022: DRUGGY WHO STOLE WATER TAPS: HOSTEL FILES

 022: DrugGy who stole water taps: HOSTEL files

Coming back from the class, Sanju threw his notebooks in the bed of his C-Block hostel room. He was hungry and to avoid rush, he was going toward mess in a hurry. A boy came running, pushed Sanju and ran toward main gate. Sanju fell on floor backwards. His wrist, back and head were paining, he closed his eyes tried to get up but couldn’t. He opened his eyes and saw Vicky running toward him. With lot of effort Sanju tried to give his right hand thinking Vicky will pull him up. But Vicky ran toward main gate without even looking at Sanju, shouting “Chor Chor, Pakdo Pakdo”. After him, Ronny ran faster and shouted louder than Vicky “Chor, Chor, Pakdo, Pakdo”. Sanju abused Vicky and Ronny even louder and got up himself.

Sanju heard loud noise from main gate. They caught him after a good run.

Hostel was built like a fort. From main gate, a gallery was coming to inside lawn of hostel which had a badminton court. 4 story building was around the lawn like a square.  Gallery was passing through the lawn and was going towards mess. There were only two exits - main gate and small gate from mess. Stair cases from these two gates were going to all floors.

Vicky, Ronny and few others brought that boy to badminton court. Boy had wrench in hand and had come to steal water tabs from bathrooms. Some tabs were stolen a day ago from D Block. Boy came to C block this time and Vicky caught him red handed.

Vicky snatched wrench from boy’s hand, left him on mercy of crowd and then it was free for all. Almost everyone came to hostel due to lunch break, some watched from balcony of their floors and some came down.

Vicky came back to Sanju, Sanju punched him on stomach in a friendly manner for not lifting him up then. Vicky told Sanju to wash his sins in the flowing Ganges in badminton court.

Sanju went down.

He saw that 4-5 hostellers were trying to tie boy’s hands with a rope. Boy was resisting with full of his strength and was more powerful than 4-5 together. He seemed to be fighting for his life as many others were kicking and punching him from all the directions.

His shirt and vest were torn and thrown away. Sanju came closure to avenge and noticed boy’s hands had many marks of injections. He was surely a drug addict. Drugs were not used to be part of hostel culture back then. Sanju had never seen a drug addict before. Boy was pulled into another corner before Sanju could hit him.

Even the most gentle and studious students were going and were trying their hands on him. Boys who never spoke loudly were seen shouting at him. Some tried to save him from mob fury. They were pleading with others to leave him alive. They asked others to have mercy and understand that boy is also a human. No one listened to them.

One hosteller came with a wooden rod to hit the boy. But right before he could hit, a senior snatched rod from his hands. Senior used rod to save the boy from mob. He hit some of the hostellers who were prominent in beating that boy. He then told everyone in very loud authoritative voice: “He also seems to be student. He is stealing because he is a drug addict. We shall not kill him but take to rehabilitation center.”

Along with few other mature seniors, he took the boy to the warden.

021 WILL YOU LEAVE SOMEONE TO DIE ON THE ROAD? TRUE FLASH STORY

021 WILL YOU LEAVE SOMEONE TO DIE ON THE ROAD?

021 PUBLIC APATHY DURING ROAD ACCIDENTS

One of Sanju's colleague in Nokia Bangalore invited Sanju to attend her wedding in Udupi Karnataka.

In his 30s, Sanju was recently divorced. he went on a solo trip.

He drove his car Hyundai Santro from Bangalore to Karwar. He stayed in Karwar Navy quarters in his college friend’s place whose family was not there temporarily. They were meeting after 10 years; They had great time talking about many incidents of college while visiting the nearby beaches. In evenings they used to have black dog whiskey and then boast about luck with career and badluck in romantic lives.

After 4 days Sanju bid good bye to his friend and moved on toward Udupi in western Ghats. Scenic road were turning just like snakes famous in that land. Being afternoon, there wasn’t much traffic in road which was 2 lanes without a divider. Sanju was putting his driving skills to test and was in car race with himself. Loud western songs were keeping Sanju’s mind away from thoughts of past. He was driving way faster than the  recommended speed.

Suddenly on a uphill sharp turn, he had to apply sudden brakes. On the same side, a white Indica taxi was slowed down instantly. On the other side, he saw a car was standing with its bonnet completely crashed. 2 middle aged men were helping 3 women to come out from backside door of the car.  2 mid aged women were slightly injured but one about 10 old girl child was unconscious and bleeding from forehead.

All of them pleaded with folded hands to white Indica taxi driver to take them to hospital. Even though taxi was empty, he drove away.

They turned to Sanju.

