Award And Other Stories

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

Page 18

18
The Bribe Master
By priyavardini
By hook or crook, he got the unusual ticket, unusual reservation for the voyage and he, the master mover, reached unto the gates of God, the Supreme Power.
Far from the earth and seas, far from the air and ether, far from the vacuum and existence, was this realm of god, "Land of No man's Return". No scientist with their splendid sputniks and rare rockets could ever reach there.
No rishi or saint or yogi could easily reach there, inspite of their various "SIDDHIS”. Difficult, no doubt, it was to reach there. But somehow he did reach there, the "Master Mover that he was !
He reached and knocked the doors. Confident he was, that the doors shall be thrown open unto him because he had acquired its secret key by paying a great price. He had also learnt by heart the famous quotation of the Bible as a grace and blessing of some priest who was responsible for giving him this rare ticket with advance reservation for the voyage unto the Kingdom of God---- “KNOCK AND THE DOORS SHALL BE THROWN OPEN UNTO YOU" So he knocked and knocked and knocked keeping utmost patience but the doors were not opened. He became nervous, he became suspicious of the correctness of that sentence, that Key-Quotation. He got frustrated and started cursing, abusing and calling names to that priest, to whom he had paid the highest price he had ever paid in his life long practice of his divine mission. He went on abusing, chiding and shouting at him till he was exhausted and became unconscious.
On the earth there were 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. At the North Poles there were six months Days and six months Nights.
On the Moon and the Mars there were unusual lights and darks but here there was no darkness and no night. Still he, a chain-drunkard, lay in the dark night of unconsciousness, the coma for long. But luckily, after some time the gate keepers of the realm of god saw him and tried to awaken him. He was awakened but he had still not gained consciousness in hope. He requested them to allow him to go in. but he was not permitted. On the contrary he was about to be severally beaten and thrown away, but even in his semi-consciousness he applied his usual trick which he played in pleasing and convincing the great persons on the earth. He went nearer to their ears with requestful folded hands and told them, "I have got some such rare secrets with me which will be immensely useful for you if you care to listen to me". The gate keepers became curious and anxious when they heard the word "rare secrets"
Finding that his trap is becoming active and successful , he immediately came quite close to the ears of both of the gate keepers and whispered some top secret to each of them separately. No body could listen to the same. But this secret murmer worked wonder.