Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM
(We are extremely thankful to Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi Ji for sharing his literary and artworks with e-abhivyakti. An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, Capt. Pravin has served the country at national as well international level in various fronts. Presently, working as Senior Advisor, C-DAC in Artificial Intelligence and HPC Group; and involved in various national-level projects.
Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi ji is not only proficient in Hindi and English, but also has a strong presence in Urdu and Sanskrit. We present an English Version of Ms. Nirdesh Nidhi’s Classical Scientific Fantasy “शेष विहार ” with title “The Last Metropolis” . We extend our heartiest thanks to Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi Ji for this beautiful translation.)
सुश्री निर्देश निधि
इस कथानक के सन्दर्भ में आदरणीय डॉ विजय कुमार मल्होत्रा जी (पूर्व निदेशक (राजभाषा), रेल मंत्रालय,भारत सरकार) के शब्दों में –
“एक कहानी “शेष विहार” के बारे में बताया था, जिसने आधुनिक विज्ञान की विभीषिकाओं से पाठकों को रूबरू करवाया था. निर्देश निधि द्वारा लिखित “शेष विहार” पढ़कर मैं न केवल भयाक्रांत हो गया था, बल्कि विचलित भी हो गया था और मैं चाहता था कि इस कहानी को विश्व-भर के पाठक पढ़ें और समय रहते ऐसे उपाय करें जिससे हम अपने इस प्यारे भूमंडल को आसन्न् भयानक विभीषिका से बचा सकें. इस संदर्भ में मुझे गुरुदेव रवींद्रनाथ टैगोर की अमर कृति गीतांजलि का स्मरण हो आया. हम सब जानते हैं कि इस काव्यकृति की रचना मूलतः बंगला में की गई थी, लेकिन गुरुदेव ने स्वयं 1912 में इंग्लैंड की यात्रा से पहले इसकी कुछ कविताओं का अंग्रेज़ी में अनुवाद कर लिया था. अंग्रेज़ी में उपलब्ध सामग्री के कारण ही गीतांजलि पश्चिम में बेहद लोकप्रिय हो गई थी और 1913 में साहित्य के लिए नोबेल पुरस्कार जीतने वाले टैगोर पहले गैर-यूरोपीय लेखक बन गए.
इस बात से प्रेरणा लेकर पुणे प्रवास के दौरान मैंने अपने अनुजवत् मित्र कैप्टन रघुवंशी से चर्चा की और हिंदी की कालजयी रचनाओं को अंग्रेज़ी में अनूदित करने की योजना बनाई. नमूने के तौर पर कैप्टन साहब ने पुणे के ही हमारे मित्र संजय भारद्वाज की हिंदी में रचित कुछ श्रेष्ठ रचनाओं का अंग्रेज़ी में अनुवाद कर दिया. संजय जी और मैं दोनों ही कैप्टन साहब की अनुवाद-क्षमता के कायल हो गए. कैप्टन प्रवीण रघुवंशी न केवल हिंदी और अंग्रेज़ी में प्रवीण हैं, बल्कि उर्दू और संस्कृत में भी अच्छा-खासा दखल रखते हैं. कुछ समय पूर्व उन्होंने मेरे अनुरोध पर भारत के महान् सामाजिक और राजनीतिक कार्यकर्ता स्व. केदारनाथ साहनी की पुण्यस्मृति में प्रकाशित उनके स्मृति ग्रंथ की भूमिका का हिंदी से अंग्रेज़ी में अनुवाद किया था. यह भूमिका लिखी थी, भारत के यशस्वी प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने इस अनुवाद की भूरि-भूरि प्रशंसा हुई.
यही कारण है कि जब मैंने निर्देश निधि की उक्त कहानी पढ़ी तो मैंने इसके अंग्रेज़ी अनुवाद के लिए कैप्टन साहब से ही अनुरोध किया. कैप्टन साहब ने न केवल तत्परतापूर्वक इसका अंग्रेज़ी में अनुवाद किया, बल्कि इसको बार-बार परिमार्जित करके मूल कहानी की तरह ही प्रस्तुत कर दिया.”
इस कहानी की मूल लेखिका निर्देश निधि और कैप्टन साहब के प्रति आभार प्रकट करते हुए इस रचना मूल हिंदी संस्करण आप इस लिंक पर पढ़ सकते हैं
>>> “शेष विहार ”.
आपसे अनुरोध है कि आप हिंदी और अंग्रेज़ी में पढ़ें और इस कहानी के अंग्रेज़ी पाठ को पढ़ने के लिए अपने विदेशी मित्रों को भी प्रेरित करें और उनकी प्रतिक्रिया से सुश्री निर्देश निधि जी एवं अनुवादक कैप्टन प्रवीण रघुवंशी को अवश्य अवगत कराएँ.
