May 1, 2010 0553 hrs.
I knew that my stay at Christian Colony was short. I have already cleared the accounts of those who have been helpful to me all these two years. It was only day before yesterday that I took a sigh of relief, having successfully catered with the pressure of examination. That was April 29. The last examination. An end to graduation. The mixed feeling prevailed. The happiness of getting rid of the burden of exams but also the sorrow of parting with friends. The much awaited joy eluded me. It suddenly felt that the purpose of life is lost; nihilism. I could not put to effect, what I had decided. Being Existentialist did not pay me back; Absurdity of Life. (I apologize using sundry literary terms having been engrossed into thick books of critical essays these last two weeks approximately.) I returned to my cage at what time I don’t remember. But it was already dark. Tiredness of few days had culminated. They jointly demanded for a long and undisturbed hours of sleep. I agreed.
I had my fourth cup of tea at Birju’s. Less sugar, less milk and more of water (Life!) it’s the one could get at any dhaba at Christian Colony. The cool drizzle had certainly made the weather amiable. The smell of the soaked soil induced sleep. The ambiance played lullaby. I slept, slept after a long time for a long duration and that too without any book below my pillow, even without any alarm, without any target for the next day. I slept. I was happy. It was a dreamless slumber. When I woke up, I hardly believed that more than half of the day had already passed. How I spent the remainder of the day? Answering this question, I believe, would be tedious to you. I meandered between sleep and dream. So it was already the end of April 30.
Tomorrow will be a new day. I will be happy.
I had already fulfilled my promise. I had splashed out of me every bit of fatigue. I woke early this morning. Fajar prayer is still an hour ahead. I decided to attain perfect freshness. To Birju’s. Less sugar, less milk and more of water! There were only two-three students( owls actually) who would go to sleep now that it’s going to be morning in about an hour and a half, having studied whole night for the upcoming UPSC preliminary exams on May 23. There were some more laborers, whose day had already begun. They were collecting their strength for the exhaustive day ahead even on Labor’s Day! They were the ones engaged for the renovation work going on for the coming Commonwealth Games, 2010. And then suddenly we heard the bang. We rushed towards the road.
Oh! I was stunt. Unable to move. Unable to think. It was gone. At first I was amazed to find the road separating the Maurice Nagar Police Station and the Christian Colony much wider. The police station seemed far. It was only when I noticed on my left that there was a huge lump of earth. It was the part of the demolished shops. I presume that the earth on the right has already been cleared even before Birju might have woken up, else he must have known. It was really unbelievable. It could not have been Christian Colony. For a few seconds I wondered whether after all, my sleep was not dreamless, and I was still in my bed, dreaming. Sleeping. Dreaming that which is Impossible. But thee I was standing amidst the ruins. I crossed the road with Birju, who had left his shop with no one to look after, and others.We wanted to have a better look at what has been, a few hours before the façade of Christian Colony. It was no more. The cause of Commonwealth Games slashed them to ground.
I could feel the gaps. The unconscious edifices that were unaware and their nakedness was exposed. I could still paint the whole first row of shops at Christian Colony, with their banners: beginning from the fruit-seller to the long line of the shops of photocopiers; a general store and a stationery shop, booksellers, eateries, cafes, a graveyard.… the attire of the colony was ransacked, raped. I could not continue. I was imagining what was there but will never be more. So it was not actually a rumor. It was truth. I was not happy. I heard many talk before that under the planning for Commonwealth Games, it has been proposed that the Christian Colony will be a thing of past. A part of it has already become the part of history. The roads will be broad now. Surely, we will be able to, I hope, show to the foreigners that India is no way behind anyone in the matters of progress. But they will never know about the sacrifice that has been done to attain this end.
I am not happy as I had expected. True, life is not my mistress to amuse me and act according to my desires! I will be leaving the place soon but not with the memories I thought but something different!
No comments:
Post a Comment