चेंबुर मधील प्रसंग

चेंबुरचा गजबलेला भाग, मंगळवार दुपारची वेळ, रस्त्यावर रहदारी खूप, मोनोरेल चे काम चाललेले त्यामुळे मधोमध खणून ठेवले होते. त्यामधेच रहदारी अडली, मोठा जॅम झाला. पण वाहने का अडली आहेत ते कळत नव्हते. रिक्षात बसलेल्या एका बाईला समोरचा थोड्या दूरवरचा रस्ता रिकामा दिसत होता. मधेच काहीतरी असेल – काय आहे बघुन तरी यावे असे म्हणत (नेहमीच्या सवयी प्रमाणे नाक खुपसायला) ती पुढे गेली. तिला दिसले ते चित्र भयंकर होते. गर्दीत एका रिक्षावाल्याचा धक्का एका इनोव्हावाल्याला लागला होता. महागड्या गाडीला धक्का लागल्यामुळे गाडीवाल्याचे पित्त खवळले होते. त्याच्या हातात एक मोठा बांबू होता, बांबू जोराजोराने हवेत फिरवत तो रागारागाने बिचा-या गरीब रिक्षेवाल्यावर डाफरत होता, भरपाई मागत होता, मारून टाकण्याची धमकी देत होता, आणि रिक्षेवाला गयावया करुन हातापाया पडून माफी मागत होता, पब्लिक बघत होते...

रिक्षातून उतरलेल्या बाईने सर्व प्रकार पाहिला, काय चालले आहे ते तिला कळले. तिच्या अंगात काही तरी संचारले तिने जाऊन त्या इनोव्हावाल्याच्या हातातील बांबू पकडला आणि आवाज चढवून त्याला जाब विचारला, स्वतःची ओळख त्याला सांगितली, गाडीत बसून निघून जाण्याचा आदेश त्याला दिला. तो गार झाला. गाडीत बसला. शक्य तितक्या वेगाने गाडी वळवून पसार झाला. रिक्षेवाल्याचा जीव भांड्यात पडला, रहदारी पूर्ववत सुरु झाली.


आणि लोक म्हणतात नवरे आपल्या बायकांचे कौतुक कधी करतच नाहीत...

A missing old woman from Ganpati Pule

8/3/07
2:23 pm

Last night I (Renuka Buwa) was posted as the Station House Officer of Vikhroli Police Station in Mumbai.

At about 11:00 pm we received a message from the Control, i.e. through the Radio channel that a helpless old woman, having festering wounds on both the legs, is straying in Kannamwar nagar, a nearby locality. Somebody must have informed the Control through 100, the Police control room number.

I sent the wireless van. The old lady was brought to the Police station. She was a rustic. She was conscious. But was not able to tell us much about herself. We were very much worried. And my problem was what to do with the lady.

Some suggested send her to the mental asylum. That can be done if the Doctor in the government certifies. Some crooks even suggested of getting rid of her by leaving her in a local train at the mercy of God.

The old lady was yielding neither to the carrot nor to the stick. One of my assistant lady officer threatened her that she will be put behind bars if she didn't speak. No effect at all. Mandatory medical checkup was done. Still blood was oozing out of her wounds. My Assisstant's uniform was stained with blood. She had to change to a civil dress.

We offered her some food. But she didn't touch a single grain. Ultimately I decided to set aside this matter and look into other cases. I asked her to take rest in a nearby room for some time.

She reacted how can she rest while all of us were awake and working. And she further asked why were we threatening her to put into custody? Whether she was a theif or has she done something wrong? She said "send me to my place, I am ready to go to Ganpati Pule."

We got the clue. I asked " Where do you stay at Ganpati Pule?" She told the name of some nearby wadi (small locality)

I immediately contacted the main control and asked for Ratnagiri control. To them I told the details of the woman.

They gave me a number of an outpost. We rang there. As expected nobody answered. Again called the Ratnagiri control. This time they gave a number of a nearby Police station.

A Head constable was on line. He said its 4:00 am now and I will call you back with all information you need till 7:00 am. We had no alternative but to ansewer him in affirmative.

The phone bell rang at 7:00 am sharp. HC Banap from Khandala (Ratnagiri) was on line. He had searched for the woman's address - found her relatives. They told him that now she was in Mulund, a suburb in Mumbai, at her Son. She knows nothing about Mumbai. She might have fought with her daughter in law and left the house in a fit of a rage. They also provided the mobile number of her Son.

I contacted her Son. He dropped in within half an hour. My work was over. The old lady left without a coup d'oeil.