Rumination Of A Soldier
Rumination Of A Soldier


A big giant has come and sitting over me growing to take a gigantic form. Suddenly I got up sweating profusely. Today I have completed six years of stay in Delhi. After facing many difficulties in a rural environment of Jaisalmer, in a very remote place of Rajasthan, I could complete my education up to 12th Std. Kargil war was going on with the armies of both India and Pakistan in exalted spirit. If two-four shells fell on the Indian side our army retaliated with eight-ten shells. The whole sky had turned red.
The heat of the summer months had subsided but I fled away to Delhi. I had no intention to run away but I had no other choice. The locality where I stayed had only four to six houses. Half of them were Muslims. I used to call one of them as Uncle. But his name was Ikram Khan who for me was a Balloon Uncle. Ikran Uncle used to go to the town regularly in his truck. While return he used to get me balloons of different colors. He used to fill the air and give me the balloons. I had a special fascination for him only for balloons but it may not be correct as there was one more reason and that was Eid.
Ikram Uncle had no discrimination between caste, creed or color. His smile with a sense of equanimity appealed to me. Today I had returned back to those days. I still remember the day I was born. It was Ikram Uncle who took me in his lap for the first time. All of these I learned from my mother.
Today I have completed 25 years and the reason for this giant to come into my thoughts was that today was my birthday. When I walk down the memory lane and think,” What have I achieved? ”This city!
I remember vividly when I came down to Delhi in the month of June- July 1999 the moment I got down at the station the Ticket Collector asked me, “ Show me your ticket?”
A got confused completely and told him, “ I do not have it.”
I gave many reasons to the Ticket Collector but proved futile.
He caught my hand and dragged me so fast that I fell suddenly. I have spent almost four days only with water. When I got my conscience I found myself at the police station. The constable stared at me as if I was an escaped Pakistani agent or a terrorist. After interrogating several times when the constable left, the voice of two middle-aged prisoners fell into my ears.
First prisoner - “What is your name?”
Second prisoner replied - “Manoj and yours?”
First prisoner replied, “Kabir”
Kabir asked Manoj” How did you come here?
Manoj Told Kabir,” I came here after killing my wife”.
Kabir – “Why did you kill your wife?”
Manoj- “What should I tell. Her lover, Haria used to come to meet her often?”
Kabir – “So? Then?”
Manoj - “Then what?” (a little pause) It was not only his coming. (saying he paused again) .... He had with her …..
Kabir –“What happened due to his coming? Why did you stop?”
(Kabir now showed interest. I was not able to read the expressions which were on their faces. But I too cleared my ears to listen to their talk carefully)
Manoj – “Hey! Not only did he come but developed relations with her too”.
Kabir - (Now he asked with a guffaw.) Has the result of the relation come out or not?
Manoj – “Are you joking?”
Kabir - "Oh no, I remembered something else"..
Manoj-"What is that ?"
By now I had moved closer to Kabir and Manoj listening to their talk. Both began to stare at me with curious eyes.
Kabir asked me, "What are you doing here?"
I got a little scary and did not reply because of fear. Manoj repeated the same question.
Now I had to say that I ran away from the Kargil war and the Ticket Collector dumped me here as I had no ticket. Before I could tell them more, the Inspector came there. Upon seeing the Inspector, I slipped again and came to my place.
Inspector – “So you? Without a ticket?”
Me- “Yes, I nodded my head, still holding my tongue tight.
Inspector – “What is your name?”
Me – “Ankit”.
Inspector – “From the name, you look to be from a decent family. But how could you land here?”
Me- "Sir, I came here somehow, escaping from Jaisalmer".
Before I could tell my point, the inspector asked me with a surprise, “Escaped?”
I could understand his Haryanvi accent but being typical rural, I could not make out in which rural area the language was spoken.
Before I could elaborate my point about my escape, he struck his baton loudly and asked,” Will you tell me or not?”
Me – "Yes Sir...."
Inspector – "Proceed."
I told in a confused voice – We were fighting a war.
Inspector - (shouting out loud) War? Are you a Pakistani (This time his screams were both angry and frightening.)
Me- "No Sir, I am an Indian."
Inspector – “Hey Vikram come here” (he called him loudly)
Me- "Sir, I have come from Betul village of Jaisalmer" (this time I started to speak a bit careful because of the fear of the inspector's voice and his baton.).
Me -"I have come from Betul village , Jaisalmer."
Inspector – “Telling me a lie, Sala”. (He scared me.)
