Non-erotic The Scarface I Hated by Trambak

[Ramesh_Rocky]

One day he came late at night and called my mother. I was sleepy and they were discussing something in a low tone. I was intrigued and tried to overhear. My father was telling my mother that an extremist group was trying to inflame passions by telling people that all the firewood was being diverted to the rich and influential people and the poor were being left only to die. They were telling them that how people were duped by being paid a pittance for the firewood they get from the jungle. Their moot argument was that the rich were having a comfortable time while they were dying of cold and hunger.

Baba said that there was an extreme degree of annoyance and people were seething with anger.

My mother was listening quietly. After my father finished, she asked whether there was any truth in the allegations. My father said that not everything was untrue but the way they were taking advantage of a social problem; it could result in a major catastrophe.

He then said that he has been requested by the government agencies to meet the leaders of the group involved in the propaganda on their behalf and persuade them to refrain from creating a major issue. My father had been chosen because of his acceptability and clean image among every stakeholder. But the matter was a secret.

My mother implored if he could stay out of this but my father replied that he had agreed to the proposal because the people would listen only to him and he must make all efforts to defuse the crisis.

For the first time, I saw fear in the eyes of my mother. She kept sitting clutching the thin withered shawl she was wearing. Baba turned and slept. She kept sitting.

She didn't sleep and neither did I."

Chapter-22

Imran seemed overwhelmed as if living through the frightful evening that was enacted 20 years back. I allowed him to reorganize his thoughts because I would have broken his train of thought, had I interrupted.

"The next few days, Baba hardly returned home. Whenever he came, it was either for lunch or dinner. He would quickly eat and go out again. He usually returned late at night. Once I saw him return in a security officer jeep. A lady was driving the jeep. She was wearing a security officer uniform. My father quickly came in and the jeep left quietly. I suddenly found my mother standing with me looking at the jeep. Her face looked so strained. She was living through a nightmare.

Baba came in and found us waiting for him. He looked a little embarrassed but he quickly recouped his composure. It was already late and my mother sent me to bed. But, I was in no mood to sleep. Though I was a small child, I could feel the tension at home. As if something sinister was going to happen.

My mother confronted Baba. She wanted to know what exactly was going on. Baba was secretive except for saying that he was not in a position to discuss anything because it was a sensitive governmental matter. Maa did not push the matter further. Once Baba said that it was information that even his wife was not privy to, any further query was futile.

Next day, I found Maa making arrangements. Some people were visiting us. That interested me. I never remembered anyone visiting us till date. We never went to our grandparents or for that matter anywhere. I did not know whether I had grandparents or not. They never told and I never asked. In the afternoon Baba came home accompanied by a young couple and a baby. Both of them were very smart and the aunty was beautiful. I had to grudgingly admit that she was more beautiful than my mother, my own limited standard of beauty. The uncle too was handsome and very jolly. In no time, both of them eased the atmosphere by their jovial nature.