He didn’t get time to think, he got down and asked them put the girl child on back seat of his car.  Older lady also sat on the back seat and had girl’s head on her lap. 2^nd lady sat on the front seat and Sanju drove further.

He didn’t know the nearest hospital. He tried to read road signs boards - names of cities further south and their distance was written in large white fonts in green board. Without knowing where to go and he kept driving forward slowly. He saw a motorcycle coming, he waived him and shouted “Hospital! Hospital!”.

Motorcycle man saw the blood in the backseat of car and condition of girl. He didn’t ask a question and said "follow me".

Motorcycle man turned and after 5-6 kilo meters they reached a small hospital.

Without asking any questions, medical staff admitted the girl and started first aid in emergency room.

Both the ladies waiting outside in gallery of hospital was still shocked and were crying. Sanju asked them to call other male members and give address. Their mobile was left in the crashed car. She remembered the mobile number of male member and Sanju called him. She then asked Sanju’s mobile to make a call to inform about accident in their hometown. They were from Bangalore and were on a road trip for pilgrimage. Male members arrived after 15 minutes. They said that they had head on collision with a truck. Sanju asked where was the truck. They said truck overturned after the collision and went into the gorges. And the truck driver? He and his helper miraculously survived and were being admitted with minor injuries to the same hospital.

Family thanked Sanju and doctor said “You can go, Sir”.

Sanju arrived Udupi late night and checked in the same hotel where some of his other colleagues staying. He asked hotel staff to clean back seat of his car which was full of vomit and blood.

For a few months, he had a feeling of fear and after thoughts. He was not sure if he was right or wrong.  

What do you think is the right thing to do in such a situation?

For more such true stoies:

BORN IN 70'S: BEDTIME FLASH STORIES by Sanjeev Manral

https://amzn.eu/d/54nidlN

020: BLOOD DONATION & DOG'S BISCUITS: TRUE FLASH STORY

In a winter morning, Vicky kicked the door of Sanju’s hostel room. Sanju abused him for waking him up so early on Sunday. Vicky said that their engineering professor CKS sir have immediately requested few volunteers for blood donation to one of his relative. Both of them ran and waked up few other students. With some persuasion and emotional blackmail, they also got Ronny ready, who could not say ‘no’ and was afraid of blood and needles.

In a matter of few minutes, 7-8 students assembled in front of their A Block hostel. With CKS sir in front seat, A white TATA Sumo came and except Ronny everyone got in the back cabin. Without anyone even noticing, Ronny ran back to his hostel room as fast he could.   

In an hour they reached other side of Lucknow where PGI hospital was located. CKS sir first asked condition of his relative. He then took everyone to blood donation room.

It was a clean large room with see through glass separation walls and doors. On 1^st corner there was a reception where donors details were being filled in a register.  2^nd corner had few beds, 3^rd corner had 4 chair-cum-bed for blood donation and 4^th corner had sofa and coffee tables. In the Middle there was an beautiful marble statue.

Sanju, Vicky and others registered themselves at reception and then proceeded toward donation chairs. Sanju and Vicky together got the chairs next to each other. After blood packet was full, they were asked to shift slowly to Sofa. They were served tea and biscuits by attendants in white dress.

Sanju asked Vicky to take some biscuits along with tea. Vicky was very choosy in eating and said that those seems to dog’s biscuits and he doesn’t eat such low-quality biscuits. He didn’t like the taste of tea as well and left it as it is. On the other hand, Sanju ate all the biscuits but one. His mother had taught him in childhood that in other’s home, one shall not eat all the biscuits and leave some in the plate. He finished snacks very fast and was in a hurry to go as usual. Within few minutes he stood up told Vicky “Let us go”.

Vicky stood up and both of them walked towards exit door.

Vicky told Sanju that he wasn’t feeling well and Sanju needed to take care of him. Sanju confidently held him with both hands- right one from back and left one from chest. They walked till door. Sanju opened the door with left hand and nudged Vicky to move first. Vicky fell on his face to floor.

Attendants and nurses ran toward them, they lifted Vicky directly to a bed in 2^nd corner. Right after that one doctor asked Sanju also to lie down in the bed next to Vicky. They were given fruit juices. They were in bed for half an hour and then after checking their blood pressure nurses asked them to go. Right after crossing the glass door, they had a laugh of their life. Way back to hostel in TATA Sumo, Vicky took a nap and Sanju kept laughing.

019 CHILDHOOD WITHOUT MAGGI: TRUE FLASH STORY

In the mid 1980s, maternal grandma came to visit them for a few weeks in Jaiharikhal of Uttarakhand.  At that time, their food was limited to dal, roti, chawal, puri, kheer, paratha and various types of pahadi cuisines - mutton, churkani, dhubke, jholi etcetera. Restaurants and roadside eateries were not common in that era. They ate outside only when they used to travel for pilgrimage or to their ancestral village. Inline with traditions and customs, their father always preferred pure vegetarian satvik dhaba.

