“He is doing politics”

Prakash Babu comes with his wife everyday to the park for morning walk. Prakash Babu joins our group and his wife joins a group of women. After making five or six rounds on the circular walking/jogging path, we return to our homes and Prakash Babu and his wife also leave together for theirs.

Prakash Babu was in student politics, he was the elected president of the students’ union in his college. On completion of his graduation, he joined a bank and also got involved in union activities. He was all along an office bearer of the bank employees’ association and at the time of retirement, he was its general secretary. Post retirement, he has joined a political party.

Prakash Babu is a Mr Know All. Whatever subject you bring up, he must know the subject; you name a person, not so ordinary or a VIP, in some way or the other, he claims to have a kind of intimacy with the person or has close connection with him.

In course of discussion Amulya Babu said, “Yesterday I had been to a marriage reception, I saw the former chief secretary standing in a corner and eating, of course, two/three persons were with him to take care of him.” Prakash Babu quipped, “Former chief secretary, a nice gentleman! He used to come to our bank, he had an account with us. He sat before me and took tea that I offered him.”

Pati Babu was talking about congress politics. He discussed the untimely deaths of Rajesh Pilot and Madhav Rao Scindhia and observed, “Had Madhav Rao Scindhia been alive, there was a chance of power shifting from Gandhi family to outside in Congress. He, being a scion of the royal family, had an aura, besides, a charismatic leader and had an all India appeal.” Prkash Babu snapped, “Madhav Rao Scindhia hosted a dinner party every year in Gwalior when he was alive. He invited also the bank officers. I had attended his dinner twice during my posting in our bank’s Gwalior office.”

Jugal Babu moved the discussion towards literature. He quoted from the novel of a great Odia writer, a jnanapitha awardee and spoke about his writing style. Prakash Babu butted in to say, “His son is a banker and a great friend of mine. I often visited his res. I sat on the chair the great writer used to sit while writing those beautiful stories or novels.”

We do not have patience or any interest to cross check the veracity of what he says.

We were resting on the cement bench and chatting after we had finished our walk. Amulya Babu asked Prakash Babu in jest, “You have such a good physique and personality, the girls during your college time or in the initial years in the bank must be running after you.” Prakash Babu playing a smile on his lips added, “The time was different; I was young and was in love with a number of girls. You may not believe if I say the number.”

Prakash Babu’s wife was standing behind him; he had not noticed. Her group members had left for homes after the walk, she was waiting for Prakash Babu to return. Jugal Babu told his wife, “Bhauja, did you hear what Bhaina said?”

Prakash Babu looked back and saw his wife standing behind him. But he was unfazed. His wife said, smiling, “He is doing politics.”

*****

( The story in Odia was published in PRAMEYA on 21 June, 2020. Laxan's cartoons are downloaded from internet)