‘Vanity And Ego’

 The members of ‘Narisurakhsya samittee’ or ‘women’s association’ have gathered in one place, where they used to conduct their meetings. All the ladies are discussing the annual day program, as it has been decided to celebrate their annual day ceremony after two days, so all are busy in finalizing the programs, final rehear shall of all programs. Some light tiffin has been arranged to reduce the tension, all are busy in eating chilly pakoda, French fries, gold finger, Manchurian, paneer pakoda and chicken pakoda too. Cold drink poured on the table cloth, getting wet, but ladies have not forgotten to show off their vanity at the beginning of the meeting, they started discussing their sarees, ornaments, etc., vice president Mrs. Kabita Rao said, with arrogance, ‘look at my beautiful saree, can you guess what is its cost?’ Suddenly Mrs. Pattnaiksaid yes, ‘I know, it is within one thousand, right’;     

             

‘No, you are wrong it is only ten thousand the cost is more because of embroidery work’ said Mrs. Rao. ‘OH, it does not look so costly’, said Mrs. Pattnaik. Mrs. Rao was irritated, again Mrs. Pattnaik said, proudly --see my necklace can anyone say the price? Mrs. Das said, -- ‘yes it might have been ten thousand’. ‘No-no it’s cost is more because of the gold price has hiked; it is fifty thousand only’ said Mrs. Pattnaik. Mrs. Mishra said, with a pinching humorous voice half laughing --but now a day’s silver is gold coated just looks like pure gold with its false glazing shine as it is said, all glitters are not gold’. 

Mrs. Pattnaik was humiliated and very angry. Now the president was angry, she tried to pacify the quarrel between Mrs. Mishra and Mr. Pattnaik, she said,-- ‘it is not the time to fight rather we must think about the annual day program, which we have been trying since a long time back to impress our chief guest’, suddenly vice president Mrs. Subramanyam said,-- ‘yes, madam do not forget to ask her a big amount of donation starting from fifty thousand not less than that, president said,-- ‘sure sure, how can I forget that? That is my main intention, the purpose of annual function, these are the occasions when we get the big amount of donation for our committees, programs, activities are minor things, collection of charity, funds are the main things, otherwise, how can we serve our societies, women’s protection, ‘narisuraksya’.                                               

                                                                  

Mrs. Pattnaik said, --‘Do you know our chief guest house had been raided by ‘C.B.I’? A lot of cash money and jewelers were found from the cupboard and down the quilt, the mattress of the beds, her sons are working in America there, they have hidden lot of cash money in foreign banks’. Mrs. Mishra once again got a chance to criticize her, without stop she told continuously, -- ‘why, why should we discuss other’s internal affair? This is none of our business, mind your business, mind our business, we must praise her nicely in the introduction speech like the chief guest is a very good mother, a great social worker, a renowned writer, orator, so and so’. ‘Yes, yes’, said the president supporting to Mrs. Mishra ‘that is correct, we must think about our profit now without enquiring about her corrupted life, black money whatever she has’. Okay, now we will discuss our cultural programs. ‘Yes mam, I want to show you my preparation first said Mrs. Pattnaik. Permission was granted to her by the vice president Mrs. Roy, ‘yes, yes you explain first’,                                                                              

                                                                 

Mrs. Pattnaik had prepared many romantic songs fusing with both Hindi and English versions, the very popular songs she had composed, the fusion was like this, the song was--------

‘you, you, you, tonight I am loving you,

tonight, I am loving you,

no one can love the way you love me,

you move your body you rock on me,

tonight, I love you, do you know am not so rude,

the way you seek my love I will love you,

if I have a baby would look pretty like you,

oh-oh-oh-oh, you you you ,

you you you tonight I am loving you,

khayalo mein tum khabon mein tum tum,

hi meri mohabbat sayarri tum ho bahon mein ajao dil mein samajao,

do jisam aur ekahi dil, pyar mein khojao bahon mein bharlu tumhe,

oh meri jan oh meri tamanna arjun meri tum dil mein samajao ,,,,,,,,,,

tan mein simat jao’,

Mrs. Pattnaik was so seriously involved in her creation that she started singing another song the fusion she had composed, the song was like this,----

