Solitary Love- Part 20

He was bought in chains. He looked like true rebellion though he wasn't one. The situation that bought him in chains was an innocent feeling. It had been days since he hadn't written a poem. Only her images had stayed in his mind. He couldn't find words to express those feelings.

As he reached large ground where Jamedar and familar looking man stood with their back towards him. There were whispers of what was waiting for him . He pretended to be not affected by them. However questions prevailed in his mind about why Jamedar called him in chain and was his death sentence being ordered. Whatever it was, it didn't affect him. 

He looked at the familiar stranger standing with Jamedar. It was Willington. Willington and his eyes met. Anger and shock knocked the doors of their hearts. It took few minutes to come to his senses.It was time and Jamedar asked Willington to disclose the bitter truth.

"What was Willington doing here? What was he going to take this time from him?" , wondered Srinivasan. His heart questioned , "was she alright? Where was she?" He found the answers to the questions by himself ( Maybe she was sitting at the corner of her house. not wanting to witness him face to face.

Willington spoke words of her death in firm and cold voice. It was like as if he wasn't affected by her death or presence. The truth was out. Srinivasan heart was in piece. All this while he was living a life without purpose. He became numb. It was difficult for him to display anger or cry. What was left for him in this godforsaken earth? 

Everything was lost now. His precious part of life was gone. " What was he doing in this planet?", he wondered. Life without love was useless. He fell to the ground in despair. He was now in loss of words, emotions and the one he loved so much than his own life.

( To be continued)

Solitary Love- Part 19

The jamedar seized the plan. He stopped the guys from escaping. He sent his troops at once to block the inmates from fleeing. The prisoners weren't half way towards their goal when the troops of Jamedar started shooting on sight.

The two hundred men were angry, sad and frustrated. They had already lost many of their loyal friends. Azad was wounded severely. His followers wanted to kill disloyal guards and Jamedar. They didn't care about their wounds caused than their leader. Unfortunately Azad died within few hours after he was wounded severely. 

The jamedar tortuted them every day. He had the warders of each floor prepare the list of rebellions who had tried to break the code of law. He called each of them as per the list and tormented them. His method of torture
varied with every inmate. This happened for a month. It had become worse than hell. No one tried to attempt another escape after Azad's death. The rebellious strike seen amongst the inmates died with the death of Azad.

The inmates had lost the battle. Some committed suicide as they couldn't face the hell again. Some had lost the state of sanity. Some of them like Srinivasan had lost their senses ( both emotional and physical). He had become human being without soul.

Every time Jamedar belted him on his rear or ordered warder to starve him. Nothing affected him. Unlike other rebellions, he never protested or spoke roughly against British. After trial and errors,he came up with brilliant idea. He investigated his weakness and strengths where he realized that Srinivasan's strength was his weakness too. Jamedar learnt one fact that love could fill you as well as destroy you at same time.

This was not enough. He had called in Willington to break Srinivasan. Willington accepted his invitation after a lot of thinking about the advantages. He wanted to see Srinivasan's soul tear apart when truth was bought in front of him. 

(To be continued)

Solitary Love- Part 18

There were lot things to do. Escaping from kaala pani wasn't easy task. It was next to impossible. A fool proof plan was required to break from this solitary hell. The cellular jail was built wit bricks that could resist any revolutionary ideas. These ideas were created but it would be fuse out in this thick walled building.

Loopholes had to be found. Guards had to be bribed for better living than with money because freedom was more important to them than anything else. Unlike the others, Srinivasan was waiting to reunite with his love forever.

Once the plan was drawn , it was sent to all the inmates through the secret agents who were none other than the small time cooks and cleaners( they were inmates who had served higher life terms than the others). Every inmate of the cell had job to do. Many more were still joining.

Few days were left. Srinivasan was excited. He was going to meet her after a long time. Would they share those moments again? What would they speak? Would it be awkward moment to share? It had been long time since they had seen each other. Whatever it was going to be, he had to see her.

The inmates got ready to execute the plan . Everyone knew what they need to do.Two hundred sixty inmates were ready to break free from the torturous life. Most of them wanted to see their family again. Some of them wanted to see their mother land free from the foreign forces.

Everything went smoothly when a small error was missed. The warders were supposed to be drugged during their dinner. Unfortunately one of them had not eaten his food due to food poisoning. To add fuel to that, some of the guards backfired their plan and being loyal servants to the English, they had alerted the Jemidar. 

(To be continued)

Solitary Love- Part 17

He was spurned by what he said. He pushed the food away. How dare he speaks bad about his love? He is just an outsider. He has no right to make comments on Srinivasan life. The following days passed and he still couldn't forgive that stranger.

Days passed by and the memories of that incident faded in his mind. During the night of the full moon, a young man arrived. He was the same age as Srinivasan was except the fine lines across his forehead which made him look older than he was.

He saw the same stranger accompany him. He wasn't happy. At once he understood that these two men were here to change his mind. But he had already made his mind. He was never going to join them. He had no desire to live.

