Me an inmate at kaala paani???

... Wake up. Do you want to get whipped? Save your rebellion and energy for the breakout...Wake up now.I woke up groggily...As my consciousness returned, I noticed that I wasn't on my comfortable bed but on a coarse hard surface of some sort. I opened my eyes slowly and the world slipped into focus (Clichéd eh? Its true though).... I saw a weather worn, rugged face staring at me. Aaah!! I yelled and I would've bolted too, but the man held me in a vice like grip. "Do you want to get both of us flogged? Behave yourself! This is kaala paani prison not a circus" he scolded. What balderdash, I thought; I should be safely in Chennai city preparing to go to college!

The man gave a long sigh and said, "Get ready, its time to start work.We will attempt to escape soon.Anthony is diggimg a tunnel....." . He continued speaking, but I wasn't listening anymore. I thought I heard TRUMPETS in the background. (No I am not kidding. I heard trumpets! I can’t be mistaken. My dad is in the Army so I've heard them before. No mistakes there) I looked around the room (Or should I say cell?), it was dimly lit and bare, save thin rugs on the floor, one of which I found myself sitting on :). As I peered through the gloom I noticed a narrow grill window far above my head. A little light filtered through it in beams but did not reach the ground.

I heard a harsh call,"Come out or get beatings and have no food for a week!". Turning around, I peered through a narrow grill door set in the wall. The owner of the voice presently came into view through the bars.He was a evidently guard of some sort, clad in a khaki uniform and a queer, tall green cap. Had the situation been any different I would've burst out laughing at this comic apparition, but the stern look on his face silenced me. He then proceeded to place chains and fetters on the both of us. I was too surprised to protest. And I moved out double quick with my ...friend? (I assumed he was....) . I blanched, seeing the long whip the guard flaunted.

We joined a thousand other fettered prisoners wearing thin cotton kurtas and trousers in various shades of brown (For lack of a better description! The prison clothes were torn and grimy. I thought that they might have been white originally. An unbearable stench hung in the air.). Quite anxiously now, I joined the long line. After attending to natures call, we were sent to a nearby shed, I assumed that it was where we would do hard labour :( . I moved, but not quickly enough! I yelped as I heard a whip crack and a harsh "move fast", luckily the whip (A long thick brown rope one made from vines, if you must know.... Shudder!! ) missed me by a hairs breadth. I hurried up and attempted to talk to a fellow prisoner (He was a tall wiry chap with a black goatee.... He kept silent.I realised, too late, that it was a wise move). At this point the guard lost his patience, yanked me out of the line and began to march me away from the others. I caught occasional sympathetic glances, as I was hurried away. The guard was muttering dire threats as he pushed (Brrr.. Absolutely blood curdling ones) As we moved, I began to hear cries of Aaarh Govindaaa Govindaaaaa (In an unbearably pained voice) I gulped and as we moved the voices got louder louder and louderand louder still...

My eyes jerked open, I noticed my grandmother yelling at me to hurry up and move before I missed the bus. I had dozed off on the sofa!!Ad I noticed with a jump that a Bhajan was blaring from the T.V. "Govinda Govinda". Aah I escaped from Kaala Pani the dreaded prison!!! Yeah right!!!!!.... What a nightmare... I bolted out of the door, grabbing my bag and books, when I noticed the time was 7:40. Shit! I'm late. Stupid bhajan scared the living daylights out of me...Damn!! Why can't they hire someone who sings well for a change? Those monstrous cries of govinda were heart rending, painful....

I better come clean now and tell you that this whole post is loosely based on a real dream of mine (I dreamt it a couple of days ago). I’ve been to Andaman and Nicobar and visited the Cellular jail or Kaala Paani or Black Water prison (3 names....). I haven't stuck entirely to the dream except for the govinda part (grin ;) )
I want all of us to think about what it took to gain India its freedom. Remember those selfless fighters. On a lighter note DD channel needs to change that awful bhajan singer before someone decides to kill him and end his piteous moaning.