Many chowkidaars have been looking for and looking after Vikas.
Some for sixty years.
Some for six years.
Some for six days.
Decades long search brought the first group to the gates of Vikas.
Now they guard the swanky commercial complexes and premier high-rises, prime
symbols of Vikas. They guard it from what is outside those gates, from what
they saw on their journey here, and what they have left behind from where they
came, the un-Vikas, which needs to be hidden behind walls when we say Namaste
to those who don’t know how to say it.
The second group found it six years back and they have been
guarding it with their souls. Each day they trade a part of their soul in its
protection. Some at 8pm, some at 9pm, some at 10pm; for an hour or two, every day
they guard Vikas at their respective primetime, super-primetime,
ultimate-super-duper primetime. They guard it against the external forces – the
Chinese, the Pakistanis, sometime even the Nepalis, but more than that they guard
it against the internal evil – the tukde-tukde gang, the choor-choor gang, and
many other such gangs.
The third group have been on duty ever since the
freedom-at-midnight. Vikas isn’t their prime concern. It hasn’t been for long. It
became their concern only six days ago – when it came in their way and ambushed
them.
Epilogue - A temple. A chowkidar. Vikas.
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