☆ The Last Metropolis ☆
I’m the ‘Time’, silently witnessing epochs after epochs passing by! Since ages, it has been a customary practice for me to observe only with my experienced eyes. It is not possible for me to interfere with the proceedings or bring about any changes, however good or bad. I often pick up a unique story which is incredibly different from the others, and present before you all. Today, I am going to narrate the story of a mother and her eight-year-old son of the present age. This story belongs to the country, called ‘India’. What I am seeing now is reproduced as it is.
“Van, the sun is about to set, wake up and get ready fast. Today, we’ve got to go and see ‘The Last Metropolis’. Hurry up so that we can come back safely before the sun rises”, Mother told her son.
Van went to the fresh room and fed his choicest outfit dress, perfume, shoes, etc. in the computer, which made him fully ready in a jiffy by enclothing him with his chosen outfit, shoes, etc., after having them dry-cleaned with anti-viral, anti-bacterial sprays.
Eight-year-old Van is the only child in the entire city who has been born out of his mother’s womb. He does not know the whereabouts of his father since his mother had used the ‘State Sperm Lab’ for conceiving him. For a unique phenomenon like getting born out of mother’s womb and staying in the same cell with her, the mainstream media and people of reputed institutions keep thronging to interview them. Many advanced researches are going on them since the women of present age have lost their inherent fertility to give birth to baby from their womb. In the rarest of case, even if a capable woman is there, she is not willing to take risk to conceive and give birth to a baby. Over the past several centuries, the foetal killings have become so common that even the Mother Nature has stripped them of this natural ability to procreate. Even worse, there are hardly any menfolk left who are potent enough to inseminate a woman. Now, barring a few exceptions, most of the children obtain their preliminary form of life in the laboratory only under the supervision of highly skilled scientists. Government found that Van’s mother was having this unique capacity to bear a child, therefore allured her to conceive a child by offering her hordes of governmental benefits, concessions and facilities. Mother also weighed the pros and cons, and considered that the baby she would give birth to from her womb would truly love her, a bit like the children of the bygone eras. And besides, she would enjoy a heap of government benefits also.
Well, for her it was a calculated move!
Van asks his mother with great surprise, “Mother, have you really given birth to me from your womb? Amazing, Mom, you’re really amazing! All the boys in my class grew up in the lab, and they were born there only. If their mother or father desired, they would come to see their unborn children in a particular jar. It would have been quite safe to have children brought up like this; from where they went to crèche and infant homes, and subsequently, to
the hostel to pursue their academic career. Very seldom only, they would meet their biological parents.”
“Yes, Van, this is what happens these days, but I have really nurtured you in my womb for nine whole months.” Mother responded.
“But mother, you took a great risk. You could only see me through a modern device using imaging technology in your womb, why did you take so much of a risk? Also, you had put my life in an inexplicable danger, mother.”
“No, Van is not like that, man’s care is better taken off by the Mother Nature herself, but our ancestors stopped trusting her. So, seeing this disdain, she also pulled her hands. Our generation has suffered immense harm on account of this.”
“And what else to say, even the earth has become devoid of the animals. Their vital food chain was broken. The animals now you see only on your viewing device, they all used to move around freely on this earth. The population of humans also used to be very high, so much that the governments of many countries had to penalize the people for having excessive number of children; while on the other hand, the less numbered-children families used to get rewarded with numerous perks and facilities. But, it is other way around now, Van. Governments now provide amenities to the families on each and every childbirth. Depleting populations has resulted in the existence of only a small number of countries on such a vastly expanded earth, of which one of them is our India.”
“Van, do you remember seeing the hands of your classmate Arunima, the other day, how badly they got burnt by the sun’s rays? Now, she is sure to have “DSD” or “Disease of Sure Death”. She won’t heed to any advice and stubbornly kept awake during the day. So many times her Warden warned her for keeping awake during the day time!”
“Mother, didn’t the doctor give her ‘NanoWatts’ at the time of birth?”
“Van, that must have been administered; but, it intrinsically cures only the minor illnesses or small injuries, but it cannot protect a person from the harmful rays of the sun. Van, these days not only just the ‘NanoWatts’ but a chip in the brain, an ID chip, hearing device, cornea protective lens, pumping device for the lungs and heart etc. are also fitted to the baby at the time of the birth for total protection.”
