Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Fight! But for whom ?

(A short story by alok nandan)
The train was running fast. He was sitting at the window. Two people were eating some chips before him and he was trying to avoid them. A person besides him writing something in his diary. Somewhere he felt urgency to write but had no pen and paper. He was hungry for last two days and did not know where the train was going. All his peasants army were crushed by a brutal hand. Most of them had been arrested or killed. Two days ago he was fighting in a jungle for a revolution. Along with his comrades he wanted to make a good world, a world free from all exploitations.
The train stopped but there was no platform. Some people got off.
'A dead body is laying on the track', some one said loudly. He left his place and followed the voice. Passengers are running to the engine. He, too, went toward it. Before the engine a woman body was laying, naked. It had been cut into two parts.
'It is a brutal death!'
'Perhaps she is pregnant and someone threw it away from a running train'
'Let the body moves from the track.'
'Yes it is necessary.'
Different minds different voices. But no one dared to touch the body. He looked to the distorted body.
A guard came there asked people to remove the body, but no one was ready to do it.
He glanced to the passengers and said in hallucination, 'I will remove the body from the track.' All looked to him.
'Then do it,' someone said.
'But I want money. Who will pay me for this work'
Listening his words all the passengers became angry with him.
'You want money! Oh God, this man is a hell. He wants to earn from a dead body,' said someone angrily.
'Yes, I want money. Who will pay me?'
'Do it for the sake of humanity' a man said.
'I love humanity but not my hunger, If you believe in humanity, pay me for this work,'
'Why should I pay?'
'Then don't talk about humanity. I give you an alternative, You all collect the money from the passengers and pay me. I am ready to remove the body,' he said confidently.
All the passengers started abusing him, but no one was ready to give a single penny.
The guard said, ' Don't worry. The train will pass over her body. It is not our job. The local police will look after the matter. He directed the passengers to take their place. All the passengers moved to their respective bogies. He too.
The guard showed the green flag and the train started moving ahead. Once again all the wheels of the train passed over the dead body.
He came back to the window, and looked out side. Again the train was running fast, and he was thinking for the next battle that he had to fight, for the sake of humanity.
'It is a testy chips' the man in front of him said. He looked to the man and tried hard to suppress his hunger. The man besides him was writing continuously, perhaps about his pleasant journey or perhaps writing a letter to his beloved or perhaps a romantic poetry or perhaps his old memories…or perhaps….He closed his eyes and horrible picture of war field moved before them….he and his men were fighting for a better world, for the shake of humanity…all are dead now…Oh he had to fight, he had to fight, he had to fight…but for whom?




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