Mamta Kalia

treatment like bonded labourers, it must
be protested. Students should be united
against it.”
The ideas of Vijay Mitra made him
tremble. He used to look here and there.
What if anybody hears. He checked the
room and corridors. He used to be
frightened with him in the room. He
used to be uneasy with him but couldn’t
stand his absence either. It was a
grotesque attraction.
Those days, suddenly one day police
came to check the room. It was heard
Vijay Mitra was arrested. His blood froze
with this news. One police officer had
asked him many questions about Vijay
Mitra before going, but he had answered
in negative,. His seniors, classmates and
many professors had assued the officer
about the good conduct of Bhagat and
that he was the best student of the college
and he hadn’t any relation with Vijay
Mitra despite sharing the room.
That day he couldn’t get out of it
even after many hours. His trembling
and recurring thoughts of Vijay Mitra
agitated him. He couldn’t understand
how to keep himself aloof from this whole
incident. The bronze face of Vijay Mitra,
his shining eyes came before his eyes
and he asked questions as if from himself
— why did Vijay Mitra go to Naxalbari?
How had police arrested him there? Was
his way right or wrong? Why did he
prefer revolution to his career?
The unkempt bed of Vijay Mitra
troubled him much that night. For some
time he tried to keep himself aloof. For
some time he coped with the memory
of Vijay Mitra. For some time he debated
in his mind. At last he got up. Put his
books into the rack. Picked up the mattress
and arranged the sheets. When he was
arranging the pillow cover, something
was there. He found a diary with red
plastic cover. Vijay Mitra had written
many things in the diary — anecdotes
… thoughts… incidents.
Vijay Mitra’s diary was full of his
personal comments. He was becoming
excited and terrified in turns while reading
it. At one place Vijay Mitra had written
— “ Due to the lack of analytical attitude
many of our comrades don’t want to
analyse the complex problems, but want
to jump at solutions, which are either
too positive or too negative – Mao-tsetung.”
He could understand the mind of
Vijay Mitra then, it seemed this comment
was addressed to him. It often happened
that he disagreed suddenly with Vijay
Mitra and blowing all his reasons to
wind, said — “Don’t live in fool’s paradise.”
Dr. C.K. Bhagat’s lips moved. He was
murmuring— “the fool!”
Neurologist Dr. Jeevkant Yadav was
startled. He addressed Dr. C.K. Bhagat—
”Dr. Bhagat, are you all right?”
Dr. C.K. Bhagat recollected himself
but couldn’t hide his embarrassment—
“Yes… yes, Dr. Yadav, I’m absolutely
alright!”
April-June 2010 :: 119