“I don’t believe you, that is not possible.”

“Oh well someday you will see, but right now the story at hand. Well Police had seen his house, so all we had to do was to get it out of police and be there at appropriate moment to get the money back.”

“Wow, that sounds like a plan. But what could be appropriate moment for an action like this.”

“When our Mr. villain went to for natures call under the open sky. As soon as he sat down and started his business, villagers who were hiding nearby started shouting and making noises. Ashamed of being seen in public he started to run with his pants down and hid in a bush. Until he was hid we retrieved our money, and left as we were never there.”

“Ha ha ha. that is so funny and that bastard deserved it. Seth was lucky to have you.”

“That is the twist in the tale. Seth until this day doesn’t know about our little adventure. He was robbed and that's were the story ended for him. All that money was distributed among the villagers.”

“Can you do it for our village too?”

“Oh come on don’t be greedy Chacha. Go home now, story is over.”