PARIJAT-4

THE BUS HAS COME TO A HALT NEAR THE ROAD SIDE DHABBA. IT IS TIME FOR REFRESHMENT FOR DRIVER AND CONDUCTOR OF THE BUS .OTHERS MAY JOIN. SOMEBODY WILL GET UP AT LEAST TO RELEASE. THE IDEA OF A FRESH CUP OF EARLY DAWN TEA IS NOT BAD. IT IS A SMALL SINGLE STORIED BUILDING WITH ASBESTOS ROOF WITH A STRETCHED OUT OPEN YARD. IN SUMMER YOU WILL FIND LOT MANY ROPE COTS ON THAT OPEN YARD. IT IS ALWAYS RELAXING FOR TRUCK DRIVERS ON A LONG JOURNEY TO STRETCH OUT THEIR BODIES AFTER A BOUT OF CHICKEN AND BEER.

MORNING IS YET TO SMILE. THE DRIVER OF THE BUS OPENED THE RIGHT HAND SIDE DOOR NEAR HIS SEAT AND JUMPED OUT SIDE. AS HE LANDED ON TWO LEGS HE RAISED HIS HANDS PARALLEL TO GROUND AND STARTED FLEXING THOSE. MUSCLES NEED SOME RELAXATION. JOHN FOLLOWED THE CONDUCTOR THROUGH THE USUAL OUT LET OF THE BUS. THROUGH OUT THE NIGHT THEY HAVE TALKED. THEY HAVE TALKED ON VARIOUS TOPICS. TOPICS MIXED WITH CRANKED IMAGINATION LACED WITH FALSEHOOD TO ADD THAT LITTLE SPICE TO MAKE IT INTERESTING. THEY ARE AWARE OF THAT AS THEY CONVERSED BUT THEY KNOW THAT THEIR TOPICS NEED TO KEEP THEM AWAKE. LITTLE CRANKINESS HERE AND THERE DOES NOT MATTER.

IT IS FOGGY WINTER NIGHT. FOG ALL AROUND LAMP POSTS MAKE AN INTERESTING VIEW ALONG WITH THOSE TINY INSECTS CLOGGING AROUND THE LAMPS FOR DEAR HEAT. DEEPAVALI, THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT IS AFTER TWO DAYS. HOUSES WILL BE LIT WITH OIL LAMPS. CRACKERS WILL BE BLASTED IN CELEBRATION OF WIN OF GOOD OVER BAD. THESE INSECTS WILL HAVE THEIR END ON THAT DAY. IT IS THE TEMPTATIONS FOR MORE THAT WILL INVITE THEIR DEATH. IN ATTRACTION OF MORE LIGHT AND HEAT, THEY WILL BURN THEMSELVES BY JUMPING INTO CELEBRATION DEEPAVALI LIGHT. IT IS SHEER TEMPTATION NOTHING ELSE WHICH BRINGS THEIR END. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT BUT NOBODY REALIZES THAT. NOBODY ASSESSES THAT. BY THE TIME REALIZATION COMES, IT IS ALL OVER. POINT OF NO RETURN HAS ALREADY KNOCKED THE DOOR.

THREE OF THEM WALKED DOWN TO THE DHABBA. THE HOT TEA IS BREWING ON THE KETTLE. THE SERVER BOY IN HIS BARE BODY STANDING NEAR THE COAL FIRED HEARTH. THE WARMTH OF HEARTH IS GOOD ENOUGH TO KEEP AWAY THAT COLD. HIS FACE IS LITTLE OILY IN HEAT OF FIRE. HE HAS OWN STYLE OF MIXING SUGAR BEFORE SERVING THE TEA. THE SERVING TEA TUMBLER IN LEFT HAND AND THE MUG CONTAINING TEA IN RIGHT HAND WILL GO AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AS TEA IS POURED TO TUMBLER. AN ARCH OF FLOATING TEA WILL BE MADE IN THE AIR AS TEA GETS MIXED WITH SUGAR BY INTERCHANGING ITS POSITION FROM TUMBLER TO MUG AND MUG TO TUMBLER. HIS SKILL IS APPRECIABLE AS NOT A SINGLE DROP OF TEA FALLS ON THE FLOOR IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS. PASSENGERS HAVE STARTED COMING DOWN FROM THE BUS. SOME OF THEM HAVE GONE INSIDE THE DHABBA. HOT TEA IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THEM IN THIS COLD NIGHT. THEY WANT A SPECIAL PEG OF COUNTRY LIQUOR. WITH THAT THEY WILL AGAIN SNORE TILL THE END OF JOURNEY.

