ArHi FF! We, the people [Completed] - Page 20

Originally posted by: -Aria-

Bookmarking for now.

Chapter 15:

"Of the fifteen Lok Sabhas we have had, there are less than half a dozen instances where a single party won by majority. The government has been formed by an alliance of parties since constitutionally a majority is required." Akash said handing Arnav and Khushi water bottles. "What does it say about the country?"

The three were sitting by the banyan tree near the school and the late evening breeze was chilly and crisp.

"It says that the constitution promotes democracy in its truest sense – any man can form a party and compete in national race. This adds diversity to the mix allowing the government to be influenced by multiple thought processes. Sovereignty becomes a successful byproduct of a multiparty system – not only via recognition of it during electorate but also in the formation of the government in itself." Khushi replied accepting the water bottle.

"But Khushi, with the kind of government we have seen till date, there doesn't seem to be a consensus with policies which manage to reform lives or bills to reach people of lowest form of strata, within a government itself as each party tries to bring in their own agenda as a part of the deal for being a part of the alliance. Like how a party says that they want a particular position in the ministry as a part of the alliance deal. So once in power, they do exactly what they want to do. And it doesn't comply with the promises made by the government." Akash said.

"You are giving a sermon." Khushi deadpanned. "We all know how this works; it's nothing less than a corporate merger. What's your point?" Akash smiled at that. She wasn't more correct.

"One of the smaller parties of the alliance has pulled off their support in the wake of CMSEC scandal. It's hung government. Government operations are chaotic as expected but the most interesting phenomenon is the lack of formation of an alliance which could potentially win the elections which will follow this." Akash said.

"Did you plan for this to happen?" Khushi asked immediately. Akash simply chuckled but didn't respond.

"Bhanu Pratap Rathore considers you as his biggest enemy Arnav." Akash said sitting next to Khushi and sighing in relief when he leaned on the tree. He was consciously digressing from the topic at hand; there wasn't a reason for them to know everything in one sitting. Sometimes a story was best told when one started from the beginning. Arnav's face sported a detachment that he usually reserved for cameras during crisis management and hid his expressive eyes behind shades. Here, he was left bare for the world to read him like a book with secrets written in bold.

"Why?" It was Khushi who asked. Both men turned around to look at her.

"Bhanu Pratap thinks that Arnav has taken his place in politics and in his father's life." Akash said nonchalantly. "I just had to bank on his severely damaged psyche that craved for his father's attention and persistently tried hard to beat Arnav in a self-designed rat race." Akash said closing his eyes and enjoying the cool wind. "To deliver the most powerful blow, you have to attack on absolute basic emotion in a person; in case of Bhanu Pratap, it was the relationship with his father."

"Did you offer to repair the relationship or teach his father a lesson?" Khushi asked, noting unnaturally quiet Arnav.

"I didn't offer him anything Khushi." Akash said his voice oddly strangled. "His ambition was far too large for his father to comprehend. Bhanu Pratap didn't want to be in the party; he wanted to be the party."

"I can name a politician who wanted to be that and was successful too. Didn't that party boast of a landslide victory in one of the general elections?" Khushi said lightly understanding the anger behind the tautness of what Akash represented.

At her flippant remark, Akash looked at Khushi with venom in his eyes. Even Arnav seemed to notice the sudden change in Akash's behavior. It was as if Khushi had touched a nerve.

"First of all, an ambition of such sort is laugh worthy, especially coming from a person like Bhanu Pratap – a man whose own father doesn't value his presence. Second, we are in times of economic liberalization; lobbying for government posts is driven by conglomerates and investment giants, and not men with moral righteousness. There was a time when the same senate we are currently so weary about was formed and executed by the people who fought in war of independence, took bullets in their chest when they were fired upon but still yelled 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' in loud voices." A strange emotion swept Akash and he struggled to keep his rising voice in check. Khushi was oddly moved by this – it had annoyed her even more.

"People like them don't exist and that's reality – our reality. The driving forces of our country which happens to be our generation were all past the years where media blackout was accepted for twenty one months with journalists being jailed for writing an opinion, consumed by paranoia and obsession for total dominance led to one of the most horrific crimes against a community by dehumanizing their beliefs and branding them as non-patriots, economic reforms and liberalizations closely followed by religious backlash rocked the country into an abyss of social anarchy which ironically aligned with relaxation of regulations on communications and broadcasting allowing foreign broadcasters to engage in limited operations. We are born from a crucible with these ingredients already at their boiling point. When independence was read about in social studies text book with teachers misquoting facts and figures, text book content being driven by the ruling party, our generation was fast mutating to one which adapted to growing changes in culture and embracing everything that our older generation had frowned upon. In the name of liberalization, individuality, feminism, personal independence, private space we became a sorry reflection of what we could have been today." Khushi was trembling by the end of it. Arnav was oddly serene while Akash looked as if he was slapped.

"That's not…entirely true." Akash stammered.

"Don't try to fix something that's beyond the point of needing a fix or can be fixed at all." Arnav spoke for the first time. "True revolution stems when people are most oppressed; not when they are indifferent towards the happenings in their own country." He added.

Akash couldn't formulate a response to refute Arnav's comment as he knew that to some extent – Arnav was indeed right. With a low turn up during elections and the continual ignorance of the public towards policies and daily ongoing of the government, lesser known pressure groups refuging towards organizing bandh as it was a common knowledge that the only way government took notice of a problem when junta was fundamentally cut off from everyday life. In a state of impasse, revolution wouldn't stir a person from their daily evening soap.

Originally posted by: Escapist

Really Rathod is such a great actor that he made a fool of even Karan...and m not getting the equation between Bhanu Pratap and Rathod..and why is Dhanajay getting crushed..

Also Malvika Singh..wat connection she has with Rathod ??

Too many questions too less answers..hope to seek them in next update :)

Cheers,

F

Originally posted by: ivre

Am so damn happy to see this updated :D

Rathore managed way better than I expected. Playing the sympathy and homely card at the same time, he really did surprise me.

Would like to know more about Bhanu Pratap's motives. Is he in league with Akash? Cant wait

Originally posted by: jtammareddy

Awesome ff. the scams and scandals in politics r ever lasting topics. Many think about it but careless to do anything as politics always turns dirty at some or the other point. There r many who come into politics todo something for people with some exceptional ideas but overlook the damage it may cause for some. In this ff Arnav did the same.

Originally posted by: dorindakate

Thanks for the pm...

Wow, an interview and revelations...

Humm...going to have to ponder it all...

Great chapter...still worried about Arnav and Khushi...I fear that they aren't going to come out of this alive...