Me –“No, Sir, I am Hindustani”.
Inspector – “Why did you escape and came to Delhi?” asked smilingly this time.
Me – “Sir, because of the war”.
Inspector – "Which war?"
Me-“Yes Sir, Kargil war. India- Pakistan war. I ran away to save my life”.
Inspector- "OK, you mean Kargil war?"
Me – "Yes Sir...."
Inspector – "Proceed."
I told in a confused voice – We were fighting a war.
Inspector – “Why are you alone? Where is the rest of your family?”
Me-Yes Sir, “They took away my sister, while with my parents, I could not save her.”. Bringing the feelings of despair I began to speak further, “In the Kargil village the sky was becoming red due to heavy shelling. I had great difficulty,
Inspector – “Well, why did not you buy the ticket? You may be fined and imprisoned.”
Me- “Yes, I know Sir”.
Inspector-“Then?”
Me- “I lived only on water for four days. Bearing the pushes and pulls in trains I somehow managed to reach here in Delhi”.
Inspector- “It is a lie, Sala”.
Me- This time I felt Sala was his favorite jargon or catchphrase. In the meantime, the constable came overhearing our conversation. The moment the inspector looked at him he started trembling and asked meekly, “Sir, Did you call me?”
Inspector - "Yes"
Constable – “Do you have any work, Sir?”?
Inspector – "No, you may go back".
As soon as the constable went, the inspector asked me - “So how did you come here?”
I told you by getting pushes and pulls in the train
Inspector – "Are you trying to be funny, Sala? I mean the Police Station".
Me- "Ticket Collector brought me here dragging".
Inspector felt pity seeing my condition and my appearance and asked.” Would you like to eat something?”
I nodded my head accepting his offer.
The Inspector called the constable Vikram again and ordered him to bring food for me and make necessary arrangement for my bath. Now the Inspector was to me, no less than God. When I became free after bath and eating my food, Inspector gave me Rs. 100 with some instructions.
Inspector – “You left everything and reached Delhi. You search for a job of cleaning or gardening or go back home”.
I had no one in the big city like Delhi, so I immediately agreed to take up a job. Till the evening I was in the lockup. Then the Inspector took me to his house.
As soon as we reached the house, the Inspector asked his wife to serve food for both.
Inspector made me sit along with him on the dining table and narrated the whole story of the police station to his wife. Only after coming to the house of the Inspector, I came to know that he was looking tough from outside but he was soft from inside. They become tough because of their profession and probably he was soft with me because he had no children. They gave me a space to live in. In return, I started doing all their work..
One day, suddenly the Inspector returned home early, perhaps due to poor health or due to less pressure of work in the police station. As soon as he came, I wanted to know the reason for his early return. But he scold
ed me and asked me to prepare tea for him. As I was preparing tea inside, I started thinking that he was not like that till today. For the last 3 months, I had not seen him behaving at home this way. Then got busy preparing tea thinking about it again and again
After some time I went to the lawn and told, “Sir, Tea.”
Inspector – “Yes, keep it.”
I had no courage to ask him anything. To me, he looked the same Inspector as I had seen him sitting in the police station on the first day. This behavior made me feel so sad that I ran away from his house that night. I came running to reach the spot of Teen Murthy and being and tired, slept in the park itself. I woke up only when the strong rays of morning sun fell on my face.
For a long time, I kept watching the vehicles moving around the idol. I did not even have a watch to see the time. Then suddenly my eyes reached a person with handcart across the street. I had my wash and tea there. Delhi looked to me like heaven. I saw the broad streets, the greenery, the vehicles, etc for the first time in my life. After wandering all day and eating and drinking something I searched for a park to sleep.
While searching for a park, I reached India Gate and found there a large palace in front with lots of lights even at late at night. On asking the people, I was told that it was Rashtrapati Bhavan where the country's first citizens reside with his office and staff. India Gate is in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan which I came to know from people.
After seeing this dazzle many times, when I was tired, I started searching for a place to sleep where one or two more people were already preparing for sleep. I just lied beside them. A few days passed away like this wandering around till the time of dawn. I had Rs 100, given by Inspector Saab, in the pocket which also was depleting., Then I began blaming myself for running away from Inspector's house. He had just scolded, not pleased with my question.
As I had come away from the village, it was time to find work. Without knowing the antecedents nobody in the city engaged people on any work. Men have been addicted to the city. Wherever you look you find vehicles, smoke, skyscrapers, monuments, train tracks, which have been laid tearing off the belly of Delhi here and there.
