FLOATING TOWEL
“At the crossroad of turmoil, the Samaritan bets his life.”
FLOATING TOWEL
Are you a swimmer?
No.
Then came, the little push on his back and a splash ….Jhooooppppp!!!!! and a shriek “Ohhhhhhhhh!!!” A floating towel with the striped quote: Swim Like a Shark, and an image of a smiling, dancing Shark in the swimming pool.
Where is that boy! Where is that boy? Questions and shouts from nearby. He is a novice, boy! You shouldn't! Two Life Scouts raced to the spot and dived deep…. Time passes….in seconds inside the water …but above, feels like hours… Are they coming up? Why are they taking so long? He doesn't know how to swim! You shouldn't! This spot is too deep for a novice to move up! Fourteen is not a joke! Why have people like you become insane? You know-? Don't know!?! Okay, I'll tell. Fool! Listen, …Yooooou doesn't know what you've done…! If he dies, you are ….Wissssp…inside for a life!?!
There was a crowd near the pool … the leisurely retired Ram, a couple of bored wives, half a dozen young swimmers - yet to pass the test and the Bekar roadside chokras.. fed up with the system …..all are here. Looking at that corner of the pool, some looking over the edge, trying to focus inside the blue waters …watching minutely for any movement…and others' lips busy opening and closing as bitter, fiery words are fired at that teen - Budhu, the name given by the local neighbours - standing now with chin locked to his chest as if trying to hide his face in shame… only yesterday he celebrated his fourteenth birthday with his Pagla reckless group in Mainland China. Sachin – the boy he pushed for a game, was there too. Sachin and Budhu regularly used to stalk each other for fun and create a ruckus. Budhu's thoughts get distracted with surrounding shouts and jeers. His thoughts; a floating towel in the pool, with the striped quote: Swim Like a Shark, and an image of a smiling, dancing Shark. Then ….suddenly, a few bubbles appear over the water…..not exactly where all were zooming, but a few feet away……Then a few more bubbles ….numbers jumped….. Onlookers look at each other …bordering on hope, despair and the thrill …if it comes out true…. Time passes….in seconds inside the water …but above, feels like hours…Now there is a strong disturbance on the surface of the water Onlookers look at each other …bordering on hope, despair and the thrill …if it comes out true…. At last, after two minutes the Life Scouts come up with Sachin - the boy's hand tugged within theirs – they drop him on the floor just like the fishermen drop their catch – but Oh God! The boy lies as a limp fish…eyes closed He is dead! He is dead! He is dead! This boy, this boy - the culprit! Beat him! Kick him! Don't let him flee! As Budhu is being thrashed by the angry mob, ever eager to take law in their hands, there were a few of the elderly along with the Life scouts who were stooping over the boy that lay dead … that leisurely retired old fella - Ram strode over to Sachin and blew in his mouth, as he pushed frantically on his chest…..phhhoooohhhhh…Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…. .as if the one standing at the border of death was composing such delicate music that would awaken anyone from his death bed…. phhhoooohhhhh …Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…phhhoooohhhh ……Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…phhhoooohhhh…Oooooh hhhhhhhpppp… Time passes….in minutes above the water …but those beside it, feel like they're hours…. A floating towel with the striped quote: Swim Like a Shark, and an image of a smiling, dancing Shark in the pool. The mob around Budhu bursts into slurs! You're an F#?!!* Refugee!!!! Why are you here? Huh? Why are you here? Speak up!! Haaa? Go to your locality Its for US , Only US…You scumbag refugees! The mob is now wearing veils of their religion! Blood oozing from Budhu's nose, the deep cut appears on his dishevelled forehead …all energy getting sucked out as he tries to move away in vain…..Budhu feels lifeless….Hi! It was my best friend! I didn't want to kill him! You know we had a great dinner only last Sunday!! …Budhu wants to say that…but he is too weak…his eyes are closing as he is falling down….…someone from nowhere came rushing towards him with a rod and pushed it straight through his skull “Jai Hingal ! Jai Moi!” …. that push and the blood oozing fatally….as his body is falling down into the pool ....but the boy's body too weak to swim... The water is still and the body drops .... a splash ….Jhooooppppp!!!!! and a shriek “Ohhhhhhhhh!!!” A floating towel with the striped quote: Swim Like a Shark, and an image of a smiling, dancing Shark. That leisurely retired old Ram clambered over Sachin and blew through his Lips drawing and pushing air…..phhhoooohhhhh ……Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…..as if the one standing at the border of death composing so delicately music that would awaken anyone from his deathbed…. phhhoooohhhhh ……Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…phhhoooohhhhh ……Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp… phhhoooohhhhh ……Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…And the boy Sachin suddenly opens his eyes and coughs out water ….more water…..Ram sits up …job over, boy! and looking back at the crowd chanting God's name as another boy goes limp and kisses the fathoms of the pool. The old man stands up in a great hurry and dives into the pool while the standing Life Guards shout …. Sir, don't jump with feeble heart! We are coming!
But who cares! As the old man's body arches, crossing the air to meet the inviting crimson waters of the pool, he hears the chanting from the poolside …Another refugee! Kill him! One more gone, one tension less! Time passes….in seconds inside the water …but above, feels like hours… …. A floating towel with the striped quote: Swim Like a Shark, and an image of a smiling, dancing Shark.
