The Friends Island
Once upon a time, there was a boy who lived in an island called "Friends Island". It was really hard for the boy to live in the strange and isolated piece of land. But God blessed the boy with the friends who left indelible marks on his life. The boy didn't enjoy as much in his life as being the citizen of the "Friends Island”. The initial phase of time spent in the island was the toughest time ever lived. But the things are at their best at the end of this wonderful journey.
One day, the boy's best friend Mr. Real arrived in the "Friends Island”. He wanted to meet the boy's wonderful friends. The boy took him to a walk around in the "Friends Island". A girl was very nervous about how the things will change for good. She was looking into the far end of the island and probably, she wanted a way out of the "Friends Island". Mr. Real interrupted and asked to share some moments spent with the girl.
The boy told him that the girl was nick-named ‘Bitia’ and the name carried the meaning and depth of relation with the girl. The girl taught the boy how to walk when he was a tiny toddler. She was the one who used to shake his chair and motivated him to pursue his ambitions. She was the one who used to share her secrets with him. She was the one who used to help him when he got into trouble. She was the one who used to eat paranthas, ice-creams, French fries and baby corn pizzas. She was the one who used to talk incessantly and sometimes, the boy didn't understand what she wanted to express. She was the one who always showed her interest in the foot wears. She is the one who always wanted to go home.
Mr. Real was amazed as he hadn't had such a wonderful friend in his life. He became jealous. This was quite visible on his face. They went further and reached a lake called "Magar Lake". Mr. Real was really tired and wanted to relax after a tiring journey from the Real World. The two sat together on the banks of the lake and went into the past memories. Suddenly, a Magarmach appeared from nowhere and sat beside them. Mr. Real stood up and started running towards the main land. The boy called him back and tried to purge his fear as the Magar was also his friend. Three of them had the drinks on the banks of the "Magar Lake”. They spent a wonderful evening. The Magar disappeared into the lake after the party. The two walked back to the home.
Mr. Real was wondered how a Magar could be the boy's friend. He urged the boy to throw some light on Magar. The boy said that Magar was also known as "Farzi" but he was the most genuine person among his friends. He was the one who never forgot to celebrate the birthdays. You could aptly call him a Birthday Manager. Whenever the new girls land on the "Friends Island", the Magar would get out of the lake and search out for the best among them. These were the two peculiarities of the Magar. He owned a serious face, that's why; he had been nick-named Magar. The Magar was the one who shared with the boy some of the funniest moments in the Friends Island. The boy and Magar christened some of the unique names, few of them were Bitia, Nagin, Chawanni, Athanni, Paanch ka sikka, Chinku, Tambakoo Wali, Cooker Khasi, Nigeria Wali, Coming Soon, Khundaki, Danvi, Bakasur, Hari Chudel, Nanhi Neena and Bholu. The popularity of Bholu went beyond the boundaries of the Friends Island.
The two were trembling with cold as it was the winter season in the Friends Island. The boy asked Mr. Real if he wanted to have some tea. Mr. Real accepted his offer. They walked some 100 meters when the boy could clearly see a hoarding which read "Bholu Chai Wala". Mr. Real and the boy sat on a wooden bench beside Bholu. Mr. Real was losing his breath with cold. He mumbled, “Do Chai". All the sirens in the Friends Island went out. The boy was trembling with fear because a major earthquake was in the offing. Bholu stood up and fired some of the censored words at Mr. Real and threw the boiling tea on the face of Mr. Real. Mr. Real didn't know that these two words could provoke Bholu. Both the friends ran for safety. A tap was flowing near Friends temple. Mr. Real splashed his face with cold water to ease the burns and the two went to Friends hospital for dressing.
Mr. Real was still clueless about what happened. The boy explained that he used to tease Bholu with these two words and to add spices, he used to ask for Mathi, Naan Khatai and fan etc. Bholu never prepared tea for the boy and his friends. He would put out some bad words instead. Mr. Real was very interested to listen about Bholu in detail.
Bholu had been the best buddy for everybody on the Friends Island. He had been the real centre of attraction. Be it his fitting replies like "Ja tu bana le" when the boy asked him to make a tea, be it some non sense English like "to travel on a bus means bus ki chat par chalna", be it his hairstyle, be it his funky jeans, be it his career plans, be it his style of carrying the bag, be it his comments like "ek saal baad 5 ka package toh expect karta hoon", "Chal yar khana kha lete hai nahi toh khatam ho jayega", be it his dance in the disc and in the hills, be it his readiness to taste the very first piece of cake. While telling about Bholu, the boy lost in the memories and forgot Mr. Real. When the boy came back, he found that Mr. Real's ribcage had popped out of the mouth. The doctor said that excessive laughter led to popping out of rib cage. Then the boy remembered how this used to happen with almost everyone.
