Unwanted Problems-God Always Helps You (story)

       

      Today was October 3rd. Madangopal had retired from worship. He was a teacher in a middle school in a village three kilometers away from his town. Due to the holiday of 2nd October, he had to celebrate the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and Shastri ji in his school today on 3rd October. Being the festival in-charge, he was looking at the list of students participating in the cultural program of the birth anniversary at home. In this, Lakshmi said while holding tea and said. Look, today I have had a bad dream. In the morning I was in a deep sleep when I saw two thieves come to my room. They took some money out of my chest and scattered my clothes. On seeing those thieves became in the form of monkeys and my eyes were opened. I saw nothing, but I got scared. Madangopal very leisurely explained to his wife that what do you have Lakshmi, whoever takes the thief and takes away, then let him take away, is his fate and anyway dreams, dreams happen. I do not believe in them at all and if seen, you are the Lakshmi of my house. As long as you are there, even the hair of the family cannot be frizzy. Laxmi smiled and said, you know more about making things, I was almost nervous and he left.

    Madangopal was very punctual. Lakshmi too used to be early in her work in the morning. It's too late to see. She felt comfortable only after she had prepared her husband and children and went to work. Like every day, even today Lakshmi prepared food in a hurry. Prepared the children's notes and put one child in front and two children behind the husband on the scooter and did ta-ta, ta-ta. All three of his children studied in the same school in the town.

Madangopal dropped the children at the petrol pump located near his school. There was a school at some distance from there. On the way back, the children's Guruji was met. Madangopal greeted him, asked for his well being. The Guruji of the children asked, why Guruji! Your children are not coming to school nowadays? Madangopal said, how can this happen? As usual, I have still left the petrol pump intersection. Saying this they left. On the way, they were thinking, where do the children go from the crossroads. His Guruji cannot tell lies. Maybe they don't care. Will take the news in the evening.

    After going to school, the talk came. He got lost in teaching. After the intermission, the birth anniversary of Pujya Bapu started being celebrated. The school premises resonated with Ramdhwani. The atmosphere became devotional with the sound of Bapu's favorite hymn 'Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye, Pir Parai Jaane Re'. Children were also listening with great interest about the simplicity and greatness of Gandhiji and Shastriji. In this, Madangopal also told the children in a very confident tone that Pujya Bapu used to call the name of God regularly in his prayers. Their God Ishwar Allah was one and the same. He told the children – there is unfailing power in the name of God. No matter how heavy the calamity may be, if you call on the Lord with a sincere heart, then your Lord will surely bring you out of the hour of adversity. After giving such discourses, he had left for home.

    On the way again, the same thing was hovering in your mind that today you will definitely take good news of the children. They had come home. The youngest child, who studied in class I or II, had already come home. His leave used to happen before the elder brothers. Madangopal asked Lakshmi, have the children not come yet? Lakshmi said, it will be as soon as it comes, it is four o'clock. Often by four o'clock the children used to come home. Now it's quarter past four. Madangopal again asked Lakshmi. Lakshmi said, maybe you have started playing somewhere, you will come now. Madangopal also told his wife about the Guruji of the children. Lakshmi's motherhood should be hurt from inside, but she did not want to see her husband in pain, she said, wait for a while, it will come soon. Madangopal's moment was becoming like a mountain. He was thinking that today itself the matter of taking the news of the children arose in his mind and today the children were absent. Tried to ask the little child, but he was still ignorant, would not be able to explain.

    It was half past four. The children have not come home yet. Now Lakshmi was also getting distracted. By the way, it was half past five. Madangopal took the eldest child along. Scooted all the places with his scooter, where the children could go - the school, the playground, Ravan Chowk, Kala Hatha, where the children had no fathom. I could not understand what to do? Tired of telling the whole thing to his neighbors. Neighbors consoled that your children may go to your village grandmother. Do not be so impatient, the children will not go anywhere, they will be found. It was seven o'clock in the evening. Darkness had come. Madangopal's patience had paid off. His food, drink, rest were all haraam, even his bowel movements had stopped since five o'clock. After giving up, he told Lakshmi, let's give some money, the car is running in reserve, oil has to be filled too. A few days back, Madangopal had given eighteen rupees to Lakshmi. Lakshmi had kept him in a chola brought from Haridwar. But what is this, Lakshmi searched the whole chola in reverse, but there was no trace of the money. Lakshmi almost cried and said, Oh Ram! They also went to the money and also went to the children. What do I do now? Debishankar ji lived alone in the adjoining house, he was an old man. He had son-in-law affection for Madangopal's family. Madangopal used to call him Kakaji. he gave caught Devishankar ji's feet and said what to do now? Disaster had struck the family. Debishankar realized that Madangopal did not even have a bag. His heart broke, he said, son, don't worry, I am with you. Madangopal got the support of straws for drowning.