“Yes, yes mother, I too know all that, you are not saying anything new. I know that by continuously talking on mobile phone and listening to the loud music all the time; and being subjected to the loud noise of the different types of machines, human-beings’ hearing-power gets impaired. The effects of TV and computer screens on the eyes have also proved to be fatal; the toxic environment of the earth has already started damaging the lungs very badly; the flawed style of living has almost consumed the human health. After the Third and then the Fourth World War, it became almost impossible to see, hear, think, or even comprehend; meaningful life itself became impossible, that’s why a chip in the human brain had to be inserted. This chip contains the universal knowledge which all the citizens must have, and besides, it also holds some specific kind of knowledge, which revolves around his chosen field of work. Through this chip, we can deliver our messages to each other without any extra effort or device; and through this chip only; we are able to find ways. Those who do not possess this chip, become almost neurotically irrational. Mom, I am aware of all this.”
“Yeah, you said it right, Van. And, who knows whether any life will be there after the next World War? Only the scientists—hiding in the artificial environment of underground bunkers—who had made themselves immune from the toxic rays of the sun and immersed into this deadly lifestyle, could survive. They only kept the compassion and empathy of the human heart incessantly alive on the earth, Van. Now available populace on the earth is the descendants of those few scientists only. The World Wars have caused not only widespread pollution on the earth but also made the water present in the crust of the earth toxically unfit for the human consumption.”
“Mother, could the earth’s water be used for bathing in that era?”
“Not only for bathing, Van, it used to be fit for drinking and cooking food also.”
“Really, Mother!”
“Yes, yes absolutely! Now when you move to higher classes, you will be taught about these things, both, in history and the science. Water became toxic and unfit for human consumption after the World War III. Still, few Water-purification plants could do the purification, but the fourth World War ended this remote possibility also.
Limited quantity of water and food items were kept safe in underground bunkers for a harsher period. But that could keep only a few people alive, especially, these distinguished scientists. That’s why, we are forced to bring water from ‘Planet Aquarium’, and owing to limited carting capacity, we are forced to use it repetitively by recycling it. That’s why now we sponge-bath only, and consume few milliliter of water, or we dry-clean ourselves with this artificial antibacterial, antiviral gas.”
“So mother, does it mean that all our ancestors were so stupid that they made such big mistakes. Was it necessary to fight among ourselves, cut the trees, and destroy the forests? After all, what did they give us, except these prison-like-claustrophobic houses in which we are forced to stay the whole day? If we had not made these air- conditioned, sunlight proof, oxygen-filled houses, probably, we would have not even survived.”
“Yes Van, it is true. But humans are not designed to lose, so we have almost succeeded in finding a second home on other planet, which has a natural and life-supporting environment like our old earth. But of course, till the time we get settled down there, it is going to be a real tough time for the human race.”
“Mother in our life, will we be able to go to that new home?”
“I cannot say that for myself, but, Van, you will definitely be able to go there; and yes, not even think of going there alone. Like olden days, you must have a woman —called wife, in your family. Keep your family there. Live there with your wife and children. Look how happy families appear in the commercial films we often see, how the entire family laughs and enjoys, rejoices in playgrounds and gardens; everyone is so fond of fun and frolic.”
“Oh, no! Mother, do not talk about such hypothetical things; I do pragmatic things only which are possible. I want to live totally alone, free as a bird like everyone else. Why should I get trapped in these troubles?” Van resisted the mother’s point of view.
“Ok Van, enough of talks, we are already late, and the sun is also about to set. Quickly wear your lifejacket, check your flying capsule, and yes, don’t forget to check its fuel chip, Oxygen,
do not forget to keep the jars of your diet tablets and water capsules. I have already completed all my work, and I am all set to move.”
“Mother, I have also done all this work, that too, much before you, I’ve to just don my lifesaving suit. But mother, I often think that you are the most different person from others. You have sacrificed your privacy for me.”
But Van doesn’t know that the mother had conceived because of incessant pressure from the Government since she was the only one tested positive as a potential childbearing mother in the whole town; beside that she got the hordes of facilities from the Govt. But she felt very nice to give birth to Van, and thoroughly enjoyed his company as a biological mother. Though, sometimes it did infringe on her privacy, and she had to share extra load of work because of her child. Regardless of any taxing involvedness, she did enjoy the company of her child like any mother would do.
“Yes, Van I did sacrifice but I really love to be with you. That’s why I could do it. But, as I told you earlier, the entire family used to live together only.”
Mother, what is a family? Tell me the correct meaning.”
“The meaning of the family is the mother and the father, and the children born out of mother and father are the son and daughter; and the other children born are brothers and sisters to each other. Families are thus made up of parents, children, relatives and close friends.”
