Chapter 34:
"That will be the death of democracy."
Khushi recovered first. "It's already on its death bed."
Akash chuckled. "May I come in?" He asked turning to Arnav. Arnav hesitated for a moment and looked around the kind of information that was spread around the ground.
"Sure," Arnav exhaled and felt the tension seep out of his skin.
Akash walked inside the apartment and occupied the floor space emptied minutes before by Shukla. "This is exactly why I didn't want you two to be around during this period. You are both meddling idiots." There was fondness in his voice and a deal of exhaustion. Arnav threw him a bottle of mineral water which Akash caught expertly. He exhaled softly after taking a several gulps of water and screwed the cap back on, relief spreading across his face after quenching his thirst.
Looking at the bottle he noted, "As of today at least four countries in Africa that are undergoing severe water damage. There are at least another four which are border line waterless. Here, in our country, we have villages which lack water supply, electricity let alone hospitals or schools. We are closing three decades of introduction of Anganwadis in 1975 yet the outreach doesn't even constitute 10% of the total population who are in need of the services. Children die inside these facilities because of poor infrastructure or gross negligence. The cities continue to expand in exponential proportions while villages have started to look like old age homes and morgues. How long…how long should this have to go? Why do we have to read in newspapers that a child walked five kilometers every day to go to school and pass tenth standard boards? It isn't something to be proud of; we have to be ashamed that the basic right of the child was not satisfied by the government. Our country has more NGOs than actual government offices yet we have the maximum number of people on government salary. The status of education system-"
Khushi moved first and hugged Akash sideways. Arnav was impassive and watched Akash twist his hips and put his arm around Khushi's waist. He rubbed his temple and tried not to give into the violent burst of emotions erupting in the pit of his stomach.
When Akash pulled away from Khushi, Arnav noted her wince when she turned back and slid to her original place.
"It's too late to ask, threaten or intimidate you two to stay away from this but I guess you two never listen to anyone else but each other." Akash recovered from emotional pit he had fallen into and maintained a nonchalance expression. "What's the real reason for you two to be interfering in the elections anyway?" Annoyance crept in his voice.
"You know Akash, for all the things you preach you seem to forget one tiny little detail." Arnav said, condescending. Akash waited for Arnav to continue. Arnav chuckled. "Your precious democracy."
Akash looked as if someone slapped him.
"I don't doubt your intentions Akash, I know very well that infrastructure development would be your highest priority close to national security when you come to office. But…let me, a common citizen, choose you. You cannot see Khushi mocking our country's democracy yet to toy with the very fabric of it leisurely for achieving your goals. You cannot win this election without dirtying your hands Akash-"
"Don't preach me about corruption Arnav. I am willing to pay the cost for my actions and delineation of my morality along the line. I am willing to make that compromise. Frankly, I don't care shit about how we are going to win this thing anymore. All that matters is, my government has to be in power, that's all." Akash's voice was clear.
"Why are you telling us all of this to us?" Khushi lost her patience. "You know Arnav and I are going to what we want to do. You are going to do what you want to do. That new coalition will do what they want to do. You have this nave belief that you can change the country in five years. Please don't take example of a state and extrapolate that at national level. There is a reason why it's called center. To start with states don't worry too much about national security or defense budget. Half the time they demand things from center. Your intentions are good but you are not even five percent equipped to deal with the aftermath. Do you think the governance will improve overnight?" Khushi gulped a large intake of oxygen and shook her head.
"The problem isn't the government Akash," her voice was soft and tired.
"The problem is the people." Arnav said. "That thing called democracy which you adore and obsess yet so easily willing to screw over for the sake of power…that thing isn't going to change with change in government. You want to bring about a change? Change people then. Make them aware. Make them culpable. Make them responsible for their goddamn mistakes." Arnav wasn't angry. He had crossed the threshold of anger and resentment.
"Change doesn't come by reading newspaper filled with motivational pieces or watching news Arnav. Come on, our public is more intelligent than that." Akash shook his head.
Khushi laughed. "Our television programs are filled with reality shows feeding on the voyeuristic tendencies and penchant for finding entertainment in misery. And then you have paid news, silly competitions and regressive television dramas which the mass lap it up because – hey, that's the best we can do."
"All the more reason for good governance, don't you think so?" Akash shrugged.
"We can sit here and debate all night about what's right and what isn't." Arnav sighed. "Do you think people will be less corrupt once they come to power? Do you think the other parties will be quiet and don't try to poach your people if you actually form a government? Even hypothesis proves otherwise Akash. Coalitions are created and broken all the time." Arnav rubbed his forehead.
Silence transcended in that room. Each one of them knew what they were doing wouldn't have any consequence of a dynamic parameter changed overnight. Given the size of democracy and the tenacity of the people, things could take any direction based on these months alone.
"The current government wasn't voted because they are the best. They were formed they could build a coalition to majority." Akash said finally.
"Why are you here?" Khushi asked. Arnav looked at Akash waiting for an answer.
"Honestly…I don't know." He chuckled. "Well, my father is pretty put off by lot of things so he is trying to fix things in his own way. I had an inkling that you two would be up to something. If people get a whiff of what you are doing, they are going to demolish you, you know that right?" Akash's voice was strangely clogged.
"Death and taxes are life's inevitability Akash," Khushi said lightly.
Arnav scoffed. "Speak for yourself. I don't pay taxes."
Akash burst into fit of laughter and Khushi joined him moments later.
"I do wish you win this election and make the changes we all want, you know?" Arnav was the first one to recover from impromptu laughing session. "Maybe then I can retire and settle down in a farm in some interior village that doesn't even have a post office."
"Today's breaking news – coalition between Krishna Kumar, Prasenjit Sarkar and Bhanu Pratap have thrown us all to a loop Arnav. They along with few other parties can easily sweep this election. MLAs wouldn't sway easily as everyone knows and is aware of Bhanu Pratap's…sadism. The punishment would be at a personal level if not political." Akash replied.
"Akash, you are lucky it's Bhanu Pratap who is the loose end of this coalition." Khushi said with a hint of smile.
"Come on Khushi, no one is that stupid. Bhanu Pratap will hold out till end of elections and then he will go back to being the monster that he is." Akash chided her.
Arnav shook his head. "Khushi is right Akash. If you know exactly which buttons to push, Bhanu Pratap can be played well." Arnav bit his lip and stared at the floor in front of him, an idea forming in his head.
"I should probably go." Akash stood up. "I shouldn't have come here really," he added as he started to walk out of the apartment, Khushi and Arnav few steps behind him. "It was just…too much today I suppose." He hovered near the threshold. "There is a point when I draw a line, the line which I never cross and with every passing day the line is moving further and further from my moral circle. I…don't want to end up being a person with power but lost all sense of credible morality, you know?" Akash said it in a rush.
"I'll remember to give you a kick when I see such a thing happen," Arnav said honestly.
Akash chuckled mirthlessly. "I shall probably kick your ass or do something…vitriol as a proportionate response to your actions."
Arnav shrugged carelessly. "I guess it's a risk we both have to take."
Akash didn't move from the threshold. When he spoke, his voice was barely above whisper. "Why are you doing this?" It was his turn to ask.
"Someone's got to do it, right?" Arnav said chuckling. Akash looked at him unblinking and dared him to tell the truth.
Arnav's chuckles died and he looked at Khushi with a smile. Turning to Akash he said, "Because we are the people."
Edited by RockBarbie - 12 years ago
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