P 5. The Induction

Janet gets to know the others and their ways at the 'Utopead'. Such revolutionary thoughts...! She wonders if the live humans are actually retarded in their thoughts and deeds...

5. The Induction

“I’m Janet, was a nurse educator, and…..”

“We know the rest. You have a son, a sister a brother and an ailing mother. Heard it all and more on the 7^th day ceremony. Welcome to the Utopead.”

“Utopead?”

“Yes, the ‘Utopia of the dead’. This is one place where all miseries end, where there’s no discrimination on any count, be it age, sex, religion, caste, colour, creed or social status. It's equality for all. By the way I’m David. Was a doctor, a general surgeon. I died of advanced cancer of the rectum… ha ha ha!.... was too embarrassed to get into the process of treating myself. I’m survived by my wife and two boys.”

“Oh!”

“Stephen here. Was a model for cigarettes, and true to the statutory warning that I chose to ignore, I died of chronic lung problems at the age of 36. My wife remarried a couple of months ago. Thankfully we had had no children”.

“Hmm.. too much of a coincidence…..” Mused Janet.

“I’m Stella. I was a very committed house wife…..was tortured by my in laws for dowry and I died of multiple injuries….after 4 years of marriage”.

“And I’m that hapless cad of a husband. HIV did me in. I am Richard”. That was more of a confession.

“We are now reconciled, and have let bygones be bygones”. Stella smiled to the group.

“Oh…umm”. Janet suppressed her simmering indignation.

“And me Suryaprakash. Surya for short. It was diabetic foot and the gangrene spread its tentacles pretty quick. No regrets though for my early sojourn here, as I was rejected by my family, due to my illness.” He flashed a bright smile….

“But Suryaprakash, you here?” Janet couldn’t help interjecting, “The other day I remember a Rao and a Salma in the group.”

“I know what you mean. My ashes lie two compounds away from here.” He continued, “And that’s Rahim. Was an air crash……. Died in his sleep on the plane. Was flying home from the Dubai. He woke up in his coffin, wondering why the plane was taxiing so slowly on the tarmac. Poor guy,…. hasn’t got over the shock yet.”

Janet looked to the figure huddled on the edge of the gravestone.

“We bring him here just so he comes out of the shock”. By the way his remains lie pretty far from here. We keep shifting our venue for our get-togethers. It’s fun to float to other grounds and meet people on a neutral plank. All that matters is having a common ground, or to put it more technically, the ‘human systems integration.’

“What about the barriers, I mean faith…and rituals..”

“The Utopead holds no barriers, and there’s no room for all the histrionic rituals”

“But doesn’t that bother anyone? I’m sure there are many with strong faith in their God.”

That was met with raucous laughter, even as Janet cringed with confusion.

“You’ll learn it all by and by.” Surya comforted her.

“Yes, the man-made gods. A pity, that man realizes the truth only after death". All swung around as an apparition emerged from outside the wall and glided in between the large tombstones as it continued to talk and the crowd bobbed their heads following its move.

"That's Ishan. Now be ready for a sermon." Suryaprakash rolled his eyes.

"And then there’s no way to return to the land of the living and tell them that god is nothing but the goodness within us…our conscience. But who cares? Not that the living are not aware. Certain vested interests work to sustain and maintain the booming business and the power, that the so-called 'gods' have been churning out over the centuries. Those vested interests die out, only to be replaced by newer ones. But Cheers! we are the liberated ones at Utopead.” He smiled.

“Hi all! I am Ishan. Was a priest myself and performed the duty of ‘selling’ god to the believers. But well, that was my profession.” He added nonchalantly. The crowd made way for the ex-priest as he glided into the group. “My apologies for the prolonged speech, though I’m trying hard to undo the habit. And well, I died a normal death at the age of 99…died in my sleep. A pity that I couldn't hit a century”. He smiled to all.

"Hi Ishan. Long time no see." Shiela cooed.

"Ah well. I was on a tour outside. So there." He beamed at all there.

Janet couldn’t hold back a gasp… her thoughts in a muddle, even as the yard quivered with scattered oohs and aahs and giggles.

She found it cool, with people of all faith on one common ground. Revolutionary indeed. Looking back she found the living abysmally retarded in their thoughts and deeds. All the technological advancements had only served to narrow down their mindset with make them more and more brutal in thought, words and deed. How absurd it all seemed!

She looked at the happy spirits gliding about talking peacefully and laughing boisterously, some sitting around talking seriously…..while some odd ones sat moping over their gravestones.. The overall festive aura was indeed pleasing to the eyes. God, how things change! The stars shimmered in the clear sky and the round moon lit up the graveyard where the tombstones stood up majestically. A pity, that humans see light only at the so-called 'final resting place'. This was indeed Utopia...nah..Utopead! So what if it was in the land of the dead………

“Pleased to meet you all, and thanks for the warm meet-up.” She shouted to all throwing up her hands, her soul lightening.

Pushing back the many more questions that came popping into her mind, she glided on to meet the others, who were upset about their arrival just like she had been then. It didn't surprise her to see them petrified with the eerie show…

* * * * * * * *

By daybreak the bedlam had died and the crowd dispersed. Janet had made more friends - Susan, James, Ali, Shankar, Anna and Tejaswini. They all appeared like caricatures, with an outstanding feature or two standing out to identify the person, like a large nose, kinky eyes or thick lips, or a paunch. Their easy camaraderie got them close. She followed Sheila to the neem tree and the two sat perched on a high branch. She ruminated over stories of tree houses that she’d read as a child. This is going to be fun!.....

The first rays of the sun peeked in through the branches..

Lost in thought, she looked back at the night that was. So much had happened, and there was so much to learn. She laughed aloud. Yes, there was so much to learn. She remembered her Dad telling her, “Child we learn from the time we are born till we breathe our last”. She wished she could go back and tell him, “Daddy, we continue learning even after that till…? till when? Oh she didn’t know that…….

Another thought, “If I am here, then where’s Daddy and many others who went away long before me. Daddy….?

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