THE SIGHT OF COUNTRY LIQUOR BROUGHT CERTAIN UNEASINESS TO JOHN. IT WAS MEMORY OF FEW DAYS BACK. IT HAPPENED IN THAT BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION SITE, HIS DIFFERENCE OF OPINION WITH HIS SENIORS REGARDING LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY. THE COMPANY HAD DECIDED TO GO FOR READY MIXED CONCRETE WHICH CAN BE PUMPED WHILE CASTING BRIDGE DECK. NO MORE REQUIREMENTS OF SO MANY LABOURERS. JOHN HAD PROTESTED THAT NOT FOR THE REASON THAT HE WAS AGAINST HIGHER TECHNOLOGY. HE WAS WORRIED FOR THAT GANG OF HUNDRED ODD LABOURERS. NOW THAT STRENGTH HAS TO BE REDUCED TO TWENTY FIVE. HARVESTING SEASON IS OVER. FROM WHERE THESE RETRENCHED LABOURERS WILL GET FOOD FOR THEIR FAMILY. THEY CAN NOT FIND ANOTHER CONSTRUCTION SITE ALL OF A SUDDEN. COMPANY MESSAGE WAS VERY CLEAR. CUT DOWN THE LABOUR STRENGTH.

JOHN WAS WORRIED AND DISTURBED. HE COULD HEAR THE SOUND OF BEATING DRUM. IT WAS SOUND FROM ONE DRUM UNLIKE THE SOUND OF DRUMS AT THE TIME OF ONE LEGGED NIGHT DANCE. IT WAS SOUND OF ANGER, PROTEST AND CHALLENGE SLOWLY TURNING INTO A CRESCENDO. JOHN CAME OUTSIDE. POUNDING SOUND OF SINGLE DRUM. IT WAS MENACING. THERE STOOD THE UNDISPUTED LEADER MARANDI, EYES RED, TOTALLY DROWNED IN COUNTRY LIQUOR, THE BALD HEAD COVERED WITH RED TURBAN OF PROTEST. HE IS ALONE, ALL ALONE. HE IS THE LEADER. HE HAS ASSURED ALL THE LABOURERS TO BE CALM. HE WILL NEGOTIATE WITH JOHN SAHIB AND FIND OUT THE SOLUTION.

JOHN KNEW MARANDI VERY WELL. THE ENTIRE LABOUR GANG MOVES IN HIS DIRECTION OF FINGER. JOHN RECALLED THOSE MASS CONCRETING TIMES, SIXTEEN HOURS OF CONCRETING AT A STRETCH. THE SAME GANG OF LABOURERS HAS TO DELIVER THE RESULT. COUNTRY LIQUOR WILL FLOW. MARANDI WILL MONITOR THE ACTIVITIES. HE WILL DROWN HIMSELF COUNTRY LIQUOR, JOKE, LAUGH, SING AND DANCE WHILE BEATING HIS DRUM IN RHYTHM TO KEEP THE TEMPO GOING. IT IS SIXTEEN HOURS OF CONTINUOUS UNTIRING HUMAN EFFORTS LED BY MARANDI, THE MOTIVATOR, THE DRUMMER, THE SINGER, THE ENTERTAINER AND THE UNDISPUTED LEADER. HE HAS DELIVERED THAT FOR JOHN SAHIB OUT OF SHEER RESPECT FOR JOHN.

TODAY HE BEATS THE DRUM WITH A DIFFERENT PURPOSE; HE HAS DROWNED HIMSELF IN COUNTRY LIQUOR FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE. HE DANCES IN FRONT JOHN SAHIB WITH A DIFFERENT PURPOSE. NO VOICE, MOUTH CLOSED, FOLDING HANDS IN BETWEEN BEATING OF DRUM, SUNKEN EYE LIDS CONVEY ALL. HE DANCES IN A HAUNCH BACK AS IF HE CARRIES THE BURDEN OF A MOUNTAIN. YES, HE CARRIES THE RESPONSIBILITY TO FEED HUNDRED LABOURERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. HE IS THE LEADER. HE KNOWS HIS JOHN SAHIB WILL NOT DISAPPOINT HIM. JOHN MOVED FORWARD, HELD THE HANDS OF JOHN ASKED HIM TO CALM DOWN. JOHN STOPPED. HE IS HAPPY. JOHN SAHIB HAS UNDERSTOOD HIM. HE SALUTED JOHN, TURNED BACK AND MOVED TOWARDS THE LABOUR CAMP LEAVING JOHN THINKING UNDER THE HOT SUN.

