My Wanderings - 31. Short story - 13. My Friend Narendra

Narendra was my friend philosopher and guide. Actually we were class fellows. His father was a great devotee of Swami Vivekananda. Perhaps his father had named him after the great saint. Narendera  was very intelligent as per his knowledge and worldly wisdom was concerned. He could solve mathematical equations  in minutes. He introduced me to the world class authors and philosophers. He was the fastest reader. He could read a book from first page to the last within few hours and amazed me sometimes with his deep comprehensive  and analytical skills on each and every subject.  But he was mediocre in studies. I sometimes wondered why he could not score distinctions as he  was able to  astonish  his teachers and guides due  to his vast knowledge and grasping power. He was also having a rebellious type of  character right from the beginning . He would normally revolt against the rituals and customs  prevelent in the society.  He never appeared to be career conscious. His parents worried about his indifferent attitude towards life. They usually consulted me if they noticed some unusual feature in his behaviour. He was extra ordinary person and not interested in living a scheduled life. Perhaps he wanted to do something different. He was in search for a proper guide to show him the right path.
One day he left his home for good to the much disappointment of his family and friends. His family looked after him for several days to find some clue about his whereabouts and reasons for his sudden elopement.  But he had left with out advising any of his friends or a family member. After a month of this episode,  I received a detailed letter from Narendera about his welfare. He had moved to upper hilly areas of Rishikesh near Hardwaar in search of a Guru and had met several yogis and Mystics  of highest order living there . He had to live with out food and walk on foot for  several days to reach the upper reaches of Himalayas. He would sit on the banks of river Ganga flowing  through the Himalayas for hours together in deep deliberation  for realising self.  For many days he had to live on the water of Ganga only. The purpose of writing this letter was that he had finally found his Guru which nature had bestowed upon him. He also addressed  a letter to his Father, which gave much relief to his family.  He had  advised us not to reply his letters as he was not having any permanent address there. He was only able to post his letters to us through some devotee who visited the place, where he stayed.   After elapse of one year I received another letter from him informing me that his Guru has ordered him to join an organised Ashram at Calcutta to become a permanent monk and also to continue his studies there. He completed his Master's degree in affiliated colleges of monastery and graduated to become a permanent monk. His family members also used to visit him there once in a year or so. He remained there for complete five years. Then he was transferred to the Singapore branch of monastery as Head priest.  I completely lost touch with him and his family due to the migration of our community from Kashmir.
    After few years I came to know that when he was transferred again from Singapore to India, he was reluctant to go back to India as he had developed sentimental  relations with a woman devotee of foreign  origin. But his monastery had strict rules and they send him a reliever. He left the Monastery and married the woman and got settled in Singapore for ever. Monastery people and his disciples  did not like his decision.  But  his old friends and  family members welcomed his decision and  realised that perhaps he has reconciled with  his life then.