I came to Delhi for the first time with a lot of expectations and initiative. Now the same city runs to eat me Somehow wandering here and there, making the grass of the park as my bed, the sky as my rooftop, I was sleeping. Wherever I got the job I took it. Somehow the day was passing, keeping the hungry stomach full with the help of plain water. Two to three months have passed after leaving the house of the Inspector and now the two pairs of clothes that are with me also run to eat me.
I spent most of the nights at India Gate during these two to three months. The reason was not only to see this tall structure but to see those veteran leaders who passed through this way. I used to see that all those famous leaders who used to run frequently from the Parliament House to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in their posh vehicles.
Now the day has come when the country remembers its Constitution Day and wants to show to the whole world its nuclear strength. But once again I start thinking whether the nuclear strength may safeguard the interests of those who, like me, have run away or who have become migrants here for some reason to take care of their safety, security, and food? Before January 26, many beggars were banished from here. These beggars are like dark spots on the moon who do not make the country look beautiful but make it look ugly.
In some way, I was also sticking like a leech. On the day of the parade, I saw everything hiding. There was also the train which tore the belly of Delhi and moved underground. Somehow, I got into the tableau of that train saving myself and joined the people who walked and danced, thinking that in six to seven months my fate would change.
Like this, I had also entered several temples with the hope of getting Prasad so that I may not be with an empty stomach. I could guess when it happened with me for the first time that not only the man but the God and His priest devotees also eat men of big cities.
When Pundit Ji asked me, “Have you bought the offering?” -
Pundit Ji I have not come with offerings but have come here for the Prasad.
Pundit Ji – “You have simply come empty-handed”...
When I got out from there, I was standing for a long time in the line of those who asked for some Prasad and how many times I got the offerings from there, to satiate my hunger, only I know. After getting dejected, I stood along with others in the queue for Prasad for a long time on many occasions and whatever I got helped me to appease my hunger.
Well, now I had entered the table of a train that was named Metro. Probably, for this reason, the city is called Metro. Many people inside the tableau were staring at me curiously as if they were eating men. Did I wonder what kind of city was this?
People inside the tableau stared at me curiously as if they were eating men. I have been seeing a lot about this city where some people eat men or others in the whole city. While talking to a person working in the tableau, I gave him the information that I had studied up to twelfth standard but without a job and looking for one He was also well-versed in the form of reading. He gave me his number and the address of the house and also the job assurance.
Many days passed and one day suddenly I was found lying unconscious under the Barakhamba Metro Station by someone who admitted me to the nearby nursing hospital for treatment. When I regained consciousness, I found the same Inspector in front of me from whose house I ran away.
Now I felt even more embarrassed and angry at myself. But the Inspector had no wrinkle on his face. After some time when I was able to talk, I apologized to him. The Inspector gave me his name, address, phone number and told me that if I was still interested I may resume my work in his house. But I refused, after hearing which he left the place. I was released from the nursing home after three days when while wandering I fell asleep in front of the house of a political leader.
In the morning when the leader was going to his office, along with a convoy of vehicles, he found me sleeping and ordered his servants to throw me out. I was forced to leave that place which brought an aversion towards those leaders and the entire city. where no one lived for others but for themselves.
After throwing me out from there, I got into a dilapidated room that remained closed from when nobody knows. The smell coming from the room seemed unbearable for me. Still standing in front of that house I started thinking why did the affluent people lack humanity. And why they only have the grace of the Goddess of wealth?
The nights were getting cooler now, so finding no other alternative, I stood in front of Saroj Babu's house. When he found me there, in a pathetic condition he invited me inside the house. In a city so, large he was the only ray of hope for me. After about three-four days' rest, he introduced me to one of his senior officials who had once appointed me temporarily at the police station.
Today when I remember again the six years of my life spent in Delhi, I start thinking if Saroj Babu. Had he not been there, who would have been with me in this unfamiliar city? Remembering those six years I forgot totally about the time when it was it already 9-30 AM I was supposed to reach office at 10 o'clock in the morning., After taking bath hurriedly and getting all the work done when I reached the office, it was showing 10-15 AM in my clock. Today, once again the country was celebrating its constitution. Republic Day.
THE END
शहर जो आदमी खाता है
DramaFantasy
Tejas Poonia
https://storymirror.com/read/story/hindi/7pdofsd3/shhr-jo-aadmii-khaataa-hai/detail