UNWELCOME SUSPICION

                                      Unwelcome Suspicion

          Our town was newly built and it was very small one. Suddenly there spread a rumour that some child catchers had arrived in the town and they were kidnapping little children. It was also spread that these people were very difficult to identify as there was no special identification marks. In fact, they acted in such a way that nobody could suspect their behavior. This led to the occurrence of a general suspicion among the citizens. The town being a very small one, the majority of the people were known to each other. It might be said to be an upgradation of a village proper.

    So, people started suspecting whenever they came across a newcomer. There was the bus-stand. But the nearest railway station was a little away. So, it was possible to recognize the newcomers, especially if they displayed unnatural behavior. It so happened that a relative of a citizen of the town was being questioned by a number of young boys when they saw that a person with long beard got off the bus. In fact, a number of young boys were recruited by the municipality to keep track of the persons entering the town. When that bearded person got off the bus, the young boys formed a circle around him.

   He became afraid of them and said, “What’s the matter? Why are you gathering in this way around me?”

   One of the young boys asked him, “Where are you from and going where?”

    The person was coming to his disciple’s house. He was terrified by such an enquiry. He replied, “I have come from Nabadwip, the sacred pilgrimage of the Hindus. Here I have come to my disciple’s house.”

  They then asked, “What’s the name of your disciple and tell us about the specific location of the house of your disciple.”

 He gave them the details and the boys started making enquiries.

 That person was then taken to the nearby waiting room and was kept detained there until it was proven that he was not telling a lie.

 In the mean time, he once asked, “I have a problem related to my prostate. So, please let me go to the toilet.”

 Hearing this one of the boys said, “Now you would face so many problems. Do you have any problem in your head?”

 Another remarked, “What kind of a guru are you? You have so many problems and you guide  your disciple! How can you solve your disciple’s problems?”

    All of them burst out laughing. Some judicious persons feared, when the young boys were assigned the duty by the Municipality, that it might lead to some unexpected and even embarrassing situations. But some others argued, “Only the young boys can do this task because they are never lacking in spirit and enthusiasm for anything new and only they can take risks. The aged people will think about the pros and cons and they will refrain from being involved in such situations.”

 Beads of sweat propped on the face of the bearded man. He lowered his head in ignominy and shame. He felt an urgent necessity of peeing, but the boys would not allow him. Perhaps it was simply because they had no idea of problems related to the prostates. The Guru said to himself, “I should have informed him before coming here. It is my mistake to have a glimpse of the face of my favourite disciple.”

    The bearded man felt an irresistible urge to urinate. He started pleading them but they were, it seemed, enjoying a vicarious fulfillment by making the people suffer. His urge reached such an extent that he tried to run once. But his attempt aroused the suspicion of the boys and they held him tightly.

 Some started abusing him, “You hypocrite, why are trying to run? I have asked you to sit quite and you!  trying to run! All your tricks will be exposed now! Where will you run, my dear Guruji?”

    The Guru never ever felt such humiliation in his life. He became angry and said, “I will inform the police and get you imprisoned.”

  One started laughing loudly and said, “We ourselves will inform the police and then we see who takes whom and where?”

  In the mean time, the urge became unbearable and the clothes were all wet with the flow of urine.”

 Now, the situation became too enjoyable for the boys and they could not control their laughter and they expressed their joy through different kinds of laughter. Some were suppressed, some were coming out with a spontaneous flow, some were mistaken to be something else other than laughter as, being controlled, it came out with greater force and took a different form of sound.

   The Guru’s face became red with anger and shame. He thought inwardly, “What test are you taking of my patience, Rdhamadhab? Death was more honourable than this utter ignominy and humiliation. He just bent down his head and felt like running to an unknown island never to show his face to anybody.”

     Things went on in this way for almost half an hour. The Guru sat there completely defeated and as time passed by he was losing the balance of his mind. He could not feel whether he was still living. He sat motionless. The jokes and taunting of the boys could not reach his ear-holes. Everything seemed to be happening in a distant area, and not near him. He was waiting for nothing. Initially he was waiting for the arrival of his disciple and the consequent confirmation of his identity but now his waiting had no direction or purpose.

     After half an hour the disciple arrived with a sense of shame that his Guru was detained by some young boys who do not understand anything regarding the importance of Guru in life or the relationship between the Guru and the disciple. But when he came to know what had happened to him, he was both terrified and was at a loss. He said to the boys, “What a sin you have committed by not allowing my Gurudev to the toilet. Are you human beings or brutes? I will go to the Municipality Office and ask the Chairman to take action against you!”

 The Chiarman was informed and the parents of the boys came to the Guru who was hospitalized by the parents themselves. They were cut to their heart when they came to know of everything. They were so much guilt laden that they all pleaded in unison to the guru, “Guruji, order what type of penance is suitable for us. We would gladly accept it. Just forgive our sons. The Guruji forgave them and said, “Everybody is not a child catcher. So, be careful hence.”

After that day the parents of those boys were given that task.