“Bhadur has been taken to the hospital, bleeding profusely; hit on his forehead with a metal chain. A rowdy brood in fit of fervour hit him twice, realising the injury he caused, ran away in fright. His shirt is soaked in blood and the blood is spilled in the lobby and lift of the building" Rai spoke to me anxiously. I was taken with a shock.
A few minutes back Bhadur & I were returning to our apartment when the squabble picked up.
The local Police station had our colleagues visiting to file a FIR while the antagonist had blood spots wiped out to remove evidence of the bloody brawl.
Satish in his eventually picked up role of the tele-messenger, at 11.30 p.m once again called upon me, “come to the police station”.
On the otherwise busy road late in the night we couldn’t find an auto. Uninclined to get involved in a police case Subodh dropped me by the police station. I walked across the station gate. The society residents were already present.
Pandu got Bhadur injured, was no news. Pandu was made to squat on the floor. Duty Inspector Vichare kicked his motorcycle to record Bhadurs statement who had received seven stitches on his forehead.
FLASH BACK
The company bus dropped us at the newly rented company guest house on the usual time - 7.45 p.m. A dozen of employees resided in the two - three bedroom apartments in the opposite buildings of a society, separated by car parking arena.
Entering the apartment Rai mentioned of the furniture from another guest house, piled in the basement. We had seen it on our way to the lift. Unfazed I walked out to the market. Bhadur joined me.
Satish called, telling the obvious, “Pandu was evacuating the furniture from the house through the society labourers. Can colleagues come to aid”.
We returned to our apartment. The colleagues were apathetic in matters of the counterparts in the other apartment.
I had little idea of the history...
Arrived from a vacation I was new in the newly acquired guest house. I didn’t like the location. The surroundings had buildings, hutments and crowded market place.
Neighbour of the apartment in the opposite building was troublesome. Pandu from Bihar, in his forties managed a truck business. Gossip had it that because of a much younger wife he could not tolerate bachelors as neighbours. Stray incidents had provoked his insecurity.
One odd morning Pandu bumped in the house, demanding no use of the bathroom adjoining his house, “drainage water is seeping to my wall”. Bhadur emerged from the shower, “we won’t stop using the bathroom”. Had Pandu been polite he might had extracted a much pacifying reply. Insecurity makes one act intimating. Agitated Pandu left grumbling obscenities.
One weekend in the lobby garbage bin, empty liquor bottles were dumped, infuriating the annoyed neighbour. He reported to the builder and the society. Since then trash bin was no more loaded with bottles, to the dismay of Pandu, who smelt around the house for cigarettes and liquors.
Suman, a bihari in the company, was rumoured to be ogling bihari Pandu wife in the lift and at the door. Pandu in fits verbally assaulted anybody he found from the company, making everyone loathe him.
Having no heart to ignore a friend’s call I decided to pay a visit. Bhadur came along.
In a twist of tale, the labourers who lugged the furniture out were carting it back. Satish had called upon the companies’ president who sent for the Personnel Manager to look into the matter.
PM was supposed to be arriving anytime now. To receive him, I held on the ground floor, while the rest of the lot went to the apartment. He didn’t turn up until the forthcoming incidents lead to a police case.
The subsequent office day the PM drove the brand new company fiat for the last time. The President questioned the PM of his late arrival at the incident site, “The company car got a puncture” PM probably lied. “If it would have been your wife delivery would you had waited on the puncture or taken an cab instead?” After the reprimand the (now Ex) PM walked out of the office gates. This time the security didn't salute.
Bored of wait I took the lift to the apartment. Pandu was occupied on his mobile in the balcony. Society people asked for Pandu to converse, but Bhadur snuffed him vacating the apartment until PM arrives. Bhadurs’ agitation took us with surprise. Pandu on his part acted meek, later was it to be discovered, besieged had called upon the society members, his truck employees and the local politicians to his aid. Having infringing the companies’ property, he couldn’t call the police.
After the furniture was secured the labourers lingered for a while waiting for the PM who didn’t manage an appearance, so they left.
A juvenile khlasi (truck driver assistant), Pandus employee turned up with a travel luggage securing metal chain in an apparent exhibit of loyalty to his master. With no PM arriving, Pandu took leave, ostensibly complaining of being hijacked. After pandu gone everyone dispersed.
Things appeared settled for the night. Tiffin dinner arrived. My tiffin had been delivered to my apartment so I took my leave. Bhadur accompanied.
At the basement car parking, society meeting for the forthcoming ganpati mahostav was in progress. We walked towards our block, Pandu came running behind interrupting Bhadur, mouthing obscenities.
Pandu took out his slipper to offer Bhadur a thumping. Bhadur in repose took out his slipper. Arms raised holding slipper comically resembled the picture of warriors from ancient battles, except the sword replaced the slipper raised high to strike the foe. Bhadur proclaimed loud, “I am bhadur (the brave)”.Over dose of hindi cinema, imbibes the notion of heroism is street fights. I coherently insisted him not get involved in the brawl and leave the place. Infuriated he won’t heed my counsel until it was quite late.