every time I touch, I get the feeling that you sleep by my side,

every time I kiss, I feel, I kissed your eyes,,,,,,

your arms are my castles, your heart is my sky,,,,,,

remember the days bad and good that,

I spent with you every time we touch, I feel,

I touch your lips, every time I kiss, I smell, I kiss your eyes,,,,,,

mujh se mohabatt ka izhar karlo kayamat ho na ho,,,,,,, 

meri jan mere pyar kubul karlo, do badan ek jan zindegi to bana lo,,,,

mere pyar mein tum ,tere pyar mein hum,,,,

 do badan ek agg mein kyun jal rahen hai ab,,,,,,

mujhse muhabbat ka izhar karlo,,,,,,,,,,

sapno ko hakkikat banado ab,,,,,

ankhein band karlo mere jan,,,,,,

 mere dil mein ab samajao, mujhse mohabbat ka izhar karlo,’,,                                     

All were really amazed by Mrs. Pattnaik’s creative talent, all clapped for a long time then Mrs. Mishra was angry it was her turn so, she said loudly---‘enough, enough now we must proceed towards our drama side. Yes, I put lot of effort for this drama; it is a pure psychological theme, a small child’s rebellious mind. He is angry with society and his family, a powerful spontaneous overflow of my powerful feelings’. All said, angrily— ‘okay, okay start your drama now’. ‘Yes, yes in this skit there are three characters, father, Mr. Anal Parija’s role Mr. Roy will do, mother Aparajita role I myself will do, and then son Oltu’s role Anal Parija’s son Paltu will do. Everything is clear then we will go to stage’ said Mrs. Mishra. Now all are waiting eagerly to see the skit ‘ego and vanity’. All characters climbed to the stage.                                       

First scene---[ Anal Parija is reading Hindu English newspaper economics times in his drawing room, his son Oltu is studying in the drawing room in a corner near his study table] Now Mrs. Parija Aparajita Parija entered into the room. She kept the teacup angrily on the center table, Television box was just running on, no one was watching it. All are just listening to TV like radio. Anal P Arija was not happy with English paper he scolded to the editors                                                           

 Anil--------- ‘see, what is the standard of Hindu newspaper now? Have a look on main page then, there is nothing to read if you start reading you will get headache, migraine definitely, in the inside page only nasty politics, then every day number of murders, serial killers, rapes, robbery etc. ,all useless stuff, all non-sense news going on all around the world. There is no peace in this world’.                                                       

Aparajita------- ‘Can you hear me?’                                              

Anal--------‘No, I cannot. Do not disturb me. I am reading’.                      

Aparajita----- ‘Do you know how much cash money is required for a child’s higher studies?’ 

Anal-------- ‘How much say, do you know?’                                        

Aparajita--------‘You will have to deposit a minimum of fifteen lakhs or twenty lakhs at the time of admission. Have you saved so much money?’                                    Anal----------[ he tried to tease his wife] ‘I do not want to save money, because my parents have spent fifteen thousand throughout my studies then why should I think of saving fifteen lakhs for my son?’ Now Aparajita was really angry. She had prepared herself to fight as a strong opponent against her husband.                                                  

Aparajita------ ‘Yes, say, how did you spend ten lakhs money to construct a house in your village? That is really useless. You spent money lavishly on whom, for your parents. This is called a waste of money, misuse of money’.                                        

Anal----------‘yes, yes, you know if we will stay in the village, we will get peace of life, real peace of life’.                                                                

Aparijita--------‘What peace; for everything you will have to come back the city, driving your car, burning patrol every day, for a simple village life you must pay the double price as you used to search modern life in the village where there is no facility’. Aparajita was ready to fight with his husband mentally. Anal was too stubborn, he wanted to burn the fire of anger in her wife’s mind more,                                                                

