Resumo de Go Placidly Amidst The Noise And The Din

By thenVenkat had circled the old woman twice. He wondered how to make the old woman sit on the towel, with the minimum inconvenience to her.
"Then why are you sitting here?" Sudhakar asked.
"I am tired. My body is wet due to the rainwater. My eye-sight is not clear anymore. People walk on the bridge from all directions."
"Where do you want to go?"
"To the road outside. I will sit below the fig tree."
Sudhakar understood what her destination was. He held her by the shoulders and simultaneously Venkat lifted her from under her knees. The old woman cried feebly, but within seconds, she was lodged on the towel. Her personal property -the sack, the glass and the tin-were also kept on the towel.
The old woman turned in confusion and asked, "Babuji, what are you doing with me?"
"Sit down quietly," said Sudhakar. "The policmen are coming. We will take you to the road."
They held the four ends of the shawl from the sides, and lifted her slowly. They carried her quickly. The load was quite light.
The passers by watched. Among them was a policeman. "Wonderful," he exclaimed.
Within minutes, the old woman squatted below the fig tree, beside the road.
She was extremely happy. She trembled with the feelings that she could not express. Her dry face looked relaxed.
Sudhakar pushed the tin before her and said, ever so gently, "Now eat this also."
The old woman nodded.
There was no necessity for them to wait any longer. Venkat lit a cigar and walked silently. "Must be composing some jokes thought Sudhakar. He looked at his friend with expectation.
Venkat puffed heavily. He did not speak and he looked absorbed.
"I am sorry to have inconvenienced you," said Sudhakar.
Venkat had another long puff and he threw the stub as far as he could. Then he spoke with emotion. "Sudhakar, you know, my daddy's legs are paralyzed. He is also suffering like the old woman. For the last one month, he has not been able to stand up. He can't sit properly either. He leans against the wall and squats with difficulty. He is suffering from acute rheumatism. His ankles are swollen."
"Rheumatism, Venkat? I am sorry indeed, what is his age?"
"Fiftysix. He retired a year ago."
"Problems of health-these too at old age. Venkat, try to be more responsible, please. You are the only son. Yours is the responsibility of the eldest and the youngest for your family. To start with, I would suggest that you give up smoking. Frankly, I don't like this bad, expensive habit."
"I am trying hard," assured Venkat. "Everyday, I resolve to give up smoking. Hard luck so far. This habit has taken its roots. Once I decided to give up cigars and instead I smoked only two beedies a day. After a few days, I started again. And, now I smoke both beedies and cigars."
Sudhakar wondered at such lack of self-control. Somehow, it was a day that set Sudhakar thinking. He hardly did any office work. Various pictures appeared recurringly at his mind's eye.
the helpless old woman,
Her peculiar, hyptonic eyes that expressed self-pity,
The policemen who kicked mercilessly,
The fleeing beggars,
Venkat and his smoking,
The plight of Venkat's father sitting helplessly with his legs paralyzed.
Sudhakar did the minimum possible work. He rarely found any happiness in the routine job but on this day he felt miserable.
While returning home, he saw the old woman from a distance. Venkat had left the office little early to catch his particular train.
After the dinner that night, Sudhakar addressed his mother,"Mummy, from tomorrow, when I go to ofice, please pack a few chapatis and idlis for me. Put some chatni also."
"That's good, my dear child," she replied solicitously. "The oily stuff sold in canteens, is bad for health. Take a few idlis for lunch everyday and you will not be hungry till you return from the office."

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