Their father got a new black and white TV for them that had only one channel ‘Doordarshan’ and more than Maggi its advertisements were becoming popular. Commercial had a group of children playing and singing. Once they were exhausted, they asked for quick food from their mother, who cooked Maggi in 2 minutes. It had a nice jingle-

“Khel kud ke aaye hum, bade gajab ki bhook lagi.
2 minute rook sakte hain, sar ke bal chad sakte hain.
Maggi chahiye mujhe abhi”

Learned by TV ad, kids in home enacted the entire act of playing, singing and asking for food. Whenever they asked for food - mother cooked Suji or Pakoras which took a minimum of half an hour. Instant food after play were biscuits or morning’s parathas which they didn’t like at all.

Even though their place was deep inside himalayas, they had never tasted noodles. Inspired by commercials, kids demanded instant food in 2 minutes and they insisted on Maggi.

Father brought few packet of Maggi. Mother read and cooked it exactly as per instructions. All of them witnessed the cooking in the kitchen. Mother transferred it to 6 bowls, which she kept in the tray. She took the tray to the living room where Naani and father were talking. She was followed by Pappu, Sanju and Bholu who had water in their mouths. Kids were excited and their mother was beaming as they were about to eat their first foreign meal.

She being the guest, mother served Naani first and then distributed it to all of them.

Naani looked at small threads like noodles floating in the soup and said- “Chhee, yeh ke chhi kitad jas”  meaning “Yak, what are these worms?”

She was so disgusted that she almost vomited. This had a ripple effect and every one had a very bad feeling of vomit.

All bowels were emptied in the dustbin. Kids developed such a distaste that they never asked for it again, it was never cooked at their home again. 

Sanju was so averse that he didn’t eat it even outside. 

After several years, his engineering friends persuaded him to try noodles once but he always refused. He had a great fear and aversion inside. Finally, one of his engineering friends succeeded as he ate his first noodles as chow mein in Aliganj Lucknow in a roadside eatery.

And, Maggi was brought back home by the next generation in 21st century.

018 MONETARY BENEFTIS EXPECTED THIS WEEK: BEDTIME FLASH STORY

Kids were raised in a way that when their father retires they need to have a career of their own. Studying to get a plum job was their main worry, everything else was secondary.

They learned english from class 6 only as a subject. Every other subject was being taught in Hindi. When they moved to a small hill town Gopeshwar they started reading Hindi newspapers which used to reach there in the evening because of the distance from Dehradun. 

Someone told Sanju that English is important for a career. So he asked for an English newspaper instead of Hindi. After some arguments in home they started getting an English newspaper. Mother didn’t know English and as a result she no longer enjoyed the newspapers. She neither learned English nor insisted on getting Hindi newspapers along with English.

The English newspaper was vibrant with many articles and advertisements. Weekly column of horoscopes caught the eyes of Sanju, which had a different way of assigning zodiac signs. They were based on the range of birthdays instead of calculated from birth place, date and time. Sanju didn’t know his calculated zodiac sign as his horoscope was kept in the clothes box of Tin by Mother. He easily figured out his sun sign in the English newspaper and started reading the weekly forecast of events in the horoscope column.

For a few months, everything seemed to be accurate and was going as per the weekly forecast.

On the forecast of money gain, he was asking and getting pocket money from mother. On knowledge gain, he was paying attention and was able to understand all concepts clearly in the classroom. On the probability of an accident, he was fighting with friends in school and getting lightly injured. 

Predictions were proving to be true as observed by Sanju.

This continued for almost a year. Sanju stopped worrying about the future as he relied on the weekly horoscope column. 

In the week of school results, Sanju had no worries. He used to come first in the class and he was confident that he would come first again. He read the weekly horoscope which predicted good news for his sign. 

He walked to school and got the report card.

He was shattered by looking at the report card. He barely managed to pass all subjects and was not in the top 10 students in the class. 

Sanju was gloomy while others beamed with happiness.

On top of his sadness, Sanju got scolded at home from all family members one by one. 

Sanju cursed English newspapers.

His father told him that he was coming first in a small place because other students were kids of less educated people with limited means. Since they have moved to district headquarters from a small place, he was then among kids of highly educated and well to do people. All of them were very smart and studied very hard with guidance from their parents.

This was his first lesson on competition. 

He kept meeting the moment several times, whenever he moved to a new place, sport or work. But he never looked at the horoscope again.