Anal------ ‘I think, your fifteen lakhs can be arranged in lieu of sailing your land what your father has given you in dowry’.                                               

                                                                 

Oltu knows, his parents will not stop their fighting now. It will continue for a long time, one or two hours, then both will show their anger first on each other they will make him the medium, they will show off their anger power on Oltu. They will shout intentionally at him, beat him without any reason. He has been habituated with this type of fight. If he would be having a brother or sister would share his sorrows with him now, he is alone, he has to face all, experience alone. The slangs, quarrels are bursting as bombs on his ears he could not read also, he too showed his anger by throwing his books here and there no one responded, as they were busy in their fighting without caring or paying notice to Oltu’s reaction, feelings, and sentiments. They forgot that how can the child will concentrate in this argument or quarrel of his parents, he must be involved in finding out the solution or he must be judging who is correct and who is wrong. He will be confused in the middle. Again, the parents started fighting, the extinguished fire again was burnt with a high flame.                                                 

Aparajita------ ‘What??? Do not you have anything to sell except my property? Are you a beggar in your mind begging your wife’s property?’                                         

Anal--------‘Who are you to interfere in my financial matter? Are you my finance minister or home minister? Did I ever enquire about the expenses that you used to spend on your sarees and jewelers? Who are you to direct my financial matter? It is my wish, where, how I will invest or spend my money. It is my wish; I never ask for your advice. Do not interfere in my bank, balance. I gave you a warning.’                                                      

Aparajita--------- ‘Then what do you expect from me? I will be wearing torn off sarees throughout my life, good very good what a husband cannot buy saree for her wife, so pity, so poor man.’ Aparajita teased to Anal.                                                    

Anal---------- ‘shut up, shut up your mouth, otherwise, I will get you out of the room.’ He raised his hands. Aparajita was scared inside if truly he beats her but, she never stopped shouting,                                                          

Aparajita---------‘what? Do you want to threaten me? I am not scared of you; show up your anger to others.’                                                           

                                                                 

She immediately left the place, if any wrong might happen; she was expecting terror from her husband’s side. Anal switched off the bed room’s light. He went to sleep without food. Now Aparajita did not feel like to eat. In the midnight, Oltu got up he was having a high fever. He did vomit several times. Immediately his parents took him to hospital. Oltu was given saline to survive for two days. He was in the hospital for two days. Oltu was given saline to survive. Two days passed, he was in the hospital, he was looked weak and feeble inside, he was feeling very weak. Both Aparajita and Anal are sitting together near Oltu, Aparajita started crying she said, Aparajita----------‘This is my fault, I admit, I always fight with you, what type of mother I am; due to my negligence my son suffered a lot. A mother must have more patience then a father, that is why she is called as a mother, her role, her place is different than a father’.                                                                   

Anal-------- ‘Okay, forget all, we will remember this day for ever, we will promise today, we will never quarrel again, we will not quarrel in front of our son. We both are responsible for his illness. We must not quarrel remembering this day’.

 Now Oltu could not believe to his eyes, what he saw, parents love each other. They are taking an oath for their son they will never fight.                               

Oltu said to the audiences------- ‘Sometimes, the elders do mistakes, children excuse them, they become elders, behave like elders and elders become children’,                     

 Now Mrs. Mishra said, ‘this is the end of the play, anger creates ignorance, wisdom hides, then creates attachment, ego conflicts then your conscience loses its significance, the moral value of the life’.

                                                                

Now, what happened? All observed Mrs. Mishra is crying. All ran near her because they know the reason why was she crying, why has she written this play, she had lost her only son ‘Dhan’ her son committed suicide as he failed in his intermediate examination. She knows the reason behind her son’s death, the quarrelsome atmosphere. She and her husband used to fight on their son’s studies, which created such a situation for her son to commit suicide, such a big tragedy, such a big offense she thinks, by taking someone life they are killer, they are responsible for their son’s death due to their torture, provocation their son committed suicide what she feels. She wanted to give it as a message to the society, now she got an opportunity to stage this as a play, so she was very happy in her cry too.