“Mother, tell me who is my father?”
“Van, I did give birth to you from my womb but frankly speaking I do not know who your father is, because I took support of the State Sperm Lab.”
“Oh mother! How I wish you knew him, and then I would also play with my father just like how it happens in movies.”
“Oh yes! You know, interestingly, in the olden times, even the domestic help used to have a live-in place in the house, and also animals used to be reared in a separate place near the house. And, many birds would make their nests in the human houses.”
“Oh really, how unhygienic the condition of the house must have been at that time!”
“That period was not like the present one, Van. Infections did not catch so easily, the resistance to the diseases for the humans was very good.”
“Why did not the animals survive whilst the human race could survive?”
“Look Van, as such man was quite selfish from the beginning, and he could not keep the animals as safe as he was able to keep himself. Also, after the World Wars, there was not enough space left to keep the animals and birds, so humans selfishly dumped the animals. For humans, it has always been important to save themselves first.”
“Now, why only animals or birds, not even men and women live together, because no one can tolerate other for a moment. Nobody wants to lose the freedom even for a second on account of someone else. D’you know Van, why these days there are more mental hospitals than the people, because in the olden days, people used to relieve their stress and tensions through fun and frolic and meeting each other.”
“Mother, did people have the spare time to laugh, then?”
“Yes, Van, in plenty! But there is a strange paradox. Hours of work is done in minutes through modern machines, but ironically, the man has run out of time.”
“There used to be countless types of grains grown on earth that the man used to eat several times in a day. They never lived on tablets like now; they all used to have taste buds and huge appetite. But gradually, the man started using more and more tablets to give strength to the body, and gradually increased it to such a level that the taste buds died. Haven’t you seen various types of grains and diverse kind of food and desserts on your viewing device?”
“Oh, yes mother, I did. Has the fertility of the land on earth become obsolete?”
“No, Van! It could have remained intact in perpetuity, but for the human greed, it could only fulfill the needs of the man, but not the greed, as you know it. Our ancestors exploited these resources to such a limit that we were made captive to the greenhouse gases, causing ambient temperatures beyond the human tolerance limits; and we are forced to keep ourselves in the air-conditioned vehicles and homes.”
“Van, We will talk later, Let’s move since about fifteen minutes back the sun has already set. It’s high time we started our journey. Check if you’ve fed the destination correctly in your flying capsule, or else you might get lost.”
“Don’t worry, Mom, I have already fed it properly. Where is the scope for mistake with the ‘Brainy chip’ fitted in our brain?”
With the dusk around, people’s vehicles started to appear in the sky. As both of them were about to leave, suddenly one of their acquaintances staying nearby, was passing by their house, wherein he noticed that the insulating film of their cell had torn a bit. Seeing the imminent danger, he cautioned Van’s mother. She immediately recalled the code of the administration office in the mind and communicated the problem regarding fixing of the protective film of their cell. The office assured her that the work would be done before her return. As soon as this assurance was received, both —the mother and son, donning their lifesaving suits properly, and checking the oxygen masks, both of them took off in their flying capsules, talking to each other through the frequency modulation communication set; and covered the distance of 1200 miles in just six seconds to reach the destination.
They arrived at “The Last Metropolis”. Fortunately, there was no acid-rain happening then. Both of them, wearing their oxygen masks, came out of the capsule. Inside a gigantic glass casing of thousands of miles, there was an artificially created ancient earth’s small model, which was an exact replica of the erstwhile earth —replete with trees, grass, palms, flowers, fruits, leaves, waterfalls, mountains, rivers; yes, rivers also with toxic water; birds, butterflies, lions, cows, bulls, mammoth, dinosaurs, elephants, giraffes, countless other insects; basically entire spectrum of life-form was there. Reverberating with people of different sizes, cast, creed, colours and languages, who were roaming around in every part of this artificially created world. It did cast a spell binding effect, a pleasurable sight to the eyes, which had a mesmerizing effect on mind, body and the soul.
“Oh My God!” exclaimed the Van, “The earth was so beautiful! Why did our foolish ancestors destroy it? What have they left for us? Nothing, virtually nothing!” Van retorted.
Like mother and the son, there were many more people around, replete with similar reactions and exclamations.
