Book Title: Award And Other Stories
Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

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Page 8
________________ commercial firm of the near relatives that from where, the principal amount and the interest were both sunk and gone ! Still more to say in the chain of this ancestral property losses, one more prime ancestral property having three sides open in the same city, was also entirely 'donated by the same elderly relative and that too after writing down of his own Relinquishing Deed and without any right with them to do so. This was done by him at the instigation of a sweet-spoken far off cunning family relative in the name of their family deity. Infact, they were supposed to spare only a very little land for this "Family Deity" for erecting a small tiny worship-place over there, while the above elder relative had either due to his bind-belief or his desire to earn fame (fame at the cost of others) was all and all donated away to their larger and well to do family----!! How matter of high surprise was this that no name was given of his parents or of prashant as a donor, any where either in the records or in the constructed deity room!!! In the context of this pathetic story of his parental property, it was now further tragical extremity that this only remaining property of Railway Station plot was also snatched way in "Forcible Donation" by the Government for the proposed and said "Seat of Learning" enacted by its influential political leaders and that too without asking, without getting consent of the original land-owner that was prashant ! To tell in clear words, this only life providing remaining property of prashant was also snatched, grabbed, looted away for the so called "Seat of Learning" and it was declared in beautiful, bewitching words as acquired by the Government------- But in-spite of these all when the vague and unclear announcement was made to give a very good Award by the Government for this land, great hopes were aroused in prashant---- may be after being cheated and looted everywhere the love-bestowing soul of his parents might to be entirely rewarding prashant in this way through this "Award” ! And hence remembering and saluting his late gracious parents, by visualizing them in the higher space, by bringing tears in his eyes for their obligations and adding one more obligation in the chain of their un-payable indebtedness, prashant told to his Awardnews-providing friend Arun; "It is a great grace of those God-like Parents”! And his eyes were full of tears and voice was choked while speaking these all. He could not speak anything further. Though younger in age, Arun moving his warm hand on his back, consoled him and told "It is quite correct prashant! who has been able in the world to repay the innumerable and expectations-less obligations of parents ? And he suddenly looked at his wrist watch and said with a jerk"Oh it is 9.30 now! The morning session of the conference might have commenced already --- we will go over there first and thereafter to the concerned Government Offices to do the needful in respect of this Award".

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