The Wise

The Wise

Nothing matters.

My brain was not sticking on anything.Sometimes the brain and heart coincide and , perhaps, nihilism is the outcome of the evolved intellectualism.

Some sounds were emanating from the other room.I paused to listen.It was my mother's- the same droning monologues.She was trying to edify the maid servants by preaching them about the depraved morals of the society around.This was their daily routine.After finishing their work the maids joined my mother to have the tea together.Recently my mother was enamoured by one Baba who seemed to be bent upon to eradicate corruption and black money in the country.He had a huge following who got swayed by his passionate antics.My mother especially was thoroughly hypnotised by him.Her each and every waking moment was spent in singing paeons to him. .She was not ready to reason out anything regarding his ideology or his work ethics. The afternoon hour was the opportune moment for my mother to wax eloquent about him.. This was her lunch time.She was joined by the maids of the house in her repast.All of them munched on the same fare.It was parantha with tea. I had tried my level best to change the food habits of my mother but she had gone habitual of this food.She would soak the roti in tea and take out the soggy swelled chunks and relish it.The chompy sounds got mixed with her charged pontifications about the baba.Her eyes glistened and she almost threw out words which got choked on the food in her mouth. The two maids chewed on their stuff passing her vacant looks.I could see the one sitting on the chair in front of her and the other one always sat on the floor.It was a sort of foregone arrangement between them because one worked in the kitchen and the other one did the cleaning and such sundry jobs in the house.The one who sat on the floor was sharp in her wits and a seasoned one while the other one who took the privilege of being superior was gawky and totemic..She had a complete rapport with my mother who was entrenched in the weird belief in superstitions .The hot tea and the soft roti soothed their tired limbs.The one on the floor lazed a bit more and then stretching out her entire body pulled herself up to leave.The gawky one was still chomping on and bobbing her head over the continuous droning of my mother.Her yellowish front teeth were shaky.They had almost left the gums and needed immediate care but she let them be.She chewed on sideways with mouth open .She had a fixed look in her hollowed eyes and moroseness was written all over her.She hardly seemed to be listening to what my mother said but concentrated on the tea which was about to finish.Her last sip would tip the tumbler up which she almost sucked out.She would then suddenly get up and leave.This left my mother vague in her expression.She fixed her gaze on the door for a while and then turned on the t.v. Set in a slow motion.Here the baba came alive on the screen. His flowing tresses covered his bare shoulders.His glistening body matched the glint in his eyes.To me it seemed a blend of mischief and agitation.He was reeling out the mind boggling figures of black money stashed away by the politicians in foreign banks.My mother watched him intently .Her face was flushed with the emotions he aroused in her.She felt immensely gratified to him as she considered him the saviour of humanity.she remained glued till she seemed to purr like a satisfied cat who after being well fed closed its eyes and dozed off in the warm and loving care of its master.