None of them hit but yelled loud attracting attention. Curious of the drama, the society flocked. While I tried to restrain the crowd Bhadur withdrew in self defiance to the building. A few hurtled past pursuing Bhadur.
One in the crowd pulled me by my shirt. I vain fully argued of my being non-involved in the brawl but the middle aged plump won’t heed until he received a punch, which got him staggered, stumbling a few steps.
I reached for the gate. The crowd had moved on towards the building. At the gate, the lean security guard expressed his desperation to leave the gate.
A car drove in while the shrieks in the building lobby got intense. I called upon Satish to get the colleagues for Bhadurs help, but found Satish to be out of his apartment. Out of concern I asked him to keep safe. Meanwhile the car sped out of the gate. The shrieks almost instantly ceased.
Walking back to the apartment I noticed the yelping and the crowd vanished. Rai opened the door for me.
Inspector Vichare returned to the Police station, “Bhadur is a stubborn man”. Bhadur statement mentioned of the subsequent incidents, after he walked out of my company, following his withdrawal from the crowd. Pandu followed him pronouncing obscenities. Bhadur waited for the lift when the brood khlasi frantically rotating the metal chain to frighten him made approach.
Instead of halting at the lift, taking the stairs to reach the second floor apartment could have saved his day, but destiny had it otherwise. Seemingly political rowdies on Pandus mobile call arrived in the car.
The pervert khalasi in demonstration of gusto to the allies hit the metal chain on Bahdurs forehead but didn’t realise the injury it caused until he hit again while the blood oozed. He ran away in fright. The car with its inhabitants cramming sped out of the scene and the society dispersed in frenzy. Bhadur shoved himself in the lift to reach the apartment. Pandu in terror decreed the lift keeper to scrub up the blood marks.
To the Inspectors exasperation Bhadur went ahead to mention of someone holding a katta (country made pistol) to threaten him. It would lumber him with further interrogation for tracing the illegal procession of arm. “It is a fragment of your imagination in horror” he eluded Bhadur who remained adamant in his statement.
The PM had finally arrived at the police station. Inspector proposed a mondowli (settlement), but the younger colleagues were agitated enough with the bloody act to insist on a First Information Report.
At 2 a.m the PM drove us to the guest house in his new company fiat. “The fact that we didn’t hit back makes our case strong” he mentioned. Apparently the punch was not reported or I may had been a party to what I was a witness.
Morning at 7 the colleagues called upon me to join them visiting Bhadur. After the heat of the movement is spent the mind acts logically in self interest. Colleagues averring on the FIR at night, morning wished it withdrawn. Police, lawyers and doctors at best are avoided.
Bandage round his head concealing the stiches, Bhadur appeared cheerful with his obsession to take the adversary to the court. The ardour weathered as the colleagues and seniors poured in with their advice. “Lawyers charge an exuberant price while the verdict only gets postponed in certain cases to a few generations”, “As court cases are hardly won on merit of truth; lawyers formulate a case, with more lies then truth”. Bearing a military background, Bhadur displayed a certain allergy to the thought of having to lie.
Inspector Vichare stooped over for witness statements. Bhaskar remarked my angst while imputing the police statement. Not yet had I recovered from my initial shock.
To kill time in the sombre hospital surroundings everyone deliberated. “Had Bhadur not departed from my company I would have got involved in the mad squabble for survival”. Afterwards Bhadur had wished me by his side in the affray. I felt pity for him. “Had the squabbling crowd lost its target, they might had meandered for some one else. In the whirl anyone could had been hit”.
Bhadur complained of chest pain. I accompanied him for a rib scan. Report was uplifting. All was intact.
More counsel streamed “Job will suffer if the company decides not to support although it all begun with company furniture”, “Pandu registered a FIR of his wife being harassed. No surprise if he may concoct a few more acquisitions”.
It’s difficult to gauge if the revelations startle or enlighten Bhadur but he had an apparent change of mind. He spoke to the president on his phone, “I will cooperate with the company in this case concerning its furniture. Please advice”. The case was withdrawn.
Some colleagues left to spend their Sunday outdoors; few as usual went out of the town to see their family and friends. By noon Bhadur lay forlorn on the hospital cot.
Following evening Bhadur was discharged. It must have been a hard time for him. We’re all humans, having families to feed; we all want to improve our circumstances. In such a situation brawls are perverts delight.
Ahead in Time:
I didn’t like the living arrangements, so changed company.
Satish left for Australia. He talks of the antipathy for Indians on the phone.
Suman now lives with his wife, but can’t help ogling women, often they quarrel.
Khlasi on riot charges during municipal elections is serving a 2 years sentence in district jail.
Pandu became society president. Was expelled following financial irregularities in Ganpati mahatsov donation fund.
Bhadur now much sober, took the advice seriously “If you are 40 and still unmarried, u tend to fight others battles”. He’s looking for a suitable bride.