Mr. Real came to his senses after a two hour long rib cage replacement operation. The doctor advised bed rest for two days. They didn't do anything for next two days. The boy told Mr. Real that there was a famous "Friends Cafe" near the Fountain Square. We could go there and spend some good time among some good people. It was a big cafe with several hundred seating capacity. The two took a corner seat and discussed about their encounter with Bholu. There was a group sitting two seats left of them. The group was nick-named Charlie's Angels. The group had four people named Sugreev, PC, Chavanni and Panch ka sikka. Mr. Real asked the boy to make the things clear. The boy replied that Sugreev was the best friend of his brother Rama. Mr. Real's face glowed and said that then you must be Laxman. There must be a Ramayana story in the Friends Island which I would like to know about. The boy soothed Mr. Real and promised to take him for the Ram Leela. The boy continued that Sugreev had his unique style and liked to spend his time with Chavanni, Panch ka sikka and PC. You would find these four people at parties, in the Friends Cafe and on the parapet of the fountain. PC had a broad smile and it carried energy and spark. She hid her spark behind the lips whenever the boy saw her laughing. A film actress carries the charisma and the contours of her bright face. The boy was the first to compliment her facial contours.
Just below the LCD TV, the boy could see Bholu Chai Wala. The boy poked Mr. Real and pointed towards Bholu. Mr. Real got nervous and hid his face with both the hands. The boy asked him to calm down. He said,” Bholu troubles only when you ask him for a tea. So, there was no harm sitting here.” Mr. Real asked who was sitting with Bholu. The boy said, "he was the most scholarly saint of the Friends Island. Bholu was using his services since the saint touched his holy feet on the Friends Island. The saint is famous across the length and breadth of the Island for his knowledge and sneeze. Whenever the saint sneezed, the island had witnessed some tough times. Once he was meditating near “Magar Lake”. Suddenly, he sneezed and the water of the lake vaporized. Once he sneezed on the Fountain Square, nobody could hear anything for next two days because they temporarily lost their hearing ability. He could even shoo away a dragon with his sneeze. So, you should better be his follower and you can literally bathe in the Gyan Ganga that flowed from his mouth."
Three km down the fountain square in the midst of huge trees, there was Friends Library. The boy and Mr. Real walked down to the library to get their hands on the literature of the Friends Island. The most prominent among these were 'Kalyug ki Ramayan', 'Smitz & Mitz', 'Chudel ka Aatank', 'Bholu aur do chai', 'Maa aur Magar','Ram, Laxman aur Pool Table','Kataksh ke prakar','Laxman aur Ravan ka Yudh','Halwaii aur Mistri','Naam ka Puran','Bitia aur Helmet','Magar aur uska Farziwada','Nirbal Ram','Maa ke Pravachan','Danvi ka Aatank-26/06/2010','Mera gahra dost-Daadi Wala Smiley','Mitz aur uski Meow','Saint ka Package' etc. Mr. Real said, “I would read all of them."Mr. Real took 'Hawaii aur Mistri' and the boy took 'Maa ke Pravachan'. They both sat there to read.
Just beside their seats, there were two studious girls. One was wearing a helmet and the other was completely lost in the book. Mr. Real asked why the girl had a Helmet on her head. The boy replied that it was her hairstyle that looked like a Helmet. Perhaps, she had been nick-named Helmet because of her hair style. Helmet couldn't control and spoke out, "ek baat bolu kapoor, yeh kataksh karna achi baat nahi". Helmet didn't lose any time and lost into the books again. The boy was speechless. Mr. Real asked what happened to you. The boy whispered that he didn't have the courage to play kataksh with Helmet. Mr. Real asked who the girl next to Helmet was. The boy said that she was nicknamed Heera because of her dedication towards the work. The boy and Mr. Real stood up from their seats and went behind Heera silently. What they found was a big surprise. She had a book titled GSM SYSTEM SURVEY, but she was not reading the book. She was looking at the photograph of a boy. She looked behind and broke into laughter as she used to do. The boy told Mr. Real that Heera was as close to him as Bitia was. Heera had also helped the boy in the times of trouble. She had also shared some moments of her college days with the boy. Mr. Real didn't have this kind of experience throughout his life. He had no words and envy had overpowered his facial expressionism. Mr. Real and the boy carried their books and went back to home.
Next day, they went to Friends Art Museum. Two strange characters were showcasing their talent. The two approached an artist whose name was Daadi Wala Smiley. The boy introduced, "Daadi Wala Smiley is a great calligraphist and is one of my dearest friends. The samples of his art are nailed to the wall and don't need anybody’s approval.” The boy told Mr. Real that the artist was nicknamed so because there was no smiley with a beard in the same time. Believe me; his art really inspires everybody in the Friends Island. The two friends wished Daadi Wala Smiley success and prosperity and approached the second character, Nanhi Neena. The boy introduced, “She is a little fairy who loves to play with colors. The testimony of her artistic flair hangs on the wall to our left.” Mr. Real was in love with the colors of innocence and simplicity. He liked a New Year painting and kept it as a memento.
