Democracy & Dynasty
Democracy & Dynasty
Games Period
A small kid (approx 5 years old) approaches a group of older kids preparing for a game of cricket.
The Kid: Can I play with you guys?
Older kids: why don’t you play with your class mates?
The Kid: I don’t like their attitude. They are all too snobbish.
The older kids ponder over the request: He has a bat and besides he offered me some nice stuff to eat in the lunch break...And he looks like such a pappu. We will have him run around; after all we need somebody to fetch the ball as well.
10 minutes into the play an argument breaks out.
One older kid: What is the matter with you? Why didn’t you stop the ball?
The kid: I didn’t feel like stopping it. I would rather bat. In fact, I am going to bat. You guys can take turns to bowl to me. Just make sure, you all ball underarm and not too fast. I am scared of fast balls.
He goes to pick up his bat. The older kid, snapping out of his astonishment, shouts
Older kid: Oye Pappu! Who do you think you are?
The kid: My name is Gappu. And, I am going to bat. You can stand at the non striker’s end if you don’t want to ball.
Older kid: I was the one who persuaded the other guys to let you play because you were nice to me in the lunch break and offered me your food. If I had known you were such a schmuck...
The kid: You are a schmuck, for calling me a schmuck. And the food, well, I gave it to you because a lizard had fallen in it. I had promptly smashed it with my geometry box and thrown it away. My lunch got all covered in lizard’s pulp and blood. My momma had had my favourite dish cooked for me and I couldn’t even taste it. But, I just couldn’t throw it either, it was my favourite dish after all. My Momma has taught me some manners. So, I gave it to you. I bet you had never tasted a royal dish with lizard parts in it.
The older kid retched and vomited all he had eaten for lunch right there.
The Kid: There, can you see the lizard’s claw?
The older kid looked at him with revulsion and loathing. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, got up and ran towards the kid. He started madly thrashing him with his hands and legs and didn’t stop till his friends had dragged him off the semi-unconscious kid.
Scene 2...A small, quiet house
A man walks in. His wife greets him at the door and offers him a glass of water. The man sits down on the sofa in the living room and drinks the water.
Wife: Please go, freshen up. I will make some tea for you.
The man comes back into the living room after a few minutes looking visibly refreshed.
Wife: Do you want some biscuits as well with the tea?
Man: Yes, please. Where is our son?
Wife: He is out playing with his friends.
Man: He is always out around this time. Remember, till he was a couple of years old, he used to come out running on hearing me enter the house. The way he used to hug me.
Wife: Yeah. But, he is older now, almost seven. He got involved in a fight at school today. Please don’t scold him. It wasn’t his fault. And please go and change your clothes. I’ll put these in the washing machine.
Man: Can you help me with it? Change my clothes. Don’t you think we should have another kid? It’s been almost seven years.
The wife looks coyly at her husband but before she could reply, there was a loud, rude thud on the door. They both go out to determine the cause and are shocked to see a bunch of menacing policemen standing at the door.
Man: What is it?
One of the police men asks his name and on hearing the answer, they all grab him and throw him into the back of a police van. Wife runs after the van but it rushes away, before she is able to reach it.
Wife spends a sleepless night huddled on the sofa with all her neighbours anxiously sitting around her. They had been to the local police station but were rudely sent back without any details.
It’s five in the morning. The phone rings. The wife runs towards it and answers it. After a minute she puts the phone down and after a few hurried words, sets out with her kid and a few neighbours.
They reach the local hospital. And after asking around, rush towards room 0675. The wife pushes open the door and sees her husband lying on one of the beds.
The wife enters the room along with the kid, while the neighbours sit themselves on the bench outside.
The man opens his eyes and sees his wife and kid sitting next to him on the bed. The man becomes teary eyed and pats his wife’s hand. Then, pats his son on the head.
Man: He is all we have got now.
And, after a tense silence adds,
- There is nothing left in Alibaba now. It’s an empty gun with no bullet.
The wife looks at him with pity and profound sorrow in her eyes.
Cafeteria at the University of Berkely, USA
A student: Hey, aren’t you the Indian guy who gave that wonderfully insightful speech?
The guy, apparently lost in some dream, gives a start and realizing he is being spoken to replies.
The guy: Yeah, of course you can sit here. I would love you to sit here and tell you more about my ideas on democracy.
The student: Sorry, I have to run for a class. Would love to hear your ideas later though.
Hurriedly rejoins his group.
His friends: Isn’t he that Indian guy who gave that god awful speech? A real schmuck, he is.
The student: Yeah, a schmuck.
The guy: I was feeling a little sad after my speech. When will people understand? Democracy and dynasty are the two sides of the same coin. I feel better now though. Every time I feel down, that little incident of my childhood days invariably lifts me up. I still think about it with relish and it never fails to make me feel empowered and liberated.
* This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
