Floating Bodies in the Winds!(Nazir Jahangir) Floating Bodies in the Winds!


“Poverty is a curse!” he said to himself. There was none there to share his sentiment.

He was a writer. His name was Izhar. An out of work and jobless writer remains always out of sorts. So was he. Full of anxieties. He was married. He could hardly make his both ends meet. It remained haunting his conscience persistently that he wasn’t able to offer any pleasures to his wife, who loved him wholeheartedly. He too loved her tremendously. But his hardships actually generated a sort of guilty conscience in him for being unable to give his wife the delights and comforts of life, which, of course, are obtained through money. His wife never complained about her sufferings which she was passing through as a consequence of her husband’s meager income. And he realized it.

When miseries became larger and hardship made life difficult, he resorted to wangle and fraud. He thought it the only way out to escape from that agony. He even succeeded in cheating some people. When his wife came to know about the unscrupulous tricks of her hubby, she was shocked. She thought of divorce. But soon, she realized that it could land her husband in a state of more difficulties and frustration. It prevented her from going ahead with that idea. But she persuaded her hubby and they went to a godly person; where she narrated her pathetic situation in a weepy mood. The saintly man melted on hearing their story and prayed for them.

When they left the place of that godly person, they surprisingly came across an old friend of Izhar's. In the first instant, Izhar could not place him because of his great pomp and show. He had known him when this friend was financially in bad shape. This friend became terribly hurt on viewing their pathetic condition, which was visible by their appearance. Their eyes sunken, lips parched and hair disheveled. He took them to their home in his deluxe car.

Since they had been very close to each other in the old days, they carried no inhibitions to express themselves truthfully to each other. Izhar poured out his heart frankly. He asked his friend how he had succeeded to live so comfortable a life while he had no apparent recourses as such, so far as he knew. The friend told Izhar how poverty forced him to migrate to another town in search of a job and it was there that he got an undertaking of writing speeches for political leaders. He revealed that his scripts won acclaim and admiration for the leaders, who used to deliver them on different occasions; as a consequence, he commanded respect in political circles and now enjoyed a gracious living. He disclosed that he was having all those comforts available he had once aspired to. He persuaded Izhar and his wife to get ready to go with him, and he took them to the town where he was putting up.

Izhar also managed to script speeches for politicians with the help of his friend. He began to pour out his heart through those words which were later used by the politicians in their speeches. He made the politicians as proxy speakers and they wouldn’t get wind of that. His scripts carried full pathos, so politicians would receive thunderous applause upon their delivering. His scripts became a big hit and as a consequence his workload increased. He gained popularity among political corridors and earned big bucks.

One day a politician stepped into his office and requested a script which he needed to deliver in a seminar organized by intellectuals of the town, and the topic fixed was the ‘Role of intellectuals in the welfare of society’. He insisted on its delivery the next day. During their talk, he hesitantly asked Izhar: “Brother, the script taken previously, though it received warm applause from the audience, I couldn’t actually grasp the meaning of a single sentence….”

“You tell me Sir, if you want a script for applause or a speech you understand sans applause?” Izhar inquired of him.

The political leader blushed slightly but soon overcame his emotions. He faltered while making his point: “…means…... and what I mean...Yes, I surely, you know …want a script to be well taken by the audience, and to hell with my understanding” he giggled.

“So better Sir, to leave your understanding with me and take a claptrap script in return” Izhar quipped.

While this politician leaves, an idiotic social activist approaches Izhar. He too wants a script prepared by the next day. He has to address a gathering of people admitted to a lunatic asylum who are now being discharged, supposedly cured.

The next day, when they met with Izhar's secretary to obtain their respective scripts, they got changed mistakenly. The draft, which was prepared for the politician, went to the social worker, and the script meant for the social worker went to the politician. Both memorized their speeches.

When the secretary realized his mistake, it was too late. Both politician and social worker had started their lectures at their respective meetings. And when it came to the notice of Izhar, he was so perturbed that he packed up and left for his native village with his wife.

Politician addresses the audience of writers and intellectuals: “My dear crazy friends! Craze is a situation, and unfortunately some people fall prey to it. I’m afraid, you too have felt this natural thunder! Craze renders a man useless, even a nuisance. I wish for you ladies and gentlemen to stop being so silly now. Keep those people at arm’s length, which you suppose drive you crazy. In this predicament, I see no painless way out but to ask you to refrain from idle talk, as I’m afraid you are habitual to, and which has caused chaos and confusion in our society. Lovely stupid’s! ……………………………………………………………….”

On the other hand, the social activist tells his lunatic gathering: “Distinguished guests! I feel honor and pleasure to address such a beautiful audience, which I suppose happens to be the elite in any civilized society. In the present scenario when societies are sexualized and immoral thoughts spoil character, when controversial issues and patterns of politics polarize East and West, when man is turning out of his head, when moral values are vanishing and social evils creeping up, when humanity is losing worth and materialism gaining significance, you are our hope and we firmly believe that you are the lot which can deliver the goods. And humankind has pinned all hopes on you…………….”

It was surprising that there was neither any resentment from literary audience, nor any wonder from lunatic camp. Instead, intellectuals were telling the speech of the politician as thought provoking and appreciable, while the lunatic crowd had roared with approval and clapped.

When Izhar came to know about these amazing developments, he heaved a deep sigh and then said to himself in a sarcastic mood: "When people can’t make head nor tail of anything, it means sensibilities and perception are gone with the wind. So now is the time to end this endeavor.” There was no one there to share his decision.

Izhar left his home, shunned all his activities, and went to that godly man he had once visited with his wife. His wife accompanied him this day, as well. They now live a very simple life in his monastery.

---