Chapter 20:
"You should be happy to hear the latest news Arnav," Akash said walking into the room where the said man and Khushi were waiting for him. Akash came in with a bottle of amber liquid and three glasses. "You may need this," he said point to the liquid. Arnav and Khushi took the glasses with questions obvious on their face. "Re-election has been announced and it will be in eight weeks." Akash said.
"In just eight weeks?" Arnav asked taking a sip from the glass and walking towards lawn. Akash and Khushi followed him wordlessly. Once they reached plush lawn, they sat down on grass surrounded by darkness.
"It's been a hung parliament for two months now and there hasn't been a majority in making. Since there hasn't been a consensus, this is precedent." Akash said.
"And the circus begins again," Khushi said blankly and upped the glass in one shot. The men looked at her with an inward smile when she lay on her back and closed her eyes. "And this also means that we have been here for two months already," she added. Arnav and Akash exchanged a look but didn't respond.
"We haven't seen a single party coming into majority in recent years and it's going to get worse in coming years. The numbers of parties joining up to form the alliances are increasing making the government in itself a dynamic entity." Akash replied.
"Hung parliaments have stopped shocking us now." Khushi said. "And they are going to get more frequent." She added. Arnav poured another drink for her from the bottle.
"It's almost as if politicians want re-elections," Akash mulled.
"Why wouldn't they? If not in power, then re-elections are the easy way to ensure that an opportunity is presented. The money spent by a national party during elections can get us out of this deficit. Politicians in power want it to reaffirm their position. Opposition wants it to claim power. Corporates want it to get their business strategies into action - especially those involving PSUs, foreign trading, national defense et al. Bureaucrats hope that they stay exactly where they are irrespective of changes in government. Aam aadmi hopes that the newly elected government isn't as corrupt as the last one. " Arnav replied. "Everyone wants re-elections."
"Did you know that during every year during budget a considerable sum is kept aside as election fund?" Khushi said. "The country's fund for elections is one of the largest in the world given its population and the process which it undertakes."
"It's the time when corruption is at its highest and bureaucracy at its lowest. No politician takes a drastic measure unless it involves national security or a scam of epic proportions. Remember fodder scam?" Akash said sardonically.
"But the scam didn't really break the government but merely iterated the fact that the corruption of bureaucracy was the most non-transparent one and no one could do a thing about it." Khushi said. "Transfers of top investigative officers of the people involved in scam didn't deter the said man from forming his own party and prejudicing the coalition government."
"Are you saying that irrespective of the scam that started it all, the corrupt government will be re-elected?" Arnav didn't know if Akash was honestly asking that question or was testing waters - checking Arnav and Khushi's reaction.
"They won't be winning all the seats they contested for but using the ones they have won, they will get along with the bunch of people to form coalition government. They are the swingers Akash - a small party which can make or break a government and easy to trade off." Khushi replied. "Samaj Kalyan party, however, is not one of them, isn't it Arnav?" Khushi asked. Arnav nodded.
"Vikramaditya Rathore has ambitions and he has been pretty vocal about it. He has been in this for far too long to mix and mingle with just any other party. He picks and chooses the people he associates with and even if he doesn't get to be on national front, he has enough power to do his own form of governance in his constituency." Arnav said.
"The party has seventeen seats Akash. Rathore is going to play a major role in formation of new government. So he has to choose sides very carefully ensuring that the newly formed government is stable enough for next five years." Akash replied.
"Wait, are you saying that Rathore is going to win all seventeen seats again? After what happened to those miners and Dhananjay?" Arnav asked, looking at Akash with a hint of weariness.
"Oh come on Arnav. We both know that it's true," Khushi said sitting up. Arnav looked at her blankly keeping any sort of expressions out of his face.
"It will be a tight race," Arnav said conceding to the fact. He was, after all, the political consultant that every party wished they had. He knew that Rathore would sweep his constituency and the party will win all the seats; including the ones they lost in previous elections.
It wasn't a gut feeling. It was an analyzed and calculated soon to be proved hypothesis.
"Do you still believe that it's democracy?" Akash asked pouring another round of drinks. He didn't specify what "it" was. After living with his two "guests" for two months, the contexts need not be set over and over again.