    Madangopal took Debishankar along and started registering a report in the police station. The SHO asked, does anyone have any doubts? Madangopal had no enemy till now, whose name can be taken. He said, we have no enemies. Yes, they may have gone to the village to meet their grandmother somewhere. The Thanedar said, first take the information of your village, then we will give your FIR. Will register

    Kakaji took a jeep on rent from his acquaintances and set out to the village of Madangopal in search of the children. The road was very bad. It had rained recently. Everywhere was full of water. It was the month of Asoj. Navratra was going on. The sounds of Ramlila staging started coming from the mic in the village. Harmonium and drums were being played loudly. Ravana was shouting loudly. Suddenly the car brakes. The car was hiccups. It was eleven o'clock in the night. Madangopal knocked on the door of the house. Mother opened the door. When Madangopal asked the mother about the children, she too was stunned. The children did not come there. Madangopal thought, he may have gone to see Ramlila. Saw in the audience of Ramlila, the crowd had dispersed. Only a few spectators remained. The children were nowhere to be found.

    Madangopal also took his mother with him. The car had arrived in town. It was half past twelve in the night. The soldier was sitting and sleeping in the police station. The constable was asked to write a preliminary report. The soldier said, write the report in the morning, now the in-charge has gone to his quarters. Now tell me the names of you children. Madangopal said, the name of the eldest child is Sunil, he studies in the sixth grade. It is dark colored. The school is in dress. The second younger child is of Gaur color, his name is Anil. He studies in fourth grade. She is also in a blue school dress and has written her address.

    It was one o'clock in the night. All kinds of ideas were swirling about child abduction. I was thinking, what will happen now? I don't know what will happen. Will they meet or not? Two children went away at once. There was chaos in the house too. The nearby women had gone to their respective homes to console Lakshmi. Lakshmi was going insane. Who can do what next?

    Madangopal was raining on his mother, you had a hand in spoiling Sunil. Mother was saying, Sunil was wrong, but your jam Anil used to stay with you, why did he go with her? Madangopal was saying, if the elder boy is spoiled, then what is the fault of the younger one, he too can go with him.

    There was a flurry of accusations against each other. Madangopal thought that there would be some consolation from the mother, but she was sprinkling salt on the burn. Although there was a figure of thirty-six between Lakshmi and her mother-in-law. Lakshmi knew that no one could win her mother-in-law's, all the pot would fall on her. That is why Lakshmi was being silenced from time to time to Lakshmi Madangopal. Look, everyone is sleeping. What would someone say? You shut up. Mother's mercury was in seventh heaven. She only knew how to listen. He was not under his control to listen. In the heart of Madangopal, colic was emerging from time to time. Lakshmi was taking a sip of poison. There was an argument going on between mother and son. It was two o'clock in the night. Suddenly Lakshmi said, wait, just be quiet, there is someone outside. Someone from outside was calling Madangopal-Madanagopal. The gate was opened. Two men were standing outside.

    One of them said, I have come from the police, your name is Madangopal?

    Madangopal said, I am Madangopal.

    Soldier: Have you lost your children?

    Madangopal: Yes, but where are they?

    Soldier: They've been found, don't worry.