The two friends came out of the museum and hired a Friends Tuk-Tuk and went to Friends Cinema which was 2.5 km uphill beyond the hustle and bustle of the Fountain Square. The movie on show was The Best Friends. There were two characters in the movie and a villain called Shocker. Smitz and Mitz were two best friends and they liked to laugh and enjoy every bit of the life. Mitz loved teddies, Meow, pink rabbit, Chipsy and, of course, Smitz. Smitz didn't speak much until Mitz appeared in her life. The two friends were like Ram & Sughriv, Krishna & Sudama, Atal and Advani, Sita and Geeta etc. Shocker was the bone of contention for both of them.He gave shocks to the two friends and tried to turn their life sour. Smitz and Mitz smashed Shocker with apt comments. The two started living happily once again. The boy liked a dialogue and wouldn't forget. The dialogue was ‘Oooooooooo Smitiiiiiiiiiiiiii’, 'Ooooooooo Mitaaaaaaaaaa'. Mr. Real was quite happy with his expedition in the Friends Island. It was already dark when they came out of Friends Cinema and they reached home half-dead.
There was a Friends Palace atop Friends hill. The Friends Palace was the official residence of Maa. Painted in white color, it was one of the finest structures in the Friends Island. The two friends reached the palace in the noon. The gate-keeper took the friends to the court of Maa. It was the routine in the palace to hear the complaints of the citizens of the Friends Island. The two friends were made to stand in a corner. Mr. Real was closely monitoring Maa’s keenness and shrewdness to handle the complaints. The boy said,”Maa is the most influential lady of the Friends Island. She has impressed me, inside out. Maa has criticized almost everyone to evoke the hidden power of my friends. It seemed bad to everyone when she ill-behaved but I think it was totally unintentional.” The boy hoped that Friends Island would flourish in the hands of Maa.
The two friends went to a big hall where two big pictures were nailed to the wall. They were the antecedents of the Friends Island. They controlled the reins of the island before Maa took over. The heroics of these two fighters are still cherished in the Friends Island. The children want to emulate the qualities of these antecedents.
After a grand luncheon with Maa, the two friends left for home. It was 7:00 PM when they reached Fountain Square. Mr. Real observed a man who was sitting in a corner. He continued,” He has been seeing the man at the same place for a few days now. Who is he? What is he doing here? Why doesn't he speak out? Why doesn't he talk with anyone of you? Why does he look so serious and alone?” The boy replied, “He is Sikka and has been sitting on the Fountain Square for a few months. It is one of the biggest enigmas why doesn't he speak out. He is the best friend of Magar. Probably, Magar can answer your questions well.”
It was 8:00 PM. The two friends took the dinner at Friend Dhaba. The boy told Mr. Real that they would go for Ram Lila as promised. The Ram Lila is held throughout the year in the Friends Island. The courtyard of the Friends Temple was huge and could accommodate the entire population of the Friends Island. The boy informed, “The Ram Lila which is showcased in the island is the parody of what you are aware of. The main characters of the Ram Lila are Ram, Laxman (the boy), Sita, Hanuman, Sughriv, Jamwant (Bholu), Ravan (Shocker), Bakri (Marich), and Bandar.”
The curtain goes up for the first scene. It was Ram and Laxman Janam. The scene followed the birth of Sita. Gradually, Ram fell into love with Sita. Laxman was really upset on his brother's folly. He tried to separate them by hook and crook. But failed in every attempt. Sugreev was Ram's best friend but he also couldn't save Ram from falling into the trap. Laxman's life was also off the track. He had some deadly encounters with Danvi, Ravan and Shoorpnakha. Amid all the cruelties of life, Ram and Laxman were passionate for Pool Table. They played some memorable games and the intensity of pressure could be well read on their faces. Laxman lost most of the games but he had been able to destabilize Ram at some moments. There was a bandar who spoiled the game occasionally. It was hushed away everytime by Ram and Laxman.
Ram was treated badly in the Friends Island. The talent of Ram is still untapped and a bright future is waiting for him.
Hanuman acted as a savior for Rama when Rama and Sita were together. He also tried his intelligence but failed badly. The time spent. Ram didn't leave Sita. Ram and Laxman didn't stop playing pool. The moment came when Bakri and Ravan conspired Sita's expulsion from the Friends Island. Sita went into the innards of the island. Laxman also parted from Ram.
It was 11:00 pm. The high intensity tremors shook the Friends Island. Everyone ran for the safety. Probably, it was of no use. A 15 feet high Tsunami struck the island. All the structures crumbled. It was screams and water all around. The sun witnessed the first signs of devastation. Everything was swept away in the water. There were only two things left. One was the boy and other was a timeless void.
I was soaked with sweat. My brother woke me up and asked what happened. Then I realized what I saw was a dream. I shared the dream with my friends and they were glued to their seats till the story finished.