NEXT DAY READY MIXED CONCRETE STARTED FLOWING IN THE DECK CONCRETING. NO PROTEST, ONLY ONE FOURTH OF THE LABOURERS HAVE BEEN CALLED. MARANDI IS MONITORING THE CONCRETING. HE LOOKS DISTURBED. AN UNEASY CALM IS FLOWING IN HIS FACE. THERE HAS BEEN INSTRUCTION TO JOHN FROM HEAD OFFICE TO CALL FOR POLICE PROTECTION. THERE MIGHT BE LABOURERS UNREST. JOHN HAS IGNORED THAT. HE HAS TALKED TO HIS COLLEAGUES IN OTHER CONSTRUCTION SITES IN REMOTE AREAS. HE HAS WORKED OUT A FORMULA TO SOLVE THE EXCESS LABOURERS PROBLEM IN HIS SITE. HE CAN RETAIN TWENTY FIVE AND REST OF THEM CAN BE DIVIDED AMONGST TWO REMOTELY PLACED CONSTRUCTION SITES. JOHN WALKED DOWN TO MARANDI. MARANDI IS TOTALLY ABSORBED IN WORK, HE DID NOT NOTICE JOHN UNTIL JOHN KEPT HIS HAND ON HIS SHOULDER. JOHN PUT FORTH HIS PROPOSAL IN A BOWING HEAD. MARANDI LISTENED, LOOKED TOWARDS JOHN AND SMILED AS HE BREATHED OUT HEAVILY. DO NOT WORRY SO MUCH SAHIB, I KNOW, YOU HAVE TRIED. LEAVE IT TO ME. RELAX; YOU HAVE BIGGER THINGS TO DO.

MARANDI VANISHED SOMEWHERE AFTER THE CONCRETING WORK. HE HAS NOT KEPT INFORMED ANYBODY ABOUT HIS WHERE ABOUT. HE HAS ARRANGED FOR COMMUNITY KITCHEN IN LABOUR CAMP FOR COMING ONE WEEK AND ENOUGH COUNTRY LIQUOR FOR ENJOYMENT.

IT WAS THIRD DAY EVENING AFTER THE READY MIXED CONCRETE WORK AND CURTAILMENT OF LABOUR FORCE, JOHN HEARD SOUND OF LABOURERS OUTSIDE HIS ROOM. HE STARTED BREATHING HEAVILY IN APPREHENSION AND ANTICIPATION OF LABOUR UNREST. MARANDI IS NOT THERE. WHO WILL CONTROL THEM? JOHN CAME OUT AND SAW LABOURERS ARE HAPPILY WAVING HIM. THERE STAND MARANDI AMONGST THEM IN ALL SMILES. MARANDI CAME FORWARD WHISPERED TO JOHN, I AM TAKING THEM ALL TO ANOTHER CONSTRUCTION SITE SOME THREE HUNDRED KILOMETERS AWAY. THE WORK THERE WILL LAST FOR ANOTHER THREE MONTHS. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER THAT. MAY BE, WE MAY GET ANOTHER BIGGER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AFTER THAT. WHO KNOWS? BUT SOME HOW I DO NOT WANT TO BREAK MY GROUP. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE SOUND OF HORN OF THE BUS BROUGHT JOHN BACK TO THE PRESENCE. PASSENGERS HAVE REFRESHED THEMSELVES. THE BUS IS ABOUT TO LEAVE. JOHN STROLLED TOWARDS THE BUS AS HE LOOKED UP. IN THE SKY OF DAWN, HE SEES GEESE MOVING IN A "V" FORMATION. THEY ARE MOVING IN A GROUP INTERCHANGING THE POSITION OF LEADERSHIP. SYNERGY AT HIS BEST. THEY WILL ONLY STOP IF SOMEBODY AMONGST THEM WILL GET HURT AND BECOME SICK. THEY WILL AGAIN FLY IN A GROUP TILL THE SICK RECOVERS TO FLY OR DIES. NOBODY WILL MOVE ALONE. NOBODY WILL BE LEADER FOREVER. IT IS ALL ABOUT SHARING WHILE KEEPING THE UNITY. JOHN SEES MARANDI AND HIS TRIBAL LABOURERS GROUP AMONGST THE GEESE. IN THE FLOW OF DECENT MORNING BREEZE, JOHN GETS THE SWEET AROMA, THE AROMA OF PARIJATS SMILING TOGETHER IN THAT CEMENT FLOOR.