Punyasloke Bose

Action

3  

Punyasloke Bose

Action

The Replica

The Replica

10 mins
202


There was heavy turmoil in and around the capital city. The administration had failed to manage the law and order. The news of unrest was coming from the other parts of the country too. Basic infrastructure activities were tottering and it would be over in a few weeks or even days. Gautam was caught amongst the crossfire between the royal security guards and the rebel force.

The news services were reporting that a big chunk of the population was fleeing the country. The people who were fleeing were leaving behind everything that had been accumulated over a lifetime. Everywhere there was uncertainty. There were reports of fierce fighting going on at some places of the country. 

Gautam was also fleeing the country. Because he thought it was no longer safe to continue working here as now he was married. As he was not alone, he was accompanied by his wife of six months and her parents.


Gautam was a foreigner in this country. He had come from his native place, in a country at a distance of about three thousand kilometers from his current area of operation. He had come to work as a cook in the base kitchen of the Western forces.

Back home the job market was dull and there was no great opportunity. Browsing through the newspapers, Gautam had come across this advertisement seeking the appointment of a cook in the base kitchen of the Western forces in this country in the Hindu Kush mountain ranges. He got selected through an online process that arranged for his visa. The salary was very mouthwatering because there was so much at stake and life was uncertain. No one would pay so much here. 

The Western forces had been present in this country for almost two decades now. They were camping here to curb violence incited upon by insurgents and to help set up a democracy in the wild hilly country.


Gautam belonged to the region once graced by the Holy Buddha. From his childhood, he had heard many stories relating to the great Buddha.

On getting the news of Gautam getting the job in the country in the North Hindu kush mountains, his history professor in college Dr. Prasad came to meet him and update important news. According to Dr. Prasad, Buddha who belonged to this region had an important relic used by him before he handed it over to his disciples. It was a big bowl known as the begging bowl. People gave alms to the Buddha in this bowl from which he sustained himself. This bowl was made of stone and was very heavy. It could be carried by a minimum of four full-grown men. Buddha had passed it on to his disciples after he had used it for some time. 

Later on the Kushan ruler, Kanishka had invaded this region and had carried away this Buddha relic to his country In the North West of India. Kanishka took the help of this Buddha relic for the spread of Buddhism in his country. For the next few centuries, the begging bowl kept moving from one place to the other and finally, it was stored in a museum by the British. Dr. Prasad further told Gautam that for many years the government was trying to bring back the relic but was unsuccessful. According to him, as Gautam would be staying in the region where this Great relic was then he should be aware of it and its historic importance.

Gautam on joining his new assignment had immediately taken upon himself to locate the 'bowl'. He visited the museum where the relic was stored. Gautam had befriended one security guard of the museum and with his help, Gautam would visit the museum to get to see the bowl more frequently. On seeing the relic, Gautam was visibly moved. He felt pride well up in him on thinking that this wonderful relic once belonged to the region from where he hailed. 

With the help of this new friend, Gautam took on rent a room in the house of the security guard. The guard lived there with his family of wife and daughter. As the security guard belonged to the minority community in that country so they were subject to many rules and restrictions. Most of the rules were in place to curb the independence of women. Gautam narrated the story of the bowl to the guard and his family, who listened to him wide-eyed with child-like exuberance. Especially the daughter Gita felt very fascinated. She wanted to know more about Gautam and his country and the freedom the women enjoyed in his country. She wondered that despite her religion being the same as Gautam's, she couldn't enjoy the same freedom which the women enjoyed in Gautam's country. She always dreamt of freedom and love as she was now an adolescent but was concerned about the restrictions that she and her ilk were subjected to. So she slowly influenced Gautam by becoming more friendly with him and finally talked of marriage. Because she knew by marriage, Gita would be able to leave behind this pestering country and begin a new life of freedom in Gautam's country.


Recently, their country was passing through a transition phase. Rebel groups were uniting against the government forces. Till now the government forces were stronger and resisted whatever inroads the rebels made. But after so many years, the government forces were not able to match the strength of the rebel forces. The rebels were being helped by a neighbouring country with arms, ammunition, and funds. Every day there was news that another city was being captured by the rebels and the government forces were taking a beating. The full country was in a war like situation. Although there had been hardly any peace for the past several years now the situation had turned worse. Schools and colleges were closed concerning the safety of the students. Market places remained open only for a few hours in the day. There was no nightlife. Sometimes electricity supply was cut off for many hours. Banks and other offices were functioning with bare minimum staff and could be closed indefinitely very soon. The whole civil population was in panic mode. Almost every day there was sound of guns firing and mortars bursting into flames after falling on some target. The medical services were also running on skeletal human resources and paucity of funds. Hospitals were generally packed with wounded women and children. The whole situation of the country was very grave.

