09 12 2015 12 08 48 AM

Festival Seasons and Months of Odisha

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Mo Kahani - Odiya Video story

100 Rupees

100 Rupees:                                                                                                                          Pragna P Mohapatra

Morning 8.45 AM... ( A young software engineer in Bhubaneswar on the way to Infosys Patia)

Usual start to life … woke up at 8.15. Quick brush and very quick bath, after all I have to contribute to the world my share of water saving J ( Rest bathing is complemented the axe effect). Then the worst thing to do is to tie a tie that to when the temperature is 45 degrees (celcius). All along the road people think that I am a Medicine representative or some kind of sales man. It’s not that the MR is not a professional or does a job or something but it is not that glorious.

I have reached to the usual point on the road where I would pick my Audi (AUto the Desi  Invention) to reach my office.  Daily I have to wait for a while to catch auto.  I always choose to stand near the pan shop, where I can get my energy batteries. And somehow we smokers get a company easily as if we are childhood friends and we get so many good things to discuss about. Smoking in public place is crime but when it is done by a group, the crime is not held as a crime anymoreJ.

All of a sudden a BMW came and stopped in front of us. Seeing that only thought that came to my mind is “this won’t be mine in this birth”. The door opened and a beautiful girl came out of it in college uniform. Earlier thought in my mind got over ridden by the new thought “Car can’t become mine in this birth but surely can belong to my father in law”. Well there would be no baggers on the streets if realities were derived from dream.

The girl wanted to buy some chocolate, she got them all .Total cost was 99 rupees. She offered the shop keeper 1000 rupees note at the start of the day, and rest is well understood. The reply from the shop keeper was “Madam sakalu bauni heini apana asiki bada note dekheileni , change nahin”(I haven’t have my first transaction of the day and you are giving me a 1000 rupees I don’t have change). Then she looked back to her dad. Her dad resembled like a don from middle Africa, loaded with gold all over his body. I don’t have a thick rope in my home as thick as his gold chain. He said

“I only have cards in my wallet no change”.1000 rupees was change for him, wow someday I would love to say this line when someone asks me a 1000 or even 500. Then both collected the 100 from driver gave it to the shop keeper.

Soon after the BMW went, a govt. employee arrived there in his car (Given by government – Maruti SX4- I know where the tax money goes. ) with red light. Must be a big shot is some government office. He came down from is car for a smoke .For a packet of cigarette worth 78 rupees he gave 500 rupees note. Again the shop keeper started cursing him with good words. He said keep the change and went off. As he had only a buddle of 500 rupees notes. The shop keeper said “We lost a gold medal for sure, had this officer represented India in Olympics for the event of corruption, surely we would have won multiple gold by now “.

On the other side of the road I saw a cyclist was walking with his son. May be he was on his way to drop him to the school. I discovered his paddle was broke down. He came to the cycle repair shop next to the pan shop. With a very depressed voice he asked about the cost of repair. The estimation was 30 rupees. All of a sudden the sons face drew very sad. I thought he is sad as he is getting late to his school. But one question of his to his father made everything clear “bapa aji bhi macha khayi paribani ? (father can’t we have fish tonight ?”)

The father left with only and hundred rupees as it was the last working day of the month and they had planned to buy fish, but cycle ruined it all.

Next to the shop there was a group of daily wagers were digging ground to lay down the cable.Suddenly I heard a huge cry. I rushed to the spot; I discovered one man had hurt himself while digging. All men around him gathered whatever they had, be it 5 rupees, 10 rupees. I guess they had collected around 100 rupees and rushed him to the govt. hospital. They needed 100 as a bribe to the compounder to do the dressing of the wound and to get the medicine.  Surely by their appearance no private hospitals even allow them beyond their first gate.

An old Beggar was sleeping in front of the apartment behind the pan shop; my first thought was he must be drunk. Then a small girl came near him and gave some water. Old man had barely any strength left in him to wake up. Then the girl begged bread from the shop. But the shop keeper rudely rejected her. I felt very sorry for her, brought a bread myself and gave it her. She blessed me a lot and said that “My father is bagger; I was not well for last 4 days. So we went to the hospital. They gave few medicines but one medicine we had to but it ourselves. It would cost us 70 rupees. So my dad went to Sani temple to beg as it was a Saturday.  Last evening he didn’t return to the home, when I searched him all over the place and I found him here.”

Sani temple is 15 km from there; I can imagine without food what he would have gone through to reach here.

I don’t know why all these things are happening from this morning. Life is so comfortable for me. Issues for me are

Why India is not getting a medal in Olympics?

Why there is so much of corruption?

Which smart phone is better?

Which movie to go for the week end?

Why my appraisals are not good?

When my visa will be initiated ?

When my salary will increase?

But life is giving me a different picture from the moment I stood here. Many things I took for granted in my life, never thought for someone buying a fish can become an issue budget  . A single 100 rupees have so many meaning in my country. For some they don’t have it anymore, and for some they can’t have it ever . By seeing the little girl and her father, eyes became moist and I could not hold back my tears.

I gave her 100 rupees, she denied a lot. But finally she accepted when I gave her promise of her old aged father.

In the meantime my audi arrived, I asked him “Bhai jibaki patia infocity” (Will u go to patia infocity?).

He replied “Haan jibi , kintu sahe tanka lagiba” (Yes , I will go but it will cost u 100 rupees).

Again 100 rupees … J

(This is a pure work of fiction, resemblance to any one is purely a coincident. This is write up is not to hurt any one’s sentiment, Apologies in adanvnce if it hurts anyone’s sentiment)