A ride in the playground

Ramanujan had nothing in particular to do at home. His wife Anasuya would return home only at 630pm after attending sat-sangh, sloka classes, singing in temples and such like spiritual activities. He had no interest in these. He would sit at the park after office hours and watch the children play in swings and slides and various other games with nonstop chatter. Some of them would come to him to adjudicate on their disputes. Having no kid of his own he derived immense pleasure watching other kids.

He did not notice the middle aged and tall man in jeans and T shirt sitting by his side on the bench till he noisily opened a paper packet. He smiled at him and hoped Ramanujan would have no objection to his sitting there. Ramanujan found him to be about 40 with a square face, sharp nose and smiling eyes. He seemed a hail fellow well met type breathing familiarity. The only jarring thing to the otherwise handsome features was his ears were unusually broad and protruded on the sides reminding one of an elephant.

“Kids are fun to watch like flowers in full bloom, isn’t it?”he asked. Ramanujan nodded his head in affirmative.

“Do you come here daily?” he queried evidently wanting to start a conversation with him

“Yes, I try to come most of the days” Ramanujan said as he unconsciously pulled his laptop bag towards him.

After some pleasantries about weather, he opened the paper bag and started eating some chocolates with much relish.Ramanujan’s tongue drooled. The guy said “Have some, I am Suresh” and handed him a few toffees.

It was 7 pm when Ramanujan woke up to find himself lying on the bench. His laptop was missing and so was the wallet in his pocket. He realized his foolishness and regretted for falling to the routine trick of drugging unwary people.

It was one day three months later that Ramanujan’s wife Anasuya was telling him that a Swami ji (saint) had come to the town and staying close by adjacent to the temple and was attracting huge crowd of devotees. It seems devotees can write their problems on a piece of paper and drop them in a kept specifically. After the puja such devotees are called one by one to a separate room where the Swami ji even without referring the paper answers the queries and suggests solutions that usually is some special puja for some fee. She requested him that he come early from office that day as she had requested Swami ji to grace her house on his way to another temple. After the formal welcome and offering of milk and fruits, she said that she would seek his blessings for a child that the couple was longing for.

At 5pm the Swami ji came with a horde of disciples behind him. He wore an ochre colored robe that covered the sides of his face that had prominent ash mark with red kumkum between the brows. His personality was striking with many beads adorning his neck. He had a long stick with saffron cloth tied at end. Anasuya nudged Ramanujan to prostrate along with her. When the saint blessed Anasuya touching her head with both palms, the robe that covered the sides of Swami ji’s face fell down. Ramanujan could get a good a darsan (glimpse) of the face before the Swami ji adjusted the cloth.

He quietly went behind Anasuya who had gone to the kitchen to fetch warm milk and fruits. Their hall was already crowded with neighbours who were all paying obeisance to Swami ji. He quietly rang up Anasuya’s brother to come with his men immediately telling him of his suspicion.

As the Swami ji was helping himself to milk and fruits, Anasuya’s brother in his police uniform entered the house with couple of policemen standing outside near the jeep. The Swami ji was shocked and seen perspiring suddenly. He hurriedly stood up when Ramanujan’s brother said “No hurry. Please wait” and asked all the rest to leave the house. When Swami ji’s men tried to rush inside the house, they were stopped by the policemen.

“What is your real name and where do you come from?” he asked in a loud voice.

“I am Satyananda.I dropped in here to bless the couple for a child. Why are you humiliating me in the presence of my devotees?”

“Okay, come with me to the police station. We will give you the respectful treatment you deserve. You are Suresh with more than dozen cases against you. Your protruding big ears are big give aways.You cannot be in criminal world leaving such a big trail like the snail with its slime.. Follow me silently or you will be roughed up”

The Swami ji turned towards Ramanujan and his eyes spat such  venom as never seen.