“But sadly, now there is no crowd anywhere unlike previous era. Children are born in the Labs only. There are only a few people who place order for their children in lab because no one wants to waste time and effort to raise children, and take their responsibility. Moreover, the governments of the few surviving countries are generating just about enough citizens to meet their requirement; and of course, only that number of people whom they can nurture properly. That’s why the cities after cities are lying deserted. The fostering of people is the responsibility of the government. People keep themselves enclosed in their homes throughout the day because of the fear of death. Work can only be done at night, since one cannot get out of the house during the day time because of lethal sunlight. Most people are limited to their work areas and homes. The earthquake proof structures, which the man had proudly raised as seemingly indestructible landmark buildings have been obliterated to the ground by the earth’s seismic plates. Few left over remnants are now preserved as ancient heritage monuments. Now, the modern residence, called the salon, is completely free from sunlight. All you can see is concrete jungle all-round. No greenery or vegetation is left nor has any flora and fauna survived. Acid rains have annihilated everything. In the name of countries in the world, only a few are left. India is one of them as I have already mentioned. If at all anything positive left in this century, then it is that the wars are not happening any more. Because now, man has to continuously struggle with the nature just to keep him alive on earth. Then, with this perennial fight for survival where is the energy left to fight with each other? The earth has retaliated in its bursting fury to avenge the mindless treatment it faced at the hands of the man.”
Both Van and his mother roamed around the entire township, filling their lives with the nostalgic reminiscences of the bygone era. The unimaginable form of greenery left an indelible impression on their mind with a deep sense of gloominess of it not being so, compared to the present state of the earth now.
They walked towards their respective capsules. While Van’s mother was slightly away from her capsule, she felt difficulty in breathing. Perhaps the oxygen was leaking from her capsule, which normally was not expected, but this unfortunate incident was happening.
She told her son: “Listen Van, probably oxygen is leaking from my capsule. Do something urgently.”
“What can I do now? You should have checked it at the time of departure. Nevertheless, I shall inform the oxygen-supplying company. They will help you by finding your capsule’s location and carry out repairs. Till then, you keep donning your oxygen mask”, the son replied.
“Yes, I’ve worn the mask, but looks like it is not functioning properly”, Mother responded with choking breaths.
“I’m feeling suffocated, Van! Come soon”, beseechingly implored the Mother.
“What to do, mother? What else can I do?”
“Van, we both can go in the same capsule, you take me with you too.” Mother restlessly pleaded with the son.
“No mother, don’t you know that these capsules are designed according to my weight?”
“Yes I know but …..!” The next words are lost in the fast bellows of her breath.
“If you know it, then should also know that some technical flaws may crop in my capsule if I carry load more than its designed capacity. If my oxygen leaks, then my life will be in danger. No mother, sorry I can’t risk my life for you. I have informed the company that they will do something soon. It is their responsibility, mother.”
“Do not you have any responsibility, Van?”
“Be practical, Mom, what can I do by standing here, except that I will also lose my own life?”
“Van, please don’t go, I’m dying.” She begged.
“I have been standing here for the last ten minutes because of you, I cannot stay here any longer, sorry Mom, I’ll have to move. I am not risking my life anymore.”
And…uttering these words he left emotionlessly! With no help from capsule company in sight, mother’s breath is starting to die down. The pain is unbearable! Death seems to be staring at her. If she tried to come out of the capsule, the prevalent toxic environment of the earth would kill her instantly. To aggravate her predicament, Acid rain also started in its full fury.
Her death looks imminent. Her entire lifespan flashed before her eyes like a film; especially, the part of Van’s birth. In this age and society, no one wants to waste even a moment on others; no woman would even imagine a possibility of giving birth to a child from her womb. Despite this, she risked her life to give birth to her child, Van, from her own womb. She always believed that her son would be different from the rest of children and have some attachment unlike lab-born children. In the lab, at the time of birth along with other things, it was not possible to instill love, compassion, sympathy or dosages of emotion in the chip made for the child. But, she believed that her son, at least, would understand the seriousness of the relationship of mother-and-a-child, a bit. But, cruelly, this did not happen. The blatant truth emerged before her that there was no emotional attachment left in him. Mother thought that if born out of her womb, the child would naturally have all-encompassing love and affection in him. But alas, that wasn’t to be! She was proved wrong. Though the scientists had predicted that the probability was remote, but still chances were there that the child could be born with love, compassion and caring-attitude. Just as the toxic rays of the sun kill earthly plants, animals – birds, animals and innumerable human-beings, in the same way, they dried up all the chemicals that would produce love and compassion in the human beings.
Now, she is just faintly counting her last few breaths…
I—the time— filled with remorse, have no option but to witness it ashamedly, painfully and helplessly…
——————
Originally Written in Hindi by Nirdesh Nidhi
English Translation by Captain (IN) Pravin Raghuanshi, NM (Retd)
