Bold!

He was standing there, and obviously looked a bit lost. He looked weaker, dressed poorly and aged about forty. There was nobody in the room who paid notice to him. It was not new to me. In a government office, it is even accepted as a normal thing these days. I looked for the attendant Venu, who was off elsewhere.

I pitied that man who had been there for a long time and came out of my room. Few staff suddenly stood up and a couple more were shooked by others. "What do you want, Sir?", I asked him, after asking him to sit in a chair nearby. It was unexpected for him and he was choked. "I... need a sign...", he said showing the filled up form. It was just a certificate that he required to state that his income is below the government declared poverty line and required my signature. "What do you work as Raju?", I asked. "I don't have a fixed job Sir. Right now I work in a circus!", he said, encouraged a bit then.

I saw the attached proofs and signed it, ordering Venu who was now back, to take a copy of them and to bring my seal. Raju thanked me profusely while leaving. I told him to be bolder and more confident. The next week, I took my kid to a circus that camped in our place. She was all too excited as the elephants played football and monkeys threw hats between themselves and caught them. "Now comes the last part - Taming the lion!", roared the announcer. Inside the fenced wall, I saw a ferocious lion left to prowl. On the other side, there was a man dressed in a bright blue attire with zari dots. He had a long and slender stick and looked very frail. The yellow lighting from the top made it a bit eerie. As the lion roared and moved, he moved too and for some reason, it was threatened and finally obeyed him and sat on the stool. He then came closer and did something that chilled my bones. He ordered the lion to open its mouth and placed his head for a few seconds, before coming back to a standing ovation.

It was Raju.

 

Thanks Syamala. This is one of the few stories that moved me too, while writing. -rgs

 

I am not surprised that you got it Pallavi. But the point was this: If he is bold enough to place his head in a lion's mouth, what made him feel timid or threatened? Are animals better for, we know what they are up to? And what could have been the reason for a fellow human being be treated like this? Coming to yours - Its not just expertise or courage alone. It is practice as well. The lion is tamed well enough before they do it. Besides, there is a small possibility that it could get wild too. -rgs