The Maniac

This is a story of the last moments of an un-noticed life

This story is the story of a young boy who grows up in a very hazardous environment and his post-traumatic life which makes him turn into a very distinguished and unusual man . This tells us of man’s basic interests and instincts which knowingly or unknowingly influences his life and the cycle of events. His dreams and aspirations and the pain he experiences when face to face with the reality of life. This man struggles hard in his life but all he receives is the corpse of his dreams, as dead and lifeless, as death itself. He interacts with various people and they influence his life in various ways. I hope you enjoy it in a way that is supportive in understanding the depths of human psychology and human mind.
Jaspreet Sidhu
Main body The setting sun cast a solemn glow on the old man’s face. The sky was already depicting bad weather. The street was deserted and the trees moved, creaking and twisting in the wind. In these twilight years of life, he was much obsessed with the longing to have some company. He had survived the solitude all his life using the few moments of his childhood as his shield. The childhood flashbacks were his only acquired property. He had nothing to look after or to look for. But he had one console. It was no debt he had on himself. He was as free as a man can be. All his debts had been cleared. Not only was he economically neutral but he knew he was free of all deeds and sins. He had suffered life enough and in no case wanted to continue with it. He feared interactions with the world as much as he feared interacting with his inner self. Any social element would have blamed him to be a loser. But his state of achievements, covered by the dust of time and grasses of worldly traditions were known to no one but himself. He had nothing to do, nothing to look after. So at least he was in a complete state of leisure hood.
The street watchman came up to him and in a mood of humour commented, “Romeo, I wonder how losers like you make it so long in life”. “Had I a fate like you, I would have ended it once for all. Suicide! That’s what I am talking about. But you are such a fellow who would even not receive death so easily. Anyway, night's fading in. You better move for shelter”. The man was silent .He had grown quite accustomed to such taunts. He had no intention to explain his doom to anyone. “So you don’t have even a shelter to spend the night. Whatever, you better move out of here. They say the town may expect a storm tonight.” Then he left. Again there was no one but him and the public bench. He used the few moments of leisure; he was left with, to cast a quick glance over his life.
‘Life had always been a struggle except for a few golden moments of his infancy. He was born in a small clinic in the midst the the city’s slum area. Cities like ‘Gurusar’ are pretty kind to cared infants like him. The nurse washed his body and wrapped him up in a neat cloth. Then he received the first touch of affection- motherly touch, so dear to every infant. He grew accustomed to it in no time as it symbolized security and protection. He had a vague recollection of his birth ceremonies. He was named something, he hardly remembered’. He sighed at his fate. ‘He was soon admitted to a primary school. In this tender age, he had nothing to worry of. His mother used to be the only slum tailor and hence, they were pretty well off. Her name…???’ Anyway forgetting particulars of his childhood wasn’t a rare phenomenon for him. ‘His mother, like most mothers, was a deeply religious and caring lady. He was taught short prayers he still remembered extracts from. Then as bad luck would have it, once, while returning from school, he was kidnapped. It was at this juncture that ‘Ali-Ustad’ dropped in. Life was going on so well when his ill fate struck. He took him to a distant place somewhere else in the city. From there, he was taken to ‘Kashinagar’. An equally big city. An equally dirty slum. Only it was the absence of his mother that made him feel so uncomfortable. He was sedated continuously to avoid his crying. Soon, he forgot most of his past life. The sedatives had taken their toll. Then Ali started to tame him. His ways, of course were most oppressive. He was abused for 5 years. Ustad, as he called him, would send him for begging.
But he wasn’t crippled. It was his tender age that made him the center of all pity. He was subjected to regular physical assault. Ustad, was a lazy drunkard. He used to spend the entire amount on liquor. Romeo(as named by the locals) had to steal the meals of stray dogs and street dwellers. But he was so afraid of Ustad that he never attempted to make an escape. He had no consolation. He grew up as a street boy. As he grew from a child to a boy, Ustad grew older. This turned him from a beggar to a pick-pocket. But he always had one longing. He wanted to study. At noon, he would sit opposite a school entrance and watch children rush out in dazzling dresses and fancy smiles. He never dared to enter the building but watching the parents meet their children reminded him of his mother. He had forgotten all about her, excluding that she was a tailor, a religious woman, and a caring mother.
