THE SHACKLES OF DEPENDENCE !!!

Yeah  friends  even  in this  era  of  high  tech  and  IT  we  have  people  who  are  still  very  much  way  behind  in their  thoughts. Still bound and governed  by  superstitions and ancient  beliefs !

Ha Ha ! you  will  be  thinking  that I must be  talking  about  some remote  village , or  some place  where the fruits  of  modern  day  technology and knowledge might not  have   reached ! You  are mistaken ladies  and  gentlemen !

I am talking  about Nagpur , the  second  Capital  of Maharashtra , and that  too about people living in one of the most posh  area here !A locality full of  high middlle  class families . My building , where fortunately  or  unfortunately I happen to be the president of the  society for  the  last  two  years !

During  the presidentship  I had  very  varied  experiences  some good , some  bad and  some  very astounding ! This one was an astounding one !

There is a young  couple  living here ! Call them Krishnans !They  are very happy , well balanced  couple . Have two very  sweet sons ! 5 years and 3 years  old !

 Mr. Krishnan is the  area  manager  , stationed here , of the biggest oil  company in private  sector , and Mrs  Krishnan is the centre  head of the most  famous Air  Hostess Training  Institute in India , here in Nagpur ! You can very  well think the quality of their  education and level  of  awareness.No one should have any doubts  about  their  liberal thinking .

Since  both the husband  and wife  are working , there is some problem about the looking  after of their  children . They have  a maidservant who  does the looking  after .The younger one  is most of the time in the flats of other residents  than  his own ! But he  is  so sweet he is most welcome  everywhere !

One day  when he was getting  down the  staircase , fell down and fractured  his arm . He had a knack of getting injured very  frequently ! But this time it was a bit  serious ! He was immediately given the medical  treatment , hand  was plastered and in a few  days he was again bouncing back !

Then there was  death of the father of one of the residents , immediatley  after this  accident . He was quite  old , and it was  a natural  death ! All of us  got together and helped him out with the funeral and other  rituals .

But  I think what  made our Krishnans to give  a very serious  thought to these happenings was another  death of a young  wife of another resident here ! Though she died ,at her parents  place , of  some  congenital  heart  disease , Krishnans were very  apprehensive and were  much worried !!

Whenever in the morning or in the evening we used to meet , he used to greet me in a very cheerful and happy  mood , but I noticed after the last incident he was not as bouncy and cheerful as he used to be !! I thought job pressure the reason for this  and didnt take  much notice !

Two  days  after  we last  met! 

In the evening I was net-surfing  as usual and was engrossed in the scraps of my beloved  friends . There was the familiar  ring  of the  call bell .The  maidservant announced that the Krishnans have  come! Very reluctantly left the  pc  !! And went to greet them .

They  were seated , but  anyone  could tell that they were not  in the best of their  moods . They looked  very  worried !
"Arre bhai Krishnan , what is the matter yar ? You look very worried ?I have never seen you like this . It seems  Bhabhi ji is not  taking  proper  care of you ?? "
I wanted to make the mood a bit light. But  it seems I was on the wrong  track ! He was as serious  as ever .
"Ok what  is the problem ? "
"Sir  the recent  mis - haps in the buildings !"
"What  about them Krishnan ?"
" Dont you think  some  evil  air  is in our  building ? "
And his  wife also echoed her voice with her husband's!

Ladies  and  gentlemen I was  simply shocked !!! Such thought  coming out from these people from such a highly  educated  background ! Every  single  word is as it was exchanged that  day!I couldnt  believe my ears !!

":What did you say Krishnan ?"

"Sinha  saheb , I am sure  there is some evil air  present here . So many deaths  have taken place one  by one and my Harsh (name of their younger son ) is also getting  injured  so frequently . They cannot  happen just like this .
We will have  to perform a havan  for the purification of our building  as soon as possible ! "

"Do you really believe  in all this  Krishnan ?" I asked him very politely and sympathetically. Because I knew he is very much  effected  by  these  thoughts   and   disturbed .. 

"Of course  Sir ! I am  hundred  per  cent  sure about it ! Unless we perform the havan such things will go on happening . I have talked to the pundit also . I just need your permission because I want to do it in the society temple with everyone present !"He said very convincingly , and conveyed the message that I had no choice other than to agree to it .

I knew that even if I didnt permit . he will do it all the same and there will be unnecessary unpleasantnes and I will be branded as the most cruel and antiGod man ! 

"Ok Krishnan if you so desire , go ahead , and let us hope  nothing  happens  after the havan !"

"Thank you Sir ! " The relief on his face was so obvious !

It all happened last year on the 15th August ! Before the  flag hoisting  ceremony the Havan was performed ! And you had to see the  devotion of the  couple in this  Havan . His wife did everything , prepared the prasad , distributed it among all the residents . The  zeal of the residents was quite visible . 

It all ended  in a very  happy note ! The most  happy were of course the Krishnans !!They were very  convinced that now the building  was safe and no deaths  or  accidents  will ever  happen  !

One  month later  :

Now this  is no exaggeration  . I am reproducing the event as it happened . 

In the evening  I was coming  back  from my  regular  evening  walk .The temple of our building is just at the entrance , I saw Mr Krishnan there with his  younger  son ready  to go somewhere in their  car . But what struck me like  hammer on my head , was the fact that Krishnan's  right arm was on slings.and his son was crying furiously , !I didnt  ask Krishnan .Instead I asked the guard about  Harsh . He told  he injured his  right  leg while  riding  his  Bike !And Mr Krishnan himself  slipped in his  bathroom and injured his  right  arm !!

Now what will you  call this ? The poetic  justice ???? Our  superstitious  and mindless thinking ??Our  dependence on old  and  rotten beliefs  even  after 61  years  of  independence ???????

And  to  top it  all only  day  before  yesterday , an old man of 90 years , father of one of our residents  died !! 

What  to  do ? Should  we laugh  or  grieve at the  naive thoughts  of  the  Krishnans ???? 

The fault lies not  in the building  but in their  minds  who can tell the Krishnans ?????? 

Tags: evil air, superstition

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