The Rise of Ramayana

Prologue
When Aromal, Editor for college magazine 'Corridor' came asking for a story for the annual edition, I knew what I should write. The Director has been getting on our nerves for a quite a while, and it was time we should deal with him democratically! And I titled it Ramayana Returns.
                                                                 
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“Do you want me to sit here?” The chief commander wasn't satisfied with the preys he had before him.

It was the big day for the presentation of the literature review, as part of preparation for the studio exercise. The batch was divided into four groups and were asked to review on certain policies and master plans and sanitation plans.

“…Yes…sir” The class replied diffidently.

The first group stepped forward, switched on the projector and displayed up the presentation. The cover page proudly said ‘National Urban Sanitation Policy’ just as it was copied from the ppt on the Slideshare about the same.

“Do you really want me to sit here?” The chief warned. “You see, I was one of the member of the drafting team of this policy. I have went through the document at least 6 times. If you don’t have anything original in your presentation, I may leave.”

Silence.

“Okay, tell me, why sanitation, why not water policy?”

This humble narrator was fortunately the one assigned to give the introduction.

Excellent question! I wanted to say, but I had no clue.

The syllabus said we were doing Master Plan this semester, but the time table said we were doing Urban development Plan, we were convinced we were doing Infrastructure Development Plan, but then faculties called it Sectoral plan. Sanitation might fit in somewhere.

I helplessly looked at my fellow mates hoping someone had an answer.

“Sir, because blah blah percent of Nation’s urban population doesn’t have access to toilets. Sanitation is a major concern for the development.” Someone took up all the blame on herself.

“Show me that in your slides! I am not interested in your cover page!” The chief was impatient.

“It’s coming up in next slides, sir.” I scrolled to the next slide.

The second slide was an exact photocopy of the background statistics provided in the policy document.

“Is this way to present a ppt?” The chief loaded his gun. ”This is just a copy paste. I want your review of the policy!”

Whom were we fooling? We were presenting to him his own policy. One of the junior commanding officer pointed at the slide which said, ‘the projected population of nation’s urban population by 2007 will be X’. I checked the date in my phone. Oh it was 2014 already…

“FIRE!” The chief commanded.

I heard gun fires all around, people were falling martyr’s to the questions after questions. As we were succumbing to our ultimate fate, I heard the chief speaking.

“Do you know what Ram told Ravan after defeating him?”

Silence.

“Do you know, madam?” He taunted the other junior commander.

“I know a little, sir, but I don’t remember the exact words.” She excused. She had a reputation to keep up in front of the sluggish miserable dumb dodos.

“No no.” He interrupted, “Ram said to Ravan: I am not killing you now. Come prepared tomorrow with your weapons, we will fight again.” The chief grinned devilishly at the class.

That was it, everything was finally obvious. He was the Ram, descended from above to wipe off the Ravans. And we were the Ravans. And he was going to spare us alive today, so that he can kill us comfily later. We were in no hurry either, but one thing was certain.

We are to be killed, at the end.

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Epilogue                                                                         
Ayush came to me a day before the publishing of magazine. "Ayon sir was looking for you." He said. "He is worried if you might get in trouble for whatever article you wrote for magazine!"
Well!