He had lost all faith in God. But he frequented temples and religious gatherings, hoping to find his mother. “What did she look like? Was she beautiful? Yes she must have been” The prayers he remembered, gave no clue about her.
Then fate gave way.Ali passed away. He was suffering from some deadly cough. He was unleashed. He felt free. But soon he realized that his luck was short lived. The administration demolished the slums. Rendered homeless, he searched the streets for a few days. His life had few surprises for him. He once, wandered off with a church procession.. During the procession, he received a meal. Someone told him the procession was conducted every Friday. This assured him of at least a meal. He would stay for the meals and leave before the prayers were offered. There, he met ‘Father Francis’. Father had noticed him. Once, while leaving after meals, Romeo was stopped by him. “Who are you? Where do you live?” The soothing voice and charming smile on the father’s face encouraged him to speak. “I, Romeo.” “Ha, Ha… That’s a funny name. I guess you don’t have shelter. I need a help for my church chores. Would you like to join? I will provide you shelter & 3 meals a day.” Father had no intention to make him work but he knew the right words to lure the child. The temptation was too much for Romeo to resist. He joined immediately. Later, father even admitted him to the missionary school. This meant more than anything else for Romeo. Only God knew his happiness when he received his dress. It wasn’t as dazzling as he expected but still, having a school dress was more than enough for him. But his faith in divinity was never restored, for he accused God for all his problems. He was loyal to father but never to the church. He attended the sessions merely for the satisfaction of Father Francis. He slowly grew brilliant in studies. Father decided to put him into higher studies.
Romeo was renamed Franck. But he preferred his old name Romeo itself. Knowing the value of this valuable opportunity, Romeo made the best out of it. He had now grown from a careless, and street-fed child to a sensitive and intelligent boy. He had even acquired the skill of Christian gentlemanship and decency. He had a companion; Alice. She was the only daughter of a rich Christian family and hence had studied convent. Having been oppressed during infancy, he now grew accustomed to her friendship. This bud of friendship slowly bloomed into love. But it was pretty one-sided. She never felt the seriousness of this tender relation. Moreover, she had high aspirations regarding her marriage’. Love is a great inspiration. ‘Now Romeo had just one target in mind. He had to be upto the mark. He accepted his new name; Franck. He lost all track of time. He made it to the merits, secured a rank, won a scholarship, and soon had to leave for England for higher studies.
England was no exception. He was equally good there. Completing his graduation was to take him a span of five years. During this, he learnt the highest rules of decency and groomed himself into the best of the world’s men. Though being surrounded by the most beautiful women, he never felt distracted. He made few friends and loved his isolation. Gradually, his love became his obsession. He usually dreamt of Alice. The hardwork and harshness couldn’t move him off his track. He developed typical gentlemanship in his nature and acquired a respect for fine and beautiful things. On his return, he was the man of the show. Special ceremonies were held in his honour. He became the center of all attraction. He started his own business, which soon picked up pace. Now he was in full swing and the height of his fortune. He made Father Fracis the most proud person of the city. He donated frequently to the church, though he was still a non-believer in divinity.
Then bad luck took it’s turn. Father Francis was taken ill. Romeo consulted the best doctors. He spent money like hell and tried his level best to bring back father’s health. But Father passed away. The doctor delivered a letter that Father Fracis had written while taking his last breaths. It read “Dear Franck(Romeo), you are my son and will perform my rituals on this pretext. But I have a grudge with myself. I had a brother; Louie. He had abandoned me for my divinity and unworldly nature. I longed all my life for his love. Rush to him just after my burial and tell him I have prayed for his well-being all my life. Help him with whatever you can and satisfy his needs. This I will accept as your payback to me for those pieces of bread I offered you in times of your distress. May God forgive me for my selfishness. Please forgive me and Goodbye my son”.