*****
No.
Then came, the little push on his back and a splash ….Jhooooppppp!!!!! and a shriek “Ohhhhhhhhh!!!” A floating towel with the striped quote: Swim Like a Shark, and an image of a smiling, dancing Shark in the swimming pool.
Where is that boy! Where is that boy? Questions and shouts from nearby. He is a novice, boy! You shouldn't! Two Life Scouts raced to the spot and dived deep…. Time passes….in seconds inside the water …but above, feels like hours… Are they coming up? Why are they taking so long? He doesn't know how to swim! You shouldn't! This spot is too deep for a novice to move up! Fourteen is not a joke! Why have people like you become insane? You know-? Don't know!?! Okay, I'll tell. Fool! Listen, …Yooooou doesn't know what you've done…! If he dies, you are ….Wissssp…inside for a life!?!
There was a crowd near the pool … the leisurely retired Ram, a couple of bored wives, half a dozen young swimmers - yet to pass the test and the Bekar roadside chokras.. fed up with the system …..all are here. Looking at that corner of the pool, some looking over the edge, trying to focus inside the blue waters …watching minutely for any movement…and others' lips busy opening and closing as bitter, fiery words are fired at that teen - Budhu, the name given by the local neighbours - standing now with chin locked to his chest as if trying to hide his face in shame… only yesterday he celebrated his fourteenth birthday with his Pagla reckless group in Mainland China. Sachin – the boy he pushed for a game, was there too. Sachin and Budhu regularly used to stalk each other for fun and create a ruckus. Budhu's thoughts get distracted with surrounding shouts and jeers. His thoughts; a floating towel in the pool, with the striped quote: Swim Like a Shark, and an image of a smiling, dancing Shark. Then ….suddenly, a few bubbles appear over the water…..not exactly where all were zooming, but a few feet away……Then a few more bubbles ….numbers jumped….. Onlookers look at each other …bordering on hope, despair and the thrill …if it comes out true…. Time passes….in seconds inside the water …but above, feels like hours…Now there is a strong disturbance on the surface of the water Onlookers look at each other …bordering on hope, despair and the thrill …if it comes out true…. At last, after two minutes the Life Scouts come up with Sachin - the boy's hand tugged within theirs – they drop him on the floor just like the fishermen drop their catch – but Oh God! The boy lies as a limp fish…eyes closed He is dead! He is dead! He is dead! This boy, this boy - the culprit! Beat him! Kick him! Don't let him flee! As Budhu is being thrashed by the angry mob, ever eager to take law in their hands, there were a few of the elderly along with the Life scouts who were stooping over the boy that lay dead … that leisurely retired old fella - Ram strode over to Sachin and blew in his mouth, as he pushed frantically on his chest…..phhhoooohhhhh…Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…. .as if the one standing at the border of death was composing such delicate music that would awaken anyone from his death bed…. phhhoooohhhhh …Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…phhhoooohhhh ……Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…phhhoooohhhh…Oooooh hhhhhhhpppp… Time passes….in minutes above the water …but those beside it, feel like they're hours…. A floating towel with the striped quote: Swim Like a Shark, and an image of a smiling, dancing Shark in the pool. The mob around Budhu bursts into slurs! You're an F#?!!* Refugee!!!! Why are you here? Huh? Why are you here? Speak up!! Haaa? Go to your locality Its for US , Only US…You scumbag refugees! The mob is now wearing veils of their religion! Blood oozing from Budhu's nose, the deep cut appears on his dishevelled forehead …all energy getting sucked out as he tries to move away in vain…..Budhu feels lifeless….Hi! It was my best friend! I didn't want to kill him! You know we had a great dinner only last Sunday!! …Budhu wants to say that…but he is too weak…his eyes are closing as he is falling down….…someone from nowhere came rushing towards him with a rod and pushed it straight through his skull “Jai Hingal ! Jai Moi!” …. that push and the blood oozing fatally….as his body is falling down into the pool ....but the boy's body too weak to swim... The water is still and the body drops .... a splash ….Jhooooppppp!!!!! and a shriek “Ohhhhhhhhh!!!” A floating towel with the striped quote: Swim Like a Shark, and an image of a smiling, dancing Shark. That leisurely retired old Ram clambered over Sachin and blew through his Lips drawing and pushing air…..phhhoooohhhhh ……Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…..as if the one standing at the border of death composing so delicately music that would awaken anyone from his deathbed…. phhhoooohhhhh ……Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…phhhoooohhhhh ……Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp… phhhoooohhhhh ……Ooooohhhhhhhhpppp…And the boy Sachin suddenly opens his eyes and coughs out water ….more water…..Ram sits up …job over, boy! and looking back at the crowd chanting God's name as another boy goes limp and kisses the fathoms of the pool. The old man stands up in a great hurry and dives into the pool while the standing Life Guards shout …. Sir, don't jump with feeble heart! We are coming!
But who cares! As the old man's body arches, crossing the air to meet the inviting crimson waters of the pool, he hears the chanting from the poolside …Another refugee! Kill him! One more gone, one tension less! Time passes….in seconds inside the water …but above, feels like hours… …. A floating towel with the striped quote: Swim Like a Shark, and an image of a smiling, dancing Shark.
*****
TO BE CONTINUED
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