The young man apologized with folded hands and signaled his messenger to speak.The messenger started, " Let me introduce you to Azad."  Srinivasan recognised the great leader at once. He had heard about the great stories of his revolutionary strategies against the British. He had been gathering the young men from all over the country.He was surprised to see Azad. Azad was too young to fight against the British

"Join us and we will help you to win your love.",the messenger spoke. Srinivasan hadn't heard the rest part he spoke before he said this sentence It shook him from all sides. He was aghast. What was this guy telling? He was the one who pointed fingers at his love and now he was ready to help him. 

" What? Why do you need me? I have not fought a single war against the English. As per your terms, I have committed sin by loving one of them.", Srinivasan asked. " I am sorry for drawing a tainted picture of your love. We have seen you rise against these Englishmen for your love. We need people like you to  help us fight our cause. We promise that we will help you to get back your lost love. Our leader is known to keep up our promises."  Srinivasan agreed only because Azad promised to help him to get his love back. 

( To be continued)

Solitary Love- Part 16

One fine day he sat ,scribbling words on the wall with whatever he got ( even with small peice of fallen debris of the poorly made walls. He couldn't keep the words flowing in his mind for long. Unfortunately every year,the walls were white washed and the words he had written would vanish with every drop of the fresh paint on the wall.

It caught  the eyes of person who painted the wall. He didn't understand the language and as dutiful servant to the Englishman, he betrayed his Indian fellowman. He called the warden who read the words. He was quite impressed. However he didn't appreciate the unique gift of this ill fated inmate.

The warden punished him by burning his fingers. But it didn't stop him. He continued to write even after he was badly hurt. Every time the walls were white washed, he would be injured and he still wrote.The inmates of cellular jail got he news of this rebel poet. Though they were in solitary confinement, there were many ways of getting the news out.

Who was this rebel? Why did he write poems on an English lady when she was the main reason to be in this hell? He was indeed love blind. One day, he received an anonymous message from the person who served him his food. " Azadji has sent you message. He will help you out of this prison in one condition- join him in his mission- Azad Hind.", he said. 

" Why me? What use am I to your leader? I am not a rebel like him. I fell in love with English woman . Her men are your enemies. I don't care about Azad Hind. I have no purpose in life. My love is miles away from me. I don't know whether I will see her. Please go and tell Azadji, I don't want to join.", Srinivasan replied with folded hands.


" What! What did you get out of this love? You are here because of her. I know your story. Everyone knows. Don't you dream of Independent India. Look what she had done to you. She has trapped you, young man. Your life will be meaningless if you die for her.", he said , spurning his love

(To be continued)

Solitary Love- Part 15

He was put into solitary confinement Just the way Willington wanted. To Willington, Srinivasan was a disease who had infected his life and snatched something precious out of his life. If he had stopped the disease from the beginning, his wife would have been alive. He should have killed Srinivasan the first time he found him with his wife.

Love made Srinivasan sane. Love made him strong. Even the most painful strike of belt of the officers didn't affect him. His senses turned numb to any kind of pain or hurt. His heart only knew one emotion that was love.

Solitary became his best friend and pain became his weekend companion . When he was tired with solitariness, he would feel the pain of heartbreak, desperation and feeling of separation from true love. He had begun to love her. Now it had become unbearable without her. 

But he never stopped loving her for even single day. She became his goddess and he worshiped her with all heart. His poems were feelings spilling out from his heart. He related every part of his surrounding to her.

"The sea reminds me
of her eyes sparkling blue.
Her smile releases
the caged bird named pain

Her sweet love
fills my empty heart,
while I sit here,
facing the wrath
of the world


During the day, he became the play ball for white man. The officers would hit him to ease their boredom. They would try to break him by torturing his soul and heart. He would never lose himself. Slowly and slowly they began to reduce their torture because of boredom. 

During the evening, he eased out the pain through poems.Maybe it was the only way he could remember her. Maybe it was the only way to release the love which he cannot express now.

(To be continued)

Solitary Love- Part 14

She slit her wrist so smoothly. Death seemed inevitable now. It was only easy thing to do. She had reached a point where everything seemed burden to her. Life was a joke to her. Unfortunately she couldn't laugh. Crying was useless. Nothing could be obtained through crying and this she had learnt a long time ago. 

Her soul vanished to a place unknown before anyone could rescue her. Few hours had passed when a maid found her body with blood coming thinly out of her wrist. Her death affected Willington so much that he wanted get that filthy creature dead.

But luck had some other plans. Srinivasan was sent to Kaala pani ( now known as Andaman Nicobar). He expected easy death but this was like slow death. How was he going to stay so many miles away from her? (The news of her death didn't reach out to Srinivasan). As he sits, dreaming about the special moments with her, he pens down the below words in his mind.

Miles away from here,
an angel wanders,
while I lose my heart, 
she sings songs
of love and hope

 
Willington was satisfied not happy. This was better though not the best method to punish him. He was alone once again which wasn't different when she was there. But woman in a man's life irrespective of her importance and existence has significant in one's life.

Kaala pani wasn't hell after all. It was an island away from his hometown. He had heard about horror stories that happened in this place. He knew he would lose his individuality because of being here. But he had lost that long time ago. Once he was bought to huge building, he knew solitary was going to be his best friend. .

He missed her so much. He would replay those moments again and again until it bought tears to his eyes. He wished he could had at least had last glimpse of her careless laughter. But he doubted that she still smiled miles away from him.

(To be continued)