Arnav saw that both Akash and Khushi were looking at him.
"No. It's not democracy." Akash smiled and Khushi drew her legs to her chest and rocked back and forth listening to Arnav as if she was back in school.
"It's not democracy but its republic. You and I don't choose a policy. People don't have the power to choose a policy or amend laws but we choose people who can make these policies or amend laws or take decisions. I know what I want from the person who represents me but that person doesn't exist. So what do I do? I choose the next best thing. And if the next best thing doesn't exist, then I may either choose a person who is currently doing something or not make a choice at all." Arnav said and emptied the glass in one shot. Akash and Khushi didn't respond. "So more often than not, we end up indirectly choosing people who are incapable of turning your expectations into actions or make an attempt to do so. This isn't exclusive to this country only but it's more prevalent here."
"It's not apathy that people are displaying but a disregard stemmed from the absolute incompetence in the process that makes a government and the working of it when it is in power. As you rightly said, people have realized that it's not really democracy or not the kind that's promised to us. Akash replied. Neither Khushi nor Arnav responded. "You, as a person, have the capability to change the mindset of people Arnav. So do you Khushi. You have the knowledge and the resources to bring in that small change - a tinge of responsibility." Akash added with vigor.
"So this is the reason then," Khushi said quietly. Akash looked startled. "You already knew that there was going to be an election soon," she said narrowing her eyes.
"I didn't actually. These things are really dynamic in nature Khushi but I calculated that with few moves I can get government to...heel," Akash replied with a mirthless smile.
"You knew that with Arnav out of picture, Rathore would show slowness in taking decision. And after being recently part of a large scandal involving Dhananjay, Rathore would be vulnerable and in need of support from people he trusts the most." Khushi said and swallowed when certain things started to take shape.
"You are trying to form a new government with people you want in it," Arnav said staring at Akash. Akash shrugged at that. "What I don't understand is why aren't you doing it now when the parliament is hung? It's easier to do it now than during it after elections." Akash didn't reply and Khushi was thoughtful.
Khushi looked at Arnav as soon as realization hit her. "Because with the current Loksabha, a new government cannot be formed with a party that has not won or even competed in elections. You will have to do with whatever you've got and Akash here seems to have a bigger idea than that," she replied looking at Akash the whole time.
"It's a revolution of the system by using the system itself." Akash said.
"This sort of revolution isn't something you can achieve in matter of months or even years Akash. This takes planning and execution for years...decades even." Arnav said baffled by Akash's response. "This has been going for a very long time now, hasn't it?"
"Have you heard about a journalist by the name Shyam Manohar Jha?" Akash asked peering at Arnav. Khushi scooted closer to Arnav as they exchanged a look of weariness. "Of course you do Arnav, he was your father after all. But what you don't know is that he wrote a manifesto when he was in jail."
"How do you know that?" Arnav whispered.
"My father was also a journalist and was his cellmate. Father decided to put the manifesto to action as soon as he was out of jail when the emergency lifted and the change in government post emergency helped him to plant the seeds." Akash said.
"Now here we are, only weeks away from realizing what has been brewing for past three decades." Akash said with a smile.
A revolution came with collateral damage. Khushi wondered where she and Arnav would be when that happened.
*****
"Sir, there is someone here to see you," Imran walked into Rathore's study looking razed.
"Imran..." Rathore said stopping his conversation with Gupta, Saini and Sampat. The men looked at the personal aide who was only looking at Rathore with urgency.
"You should meet him sir," Imran said and closed the door behind him.
Rathore looked at the other three men with a raised eyebrow. Imran was with Rathore for more than two decades and he trusted his aide's calls.
"What do you think this is all about?" Gupta asked rhetorically. Before anyone could respond, Imran was back in the room with a man in his mid-thirties.
"This is Shyam Manohar Jha, an ex- journalist." Imran introduced the man standing next to him to the four men. "He wanted to talk about-"
Imran's words were cut short. Shyam said, "I want offer a proposition with respect to upcoming elections. It's good that you already have not one but three lawyers present."
"What is the offer?" Rathore asked.
The man who goes by the name Shyam Manohar Jha, smiled.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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