Before the Indian consulate was winding up services due to security concerns, Gautam had filed for visa permission for his self, wife and her parents. Soon after the consulate wound up and future applications would be processed electronically.

Within a few days, Gautam told his family to be prepared to leave the country. Because his base kitchen had wound up operations and all the force was being relocated to their respective parent country.

There was news of heavy shelling around the capital city. The rebels had taken control of all the major cities. The country's ruler and his wife had fled with helicopters loaded with cash. The Presidential Palace was now anybody's precinct whoever had the courage and the arms. In a few days that too was under the rebel's control.

On the day of escape, Gautam had learned that a big transport plane of the Western forces was scheduled to leave for Delhi. These planes had huge capacity as they were without any seats and all the passengers had to sit out on the floor.


Gautam with his family in tow took an open jeep of the army and told one native driver to drop them off at the airport. They took minimum belongings as they knew burdening themselves with heavy luggage would be foolish. Before the jeep could start, a mortar shell had burst a few feet away. Then it caught fire and with no time their building was up in flames. There was dust and smoke everywhere. The jeep started immediately propelled by the thought of the impending danger ahead. There was heavy artillery parading down the road towards the airport. The sound of gunfire and mortar shells was everywhere. There was no security check at the airport. People were running here and there with their kids and belongings. At the distant airfield, there could be seen three big transport planes ready for take-off. There was news that air traffic control was no longer in operation as they had been taken over by the rebels. With the rebels not knowing anything about aircraft and airport handling the control tower was orphaned. The jeep taking Gautam and the group entered the airport premises and was going straight to the nearest transport plane as there was no security to stop them from entering. Then all of a sudden there was the sound of continuous gunfire from automatic machine rifles. Some two or three fighters had climbed on the control tower and had started firing randomly towards the fleeing passengers. Panic-driven the passengers started running here and there to avoid getting hit. But bodies started falling and others fell being tripped on their runway. Gautam's jeep had almost reached the aircraft when the driver got hit straight by a sniper bullet and succumbed immediately over the wheel. The jeep began going zig-zag out of control. Then it came to stop suddenly hitting a pole. The driver fell off. Quickly Gautam alighted and helped his wife and his parents-in-law to get off. Without losing further time and showing no emotion to the dead driver they began running towards the aircraft. Because they could hear the announcement by the pilot of the plane that any time soon the boarding gates would close and the plane would prepare for takeoff. Very soon Gautam and Gita boarded the plane. But tragically the parents could not board because the boarding gates had been shut. Any amount of pleading by Gautam did not relent the crew to open the door again. Just then a big mortar fell near the wheel of the craft and burst into flames. The pilot did not take any chance and started the plane to move towards the main runaway. Gita was sobbing dearly having to leave without her parents. From the window she saw a glimpse of them for the last time in her life, never to see them again. The plane took off soon amidst more mortar shelling. Now there was a big fire in the airport building that could be seen from the windows. As the air traffic control was inoperative the pilot took help from the airport of a neighboring country.

Tired of so much stress and anxiety all the passengers fell asleep. All the passengers were seated on the huge belly of the plane. There must have been about three hundred of them in all. Gautam also fell asleep with his wife Gita sleeping with her head resting on his shoulders. Then in the deep sleep even in that precarious condition, Gautam saw a beautiful dream. He saw the Buddha blessing him and telling him something. A little later he could understand that Buddha was telling him that an exact replica of the begging bowl of the museum was lying buried beneath the ground near the Mango tree in Gautam's back yard. He was still savoring the dream when with a jolt he was awakening. The plane had hit the ground running and was preparing to land. Very soon Gautam was out on the road in Delhi with his wife Gita. They took a train from the station and in a day reached their native place. Gautam's parents and other kin were overjoyed in the safe return of Gautam along with the new family member Gita. In a few days, Gautam and Gita were married in a Hindu temple and a social marriage was done with the whole village invited to the celebrations.


After all, was over then Gautam remembering the Buddha's beckon in the dream took to dig the ground near the Mango tree. Very soon to everyone's delight came out another bowl of the same size. After proper washing and cleaning the bowl was found to resemble the original one. A perfect replica. 


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