Contemporary Literary Review India | eISSN 2394-6075 | Vol 5, No 2: CLRI May 2018
Papa Rao Jayanthi
A Disastrous Peril
“A disastrous peril is ahead of the world.” I told Viswam. He heard me and kept silent. We were going by walk to meet our friend Ravi at his house. We belong to Visakhapatnam. We did our studies and job there only. We have many friends there. Where ever we go we meet many friends on the way and spend few minutes in lively talk and cheers. Some of us believe in a principle, that is, all cannot do great things useful to the society but everyone can do something definitely. We follow discipline in using water, electricity, petrol, time and tongue and save them to maximum extent possible. Walking helps us not only to keep us fit physically, but also to improve human relations and insight into living styles of difference classes of people and their local accent by observation.
We walked few meters and our friend Anantha came in the opposite direction and shook our hands with smile on his lips.
“Where are you both going?”
“To meet Ravi and spend some time with him happily. We met him long back. He compelled us to come to his house today. Better, you also come with us.”
“No! No! He will not be available at his house! His wife left him sometime back! He does not want anyone to know about it!”
“Yesterday, he asked us to come!”
“Are you interested to know about why his wife has left him?”
“We will hear if you tell!”
“Are you interested to know why my wife left me some years back?” we kept silent.
“No man tells the truth why his wife has left him! That is the truth and that is the only truth!” He laughed loudly.
“Why don’t you come with us?”
“No! No! No! Today is Sunday, a merry and happy day! I create heaven on earth today with a girl of twenty-five and live on it! That is life and that is my life! A man’s life without a woman is a hell on earth” he said, patted us on our shoulders and moved his way humming a love and sex song in his mind and heart.
We walked further some distance and found Anand coming with his umbrella over his head. We also observed that he saw us and covered his face under the umbrella to escape our sight! Viswam called him and we went away some distance from the road to avoid inconvenience to the traffic and stood under a half-naked tree.
“Are you not doing well? Are you sick?”
“Slightly, for the last one week.”
“You could have phoned us to be of some help to you.”
“I did not like to give you trouble.”
“Where are you going?
“I have shifted to a house in this colony only…my son, daughter-in-law and my grandchildren are there in my house… That is not sufficient to accommodate all of us…They have true respect and love for me and my wife… They take care of us…we are happy…”
“Don’t cover your face and eyes under the umbrella!
Traffic is heavy!” Viswam played a joke and Anand laughed a dry laugh with his eyes, tongue and lips dried. We departed and continued our walk.
“Do you know what has happened? His daughter-in-law told his son something which he overheard. If our children live with our parents, they become prey to their old ideas and concepts which will be harmful to their brilliant and shining future! He changed his residence immediately!”
I was spellbound for some moments as Anand is one who has new ideas and concepts of twenty-second century.
We increased speed and walked ahead. The sun was burning mercilessly. The tsunami in 2014 uprooted all the green trees and made our green city bare and naked. There was no shadow of trees and with vehicles and walkers the traffic was so heavy and thick that we could not move freely. Out hear-beat increased with alarming sounds of the vehicles. Everyone wants to go fast. .anxiety…runs…everyone has his own Hunt and runs…Life became hunt and runs... we found it dangerous to move on the road.. Protection of life itself is a challenging problem for everyone…we find danger of life on each and every side and direction…Constructive ideas and hopes of bright and shining future are essential for the man for smooth and happy society and life…but, we cannot erect them on the foundation of untruth!..
My mind was lost in scattered thoughts.
We crossed the road carefully and reached another narrow road. We heard an unpleasant and alarming sound of a vehicle from behind and looked back. “Please stop! Stop.” we heard a call from someone driving the car. We stopped and got aside some feet from the road and stood up looking at the vehicle. Our friend, Ramana got down and came fast wishing us.
He opened his mouth to talk to us and suddenly got a phone call.
“Yes sir! I am now at that place only, just 25Kms from the place where new capital for Andhra Pradesh is to be setup. I am on your work only…no doubt, we will be able to buy 50 acres of land there…there is no man who will not be allured by woman and money and similarly there is none who does not fear for threats…in one way or other, the owners will come forward to sell their land to us..”
“Do you want me to send money…” Ramana moved fast away from us and continued his talk so that we could not hear their talk. “He is here only with us, but said that he is at another place? What is this?” Viswam told me and laughed in surprise.
Ramana hurried back to us and opened his mouth. He got another phone call.
“Sir! Sir! Namaste Sir! I am now at the suburban areas sir! I have put my two young and energetic girls on out work sir! They will get the agreement signed by the owners to sell us their 30acres of land! They will complete the work within a week sir! OK Sir”
He switched off his cell phone!
“Are you in business or service?”
“Don’t you remember what out psychology professor told us about me? ‘You are a specialist and expert in psychological analysis. Use it for the good of the people as sincere service. I am sincerely following his advice!”
“That mean what?”
“Some black-moneyed wealthy politician and cinema and other industrialists and businessmen do their real estate business through me! They know in advance of two years that Telangana will be divided from Andhra Pradesh! They also know in advance where the new capital for Andhra Pradesh will be setup! They but land at cheap rates and sell it over and above two crores per acre! I, Dr. Ramana, a gold medalist and specialist and expert in psychological analysis, earn crores and crores! There is much to say, but no time now for me! Please keep all this as secret as my beloved friends, though it is an open secret for many!” He bade goodbye and rushed to his car. Our minds turned numb and we stood up looking at each other as statues!
We walked fast and reached Ravi’s house. It was closed and there was none to tell about Ravi. We phoned him several times, but no response! We stood there for some minutes looking at his house. Ravi phoned and said, “My father at Kakinada fell sick suddenly and we rushed there to admit him in the hospital. I was busy in admitting him in the hospital. Please excuse me a I could not inform you in time” and ended his call. We returned in disappointment.
Unexpectedly, Anantha called and laughed loudly for a minute or so.
“Did you meet Ravi at his house?”
“No! No!”
“I have seen him here just now with a woman! Please go and see him with your own eyes at ‘Heaven Star Hotel’ in Heaven Land colony!” and ended his call.
Sometimes, we could not believe our own eyes! Our friend was working as a chief Executive in ‘Heaven Star Hotel’ and Viswam phoned him and asked about Ravi. He confirmed that Ravi was there in Room No 505 with a woman! We could not believe our own ears.
We returned to our homes walking fast.
“A disastrous peril is ahead of the world!” you told me and I could not get it clearly! Viswam told me.
“A man is unable to trust another man! A country or nation is unable to trust another country or nation! What else and what more disastrous peril would be there for the world?” I said in agony.
He pondered over it for a while and nodded his head in agreement with me.