Alas, all rooms taken!
It was the 22nd of July 2011. A warm sultry day even by Mawrynkneng standards.
A few village boys were killing time in the woods when they suddenly came upon a most astonishing sight. Behind a bush they came across a butt naked middle aged man cavorting with an equally clad young nubile girl. The boys were indignant at the shamelessness of it all. Words were exchanged when the Casanova challenged and dared them by claiming that he was a high Government official and that woe betide any who dared to cause him trouble. Boys being boys, these threats fell on deaf ears and the elderly philanderer earned himself a few well placed kicks on the b—–. It is rumoured but not proved that stinging nettles found nearby, were also liberally employed. The naked womaniser took to his heels with the boys in hot pursuit.
The chase ended on the Shillong-Jowai National highway besides one of the latest models of official limousines, a ML 01 with a red light prominently displayed on its roof.
By now other villagers had also joined in and it was belatedly realised that the man was a genuine VIP with the potential to cause hot headed villagers all the trouble in the world. Clothes were hastily produced for the pompous but naked politician, apologies made and the matter given a quiet burial that it hardly deserved.
The VIP departed but the welts of the stinging nettles must have made sitting a problem , so much so, that by the time he reached Madanrting, a smarting backside together with a deflated ego ( decency prevents mention of what else) made him lodge an FIR against some unknown young miscreants of Mawryngkneng. It was a FIR by a VIP remember, and so it took the police literally no time to reach Mawryngkneng. A hue and cry ensued; the locals feigned ignorance with the cops refusing to buy any of it. A first class riot was in the making when some smart soul rang up the constituency VVIP.The VVIP rushed to the scene and managed to remind the police that more serious things like the GNLA, bomb threats and massive Shillong road jams required their attention elsewhere. He convinced the cops and they left.
The VVIP then called up the erring VIP; literally took off his pants a second time; made him withdraw his FIR and peace and quiet finally returned. It turned out that no hotel rooms were available in the city that day. The woods, dark and lovely the only alternative for those who can’t wait. The bright side of the story- tourism and hotel occupancy seems to be picking up in Meghalaya! Hip, Hip Hooray!.
(Contributed by an eye witness at the scene of action)