    Madangopal: Are you really telling the truth? I fall at your feet Are you just comforting or have you really got children. Madangopal, Lakshmi and mother were all pleading at the feet of the soldier. The soldier said, Mother, you are big. Don't worry, everything is fine. The children are safe, but they are not here. Presently he is in Jaipur. The soldier said, Madangopal, you come with us. Madangopal also took Kakaji along, now they were two to four. They came on foot till the intersection. The constable dropped the person he had taken with him from the hotel in a nearby hotel. The soldier's car was parked there at the petrol pump. The soldier said to Madangopal, there is less oil in the car, fill it up. Madangopal did not even have a penny. He pleaded with Kakaji and said, you fill petrol in his car as much as you want, I join your hands, I will pay all the money. Kakaji got a hundred rupees petrol stuffed in that car.

    Now they had reached the police station. Another sentry was sitting in the police station. He said very leisurely, don't worry, the children are safe. You withdraw two hundred rupees, I will tell the full address. Madangopal pointed to Kakaji, he placed one and a half hundred rupees on the table. Keeping the money in his pocket, the constable said, the children are in Jaipur Bajaj Nagar police station. Eating biscuits. There is nothing to panic. While writing the number on a slip, the soldier said, If there is any problem, then call me on these numbers.

    Now Madangopal was ready to meet the children. Now he had to catch a bus to Jaipur. from five o'clock in the evening and He couldn't even do it for a short while. The place was filled with water due to the rain in the evening. He made little doubts in the narrow alleyway nearby. It was four o'clock in the morning. In no time the bus had arrived. Madangopal and Kakaji had come to the Bajaj Nagar police station in Jaipur by eight o'clock in the morning. Although Madangopal was never brought up from the police station. The sentry was standing outside the police station with a gun. The sentry asked the reason for his coming to the police station. Madangopal said, the children have come. The orange understood. He gestured to go ahead. In fact, the children were sitting there eating biscuits, drinking tea while sitting on the chair. The younger child started crying at the sight of the father, while the elder child was left staring only at the father. The police officer called Madangopal inside through a sentry. The police officer asked, what is the proof that these children are yours? Madangopal said, I have no fear now, the children have been found. You check, I myself am a government employee. I have many relatives here. You can take your action, I don't mind. Saying this, Madangopal caught one and a half hundred rupees to the police station officer of his town as per the instructions of the police officer. The police officer signaled them to sit outside. There a soldier was saying that nowadays there are goons who sell even the kidneys of children and girls. Madangopal was very sad to hear this. He gave lakhs and lakhs of thanks to God. After some time a soldier handed over a plastic bag brought by him and nine rupees to Madangopal in front of the children. In that bag were two plastic glasses, some toys, ball, watch, chocolate etc.

    The chief in-charge of the police station came at nine o'clock. He called Madangopal to him on the top floor by a constable. Hundred his intention was also to extort some rupees. Madangopal had told that all the children have been found and I have given one and a half hundred rupees to the police officer below. Incharge sir did not say anything. Madangopal was sent down. After half an hour the paper was signed and he was released along with the children.

    Now he had taken the children with him again and sat in the bus for his town. Madangopal was getting very angry at the elder boy Sunil. He took Anil with him. What was the problem, why didn't you say at home? Till today he had not even slapped Sunil on the cheek. Sunil lived with his grandparents. Grandparents think, parents should not take Sunil with them. How will we be able to live alone? Grandparents used to spend their blind love on grandchildren. Grandfather used to sell grains and sometimes feed Kulfi, sometimes sweets, sometimes namkeen etc. to Sunil. Sometimes when Grandfather was not there, Sunil would sell grains and take kulfi, ice cream etc. Grandma doesn't refuse either. Sometimes Madangopal also got to know about his arrogance by Sunil's Guruji, but he was helpless in front of his parents. After the death of his father, Madangopal brought Sunil to his place. Here Sunil had complete parental control. Now there was no grain to sell here. There was the love of the grandparents, there was the direction of the parents.

    Thoughts were flowing in Madangopal's mind that suddenly the car applied the brakes. The journey of four hours was confined to thoughts. The bus was parked at the intersection of their town. Madangopal and the children, including Kakaji, had come home. After a while the atmosphere in the house had calmed down. It was five o'clock in the evening. All the anger of Madangopal was on Sunil. Madangopal, taking Lakshmi into confidence, locked Sunil in the room and started thrashing him with a wooden bar. The boy, who had never had a slap from his father, was seeing his father's fierce form today. Sometimes even this form of the father can give the right guidance to the child. Grandmother's heart was sinking, she had caught her way to her village. Then the story that came out was this...

