A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

in the night?’
’Yes, you take it as the tax of living
in Delhi. Otherwise the overhead tank will
not fill.’
Saroj got up, but he got engrossed
in even deeper thoughts. At the site,
untimely phone calls from the plant used
to awake him, and here water taps start
coughing anytime in the night. Is his sleep
so meaningless and valueless as to be
sacrificed for a necessity like water. He
was strangely terrified. Has he got trapped
in some conspiracy by coming to Delhi?
Are all these things a matter of fate? If
he becomes Director, his posting to Delhi
will be called auspicious. Motives are formed
like this. Something is destined to happen,
that is why he is here. Otherwise, depending
upon his vigorous exertion, he should
strive and go back to the site. Had he
wanted, he would have declined to come
to Delhi at that time itself. Be that as
it may, one cannot control all the
consequences. If the deeds and exertions
of a man act ninety nine per cent, the
last one percent definitely belongs to the
unknown power. And that is the deciding
percentage. Till the time that unknown
chairman and managing director signs it,
no file of any consequence is cleared.
His consciousness also started getting
darkened along with his thoughts and he
started listening to sounds of rumbling.
That day, while getting down the stairs,
he heard the same rumbling sound from
the flat in front - after all, what has happened
to me. What is this sound? He scratched
his ears. He set out towards the colony
park . The same sound in the flats adjacent
to the park were heard. He felt that he
has actually become a victim of delusions.
After all, it is a residential area of concrete
- not an industry of machines; then why
does he continue to hear the sound of
the running machines.
After coming home, he said to Saroj,
‘See, what sort of rumbling sound is coming
from the flat above.’
‘They must be using the washing
machine or the mixie.’
‘Yes, you are right. Everybody is having
washing machines here, mixies also. But
so much vibration by their running. It
appears to me that something else also
runs in their flats. Sounds come from the
garages in the passage also.’
‘What could it be? Some people have
installed boosters.’ Saroj said suddenly.
‘Booster pumps’, his eyes glowed. ‘That
is why, they are not having water problem.’
‘You also get one booster installed.
Water will rise to the overhead tank. It
will be a great comfort.’ Saroj suggested.
‘It is a rented house. The landlord
should install it. Why should we spend?
You know the expense of installing the
booster. Then all these are illegal.’ He
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