There is a saying, “It takes all kind of people to make this World.” The main lead character of this story is ‘one of its own kind.’ To begin with, just imagine about a small, slumbering city with a middle class mentality, having no extra bustle of the life. The era is of the decade of 1980 of the last century, no crowd of over population worth noticing. My own foot hill city was of the same type. The every city or country side places are destined to be populated by myriad of denizens. But some one, among them may have got a unique feature of life style. This uniqueness of the persona of that fellow, gets inscribed in the memory bank for life long period.
The story is related to a person of that bygone era. In the name of vocation, he was a driver in the State irrigation department of the district, located in the center of the city. In the official records, his name was registered as Chhavee Ram. But in common and in all acquaintances he was known by a name familiar to his original name as Chhabeel Ram. He had had two facets of his personality. The one facet of life he lived prior to the afternoon, and, second facet he started to live after at exact 3.30 p.m. of the day.
First facet – He, contrary to other drivers of the department, happened to commence his duty early morning at about 7.00 am. Yes! When other drivers of the department, followed the duty code of timing, between 10.00 a m to 05.00 p m., he began his duty at 07.00 a. m. In fact, being a jeep car driver of the department, he was obliged to take school going brats of Engineer officers, to their school. After loading them, he would drop them at their different schools. Then collect them bck when school got closed between 2.00 to 3.00 p m.
In the morning, after dropping brats at the schools, his next duty was to take engineers from the bungalow, fetch them to office. Again, in lunch time, carry them at 1.00 O ‘clock back to the bungalow for lunch and drop them back to the office. Then he was destined finally to collect children from the school. It was his daily routine work. In this pursuit, his demeanor was meek, submissive and obedient one, like a duty bound creature. Never, any complaint either from the side of children of engineers or other family members, even from officer was noticed against him. In this first phase of daily life, he was a gentle man of this world.
The second facet – But the second facet was of another kind. That took shape daily at exactly 3.30 p m. That was a great transformation. At that period of time, the Irrigation department office happened to run in an old British time established, big sprawling building. It had a measurable extension. A big yard stretched before the old building. In the yard some huge, massive old trees of “pilkhani” with lush green foliage stood. The majestic presence of trees was, as if , recalling the old British era of the bygone days. On one side of a big tree, the garages for parking lot of department vehicles, were maintained since the beginning.
Those garages worked as a “workplace shelter” in day time for drivers. Chhabeel Ram too had his place there along with co drivers of the office. In his leisurely hour, Chhabeel Ram often found visible there smoking Indian Bidi, with other co drivers. This kind of scenario was common up to 3,30 p. m. At exact 3.30 p m, his second facet of life begun. At the sharp time, he would open the lid of his “quarter bottle” of country liquor. It usually took his half an hour time to consume this quantity.
Metamorphosis – With the reaching of both hands of clock ob 4.00 p m, a cigarette of Panama brand would magically appear in his hand. After drinks, no Indian Bidi type smoking he preferred. His metamorphosis , in fact, begun with this cigarette. Firstly, he would fix the cigarette, at exactly on the mid center of his lips. It was his stylish posture. In this posture, cigarette, elegantly dangling down up to his chin, releasing a smoking coil. Now, he would adopt a straight, erect posture of the body, with his both hands crossed on his back side. In the same posture, he would take two to three rounds of the vast yard of the yard. His this ceremonious walk was amused by all, be it officers or sub ordinates staff. Since, they all knew what next was to come up.
The style of his taking of rounds would be in semblance, as if, he was the Chief engineer of Irrigation Department. Then he would enter in the main building of the office. He strolled through the corridors of the building in the manner, as it was expected from a senior most officer of the Department. Finally he took entry towards the corridor, that led him to the officers’ chambers. As the story went on in the air, about his inspecting strolling, his next step was “bombastic one.”
Extortion drive – Now authoritatively, he would push on the door of the officer’s chamber and directly stand on the side of his main chair. Simply, it was a gesture of standing on the head of the officer. For a while, he tried to look at the face of the officer with his tipsy, liquor laden eyes. After that, he put up a demand before the officer for money to buy the another “quarter” of country liquor. That certainly be paid by officer, without raising any objection in silence.
Then again he would rush to the next engineer’s chamber, with the same authority and collect the money for his last and third “quarter” of liquor. Here on this point, his extortion drive got completed. The reason for paying silently, the expenditure of ‘quarters of liquor’ was obvious. In the department, other drivers were reluctant to attend the duty, early in the morning to drop children in the school. But Chhabeel Ram, whole through the year, in all weather did the duty properly.
As per the story afloat, all engineers had instructed their peons, who happened to station on the stool, outside their office main door. They were bound to pay money at once to Chhabeel Ram from their own pocket, which they could collect from the officer concerned later on. It was a contrivance to prevent his authoritative entry inside the chamber. In fact, regular country consuming quota of Chhabeel Ram comprised of ‘three quarters” daily. As per his own principles of life, the first ‘quarter’ he consumed from his own pocket. This first ‘quarter consumption’ helped generate in him a courage. Depending on that courage, he succeeded in extorting money from the officers. Cont’d… Penned by — Vinay Pharasi…..