    After being dropped from the intersection of Madangopal for a few days, Sunil did not go to school and started roaming around in the town with his two younger brothers. Sometimes in the cinema house, the children were watching the posters and sometimes the children playing cricket in Ravan Chowk. Sunil would sometimes feed ice cream to younger brothers and sometimes know water. Little money was available from home. One day he planned to withdraw money from the cholera he brought from Haridwar. Sunil also took his younger brother Anil in his confidence that he should not tell his parents. On the same day he took the money as usual and got down at the crossroads near the school with his father. They did not go to school and sent the younger Abodh Bhaiya back home and came to the roadways stand with Sunil Anil. The bus conductor, seeing the two young children, once stopped asking for the address of their house, but he was probably satisfied with Sunil's impetuosity. Said, it is possible that the family members have sent it. Sunil had gone to Mansarovar with his family a few days back, so he knew the way to the Sanganer police station. Sunil and Anil got down there.

    What was now, now they were completely independent. The whole mind was going on Sunil. Just as Abhimanyu knew even to enter the Chakravyha, he did not know the way to come. Sunil's mind was working till he reached there, he did not even think of returning. Now they started roaming around the market carelessly. Sometimes taking glasses, sometimes balloons, sometimes taking sweets and sometimes peanuts. He had also bought two toy type watches. All these scenes were being seen by the rickshaw and auto people there. They were thinking, who are these beautiful children? From where have you come? where will you go Why are you staying here again and again Huh? But no one dared to talk. Maybe their family members are around. Then younger brother Anil got lettering. He asked a rickshaw-man, Uncle, I will do the lettering. The rickshaw driver immediately filled a plastic bottle with water and caught the child and told him the way to defecate. He took their belongings with him. Once he was also trying to take money from Sunil, but Sunil did not give him money. After Anil retired from the toilet, the rickshawwala was sure that he was alone, why not take him to his slum. He parked his rickshaw there and started putting those children in a city bus. He only wanted to take a child with him. Therefore, sometimes he would make one sit inside and sometimes he would push the other child out. The children were clinging to each other, they were not taking the name of separation. Losing it, he saw that the passengers should not be aware of it. So he was covering himself even after taking out his eyes. Somehow, he put those children with him in the bus and got down at Bajaj Nagar and brought them to his hut.

    The name of the rickshaw driver was Bhajji. He was 30-32 years old. He had kicked his wife out of the house a few days ago. He lived alone. His sister asked, why Ray Bhajji, from where have you caught these children. Bhajji said, these are the boys of Thanedarji. They have to leave their house. Saying this he left his room. From behind, his sister took all the information of their family from those children and gave it to her family members. Two or four members of the family informed the Bajaj Nagar police station. The SHO said, bring those boys to the police station. In no time Bhajji had come to his hut. The family members told Bhajji that information has been received in the police station and the Thanedar sahib has called you to the police station with the children. Now Bhajji was compelled. He looked at those ends and said that you do not take my name that I have brought you and say that you are the sons of the Thanedar ji.

    Bhajji and two or four members of his family had come to the police station with those boys. When the SHO wanted to ask the boys their address, Bhajji's red eyes were scaring Sunil. Sunil falsely began to call himself the son of the police station, he could not say anything beyond this. The Thanedar ji asked by calling in other police stations also, but lies do not have feet. When the SHO saw that things were not working, Bhajji saw him with a stick and threw him out of his room. And told the children with great love, son, tell the truth about yourself, otherwise look at this stick. Anil gave his complete information to the Thanedarji as per his request. By wireless from the police station, the bell rang in the night in the police station of Madangopal's town. The anonymity of the children was reported from Jaipur, which was confirmed by this police station. What was it then, Madangopal had brought the children from Jaipur on getting information from the police station in the night itself.

    On the second day, the school bag was searched with Sunil along. Behind the Panchayat Samiti, the bags of both were found safe in the cover of the tree. Today was Sunday. The rays of Ravi were shining with full radiance. The clouds of fog had dissipated. Planetary Yoga was over.

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