Romeo at once set for the address that was written at the letter’s back. He inquired about Louie who now lived in a far off town. Romeo traced him and when he finally found him, he came to know that his condition was miserale. Louie was a trickster; a fraud. He had a large debt unto him. He delivered the news of Father’s death. His breother was non-surplussed. But he presented such a scene of grief and remorse that Romeo decided to help him out. He payed off his debts and offered him to join his business. He agreed at once.
On his return, he carried on with his business. He proposed his love to Alice and she agreed to be his soulmate. He was the happiest person on earth. He prepared for the ceremonies. But time had a different fate for him. Due to some political reasons, riots broke out in the city. The city witnessed it’s darkest hour. Louie took the chance and one dark night,
attacked Romeo’s place with a group of hired men. Louie had a narrow escape. In the scuffle, he got wounded. He made it to Alice’s home with too was in ruins. He entered with a heavy heart. He searched all around for her but all in vain. There was no sign of her. Alice or her family were never seen again. Louie took over his business and he was forced to leave the city. He searched for Alice like mad. Soon he was out of money or luck. He lost all hope. He didn’t know what to do. He had nobody to ask for help. God, was something he never believed in. He lost all sense of himself. He underwent a nervous breakdown and lost his mental balance. After all, how much can a person take to himself . He left the town and went to the countryside. No one there knew of his glorious achievements and he, himself, was least cared about his well being. He became a mystery for the whole village. No one ever knew where he came from or what he was. Why he was there, was yet another question, he himself knew no answer. So there he was, unattended, uncared and ignored human wondering what was the very cause of his existence’.
Romeo was surprised by the familiar voice which unknowingly awoke him from his dreams. It was the watchman again. “So; You are still here. Just look at the horizon. It’s going to be a really stormy night”. “You are right”, Romeo replied with a smile. “A real story night”. His lips twisted in a smile for the first time since the last 5 years. Then the watchman pushed him away slightly. Romeo rose up and prepared to leave. Soon he had disappeared around the corner.
Next morning, the sky was clear again. The sun cast it’s warm glow on the damp earth.
Somewhere, in a an abandoned corner, lay a dark figure, lumped up together in a heap. The sun cast its glow on the face of Romeo. He lay there, lifeless. A sweet smile was sprinkled on his face like the morning dew on rose petals. Somewhere, in a far off land, a flower shed it’s last petal and merged itself under the cold blanket of earth.















The setting sun cast a solemn glow on the old man’s face. The sky was already depicting bad weather. The street was deserted and the trees moved, creaking and twisting in the wind. In these twilight years of life, he was much obsessed with the longing to have some company. He had survived the solitude all his life using the few moments of his childhood as his shield. The childhood flashbacks were his only acquired property. He had nothing to look after or to look for. But he had one console. It was no debt he had on himself. He was as free as a man can be. All his debts had been cleared. Not only was he economically neutral but he knew he was free of all deeds and sins. He had suffered life enough and in no case wanted to continue with it. He feared interactions with the world as much as he feared interacting with his inner self. Any social element would have blamed him to be a loser. But his state of achievements, covered by the dust of time and grasses of worldly traditions were known to no one but himself. He had nothing to do, nothing to look after. So at least he was in a complete state of leisure hood.
The street watchman came up to him and in a mood of humour commented, “Romeo, I wonder how losers like you make it so long in life”. “Had I a fate like you, I would have ended it once for all. Suicide! That’s what I am talking about. But you are such a fellow who would even not receive death so easily. Anyway, night's fading in. You better move for shelter”. The man was silent .He had grown quite accustomed to such taunts. He had no intention to explain his doom to anyone. “So you don’t have even a shelter to spend the night. Whatever, you better move out of here. They say the town may expect a storm tonight.” Then he left. Again there was no one but him and the public bench. He used the few moments of leisure; he was left with, to cast a quick glance over his life.
‘Life had always been a struggle except for a few golden moments of his infancy. He was born in a small clinic in the midst the the city’s slum area. Cities like ‘Gurusar’ are pretty kind to cared infants like him. The nurse washed his body and wrapped him up in a neat cloth. Then he received the first touch of affection- motherly touch, so dear to every infant. He grew accustomed to it in no time as it symbolized security and protection. He had a vague recollection of his birth ceremonies. He was named something, he hardly remembered’. He sighed at his fate. ‘He was soon admitted to a primary school. In this tender age, he had nothing to worry of. His mother used to be the only slum tailor and hence, they were pretty well off. Her name…???’ Anyway forgetting particulars of his childhood wasn’t a rare phenomenon for him. ‘His mother, like most mothers, was a deeply religious and caring lady. He was taught short prayers he still remembered extracts from. Then as bad luck would have it, once, while returning from school, he was kidnapped. It was at this juncture that ‘Ali-Ustad’ dropped in. Life was going on so well when his ill fate struck. He took him to a distant place somewhere else in the city. From there, he was taken to ‘Kashinagar’. An equally big city. An equally dirty slum. Only it was the absence of his mother that made him feel so uncomfortable. He was sedated continuously to avoid his crying. Soon, he forgot most of his past life. The sedatives had taken their toll. Then Ali started to tame him. His ways, of course were most oppressive. He was abused for 5 years. Ustad, as he called him, would send him for begging.
But he wasn’t crippled. It was his tender age that made him the center of all pity. He was subjected to regular physical assault. Ustad, was a lazy drunkard. He used to spend the entire amount on liquor. Romeo(as named by the locals) had to steal the meals of stray dogs and street dwellers. But he was so afraid of Ustad that he never attempted to make an escape. He had no consolation. He grew up as a street boy. As he grew from a child to a boy, Ustad grew older. This turned him from a beggar to a pick-pocket. But he always had one longing. He wanted to study. At noon, he would sit opposite a school entrance and watch children rush out in dazzling dresses and fancy smiles. He never dared to enter the building but watching the parents meet their children reminded him of his mother. He had forgotten all about her, excluding that she was a tailor, a religious woman, and a caring mother.
He had lost all faith in God. But he frequented temples and religious gatherings, hoping to find his mother. “What did she look like? Was she beautiful? Yes she must have been” The prayers he remembered, gave no clue about her.
Then fate gave way.Ali passed away. He was suffering from some deadly cough. He was unleashed. He felt free. But soon he realized that his luck was short lived. The administration demolished the slums. Rendered homeless, he searched the streets for a few days. His life had few surprises for him. He once, wandered off with a church procession.. During the procession, he received a meal. Someone told him the procession was conducted every Friday. This assured him of at least a meal. He would stay for the meals and leave before the prayers were offered. There, he met ‘Father Francis’. Father had noticed him. Once, while leaving after meals, Romeo was stopped by him. “Who are you? Where do you live?” The soothing voice and charming smile on the father’s face encouraged him to speak. “I, Romeo.” “Ha, Ha… That’s a funny name. I guess you don’t have shelter. I need a help for my church chores. Would you like to join? I will provide you shelter & 3 meals a day.” Father had no intention to make him work but he knew the right words to lure the child. The temptation was too much for Romeo to resist. He joined immediately. Later, father even admitted him to the missionary school. This meant more than anything else for Romeo. Only God knew his happiness when he received his dress. It wasn’t as dazzling as he expected but still, having a school dress was more than enough for him. But his faith in divinity was never restored, for he accused God for all his problems. He was loyal to father but never to the church. He attended the sessions merely for the satisfaction of Father Francis. He slowly grew brilliant in studies. Father decided to put him into higher studies.
Romeo was renamed Franck. But he preferred his old name Romeo itself. Knowing the value of this valuable opportunity, Romeo made the best out of it. He had now grown from a careless, and street-fed child to a sensitive and intelligent boy. He had even acquired the skill of Christian gentlemanship and decency. He had a companion; Alice. She was the only daughter of a rich Christian family and hence had studied convent. Having been oppressed during infancy, he now grew accustomed to her friendship. This bud of friendship slowly bloomed into love. But it was pretty one-sided. She never felt the seriousness of this tender relation. Moreover, she had high aspirations regarding her marriage’. Love is a great inspiration. ‘Now Romeo had just one target in mind. He had to be upto the mark. He accepted his new name; Franck. He lost all track of time. He made it to the merits, secured a rank, won a scholarship, and soon had to leave for England for higher studies.
England was no exception. He was equally good there. Completing his graduation was to take him a span of five years. During this, he learnt the highest rules of decency and groomed himself into the best of the world’s men. Though being surrounded by the most beautiful women, he never felt distracted. He made few friends and loved his isolation. Gradually, his love became his obsession. He usually dreamt of Alice. The hardwork and harshness couldn’t move him off his track. He developed typical gentlemanship in his nature and acquired a respect for fine and beautiful things. On his return, he was the man of the show. Special ceremonies were held in his honour. He became the center of all attraction. He started his own business, which soon picked up pace. Now he was in full swing and the height of his fortune. He made Father Fracis the most proud person of the city. He donated frequently to the church, though he was still a non-believer in divinity.
Then bad luck took it’s turn. Father Francis was taken ill. Romeo consulted the best doctors. He spent money like hell and tried his level best to bring back father’s health. But Father passed away. The doctor delivered a letter that Father Fracis had written while taking his last breaths. It read “Dear Franck(Romeo), you are my son and will perform my rituals on this pretext. But I have a grudge with myself. I had a brother; Louie. He had abandoned me for my divinity and unworldly nature. I longed all my life for his love. Rush to him just after my burial and tell him I have prayed for his well-being all my life. Help him with whatever you can and satisfy his needs. This I will accept as your payback to me for those pieces of bread I offered you in times of your distress. May God forgive me for my selfishness. Please forgive me and Goodbye my son”.
Romeo at once set for the address that was written at the letter’s back. He inquired about Louie who now lived in a far off town. Romeo traced him and when he finally found him, he came to know that his condition was miserale. Louie was a trickster; a fraud. He had a large debt unto him. He delivered the news of Father’s death. His breother was non-surplussed. But he presented such a scene of grief and remorse that Romeo decided to help him out. He payed off his debts and offered him to join his business. He agreed at once.
On his return, he carried on with his business. He proposed his love to Alice and she agreed to be his soulmate. He was the happiest person on earth. He prepared for the ceremonies. But time had a different fate for him. Due to some political reasons, riots broke out in the city. The city witnessed it’s darkest hour. Louie took the chance and one dark night,
attacked Romeo’s place with a group of hired men. Louie had a narrow escape. In the scuffle, he got wounded. He made it to Alice’s home with too was in ruins. He entered with a heavy heart. He searched all around for her but all in vain. There was no sign of her. Alice or her family were never seen again. Louie took over his business and he was forced to leave the city. He searched for Alice like mad. Soon he was out of money or luck. He lost all hope. He didn’t know what to do. He had nobody to ask for help. God, was something he never believed in. He lost all sense of himself. He underwent a nervous breakdown and lost his mental balance. After all, how much can a person take to himself . He left the town and went to the countryside. No one there knew of his glorious achievements and he, himself, was least cared about his well being. He became a mystery for the whole village. No one ever knew where he came from or what he was. Why he was there, was yet another question, he himself knew no answer. So there he was, unattended, uncared and ignored human wondering what was the very cause of his existence’.
Romeo was surprised by the familiar voice which unknowingly awoke him from his dreams. It was the watchman again. “So; You are still here. Just look at the horizon. It’s going to be a really stormy night”. “You are right”, Romeo replied with a smile. “A real stormy night”. His lips twisted in a smile for the first time since the last 5 years. Then the watchman pushed him away slightly. Romeo rose up and prepared to leave. Soon he had disappeared around the corner.
Next morning, the sky was clear again. The sun cast it’s warm glow on the damp earth.
Somewhere, in a an abandoned corner, lay a dark figure, lumped up together in a heap. The sun cast its glow on the face of Romeo. He lay there, lifeless. A sweet smile was sprinkled on his face like the morning dew on rose petals. Somewhere, in a far off land, a flower shed it’s last petal and merged itself under the cold blanket of earth.